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 - 2005 Acura RSX
  By ATB - February 17 - 2:37 pm

  I bought my RSX at the end of October. I traded in a 98 accord coupe and wanted to stick with a car made by Honda. Ive always been impressed by their reliability and I continue to be with my RSX. The handling of this car is great. It takes corners beautifully and has a decent amount of acceleration. The leather interior is luxurious, with everything in easy access for the driver. The seats are very comfortable and offer great support. Some bi-xenon headlights would be nice! Overall I am extremely happy with the choice I made.

• 

  Reliable car - 1996 Acura Integra
  By adrianna - February 17 - 2:20 am

  I had my Acura Integra for 9 years now and have 98,000 miles on it. The car is still excellent, could still drive 80 miles/ hr. I love the acceleration and it is a very efficient car.

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  Luxury and performance - 2003 Acura CL
  By Peter Wilson - February 16 - 1:54 pm

  Purchased new April 2004, with incentives was virtually same price as Accord V6 6-speed. Although I slightly prefer the Accord exterior, in my opinion the Acura interior has better fit and finish and much better layout. Very happy with my black on black CL-S 6-speed, look forward to every time I drive it. Also get great service from local Acura dealer even though I did not buy from them. Manual transmission has beautiful feel and when engine hits about 4000 rpm hold on. Winter driving here in Ontario has been no problem with the change over to quality snows.

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  TSX Best 4 banger around - 2004 Acura TSX
  By TSX Speed Demon - February 15 - 6:41 pm

  We have now owned our TSX for a year. "ITS THE BOMB!!!" Great pickup and wonderful to drive. The only thing I would change is the placement of the moon roof control to the center console so the passenger can control it too! Our schnauzer loves it too he can even control the windows himself. The navigation is a godsend for my wife, who I might add now has no excuse for being lost or late for an appt. We have the wood feature on ours and who ever said it looks fake doesnt know what their talking about. Its just because they have put alot of clear over the wood to protect it for years to come. We will definitely be keeping this vehicle till it falls apart!! Ha Ha!!

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  Never Got Lost Drove Like a Dream - 1999 Acura TL
  By JJC - February 15 - 5:29 pm

  Best car for the money, bar none. GPS navigation system works like a charm .... you cant get lost. Speed shift gives the control and acceleration of manual shifting, without a clutch. 225 hp engine packs enough punch, and still gets 25-27 mpg highway, and 20+ mpg city. Leather heated power seats are cozy. Only drawback is its modest exterior .... but even that is a blessing in disguise, as I never really worry about it getting stolen or vandalized.

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  Great Car - 2009 Acura TSX
  By Bay Area Guy - February 15 - 3:53 pm

  Just bought a 2009 TSX with Technology package and so far am very happy with it. Handles great, automatic transmission is very smooth, has every conceivable bell and whistle, navigation system is great, and sound system is superb. Gas mileage has been very good and engine is pleasantly peppy for a 4 cylinder car. The taut sports-like suspension was my only concern during the test driving, but I have come to appreciate the feel for the road it communicates. Overall am very happy with the car so far, and especially love the stellar sounds system with iPod integrated out of sight in the center console.

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  Acura MDX - 2001 Acura MDX
  By Deb - February 15 - 12:54 pm

  The Acura is the best SUV Ive ever owned (Ive had 3 different ones). It is very spacious and handles extremely well. I owned an Acura Legend several years ago and these are the best two cars Ive ever owned.

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  RSX Type S with every dealer option avl. - 2002 Acura RSX
  By Cuffsuup - February 15 - 2:00 am

  Excellent

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  Great Ride - 2002 Acura TL
  By Rob - February 13 - 9:35 pm

  So far, no problems with the car. I love the Type-S features. I have the Blue TL and I upgraded from an Accord. I like the power of the TL, and its responsiveness. Only problems with 65k on it was normal maintenance and the recalls. Otherwise a fun car to drive.

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  Top choice for sporty/luxury coupe - 2002 Acura RSX
  By dawheat - February 13 - 5:16 pm

  Ive had my Type-S for over 6 months now and have not regretted a moment. Plenty of power, silky-smooth engine, tight handling, and the best interior in its class. While not outright the fastest car- it can more than hold its own in a straight line as well as having excellent stock handling. No other coupe matches its combination of sportiness, refinement, and luxury.