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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  Ambers Review - 2006 Acura TL
  By Erica - June 7 - 11:56 pm

  This car is amazing. I just love the navigation system, the heated seats and the comfort. It is such a smooth ride. I look forward to driving that car almost everyday, if I didnt have another car I use for running.

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  RL Topped My Nearly Purchased 2K5 MB - 2005 Acura RL
  By BillFinkRI - June 7 - 10:16 am

  I was just about to purchase my 3rd brand new MB when I accidentally ended up in the Acura dealers parking lot. I was taking "that" drive to make that final purchase decision on the MB, but...the rest is history. There isnt any reason to purchase a Luxury sedan with half the features of the RL and at 1/3 a higher price. Compare the RLs features, size, and safety features against the MB "E" class. (Whoops, dont forget to look at the price tag after you do that.)

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  Fast and Furious Grocery Getter - 1994 Acura Integra
  By Darren Donovan - June 7 - 4:46 am

  Quick, roomy, very dependable, 200,000 miles later and it still hasnt lost its power.

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  I LOVE MY LEGEND! - 1993 Acura Legend
  By DavisD - June 7 - 3:25 am

  I absolutely love my legend. It now has 226,000 miles on it and it is atill running great! Quiet, luxurious ride on the highway and still has great performance. Great blend of luxury and performance.

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  Best car you could buy for 3Gs - 1993 Acura Integra
  By 2gentegowner - June 6 - 7:44 pm

  This is my second Integra, I had a LS sedan that was so easy to maintain and very reliable. It took me forever to find a GSR that was not modd out with good mileage but finally found and Im glad I got it. This car is so fun to drive and even with this car being more than a decade old it still turns some heads. Looks like Ill keep this one longer than my first. Highly recommended if you can find a cherry one

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  Best FWD Car on the Market! - 2005 Acura TSX
  By Acura Fan - June 6 - 10:10 am

  This car is a blast to drive. It handles like a go-cart, has ample power, and looks good doing all of it. Throw in the standard XM Satellite Radio, heated leather seats, 360 watt stereo and all power, and you got a heck of a little sports sedan! You owe yourself a drive if you are looking at a C Class or 3 Series. Save yourself some money!

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  Saving My life - 2001 Acura MDX
  By Robin S - June 5 - 12:34 pm

  Two days ago I totaled my MDX, hitting a telephone pole head on. Fortunately thanks to a power greater than I and the structure of My MDX, I left without a scratch. I wont drive anything else. I had purchased my 2001 MDX used and loved it. Functions like a minivan, drives like a sports car and has the top of the line luxury that I love. No problems with the car @ 60 plus thousand miles. I look forward to purchasing my next one.

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  Full Obsessed Customer Review - 2003 Acura RSX
  By Paula - June 4 - 8:48 pm

  Gorgeous, classy, sports car! Definitely worth the money if you have it, can be pricey though (gas + payments). Can race and blow others out on the highway. Is discouraging to drive in cities where there are tons of stop lights. Small and compact, but still seems to fit all my stuff in it. Friends are little squished in backseat. Havent had any under the hood problems with it yet (at 36k). The leather does have to be taken care of because it is stretched tight and wears out in spots. Not a big deal though. Best clutch-smooth shifting. Good in the snow (for Colorado). Side air bag for passenger automatically shuts off for small kids in front seat. Fold down back seats to trunk. Lumbar support on/off

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  AWESOME CAR!! - 2005 Acura TSX
  By Teeko - June 4 - 11:23 am

  Not much to say other than this is an awesome car. From the perforated leather heated seats to the power moonroof, you cant find much more luxury for what youre paying. The cars handling is amazing. You definitely will not be disappointed with this car.

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  Outstanding Vehicle. - 2004 Acura RSX
  By intensecycleboy - June 2 - 9:29 pm

  I dont normally review things unless I can speak from a relatively extensive experience. Ive had this car for a little over a year, and I accumulated ~25000km on it. I have very little to complain about. It meets and exceeds every single expectation I had when choosing a new vehicle. Fun, economical (with respect to my 2000 Pathfinder ... everything is economical), and of course stylish.