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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  Great car - 2006 Acura TL
  By Jim - November 1 - 6:43 pm

  Just purchased this for my wife. This is best car that we have ever owned. Great ride, very smooth. Excellent acceleration. Nothing about this car that we do not like. Look forward to many years of comfortable safe driving.

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  Grinning from ear to ear - 2006 Acura TL
  By tom s - November 1 - 2:18 pm

  Test drove many competitors and the winner was the TL. Great handling for fwd (which I want for traction in the north country) and you do not notice the torque steer unless the vehicle is taken to the limits, which few people do on a regular basis. Everything is standard on the TL. This vehicle is really fun to drive. The only problem I have is trying to get my wife out of the driverÂ’s seat.

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  Bobs Car - 2005 Acura RL
  By bobb - October 31 - 9:54 am

  After much research and thinking between Toyota and Acura plus several test drives I decided on the Acura. I must say I am very happy. I have taken several trips from Chicago to Florida with no issues. I have navigation and it is a help and comfort. I once got lost in Milwaukee and the navigation system got me right out of trouble. I highly recommend this automobile.

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  I LOVE THIS CAR!! - 2006 Acura TL
  By Desi - October 31 - 6:13 am

  I wanted a new car, didnt need it but I wanted one. I had to choose between several cars and I chose this one because of all of the things it came with. If you dont like a sports car and you want something practical then, purchase a Honda or Toyota. Im a single mother and my daughter just loves talking to this car and playing with the navigation system.

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  Thanks for the classy upgrade - 2007 Acura MDX
  By sap - October 31 - 1:23 am

  Thanks for making a SUV that wont make me look like a soccer mom! What a sleek looking vehicle. Comfort level of all interior controls is perfect. Ive only had it for a very short while, but heads are turning. This is by far the best SUV of 2007 for the price and STANDARDS that are offered. You cant beat it.

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  Great luxury suv - 2017 Acura RDX
  By Mohan - October 30 - 2:19 am

  Rdx is great value for those looking for luxury SUV. For under 40k you can get V6 luxury SUV that good list of features.

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  Not Too Shabby - 2006 Acura TL
  By bgk99 - October 29 - 7:32 pm

  Have owned for two months. Im used to sports cars (MBZ, Porsche 911, Infiniti G-35) but having a baby so needed something more "family" like. Its a bit underpowered but has decent pickup - mileage is lacking - handling is pretty smooth but not excellent. So far, so good.

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  Sophistication. - 2006 Acura TSX
  By Alicia - October 29 - 12:13 pm

  I researched two other cars before deciding on the TSX. I am very pleased with my selection. This car is beautiful and very fun to drive. I love the body style and the interior design. You feel very pampered in this car. I highly recommend it!

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  06 RL - 2006 Acura RL
  By rjmevans - October 29 - 7:25 am

  After looking at this and several others (for over a year), I finally broke down and got one of the last 06s. I had an 01 CL and never had a problem. This is a good reference site and after readimg all of the reviews I bought the base model for $40K. Thanks for taking the time to share your thoughts on the site.

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  raoanil review - 2005 Acura MDX
  By raoanil - October 28 - 11:23 am

  This is a great SUV for the money. It provides a comfortable ride and is a very high quality product. I would clearly recommend this to anyone in the market for a luxury SUV.