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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  04 TL - 2004 Acura TL
  By sjacura - October 9 - 10:00 am

  Once again, the Acura TL packs the largest bang for the buck. 270hp with a refined body style has really pushed this vehicle to the top of the entry level luxury sports sedan category. It is fun to drive!

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  2004 Acura TL Rocket - 2004 Acura TL
  By acee - October 9 - 10:00 am

  Overall design of the car is excellent. I like the car a lot. Great exterior design and excellent layout of interior. Lots and lots of power but torgue steer is a little to much. The car feels a little unstable when pushed into into curves. I experienced a mild swaying motion in steep curves. I did not like where the change holder is located. It is very hard to get to from the drivers seat, even when the vehicle is stopped. Great job Honda.

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  If rear-drive handling isnt the end-all - 2004 Acura TL
  By settodrive - October 9 - 10:00 am

  If rear-drive handling isnt your number one priority, but excellent front-drive handling, silky-smooth power, gobs of gadgets, and the best reliability are, this is your car. The engine and tranny are the epitome of refinement. The interiors comfort is almost complete (see below). I prefer listening to the TLs audio system, as its better than my $$$ home theaters.

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  Poor Quality - 2004 Acura TL
  By nefarious - October 9 - 10:00 am

  Ive had a terrible experience with this car and quality of build. The car has paint shrinkage in the base coat causing sand marks to appear in the finish. The car bumper cover is also peeling on the sides were mounted to the fender because of excess stress. In addition, the car has many rattles and idles rough. This car cannot compare to a 3 series BMW or Lexus ES330. Dont make the mistake and purchase this bug infested car. Their reps even admit to the rattles and the dealer admitted the paint peeling issue on the bumper covers. What a car!!!!!

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  Great car/bad tires - 2006 Acura TL
  By bat - October 8 - 5:23 pm

  Great ride/interior. Good cornering and stopping. Low noise level. Cant wait for the new 2007 with beefed up engine.

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  Drivers Car - 2006 Acura TL
  By wilhan01 - October 8 - 11:18 am

  I have only had the TL for 2 weeks now, but this is one amazing car! I have always loved Honda products, and this one is no exception! This is by far the most comfortable, easy to drive car I have driven in a long long time! I had my dealer search for this one and waited for over a month to get it. Nighthawk Black Pearl with Quartz (Grey) leather and Navigation! Seems to be a rare combo around here... and it makes for one sharp car! Much much better value dollar wise than the BMW 3 or 5 Series. Especially given the amount of standard features on the TL that you have to pay extra for on the BMW. Navigation was a bargain compared to others as well. Look at this car if shopping!

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  Great Car! - 2006 Acura MDX
  By Diana S. Rumsey - October 7 - 6:19 pm

  Being that The Acura is my very first new car purchase, I did a great deal of research and comparisons. I am extremely pleased with my decision! The Acura MDX smooth & quiet to drive & holds curves well. The interior is comfortable & very adaptable. Both my husband and myself are physically handicapped and find the car to be a perfect fit for our needs.

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  First Acura, Awesome SUV - 2006 Acura MDX
  By johnny wishbone - October 7 - 5:52 pm

  This is my first Acura and Im thrilled with it to say the least. The MDX handles like a sports car and has the comfort of a luxury vehicle. The interior is well thought out and the XM radio is a big hit with the family. The navigation is excellent and easy to use. The voice recognition is excellent once you learn the proper commands. I would highly recommend this vehicle to anyone in the market for a midsize SUV.

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  Great Technology - 2006 Acura TL
  By Bokey - October 7 - 8:27 am

  The TL is a great value, and seems to outperform the other cars in this class in standard features for the money. We really love the Bluetooth feature, as it allows us to dial, talk, and hangup without taking our hands off the steering wheel. Unlike some Bluetooth headsets, there is no annoying echo when you talk to using it either. The iPod connection (optional) does allow you to control your iPod through the stereo system, although it doesnt display the song information, or allow you to navigate playlists. Hopefully they will update the software and make this more useful in the near future, but I am not holding my breath.

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  IN LOVE with my TSX - 2006 Acura TSX
  By miamitexangirl - October 7 - 8:14 am

  Ive only had my TSX for 4 days and I am totally in love with it. The handling and pickup are perfect for me. The features that come with this car can not be beat for the price. You can not go wrong on this. I also love the fact that I dont see a "million" of them on road compared to my last car, an 05 accord. Everything is awesome about the TSX.