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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  Excellent Used Car! - 2002 Acura RSX
  By Mike A. - December 16 - 12:40 am

  I just purchased a used RSX from a local dealership and I love it. It is an 02 with 40,000 mi, silver w/ black leather. I originaly had my heart set on the Type S, however, they are hard to find thus they demand top dollar. This car is such a good value. The car looks and drives like new. Plus I got a great deal, $13,200 + tax.

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  MDX - 2006 Acura MDX
  By richard nelson - December 15 - 6:53 pm

  this is our 14th acura and they just keep getting better

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  Great car - 2006 Acura TL
  By Paul - December 15 - 12:33 am

  Have had this car for over a week now, has been really fun to drive, has tons of features and engine performance is great.

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  Love this car! - 2004 Acura TL
  By Karen D. - December 13 - 8:40 am

  I had a 96 BMW 328i, then a 2002 Acura TL. I liked the Acura better than the BMW for a lot of reasons. So then I decided to buy another TL and this one is far superior to the first one. I love the new styling, the blue interior lights, it handles the road great, the stereo is unbelievable and is just plain fun to drive. I used to live in a flat area of the country, but I now live in a very hilly area and the 270 hp engine makes the hills a breeze. I will keep buying this car as long as they make it.

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  Excellent Integra Replacement - 2002 Acura RSX
  By New Type S Owner - December 12 - 10:00 am

  Ive just completed the break-in period on my RSX Type-S and so far I am extremely pleased with my purchase. After test-driving the Celica GTS, the Nissan Spec V , the Subaru WRX and the Hyundai Tiburon (the VW GTI just looked too girly) I felt that the Acura offered the most bang for my buck. I preferred the body styling of the Celica and was impressed by the Subarus stat sheet, but neither of those cars married their performance with such a livable package as the RSX. I almost bought the Spec V (so much vroom, so little money) but I opted to pay a bit more for a better all around car, and now Im very happy that I did.

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  Pleasure to Own - 1992 Acura Legend
  By Paul - December 11 - 5:32 pm

  Bought this car as a certified used vehicle from an Acura dealer. It was 4 years old and in great condition. My ownership for the past 10 years as been a joy. Very little maintenance overall. Had the belts, hoses, and water pump changed at 10 years as preventative. Problem areas that have had to be repaired.. new radiator top assembly, new ignition switch, power antenna always an issue, had to have a used transmission put in (this was most likely my fault from towing a trailer with the car that was at the max tow limit, it was recommended that I not pull a trailer with this car). Paint is now starting to show age on roof and trunk lid, still original and not garage kept. Interior has held up

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  Not your typical family four door - 2004 Acura TSX
  By Mark - December 10 - 3:06 pm

  Most drivers, especially us in our 20s are looking for the "latest and greatest" in vehicles that we can combine performance with sleek styling. The TSX does just this to the highest degree. I am only 23 but still wanted a four door for convenience. I searched many other models and found Acura to be well above the rest. Simply tint the windows with a legal tint and add a spoiler and you are left with a fun, stylish, sedan sports car. The compliments never end and their jaws will drop when you tell them about the peppy 4 cylinder under the hood. I recommend to anyone in the market to spend the little extra money for an Acura, you wont be disappointed.

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  LOVE IT! - 2007 Acura MDX
  By Christine R - December 10 - 4:16 am

  Just got the MDX. Love it. It is such a great car for me. I have owned two Hondas in the past (civic and accord) and wanted another Honda but wanted more luxury than the Pilot. So the Acura was the answer. Its a great ride, everything I need. Im a 51 female and I love it. I have a two and a half year old and we added a side rail (step) and glad we did, little guy can get in easier by himself and I use it to buckle him in without stretching.

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  Excellent Value - 2003 Acura TL
  By billbo - December 9 - 10:00 am

  Love all the features. 6CD, Bose system, 260hp engine, sports-shift trany, leg room, interior design is awesome. Test drove a Nissan Altima, Maxima. Pontiac Grand Prix, Kia Altima and everything a could find in its class and this car just fit. What is up with the brakes though? Less than 4,000 and I can hear a grinding sound! Bringing the car in for my first check this week. Paid 27,200 for this car and I want to keep for 10 years.

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  Great Car - Watch the Tranny - 2002 Acura TL
  By KMaude - December 9 - 1:35 am

  Ive had this car for about a year now (85,000 miles) and its been one of the best cars Ive owned (over 12 others). I recently felt a little hesitation in the tranny and took it to the dealer for service. Thank god its still under the factory tranny warranty (7 yrs/100k). The trans needs replacing and thanks to the warranty Ill be getting it for free! Another positive is my dealer loaner is a 2006 3.2 TL with 800 miles on it ... what a great car! I will strongly consider another Acura when purchasing a new car next year.