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 - 2007 Acura RDX
  By Bill - October 6 - 12:33 am

  Having driven Audi A8s for the last 9 years, I was a bit daunted by the thought of going to a smallish SUV. But I wanted something smaller and better suited to a less formal lifestyle, and the RDX fit the bill. It is one great car! Handling, performance, all are great. The Technology Package is fantastic - voice recognition commands make using the Nav system a piece of cake. And the sound system is the best I have ever heard in a car - it will blow you away, literally. The XM radio is also super - digital surround sound must be heard to be believed.

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  Best small suv for the money - 2018 Acura RDX
  By Pedro - October 5 - 11:12 pm

  Test drive all the competition. BMW, audi,Lexus etc. Saved thousands. Does everything very well.

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  What A Car - 1994 Acura Legend
  By Pete - October 5 - 9:20 am

  Came out of an 98 BMW 540i. Bought my Acura with only 65,000 on it in Sept of 06. Havent looked back yet. What a classic design and the interior looks better and feels better than my BMW. I wish I could have had this car years ago.

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  Smoooooooth - 2006 Acura TL
  By walterj - October 3 - 7:22 pm

  This is the smoothest Car Ive ever driven, Its got speed and power and class but what impresses me most is how smooth it drives and how many features it has.

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  Makes you want to drive - 2004 Acura TL
  By gpman - October 3 - 11:24 am

  I fell in love with this car when I saw it. It has great European looks. Then I got behind the wheel and found myself at home. It fits! The wheel adjusts telescopically as well as up and down, the seats electronically move in almost any direction. With these features you can get a perfect fit. The dash has the best looking instrument panel I have seen in a car it has a 3D feel to it. The acceleration is that of some of the true sports cars I have driven, it will put you back in the seat. The brakes bring you to a stop in a comfortable distance. I look forward to getting behind the wheel whether going down the street or out of town. I love it!

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  Cant believe what I drive everyday - 2008 Acura TL
  By amazed - October 3 - 6:23 am

  I got more than 2000 miles on my new TL and I cannot believe that I actually drive this car to work everyday. Take it from a dealership parking lot to downtown and watch reflections of yourself. When you open the door, it whispers (not screams) luxury! I love all the features: seat memory settings, hands-free link, navigation, dual climate, sound system. Driving is very smooth and comfortable and, if you want, very sporty as well. Perfect balance. You can drive your mother in law in a limo and your friends in a sports car all in the same vehicle. Driving in the heavy rain, passing 18-wheelers, up the hill in curvy road, all of it is pure driving passion. MPG is OK, 28/23 so far.

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  Best Mid Size SUV - 2006 Acura MDX
  By Josh - October 1 - 9:50 pm

  I love this SUV. Best in Class! I test drove several competitors.They all were good. But for the price, value and for things that I was looking for in a Luxury SUVs the MDX was outstanding!!

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  Luxurious fun - 2002 Acura CL
  By Rarb - October 1 - 4:39 am

  Superb quality, refined styling inside and out. The entire cockpit is a dream. Plenty of power to have some fun with. Very reliable - no problems whatsoever in 4 years of ownership.

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  91 Legend LS Sedan - 1991 Acura Legend
  By 91 Legend Fan - September 30 - 8:27 pm

  Purchased used in 1998 with 67K miles 5 speed manual trans not auto. I am the second owner. Clutch was replaced at 60K miles by previous owner. Vehicle currently has 118K miles and still runs like new. Exterior still has mirror shine with the exception of bubble spots above rear wheel well and around windshield. No rust, just bubbles. The bubbles were there when I bought the vehicle. Quality interior: no cup holders, but this was designed as a sports sedan not a family vehicle. Carpet, floor mats, and upholstery still looks like new. Bose stereo ok. Easy to replace with aftermarket if you desire. If you are considering buying one you will not be disappointed. MPG 22 city/29 highway premium.

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  Amazing - 2006 Acura RSX
  By Matthew - September 30 - 2:18 pm

  This car is very quick, and peppy. The 6th gear is a bit tricky getting into if you are not used to having a 6th gear. Acura also fixed the 3rd gear problem with the 05-06 RSX Type S. It use to be notchy, or crunchy, but it is fixed now. The leather is very nice, and automatic climate control is a cery nice feature. The Bose upgrade is awesome!