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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  Love of my life! - 1995 Acura Legend
  By jasonatl29 - August 8 - 2:00 am

  Im an accountant who makes about $50k a year. The lease on my 99 Accord ended in 6/04 and I was planning on buying an 02 Accord. The dealer had my 95 Legend on the used lot and I fell in love. I bought it with only 62k miles on it and now it has just over 90k. Ill drive it until it dies! This thing is amazing. I want to find another low mileage one to garage until this one wears out...its that good!

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  Acura MDX Best of the Class - 2004 Acura MDX
  By Mike Schurr - August 7 - 2:00 am

  We purchased this car for my wife who had two Toyota Land Cruisers back to back for the past six years. To say the least she loves the MDX as do I. I may not be as big as a Land Cruiser but the build quality, performance and ride are exceptional. The engine is pure Honda, it is barely audible when running but when you put your foot in it the power is fantastic for an SUV. By knowing the dealer cost via Edmunds, visiting one dealer and getting a price via the net we bought the MDX for dealer invoice. Yes it can be done! A great car at a great price, what more could one ask for.

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  A real Mean machine !!! - 2004 Acura RSX
  By The Alpha - August 6 - 2:00 am

  My first "new" car. It simply rocks. Pretty good gas mileage. A head turner to say the least !!

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  Great Value - 2005 Acura TL
  By Rob R - August 5 - 11:26 am

  Strengths: Fantastic sound system; smooth, powerful engine; sharp, short- throw manual transmission; perfect driving position; top-notch safety equipment; perfect build quality; enjoyable dealership experience; tons of car for the money. Weaknesses: Manual transmission- equipped cars hard to come by; OK, there is also a little torque steer.

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  Amazing, This car rocks!!! - 2004 Acura RSX
  By NC - August 5 - 2:00 am

  AMAZING. Accelerating in this vehicle makes you feel like your in a plane.

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  2003 Acura TL - 2003 Acura TL
  By Greg Hunter - August 5 - 2:00 am

  I made the switch from an SUV to the Acura TL and have found the vehicle quite enjoyable. The quality is excellent, paint & finish is flawless. The ride is very good and I am impressed with the performance and overall comfort.

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  Type S - 2004 Acura RSX
  By compdoc777 - August 4 - 2:00 am

  Excellent car robust and gets on well with modifications. Mine makes an extra 60hp at the crank now all N/A. Very capable of a low 13 second run. Handles like a dream and had plenty aftermarker parts avalible.

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  FANTASTIC, FUN CAR!! - 2005 Acura TSX
  By KEN - August 3 - 3:03 am

  I traded in a 2003 TL and couldnt be happier with my choice! The 2005 tsx is a real head turner and is the perfect car for a sportier feel. Dont be put off by the 4 cylinder engine! This car can really move! Fit and finish are top notch and all the extras come standard. What a value. I simply could not justify spending 10k more for a car with similar features (i.e G35, TL, bmw). You will not be sorry for choosing the 2005 tsx!

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  Good Job Acura - 2005 Acura TSX
  By Happy - August 3 - 2:36 am

  Over all a really nice car that will get you from A-B not only in style but in a hurry as well. Interior styling is really nice. Performance is as expected, handles really smooth, and hugs corners well with the VSA. Dash lighting is exceptional, but a little overpowering at night in full bright. Navigation is the most intelligent system out there that I have seen. Not only do you get navi, but you get the trip computer (w/memory), calender/event planner, and other goodies that my not be mentioned. Definitly an awesome car, for the money. Would buy an Acura anytime. The leather is really soft and seats give you oodles of support. Great car for the growing family.

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  2005 TL NAVI 6 SPEED - 2005 Acura TL
  By ALI - August 1 - 9:56 am

  I love the Acura TL. For the money you cannot beat it. It is a very smooth operator, a little stiff on the ride; it might be the 17" wheels. I guess my TL will be a little stiffer because I will be putting 19" shoes on it soon. I like everything about the exterior styling. The interior of the car is above average to me. A lot of the car is voice activated. XM radio is ok, I wish I could hook up my MP3 player, nice 6 disc CD player, the audio system is 5.1 surround sound, nice highs with a powerful sub. The navi is to sweat, and I hope you already have a Bluetooth phone. I use my Nokia 6620, nice, paired up on first try. I have already used the heated mirrors and seats.