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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  Awesome car for 25k! - 2003 Acura RSX
  By flipboiee - May 2 - 10:00 am

  This car is all about the driving experience! The handling of this car is amazing, esp. for a front wheel drive car. The interior is very well designed and is quite comfortable. But the most exciting feature is watching the rpm tach hit vtec! It is a very exciting experience when one hears the fury come out of the little i-4 engine! This is a true driving machine and its priced under 25k! I got mine with the full body kit (incl. wing - makes it look sleeker), fogs, & titn. trim all for 24.5 OTD! I am very satisfied with my purchase, even after 1 & 1/2 yrs. Overall, the Acura RSX is the perfect example of what Honda/Acura racing is all about!

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  Cheap and fast - 2003 Acura TL
  By gfeld - May 2 - 10:00 am

  This has to be the most affordable sports sedan on the planet. Where else can you lease 260hp for a little more than $300/mo? A 2 dr accord is almost the same price. Why buy Honda when you can buy their luxury brand for not much more?

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  Not first choice but LOVE it! - 2002 Acura MDX
  By nbg - May 2 - 2:00 am

  This was not the vehicle that I was going to buy but I decided to test the 2002 Acura MDX Touring and ended up with one.I grow to love this car more each day.This preowned came with a DVD player which is a godsend when taking trips with our two kids. I car pool to two different schools as well and can comfortably carry 5 kids and backpacks with no problems (ages 10-13). All sports gear fits (we play hockey) as well.Mileage: 17 city/21.5 hwy NOTE: Complaint to dealer re: rear brake noise was met with add on trim kit for the rear brakes. Now no noise and covered under warranty.

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  Worth every penny - 2005 Acura TL
  By battrl - April 30 - 7:23 am

  Love driving this car! Wasnt sure about moving to FWD after having a RWD BMW, but the transition was easier than expected. Still, make no mistake - there is a difference. Highway gas mileage is awsome (30-33 mpg), but city could use some improvement (20-22). Interior design is awesome with large, well-placed buttons. The navigation system blows away BMWs, and really adds to the functionality of the radio.

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  Awesome - 1991 Acura Legend
  By Kalieb - April 30 - 2:00 am

  Great car with only 66000 miles on it.

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  Best bang for the Buck!! - 2007 Acura TL
  By Byron - April 28 - 11:53 am

  I traded my 06 BMW 530i for the TL Type-S. My BMW had less horsepower and less torque and cost 15k more money. Honestly, I have more fun driving the TL Type-S.

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  this car is *almost* perfect - 2003 Acura RSX
  By used 03 rsx - April 27 - 2:00 am

  performance - acura rates this car as having 160 hp. dont be deceived. the peak hp is delivered around 6000 rpm, which you wont normally access unless youve got the pedal stomped to the floor. comfort - these seats are the best stock seats ive ever rested my cheeks on. the seats literally wrap around the driver to keep you in place through twisting turns. fuel economy - im getting nearly 27 mpg in mostly city driving!! build quality - the build quality is a 50/50 mix of being excellent / suspect. overall this car is EXCELLENT. test drive a few other cars for the sake of comparison, but this car is a GREAT buy.

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  Great SUV !! - 2007 Acura MDX
  By Bob - April 26 - 10:50 pm

  Finally a luxury SUV from Acura with good performance. I now have 1000 miles on my 07 and am very pleased with it. It has very comfortable front seats, handles very well for an SUV with good power and acceleration. I use the manual shifting capability a lot and find it very convenient to use. The sound system is excellent. When I first got the car I found myself accelerating to 70 mph to merge with 55mph highway traffic. Then I realized I wasnt hearing any noise associated with the speed and thats why I didnt realize how fast I was going. The Nav and Entertainment systems are excellent and easy to operate. The kids love the larger DVD screen. Thanks Acura for a great SUV!

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  The Dreamy Type-S - 2001 Acura CL
  By DMB Tampa Fan - April 26 - 2:00 am

  I looked at other cars on the market, but for the money and the features that this car has to offer, it was a no brainer! The only option was the navigation system - everyting else was included! Heated seats and mirrors, sunroof, and not one but two memory keys, and the list goes on! What other car company offers all these extras in the base model. Acura has found the right combination of luxury and the fun to drive sports car! It is a dream to drive! You will not be disappointed!

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  Best Car - like the Energizer Bunny - 1991 Acura Integra
  By Tara - Acura Lover - April 25 - 2:00 am

  This car is incredible!! It is my first car, is now 13 years old and has 135,000 miles. Im trading it in for the Acura MDX (we need an SUV now), but honestly dont want to let it go. It has been so reliable, easy and fun! It also handles great in the snow and has seen me through 10 New England winters! I will honestly cry when finally departing with this incredible car. Its amazing and I would recommend it to anyone whos looking for something easy, dependable and fun to drive. What else can I say - its the best possible first car purchase I could have made. I love it and will miss it very much!!