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 in Class! - 2007 Acura MDX
  By Tony - June 11 - 10:10 am

  Wife and I were in market for vehicle with 3rd row of seating. We dont like the large truck-like SUVs and also do not like minivans. We decided to look into the luxury SUV segment and narrowed our choices to the BMW X5, Volvo XC90, LandRover LR3, and the Acura MDX. After test driving all and reviewing the numbers, the MDX was the obvious choice. Unbelievable extras for the money. When compared with these other luxury SUVs, I would have had to pay around $60K to get the same amount of features. Acura navigation currently head and shoulders above competition. Love the combination of luxury, utility, and convenience.

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  Great car - 1998 Acura RL
  By daddy6 - June 11 - 2:34 am

  Absolutely reliable. Smooth and quiet on the road, OK power. Layout of controls very convenient, esp. sound system controls on steering wheel. Design is very good, my car has been mistaken for Mercedes and Lexus. A tremendous value

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  Two years, happy still - 2004 Acura TSX
  By crustygates - June 11 - 2:13 am

  This is a solid, understated car which is a little lighter than the competition. It shows. iVtec motor and 6 spd produces excellent fuel economy, smoothness and reliability. The suspension seems too soft but with its stability system, does a great job when pushing the car. The 2004 stereo is a disappointment, a few door rattles which come and go, well thats about it. I normally replace my car every 4- 5 years but may keep this one for 10.

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  Super Car with Polarizing Style - 2009 Acura TL
  By True Enthusiast - June 10 - 10:03 pm

  The 2009 Acura is Superman with a Robin costume on. Im sure there are some who love Robins outfit but more Im sure more prefer Supermans outfit. The styling is too love it or hate it in my opinion. Besides that Acura got it right. They really should get rid of the stock wheels as someone as mentioned too. The upgraded wheels are what should be standard on this car.

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  S is for Speed - 2001 Acura CL
  By DB - June 10 - 1:18 pm

  This car is amazing. It is my 3rd Acura and fourth Honda. I had a Legend Coupe and often regretted selling it, So when the 2nd Generation CL came out I had to have it. This car does everything, and will eat most cars lunch, including the beloved 3 Series BMW (Except for the M3 of course). Smooth ride and comfort, and Honda reliability. Just cant say enough good things about this automobile. It is a wolf in sheeps clothing. You can shock a mustang or camaro owner in this car. Some complain about the ride on the Type S, but if that is the concern you have, buy a Buick or a sedan. You are not the target market for this car.

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  I Love This Car - 2005 Acura RSX
  By Arieno - June 10 - 11:47 am

  I love everything about this car. I was driving a 1987 Chrysler LeBaron because I never found anything new that would compare to its styling and handling until I found this.

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  Best car Ive ever owned - 2004 Acura TSX
  By dirk3111 - June 10 - 10:00 am

  Great Handling, and plenty of get up and go. Some of the best Fit & Finish Ive ever seen.

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  TL - 2004 Acura TL
  By mschneider956 - June 10 - 10:00 am

  This automobile is far superior than the model it replaces. The standard features put the BMW to shame. The reliability is second to none.

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  Suprisingly Better Than I Thought - 2002 Acura RSX
  By TypeS-in-LA - June 8 - 10:03 am

  I was considering whether to buy a WRX or a RSX. I test drove the WRX & it was a good performance car. Than I test drove a Type S & wow! Talk about performance & luxury all in one! I just love my leather seats, the performance is great & the gas mileage is just awesome for car with this much performance.

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  Mostly Impressive - 2004 Acura RSX
  By CharlesC - June 8 - 3:01 am

  This is a great car. Its economical, reliable and sleek. I have not experienced any problems at all. Smooth transmission and clutch, useful hatchback, and good safety features for the price. Very sold feeling. Cloth seats are seriously awful. Try this car on before you buy... especially if you dont get leather.