Overview & Reviews

Acura is an upscale automaker known for offering cars with impressive levels of luxury, features and performance. It's come a long way in a short time, however, as the history of Acura is relatively brief. Parent company Honda introduced the Acura brand to the U.S. market in 1986 in an effort to create a separate luxury division for its products. At first, it was just a two-car show: the Legend sedan, which was the first true Japanese luxury car sold in America, and the Integra sport coupe and sedan.

Though essentially a marketing creation for the North American market, the Acura brand was immediately successful. Consumers liked the features, performance and upscale image of Acura cars, along with the fact that Acuras were backed by Honda's reputation for reliability and low ownership costs. In 1991, Acura introduced its crown jewel: the all-aluminum NSX sports car, which offered performance close to that of other exotic cars while undercutting them in price.

As Acura's product line grew in the 1990s, however, the company struggled a bit. Some of its products were duds, and it risked alienating loyal customers when it replaced the Legend and Integra names with alphanumeric designations. The company jumped on the hot luxury SUV bandwagon in the mid-'90s with the SLX. Unfortunately, the SLX was just a rebadged version of an Isuzu SUV, and its quality did not match customers' expectations.

For the new millennium, Acura revamped its product range. An all-new SUV called the MDX debuted, sporting numerous family-friendly features, including a third-row seat. The Integra was replaced with the RSX sport coupe, and an all-new entry-level sport sedan called the TSX was introduced after that. A complete redesign of its most popular model, the midsize TL sedan, followed, as did a redesign of its flagship RL luxury sedan.

By mid-decade the NSX was gone, but Acura filled out its model lineup with the street-performance-oriented RDX compact crossover, the TSX wagon and the ZDX, a fastback-styled crossover that placed unique styling over practicality. Today Acura is still trying to find its ideal niche but there's no denying the quality of Acura's vehicles, nor their appealing mix of performance, technology and value.

User Reviews:

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  The best car Ive had!! - 2006 Acura RSX
  By jen - January 17 - 2:27 pm

  This is a car for those who want a luxury car for a good price. It handles really well in all conditons, I live where we have ice and snow on the roads and it has never let me down.

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  97 GS-R - 1997 Acura Integra
  By tjf - January 16 - 4:08 pm

  I just sold the 1997 Integra GS-R I bought new in 1997, and Im sorry to see it go. It was quick, handled well, and was just generally fun to drive. The gas mileage was exceptional, and the reliability was positively stellar. When I bought the car I believed it was the best bang for the buck available, and 10 years later, I still believe that was true. There may have been a few faster, better handling, cheaper cars, but none that provided so much performance with practicality and reliability. As a used car, I think a properly maintained Integra (particularly a GS-R) is a tremendous value.

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  Best SUV for us! - 2007 Acura RDX
  By binh - January 16 - 3:46 pm

  Me and my wife absolutely love this car. We were previous owners of an RX8 and making the switch to an suv/cuv we expected loss on the fun factor. Turns out this car is a lot of fun to drive and feels solid all around. Gas mileage has been around the 19/20mpg with mixed driving. Everything I had hoped for.

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  Awesome - 2007 Acura TSX
  By Ara - January 16 - 11:04 am

  Sold my 2k Celica and got an 07 TSX. Perfect transition. Its a bit larger with 4 doors, and has much more power. I actually use every feature its got and its awesome. I never need to take my phone out of my pocket or reach over for any controls. Everything can be controlled by either voice, steering wheel, or headunit. At first I thought the gearing was weird, but in the city its perfect because you can do most of your driving in 3rd or 4th to reduce shifting. You dont need the iPod connector because it has an AUX jack standard. Seats heat up extremely fast.

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  super all round transportation - 2005 Acura RL
  By Steve - January 16 - 10:50 am

  Much to like about this car. Sharp enough lines, classy look inside and out. Performance is nice. While not a "lincoln" ride, thats not what you expect here - but more than comfortable.. plenty of room..more than ample power and handles super. Computerized nav/climate/audio system 2nd to none and very intuitive and easy to learn and use. Love the level of driver customization available. Voice activation is terrific - 99% and is a must since this car can be distracting. NAV saved me many hours 3 days after buying when I was out of town and had a 1.5 hour trip .. highway was backed up and closed .. "detour" function steered my to alternate route. Quiet ride/int. Audio system SUPER

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  Acura has a winner!! - 2006 Acura TL
  By jr007 - January 16 - 10:46 am

  I purchased an Acura TL after owning a BMW 325. I was sure i was going to get another BMW but from the start of test driving the Acura TL I was sold. The TLs attention to interior detail is great it has metal and carbon fiber accents. The navigation has a touch screen and the car has interior blue lights. The drive is second to none when the TLs VTEC kicks in you better be holding on, it takes you to 160 mph with out hesitation, thats right I said 160 mph.If you want to own a winner buy an Acura TL, you wont regret your investment.

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  Cool Car! - 2007 Acura RDX
  By HowdyKeith - January 15 - 5:26 pm

  My car is my office as I put a lot of miles on my car. The RDX sold me on several points: 1) its outward style 2) its interior design 3) the Technology Package (outstanding audio and navigational system!) 4) the quality, fit, and finish of the interior materials 5) the comfortable drivers seat 6) its handling and performance 7) the excellent warranty 8) and Acuras reputation for building excellent cars and providing great service. The RDX has been very fun to drive thus far. Some might say that it drives too harsh however, I am more than willing to sacrifice a little cushiness for the excellent handling and road feel the RDX provides. Additionally, this car really turns heads!

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  Great Car - 2007 Acura RDX
  By GNV - January 15 - 12:41 pm

  Technology package is superb. Fit and finish interior also superb. Seats are very comfortable - esp given size of car. Only problem is gas mileage and it requires premium fuel. If Acura corrects this they would have a more sought after car.

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  2006 Acura RL - 2006 Acura RL
  By phgacura1 - January 14 - 1:14 pm

  Have been an Acura owner from the first day they went on sale in 1986, this is my fourth, still have my 1992 Legend. I am getting 20 to 22 mpg in daily driving, my 2002 TL type S was about 1 mpg better. If you overlook this car you are missing something very good.

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  2005 Acura RL - 2005 Acura RL
  By Paul - January 14 - 12:46 pm

  I purchased my Acura RL two months ago and love it. I read the owners manual twice to learn all the features of the car. Handles good and wonderful brakes.