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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  Lovely Car In Every Way! - 2006 Acura TSX
  By Happyacura - September 8 - 5:03 pm

  Now that my TSX is 2 months old, I can write this. Its just superb in every way. Beautifully built and finished, not a hint of a squeak, rattle, moan or groan anywhere. The features/tech stuff are all awesome and work perfectly. The perforations in the leather keep my back cool, and the a/c is way cold. The stereo is excellent, the comfort is excellent, the engine and 5 speed auto tranny are flawless together. I cant think of anything not fully pleasing. I am fully confident that I made the right choice. I looked very carefully at the competitioni. The TSX smokes them all on value! Lastly, you cant tell is FWD, and you cant tell its a 4, thats praise!

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  04 Acura TL - 2004 Acura TL
  By tenncpa - September 8 - 10:00 am

  04 Acura TL is third TL owned and thus far, the best. Performance is smoother, quieter and more refined than 2002 TL- S, which was great car. It is hard to imagine a better car--performance, value and dependability--in this class.

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  driver - 2006 Acura TL
  By milan - September 5 - 3:46 pm

  Great vehicle for your money. Cant find better car for that much. Great space also, with perfect rear seats.

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  Great Car - 2005 Acura MDX
  By Vigi - September 5 - 2:50 am

  05 MDX replaced my 92 4Runner, I get perfect parking 100% of the time, using the rear camera, excellent design and integration of front stereo with rear entertainment system. Very comfortable, kids love it to. Im waiting for the hybride version of this car, it gobles gas alot, but it worth the comfort.

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  Everything I wanted and more... - 2006 Acura RL
  By cb - September 4 - 9:01 am

  This is the car Ive always wanted, and finally, someone built it. Its the most fun car Ive ever driven because it was so well designed. Every control is within my reach without stretching, voice recognition, although not perfect, is pretty close. My favorite part is the gas mileage. I just came back from a 150 mile trip, and got 31.6 mpg on the highway with the air conditioning on. I held to the speed limit (65 mph), and used cruise control. Long trips are a dream with the quiet cabin, smooth ride and excellent Bose stereo system. Ive heard people say it looks like an Accord, but I disagree. Certainly not from the front. I like the styling and the total quality of the car.

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  Incredible value - great all-around - 2004 Acura TSX
  By JanTSX - September 3 - 4:00 pm

  Ive had my TSX for over three years now and am really impressed. Build quality is exceptional - Ive had one minor issue w/ my air conditioner in 3 years, but other than that, have just had to change the oil and rotate the tires. Lots of fun to drive. The navigation system is extremely easy to use and intuitive. Took me all of 5 mins. to learn it. I always get comments on the interior lighting at night - very cool looking. Controls and gauges laid out very well. And the stability control program pretty much saved my life one day on I-459 in Birmingham, Alabama.

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  Excellent!! - 2005 Acura RSX
  By dendron - September 2 - 11:14 pm

  What a shame Acura has decided to discontinue this model beyond 2006! The RSX -- especially the Type-S -- is major bang for the buck. Grab one before theyre gone. I owned a 2002 Type-S, which I loved, until the refinements of the 2005-06 were introduced... then I had to trade. My 2005 is a noticeable improvement over the earlier varsion. A very nice blend of luxury, economy, and performance for under $25K. Several reviewers have complained about the rough ride. This is primarily due to the crappy Michelin touring (M+S) tires Acura shackles this car with from the factory. An upgrade to a set of oversized General UHP summer tires TOTALLY transformed this car for me. BIG difference!

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  Acura MDX - 2004 Acura MDX
  By pakky - September 2 - 2:00 am

  I purchased this vehicle new just over a year ago. It is simply the best SUV I have ever driven. I would not hesitate to recommend its purchase to a friend or family member. My one and only criticism is:fake(plastic)wood.

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  Best SUV ever - 2006 Acura MDX
  By Tony - September 1 - 3:05 pm

  I have had many cars over my life time. I have enjoyed many brands as well. This time I traded my TSX for my MDX. Everyday I enjoy the MDX more and more. Funny thing... my 24 yr son wants to buy one as well. So it spans the generation. You will not be disappointed!

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  Wonderful SUV - 2003 Acura MDX
  By royalpar1 - August 31 - 1:32 pm

  I have this car now going on 4 years, no issues, the car is just great and probably the best SUV for the money. I have looked at others and believe that this the best value for money.