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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  Easy fun and glad I bought one - 2005 Acura TL
  By M. klein - July 23 - 8:50 pm

  Great car and easy to drive. For me it was whether or not I would be happy without another mercedes. Had owned 4 Mercedes and decided this time to look at Acura as we were happy with our daughters Acura RSX that we bought 2 years ago. Reluctantly I went over but once behind the wheel there was no turning back. Lots of extras that the 320C class didnt have from Mercedes. The dealership was first class and the ride was superb. Loved the RL but since I still have a college student that will be driving the car in the summers with me decide that RL to fancy. I have come to love my TL in no time The ease of the navigation system and the voice command activation system is fun and I love my car.

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  Waited long enough! - 2006 Acura RSX
  By ken - July 23 - 3:51 pm

  The RSX-S was well worth the wait for me.Its got the power and handling I was looking for and the lease for $239.00 monthly was the best Ive seen!

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  Great Car, Great Value - Love my TSX! - 2006 Acura TSX
  By April - July 21 - 3:30 am

  After having my 97 Saturn SL totalled in an accident in May, I was going to get a Mercedes C class, but after I added all the "extras", I ended up with a $60,000 car! After researching other cars, a co-worker mentioned the TSX to me, as he has an 04 one, and said that everything I wanted in a car is standard on the TSX except the Navigation system, and its 30,000 less than the Benz!! I love the way it rides, all the gadgets, and the way it looks! I just wished it got better gas mileage, especially since you have to use premium gas, and in this day and age, its very close to $4 per gallon!

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  RSX Review - 2004 Acura RSX
  By BobG - July 21 - 2:00 am

  Excellent overall design and comfort. Dealer was the best Ive ever dealt with. Fun and exciting to drive. Engine preforms like cars costing 2 times the purchase price. Six gear transmission is tight and smooth with little excessive play. A little more of a consol would be nice but the interior is very attractive.

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  i love it - 2004 Acura RSX
  By marcos4 - July 21 - 2:00 am

  its the best car ive have yet. and i do have a is 300 from lexus, and this car its so much funner then my lex. this has the hors power that i need just stook its so fun the best car..

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  a good vehicle - 2004 Acura MDX
  By Bharat - July 21 - 2:00 am

  Love it. No Regrets.

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  I looked for safety and comfort - 2004 Acura MDX
  By bengt - July 21 - 2:00 am

  Safety was the pime component as I shopped for a new SUV. The MDX has the safety features I was looking for. I was also looking for comfort, style and a navigation system. I looked at other brands, but the MDX was the one which met my needs. Other luxury brands in this size car didnt offer the third seat; they also had smaller cargo areas. The navigation system is a fantastic addition; the rear camera used when the car is in reverse, is also a great feature. I love the car!

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  I love my Acura MDX - 2004 Acura MDX
  By Kadepp - July 21 - 2:00 am

  I LOVE MY CAR! I drive 1.5 hours to work and again back home -- at the end of the day I am disappointed when it is time to pull into the garage because the ride has been so great and I am not dog tired from sitting in the drivers seat until 7 pm.

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  Great SUV - 2004 Acura MDX
  By Bob A - July 21 - 2:00 am

  Rides as good as my Lincoln.

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  Fantastic! - 2004 Acura MDX
  By quicksale - July 21 - 2:00 am

  With the NAV System, the Acura MDX is incredible. A Great SUV!