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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  What a great car!!! - 2002 Acura RSX
  By Justin69 - August 31 - 10:00 am

  If you are looking for a car that gets good gas mileage and out performs other vehicles on the road, look no further this is your vehicle. Since I purchased it I just cant seem to stop driving it. It is an addiction I am glad I have.

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  Get the Honda Accord instead - 2002 Acura TL
  By sucker - August 31 - 10:00 am

  This car is a overpriced honda accord. The suspension is not tuned which cause the car to become a bucket of rattles. Ive visited my dealer 4 times and they have yet to fix everything. If you want a good buy...dont get this car...its a k-mart special...a fake psudo lux car.

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  Excelent Car for the Price - 2006 Acura RSX
  By Omar - August 30 - 10:06 pm

  Used to drive a BMW 330ci coupe but decided to change after a relocation due to my work. I was looking to buy a long term car. I looked at various coupes to replace my "baby", and ended up with an RSX (wanted lower car payments). Although not a BMW, for the money, I do believe it is a great choice if you want a sporty car, without spending the big $$$. If you are in definite need for the performance, go for the Type S.

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  2006 Acura TSX - 2006 Acura TSX
  By ken g. - August 30 - 8:43 pm

  This is a great car to drive. Handles very well. Fit and finish are very good.

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  A BLAST TO DRIVE!!! - 2006 Acura RL
  By JAMES FOEGE - August 30 - 3:40 pm

  Great car, a real blast to drive. Nav. system works great on finding location from ind. homes to special restrauants. Sound system is second to none. No service problems at this time (8,000).The all wheel drive works great in the mountains.

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  Luxury + Value =TSX - 2006 Acura TSX
  By Austin TSX - August 30 - 3:31 pm

  We bought the car for my wife, but I am finding myself driving it more and more. We bought the Carbon Gray Pearl, and it looked amazing in the sunlight (metalic flakes). We love the easy to use Navi., and the gas milage is awsome (30+ on hwy). The stereo is great and the XM option is very clear even in the TEXAS hill country. I test drove and priced the competition and could not have found a better value. I am adding the Hondata ECU Reflash for a little more power (will void warranty). Drove a friends with it and loved it (230 est. hp, faster that a 330, 250,or 2.0T). Voice everything is a nice feature to have when cruising the highway. Love evey minute behind the wheel.

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  Very Nice Car - 2006 Acura RL
  By Dave H - August 30 - 3:02 pm

  I bought the non-tech car for $40,000 after using the Edmunds site to get quotes from 3 different states. Then took that quote to the local shop and got it for 40 flat. Very nice car, wish it had more pwr and ventilated seats. Sterio is killer. Nav is very good. Have just over 1,000 miles on it, so really do not know about reliability yet. Im coming from 3 Lexus coupes into this car and that brand is awesome. Had the IS500 been available, Id be driving that. At $40 thou it is a bargin, so do your shopping.

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  Acura 3.2 TL Excellent Value - 1999 Acura TL
  By mark b - August 30 - 2:44 pm

  This model was the first year for the redesigned TL - in which Acura enhanced the look and features of the car, while making the price even more attractive. The net result has been a car that is highly reliable, attractive and an excellent value over time. Although this model is a little more plain vanilla than the latest generation TL it is still a pleasure to drive and own.

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  Incredible Car, Incredible Value - 2006 Acura TSX
  By STLCarGuy - August 30 - 1:44 am

  The car is truly the best value in the segment IMO. Features per dollar and residual value are top notch! Two major contributors to my buying the car. The sporting character of this sedan continues to impress me. Theres a real balance of Economy and Performance with the Engine. I know those two words dont normally go together, but I think they do in the TSX. Four cylinder fuel economy is a huge plus right now, but I feel good that theres enough power to go when I need to. Interstate power availability is more than adequate. For me, the size is just ideal. Compact enough to feel sporty, but roomy enough for four people to be comfortable, plus a fair amount of trunk space.

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  Best Car Ive Ever Owned (so far) - 2005 Acura TL
  By Bruce - August 29 - 4:26 am

  I went to buy a BMW 330, but found it cramped inside, with the rear seats uncomfortable. A friend told me about Acura. I would NEVER have considered this car, as Acura was not on my radar. I drove it, and bought one off the showroom floor. Boy am I happy. Where can you buy a car like this with all the standard equipment at this price. FORGET BMW