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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  TOOTS TL - 2004 Acura TL
  By DAVE WIERER - May 22 - 2:00 am

  CAR WAS BOUGHT IN FLORIDA, DROVE BACK TO WISCONSIN THROUGH ICE & SNOW,DIDNT PUSH TO THE LIMITS YET, ONLY HAVE HAD IT FOR 1 WEEK, 1700 MILES. PRVOUSLY HAD A 1999 3.2 TL. WIFE ABSOLUTELY LOVED IT , WOUNDNT LET MY DRIVE IT MUCH, I PUT ON LOTS OF MILES ON MY CARS. OUR 24 YEAR OLD SON NOW LOVES IT. HE WANTS TO BUY THE 2004 TL WHEN SHE WANTS TO SELL. ACURA SHOULD MAKE A SAN MARINO RED TL, THE BRIGHTER THE BETTER, COPS LIKE IT.SO DOES MY WIFE.

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  TSXtasy - 2004 Acura TSX
  By TSXTASY - May 21 - 11:59 am

  I purchased this car almost a year ago and needless to say, the only complaint I have is that I wish it had better/more cupholders. This car is money! I love it! Blissful blend of luxury, gas mileage, performance, and style. And to cap it off, it will be just as good at and beyond 100,000 miles (because technically it is a honda). Some claim it is lacking in power, but name another naturally aspirated, 4-door, 4-cylinder car that is comparable... there isnt one. Turbocharge it, and the product is a 4-door, 4-cylinder luxury car that is faster than an EVO or an STI except it already comes with a 6-speed! Great car, highly recommend it, thats why my license plate says "TSXTASY" (TS- ECSTASY).

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  Poorest Quality Honda Ive ever ownerd - 2003 Acura CL
  By 2002cldisappointment - May 21 - 10:00 am

  The drivers side armrest squeeks. A bundle of wires dropped from under the dash. The climate control sounds like it is full of leaves. Im 511 and keep hitting my head on the roof. The moonroof flutters like crazy at > 70 mph. You call this quality?

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  Cannot beat this baby for the price - 2003 Acura TL
  By Paradox - May 21 - 10:00 am

  Great car for the money and I got it for 2,000 off sticker. Much better deal than the 300M Special i was considering. Cheaper and has navigation which chrysler doesnt even offer. Plus you get Japanese reliability compared to American junk!

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  Love this car - 1992 Acura Integra
  By Craig - May 20 - 8:18 pm

  Ive owned this car for over 5 years and 100,000 miles. Its got over 180,000 miles on it now and still runs great. Its fun to drive, has good power, handles great, and is extremely reliable and efficient. Its nice to get 30 MPG while still having enough power to be fun. Ive never had to do any major repairs. Id recommend this car to anybody.

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  Id Rather Have a BMW - 2007 Acura MDX
  By adam - May 20 - 9:52 am

  Good car, handles nicely, I expected a little more kick. The car has the technology I need but it may be a little too technologically advanced. My only complaint is that it is the ugliest car on the road.

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  Nice But Lacks Some Acura Tradition - 2007 Acura RDX
  By RDX Fan - May 19 - 9:52 am

  I ordered the RDX in May and received it in Sep 06 and it was worth the wait, mostly. Great handling and performance, sporty and comfortable around every corner & on the highway. Acura did a good job bringing the RDX to this class of SUV. But I do wonder why Acura went away from what worked in the MDX family (I left the MDX to come to the RDX). With all the good there are some things missing (see Suggested Improvements). Some toys just detract from the experience and others should have carried over from the MDX. Maybe they should have actually asked Acura drivers what they liked before building something with so many less functional add-ons.

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  Too much fun! - 2007 Acura RDX
  By Kathy - May 18 - 10:41 pm

  After six weeks of my son and I driving and researching all types of SUVs, I narrowed it down to the RDX and still enjoy every minute in it. I dont want to go to work in the morning, I want to keep going! This definitely has a sporty ride, but the handling in snow and rain is great. The controls are very easy to use, yet I am still getting use to the nav. I dont need to use it a lot, but it has been great when needed. The sound system is awesome. Still looking for some DVD-A discs of the bands I like. The size of the center console is great and I like that it locks.

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  NOTHING ELSE Compares! - 2007 Acura MDX
  By Rich - May 18 - 4:07 pm

  Like BMW, Audi, WRX STI, only judge the MDX after it has a minimun of 8-10K miles. Improvements in power, suspension performance, quietness, door seals/wind-noise occur. Fast, smooth, 300 HP. Experience 17-22.5 MPG. Computerized SHAWD/Delphi-Magneto-Rheological Shocks and Michelins, corner like on rails with no tire noise/squeal. Suspension allows powering through steep/fast turns like no other car. “Comfort Switch” allows MDX Sport a Lexus-Ride (leveling tar-strips!) or in “Sport Mode”, MDX will exceed any other SUVs handling capability. Min. hydroplaning and goes through snow like tank.

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  Amazing - 2007 Acura TSX
  By Arctic Blue 07 - May 17 - 11:07 pm

  I really do love the car, and do not regret the purchase whatsoever. The car is great fun to drive, accelerates smoothly, but youll pay for the fun at the gas pump.