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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  Acura RL - 2005 Acura RL
  By Acura RL - August 3 - 12:32 am

  If you want to be pampered, this is the car to purchase. Though not short in performance, its strength is its smooth effortless ride and its on board technology. Best navigation package in the market with a full compliment of voice activated systems.

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  Built Just For Me - 2005 Acura MDX
  By EWD - August 2 - 9:23 pm

  I am a tall driver (64")and always must "try on" an automobile for fit in head,leg and foot room, steering wheel positioning and instrument and control visibility and convenience. The MDX fits me almost perfectly. I could use a little more room for my left foot, but head and leg room are great. instruments and controls are conveniently located and visibility is excellent. For me it has smooth acceleration, a firm but not harsh ride and a confidence building feel of the road. Cargo space is excellent and thirdf row seating comfortable for the occasional need to transport my four grand kids and two adults. Pleasing exterior styling that I think beats anything else on the road.

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  Highly recommended after 1 year - 2004 Acura RSX
  By fausto - August 2 - 3:42 pm

  Ive had this car for 25,000 miles. Bought it brand new. Have had a few minor rattles (dash, heat shield, both fixed) and a window motor was replaced. Other than that, the car has been trouble-free. I mean, its a Honda. Performance wise, it handles great now that Ive replaced the stock tires with good ones. Its as fast as a WRX but gets 32+ mpg no matter how hard you drive. The steering and shifting are paticularly nice. However the 6-speed tranny (with triple cone synchros) definitely shifts best in the hands of an experienced driver. Overall, I compared the RSX to the WRX, Mini Cooper S, STI, Audi A4, 350Z and RX-8 and Im very, very glad I got the RSX.

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  I love this car! - 2004 Acura TL
  By drknapp - August 2 - 2:00 am

  This is a great car. I test drove the G35 also and liked it too. But when I drove the TL I fell in love with it. Its interior is much nicer, The radio far exceeds the one in the G35. This car is just a blast to drive. I just cant seem to stop smiling.

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  Love my car but hoping for the best - 2004 Acura TL
  By mejpj - August 2 - 2:00 am

  I have had my car three weeks. Bought it on a Saturday and had to bring it back by Tuesday. I have had to bring it in twice; navigation system has stopped functioning twice but now been promised a new navi, and also has had a lot of crackling noises in the interior. They also had to redo my ground effects bec it wasnt fitted right. ItÂ’s a fun car to drive and lots of power and very stylish. So far, I have been treated well by the service department but I do want my car in "NEW" condition. Now, I am banking on ACURAs reputation, reliability and quality to be as good as they say they are.

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  TL - Get a lot for the Money - 2004 Acura TL
  By KDK777 - August 2 - 2:00 am

  For the price, the 2004 TL is a bargin! Near top notch performance, significantly improved styling, Acuras normal high reliability and loads of options for thousands less than comparably equipted competitors! I looked at the BMW 530i, Lexus GS300 and Infinity G35 sedan. Hands down, the 2004 TL was the car for me!

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  Love The TL - 2004 Acura TL
  By lust4mac@aol.com - August 2 - 2:00 am

  Absolutely love the TL.

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  Great car for the money - 2004 Acura TSX
  By Kerri - August 1 - 10:46 pm

  I just bought a 2004 TSX. When I was looking at the car I noticed it had high miles but figured since it is a Acura it would be fine. I had an Integra before my TSX and it had 215,000 miles on it and I was very satisfied with my Integra. I love the look of the TSX and of course the 6 speed trans. The handling is great! My sister has a 2004 Accord and I like my TSX better as it seems more sporty and more room in the inside. The Bose stereo with 6 disc changer sounds great also.

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  I love it!!! - 1998 Acura Integra
  By Amanda - August 1 - 6:26 pm

  This is my 2nd Acura Integra GS-R and I love these cars. They have speed when you need it and they ride so smooth. The car is also very sleek and looks great cruising down the highway.

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  2010 MDX - 2010 Acura MDX
  By Travelin guy - August 1 - 10:41 am

  Great all around SUV. Load it up, tow a trailer, the kids and go.... dont worry about the weather!