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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  Best Car Ever!!! - 2000 Acura RL
  By mike1997 - February 5 - 8:26 pm

  It is the great reliable luxury car. Has all the of the creature comforts like Automatic Air Conditioning and a Navigation System. They 8 speaker BOSE sound system sounds great! The 210 HP V6 puts out great power for everyday driving.

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  Excellent Vehicle - 2012 Acura TL
  By ken117 - February 3 - 6:29 am

  Recently purchased a 2012 TL with Tech. For the price I paid the TL presented the best overall value. Yes, I did consider all the other players in this market. I did not want to pay extra for a European badge such as MB or BMW and I have concerns with their reliability . Audis spotty reliability was a killer. Couldnt justify the price of the Lexus which I find a bit sedate. Liked the Infiniti but find the styling a bit outdated. Certainly, the other vehicles I considered may better the TL in some areas and the TL may better them in other areas. I do know, having driven the TL for a couple of months, my appreciation of the TL continues to grow.

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  2012 Acura MDX w/ tech package at 2,000 miles - 2012 Acura MDX
  By bill2219 - January 31 - 5:24 pm

  I never thought I would own a "gas guzzling SUV” until taking a long test drive in an MDX. I had planned to buy a smaller 4x4 such as the Acura RDX or Honda CRV, but the MDX has the road manners of a smaller, sporty vehicle along with every convenience and safety feature I wanted. Gas mileage was a concern until it returned over 21 mpg on 1,000 mile round trip while fully loaded that mostly exceeded legal Interstate speeds. I expect better when it is broken in. The ability to control so many vehicle functions by voice is amazing and the Acura navigation system (reputedly the best on the planet) even knows its way around the back woods of South Carolina!

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  An Amazing Sports Sedan!!! - 2009 Acura TL
  By shaymasdaddy06 - January 29 - 6:54 pm

  After 1 month and 2000 miles, this is now my favorite car of all time. Yes the ride is firm with the 19s and it is a tad bit thirsty on gas, but the total package is worth it. I found a 09 CPO TL Tech SH-AWD with 41K miles and it is rock solid. The handling is unbelieveable. I may not be able to toss it in a corner like a BMW, but the handling is rewarding on its own merit. The interior is amazing and the seats wrap around you like a glove. I cant wait to drive it each day!!

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  First time Acura buyer - 2012 Acura TL
  By kiloputty - January 28 - 11:21 pm

  Just got a TL Advance this week with 8 miles on it. Currenlty have 108 miles. I test drove the AWD and loved the way it handled, but decided on the FWD for the softer suspension. The AWD defies physics in a way that would tempt me too much. It begs you to take turns at high speeds. The FWD felt faster in a straight line. When I mentioned this to the sales guy, he said that the FWD was in fact faster in a straight line, but Acura marketing didnt want that advertised, no idea if theres any truth there. AWD comes with tighter side lumbar support and stiffer suspension. Suffice to say you owe it to yourself to test drive both to decide which is right for you.

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  My 2001 Acura CL-S - 2001 Acura CL
  By smileyhollow - January 24 - 1:56 pm

  In 2000, I bought a 2001 Acura CL-S brand new and I love it. It has 49,000 miles and the only things I have ever had done to it is have the oil changed and the scheduled maintenance. The only thing bad I have to say about this car is that it didnt hold its value as I thought it would. Even though I have 4 people standing in line to buy it, I am keeping it and maybe sell it later. It is a blast to drive and now that there are not many on the road, it gets the looks. I think it is a beautiful and a fun car. So if you ever see a shiny, bright red 2001 CL-S in perfect condition passing you, wave, it will probably be me.

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  one of the best - 1991 Acura Legend
  By rochkram - January 18 - 8:17 am

  i think this legand is the greatest built smooth ride good on gas and fast i drove this acura to florida from ny a 24 hour ride according to mapquest.com did it in 16 hours thats stoping for gas and pizza hut so figure you figure out how fast we were going,as only one issue was the fuel lines rusted out i fixed myself dealer fix 1200.00 if you have problems in the snow put your car in 2nd gear at the stop lights you will be amazed how much easier it is to take off , you will stay right with the 4 wheel drive trucks 225,000mile and still looks great one small rust spot behind back tire about the size of a quarter 22 years old check you toyota for rust lol

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  The Best small upscale SUV, hands down - 2010 Acura RDX
  By klrsmile - January 16 - 4:27 pm

  Having test driven a variety of its competitors, including some SUVs up-market as well as down (GLK, X3, Q5, Highlander) as well as being a former MDX owner, my wife and I were equally impressed with the RDX, albeit for very different reasons. He: Love the performance, 0-60 in about 6 seconds - very impressive, and surprisingly nimble, a very fun car to drive. The stereo is equally impressive, sounds great and free 12 months subscription to satellite insures something for everyone to listen to. She: The cargo space handles weekend shopping and family upkeep with ease. Crash test ratings help keep the kids safe

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  Buy it! You wont be disappointed! - 2006 Acura TSX
  By coraline - January 13 - 5:33 pm

  We bought this car used the summer of 2010. It had about 43K on it. It was totaled last week with 84 K on it. We never had a problem with the car. We did the standard maintenance and never had to think about it. The car wrecked well. I was rear ended by a large truck traveling at a high speed. I walked away from the wreck with a broken nose saying that I wanted another Acura. The impact shifted the car off the frame so badly that the plastic components on the inside popped off however, the passenger compartment stayed intact. It doesnt matter how a car looks or even if it has a good repair history--what matters is will you walk away from a high-impact wreck.

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  Great Car! - 2012 Acura RDX
  By austonian - January 13 - 3:14 pm

  I traded my 07 BMW X3 for the 12 RDX. I wanted reliability in a small luxury SUV - which I expect from and Acura and was not getting from BMW. I expected the RDX to be a bit of a let down from the X3 from a driving perspective, but I was way wrong. I absolutely love driving the RDX! Its peppy, has a lighter, crisper feel, and I love the interior, which has very comfortable seats. No complaints from me. This has turned out to be a very good choice. (BTW, the 13 RDX was revealed at the Detroit Auto Show this week. IMO, the new body is very generic and too rounded. Get thee to an Acura dealer fast if you want the current RDXs distinctive look and lines.)