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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  Great value - 2005 Acura TSX
  By hephtzibah - December 20 - 8:13 am

  Owned 325i and never thought Japan could win me back. BMW clearly has edge in handling and 6 is silk but TSX is infinitesimally behind. Throw in standard equipment and reliability and it is offer I could not refuse. Need to learn how to drive the 2.4. Remarkably tractable around town but when you really get into it the engine responds in a way only Acura iVTEC can. From high 3000s to redline just keeps pulling. Comfort and ambiance at top of class. Considered TL but its value measures against 5 series or E class. If you are in market for entry level sports sedan DRIVE THE TSX NOW

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  This car rocks!! - 2004 Acura TL
  By autofanatic - December 20 - 2:00 am

  My wife and I both love this car! It is eye-catching, has great handling and acceleration, and a phenomenal DVD- audio/nagigation system. We were looking for a classy, reliable, and fun to drive car...with all the standard options the price is hard to beat!

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  Cool, Classy, and Fun - 2005 Acura RL
  By H. Zipper - December 19 - 11:10 am

  When I first picked my RL up I was a bit anxious about all the new technology, but after days of playing and asking questions I fell in love with my car. I feel like a female Bond in it. The handling is superior to my other vehicles including my Lexus. Its built strong but sleek. It gets lots of head turns at the gas pump.

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  Truly A Drivers Car - 2005 Acura RL
  By carlover - December 19 - 1:25 am

  Wow what an amazing car. This car has got everything and I mean everything from SH-AWD the only AWD that transfer torque from the front and the back and also right and left. From the sun sensors when you have your AC they sense where the sun is to make everyone equal temperature even when the suns beating down. Two sunshades one on each rear window and one power one on the rear that when you have the sunshade up and you pop it into reverse it lowers. From keyless entry to the voice activated DVD and when you want fast food you click the button and say "Nearest Fast Food" and it brings up the nearest fast food place to where you are. Very comfortable seats and very quiet inside. BEST CAR EVER

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  Happy with new MDX - 2006 Acura MDX
  By Chicagomom - December 18 - 9:53 pm

  We bought the new MDX to replace both an Odyssey and a Mercedes E320 because were moving to the city and we like to go to the mountains. The MDX is easy to drive, has plenty of power, intuitive controls and dash, and great navigation system. For its weight, not bad mileage.

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  Love my TL - 2004 Acura TL
  By tommymdgolf - December 18 - 7:48 pm

  After almost 18 months my TL has been rock solid. Its quick, rides smoothly and handles precisely. The interior looks great and is very comfortable. No issues with rattles or vibrations at all.For the money its been a terrific deal.

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  Love my MDX - 2005 Acura MDX
  By meileen - December 18 - 4:20 pm

  I enjoy the handling, the style and the comfort. It has been my favorite car purchase. Used to drive a Ford Expedition and this by far handles better. The service I get w/ Acura has been outstanding. Only one change, wish it had a little more storage hiding space near the driver .

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  Buy a TSX Again? - 2004 Acura TSX
  By pete9797 - December 18 - 11:18 am

  Ive had my TSX for a little over a year now with absolutely no problems. I love this car. Fun to Drive, 30mpg, Navi is great, excellent sound system, very comfortable on long drives. Will definitely stay with Acura the only difference is whether I step up to the TL or RL when Im ready to buy again........

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  The ultimate automobile - 2006 Acura RL
  By doug preston - December 18 - 1:29 am

  I researched all of the luxury cars and found that none of them measured up. In order to come close to the features and performance of the RL, the others jumped to V8 engines and rear wheel drive and sacrificed any semblance of fuel economy. Every detail of this Automobile has been thoroughly considered and skillfully executed. Anyone who chooses to spend more than the cost of an RL is striving for ego satisfaction and not function.

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  Best SUV in its class! - 2007 Acura MDX
  By Dr.A - December 17 - 10:56 am

  In love with this car! Gorgeous interior, heavy tech features without the heavy price! Did a 7 hour road trip with family. Wife was in back seat reclined back enjoying a movie with our son while I was listening to ESPN XM radio up front. We had their temp set to 78 as they are always cold and I was feeling good around 72 degrees since I am always warm... very nice!! Excellent acceleration and handling. Previous review said they had heavy steering. I do not have this problem at all. This vehicle has surpassed our expectations and I would be very suprised if it doesnt win a lot of awards!!