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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  Love It! - 2006 Acura TSX
  By kel - July 28 - 9:12 am

  I am so happy with my car, it is everything I expected and more!

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  A LUXURY BEST BUY - 2005 Acura TL
  By jonnyb - July 26 - 8:25 pm

  I shopped for months for a great sports sedan. I test drove a 06 BMW 325, a vovlo s40 turbo, an Audi a4 turbo, and an infinity G35. What it came down to was that the Acura TL had virtually more power, better navigation system, better reputation for reliability ( I asked 3 mechanics all said go Japanese), modern and stylistic interior, aggressive and sporty exterior, and a buyer friendly price tag.

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  Good value - 2004 Acura TL
  By barb - July 26 - 6:19 pm

  Enjoy driving the car it has performed flawless in all kinds of weather.Experience with the dealer has been wonderful, sound system has been fabulous. Good fit for adults and luggage for long trips. Like the stylish features and it is an excellent value when compared to the Lexus,Infiniti and BMW

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  Best car for the buck, and you get a lot! - 2006 Acura TL
  By Scott - July 26 - 4:56 pm

  Read the Edmunds review, folks. I dont need to go on and repeat what is already available to read. This is a fine work of craftsmanship from a brand that is proven to be reliable, resellable, and supportive of its customers. The exterior and interior design are 10+. No plastic here, folks. Its all soft touch leathers and vinyls with some of the best seats I have ever sat in. Everything is standard (save the NAV, which really isnt worth it). Ace sound system. XM Radio rules beyond belief. The ride is very comfortable, but isnt numb. Youll be able to tell what the car is doing. Again, read the review. This is definatly a must-see if you want to get the most from your dollar.

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  Dream come true in 4 wheels - 2006 Acura MDX
  By awesome car/price - July 24 - 10:20 pm

  I purchased this vehicle at ryans open road acura in New Bruinswick, NJ. the sales person Mark Gershmann was tremendously helpful and did the best he could to make the shopping experience a one of a kind. i bought the silver with black interior with navigation for $36,602 which included the $615 destination fee.(they threw in the splash guards for free) it was an awesome deal i couldnt refuse. the car dealers instaquote system is great! The best price paid for the car.

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  Cheap BMW - 1999 Acura Integra
  By 99-DC4 - July 24 - 10:16 pm

  Love my Integra to death. Incredibly reliable car, never given me a single problem, extremly well built. Performance is astonishing, this car is quick for the price. Dont Pay attention to the 140HP, this car is so lightweight that it feels like it has an extra 20HP. Great handeling, corners perfectly and very minimal body roll (then again my car is on coilovers so...) Great car practically lasts forever if maintained properly you will not regret it!

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  Id buy it again in a heartbeat! - 2005 Acura TL
  By bobm - July 24 - 9:08 pm

  I love this car. Looks great, handles well, does everything well! Even my 22 - 28 yr old kids like it! Ive got 45k flawless miles on it and am hoping one of my kids will be able to afford it when it hits 75k. Id be happy to get by with lower horsepower in exchange for a switch from premium to regular gas, but if it drops my gas mileage, forget it! This is truly a no-regrets car.

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  I Love It!! - 2005 Acura MDX
  By Brandi - July 24 - 4:45 pm

  I love my MDX as much today as the day I bought it. It drives like a dream and is very roomy. Just last weekend we took 6 adults over 3 hours drive away with luggage and everyone had plenty of room. Now if only they would come out with a hybrid with the new models...

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  Great new SUV - 2007 Acura RDX
  By Pacific - July 24 - 4:06 pm

  Just a great car, and an even better value. Very quick, responsive and fun to drive. Have put over 2000 miles on it in less than a month while averaging a shade less than 22 MPG. No Turbo lag at all. The gadgets are great especially the superb audio system, the rear camera, the voice activated controls and the traffic info. Acuras have always been reliable and I expect no difference here.

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  Great SUV - 2006 Acura MDX
  By Jim - July 24 - 12:53 pm

  This is my second MDX, and I think it is the best car out there.