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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  Great car for the money - 2007 Acura RDX
  By Dzenan - December 30 - 9:33 am

  I used to work for a valet parking co. and drove all kinds of cars, but nothing like this. The RDX has the punch, it is techno loaded, interior & exterior design is superb.

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  Got to get past the transmission issue - 2001 Acura CL
  By tboneh - December 30 - 8:50 am

  If you can get past the transmission issue this is a great car to drive daily. It is comfortable, quiet, and has the best of both worlds, power and good gas mileage. On a recent trip I drove from south Ga. to Delray Beach Fla. on one tank. I averaged 80 mph and 29 mpg. The ride is firm enough to make handling very good. I did have the trans. replaced at 53K and plan to change fluid in pan every 10K. I hope that will help. I was told that Honda has made several improvements to try to make the replacement transmissions better. Its a shame that tramsmissions are a issue because the rest of the car is rock solid.

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  92 NSX, truly remarkable exotic - 1992 Acura NSX
  By Steves NSX - December 29 - 11:27 pm

  Design & production of the NSX is truly remarkable. Probably one of the most thought out designs of any exotic sports car ever built. The NSX was hand-built, making it a rare & special high performance car. An all aluminum/magnesium body coupled with 270 hp produces a potent pound/hp ratio. The NSX had the 1st VTEC engine in a mass produced car. Handling is excellent. Interior & exterior design is like nothing else. I dont plan on changing any features, performance nor visual.

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  Okay - 2007 Acura RL
  By fred - December 28 - 8:51 pm

  I enjoy owning the RL. It is very comfortable and easy to handle. Acceleration is mild for horsepower rating. It behaves as though it has turbo lag. Entry is awkward, seat and steering wheel take position when I get in the car rather than waiting until door is closed or car is started. Standard battery capacity is low. Have had to charge battery twice from sitting car with engine off trying to learn/program the computer navigation system. Fuel economy is good.

• 

  Fantastic Car - 2002 Acura RSX
  By Jerome81 - December 28 - 6:00 pm

  The seats are probably the most comfortable and most supportive Ive ever experienced. The steering and shifting is top notch. The ergonomics are superb. The engine is a gem. The old Hondas lacked low end, but the i-VTEC motor really improves all around driveability. The car screams when pushed. The handling is very good. Though I feel the tires give. If this car had better rubber on the rims the driving experience would improve drastically. All in all a great car!

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  Best in Class if you ask me. - 2004 Acura TL
  By AAARGH - December 28 - 10:00 am

  Ive had my TL for 3 months. So far, I love it! It is by far the best mix of performance, styling, and comfort. I found the G35 and BMW to perform better, but gave up a lot in comfort, size, and interior styling. They were more expensive when adding similar options to what the TL has standard. The interior of the TL is gorgeous. As with any Honda made vehicle, the ergonomics are almost perfect. The only disappointment is the use of fake wood. It still looks good though. Perhaps the only real problem I have is rattles and creaks. This seems to be common with the Â’04 TL. I would have thought Honda would have done a better job with this.

• 

  Hang on - 2004 Acura TL
  By zippytippy - December 28 - 10:00 am

  This car should have been rear or AWD. Its got tons of power to spare but cant use it. An TL AWD version would make BMW 3__xi series a tough sell.

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  My RDX - 2007 Acura RDX
  By Wayne Shaffner - December 28 - 8:31 am

  My RDX has many great technological features, however some important ones to me were left off. My TL had seat memory for the drivers seat. This was a great feature for me because people at the dealership move the seat all the time, and it takes me a week to get it perfect again. No power seat for the passenger is also missed by my wife. Drivers side mirror does not tilt down. Rear lift gate should be remote controlled both from the remote lock / unlock and the dash as the trunk was on the TL.

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  Acura TL 2005 - 2005 Acura TL
  By Matt Ward - December 28 - 5:51 am

  I have been driving this car for almost 2 years. This is the best car that I have ever owned. It is fun to drive, the highway mpg is excellent, and I have never had to have any service other than required maintenance.

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  It is a rocket. - 2002 Acura RSX
  By Scoobysnax - December 27 - 8:53 pm

  I have had this car for less than a month, but it is the most fun I have ever had in a car.