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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  1st Time Acura Owner - 2010 Acura TSX
  By luvcars32 - April 9 - 1:26 pm

  Just got my 1st Acura and couldnt be more impressed. I was going to stay in the Toyota family, but thought Id give Acura a try. I couldnt be more impressed. I love the interior and exterior style and quality. Ive had a BMW 328i and honestly, I like the TSX better. I needed a sedan, and Im glad I chose this one.

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  MDX - 2011 Acura MDX
  By babydo - April 4 - 11:27 pm

  I totally love my MDX, awswome suv. I feel very classy when i drive it...MY family and I are very happy with it.

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  ZDX... Whos this car designed for? - 2012 Acura ZDX
  By ericdise - March 25 - 8:51 am

  The most frequent question asked about the ZDX is "Why?" The automotive magazines and automotive websites all want to slot this car in the crossover category when just like the BMW X6, it just doesnt fit. Is this really a problem? I dont think so. This car is an able, capable, looker! It stands out in the crowd and always provokes favorable comments wherever I go. In a world where so few cars stand out (Mini Cooper, Fiat, Fisker are exceptions), the ZDX stands out and I love that aspect more than anything else. The ZDX is luxurious, well-equipped, and fun to drive. The Advance Package is recommended as the features aid the driver tremendously. This is a great vehicle but not for everyone.

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  Exceeded my expectations - 2012 Acura TSX
  By thelosers - March 12 - 4:00 pm

  Just picked up my silver tsx special edition automatic the other day, and it far exceeded my expectations. This car is great! Rock solid build quality, and very comfotable and luxurious. Ultra responsive steering, acceleration, and brakes. This car really is a blast to drive. I really cant believe this car is so much fun to drive, and feels so tight, responsive, and powerful. The interior and exterior additions of the special edition package really bring an already great car up to another level.

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  Pleasantly Surprised... - 2009 Acura TL
  By sexynavy - March 6 - 2:33 am

  First, I must admit this car is nice and fun to drive. I was looking for something comparable to my 06 525i and struggled with the decision to trade it. But after owning the TL for over a month & a half, the trade was well worth it. Im a big techy person and having all the features that the TL comes with was like putting a kid in a candy store. My 525i didnt even have a quarter of those features & to get them wouldve cost thousands. I was also concerned about the speed between RWD & FWD. But the TL has proved itself to be just as good in that area. Also, I believe the TL has the reliability that Ive been looking for...which I didnt have with the 525i.

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  Great styling, value and lots of fun - 2011 Acura TSX
  By gdh12 - March 3 - 10:19 am

  After owning a 2011 Acura MDX for about a year - and loving it - I went out and bought this TSX as a commuter vehicle. I guess you either like Acura styling or you dont - I happen to really like the unique and aggressive styling. After reading some reviews, I wasnt expecting much from the 2.4 L, 4 cyl. engine. I was pleasantly surprised when I test drove the TSX, however. The engine is peppy and quite responsive. I have no problems merging on the freeway or passing - in fact, I really look forward to it. The TSX handles great - I find myself searching for curves or reasons to swerve on the interstate. You get lots of features on the base TSX, which makes it an excellent value.

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  Aggressive styling, great value & a blast to drive - 2011 Acura MDX
  By gdh12 - March 3 - 9:51 am

  Unlike any other vehicle we have owned, after 16 months and 30k miles, I still get excited at every opportunity to drive our MDX. I love the unique, aggressive styling and, after driving large SUVs for many years, the sports car feel and performance of the MDX makes it a blast to drive. The interior is roomy, high quality and very comfortable. Second row seats are comparable to front seats - very comfortable for adults or children. The technology and entertainment packages are outstanding - best nav and DVD systems I have seen. Voice activation features work great. We average about 16 mpg in mostly city driving, but get 20-21 on freeway trips, better at lower highway speeds.

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  True Sports Sedan - 2012 Acura TSX
  By pete2012 - March 2 - 8:52 am

  Our 2012 Acura TSX, 280-hp, 3.5-liter, V6 (same engine as the TL) is a rare bird. There are only 3 available in Florida at this time, limited colors (do you like silver?) and customers cannot at this time, order from the factory. Nature’s calamities to Acura/Honda plants in the Pacific rim have caused a paucity of this model. We traded a 201-hp, 2.4-liter, 4-cylinder 2011 TSX (which is a beautiful piece of work and fun to drive) for this model. We also have a 2007 Acura TL, which we will continue to own as it has low mileage, it’s garaged nightly, and its aesthetics are more pleasing to us than the current model. We waited for a new TL exterior (a design which, being on the cutting edge, would take other manufacturers a few years again to replicate) but this new, Crystal Black Pearl with Ebony interior TSX is just gorgeous. Along with certain other unmentionable devices, it will “Blow your hair back”. It’s the true sports sedan I’ve always longed for. Yeah, maybe you’d class it as “entry level luxury”, but the truth is, “I know better”.

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  TL owner moving down but not by much... - 2012 Acura TSX
  By dadoftwogirls - February 13 - 7:21 pm

  I was tired of getting 17.5 mpg on premium gas around town with my 2009 Acura TL. I looked at BMW, Mercedes and Audi. However, I just couldnt justify the extra money. Everything cost EXTRA. I went back to Acura and they had a Milano Red Limited Edition loaded TSX on the showroom floor. I immediately fell in love with the looks and bought it on the spot. To me it is the most agressive looking Acura with the body kit. It just looks sexy and strong. Although I am giving up a lot of power vs. the TL, I am also getting about 6 miles a gallon farther down the road. In addition, I hardly ever found a time when I could drive the TL agressively. At this point, I am not missing it much.

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  Love my TSX - 2012 Acura TSX
  By mharris335 - February 8 - 4:55 pm

  I got this car in November and it is the best thing I have ever driven. It gets good gas mileage and its plenty fast enough. I love the feel of the interior and the seats are very comfortable. I had been driving a Honda Accord for the past 10 years, so this car was a big step up for me. What sold me on the TSX was the cost. For a loaded Accord it would have been $28,500 and I paid $29,500 for my TSX. The new Accord felt like a toy, but the TSX feels like more like a sports car/luxury car. I would buy another one in a heartbeat.