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, Great Deal - 2016 Acura TLX
  By GLENDON dockery - March 25 - 11:50 am

  Research

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  MDX delivers - 2005 Acura MDX
  By Hecyes - March 24 - 8:40 pm

  Ive driven the MDX for over a year now and am very satisfied with its performance, driveability, and dependability. Its not as comfortable as the Lexus but you get a lot more for the price. The navigation system is amazing and the mileage you get is very good. I like the looks of it much better that the others in this price range...sleek and clean.

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  RSX S-Type- Not Just for Kids - 2005 Acura RSX
  By Matthew M. - March 24 - 3:00 pm

  Ive owned the RSX S-Type since Dec 1, 04. I took my wifes TSX in for an oil change and test drove the RSX while I was waiting. I went back the next day and bought the RSX. The general manager asked who the car was for. I said for me, do you think Im too old (55 at the time). I love it. It is by far the most fun car to drive I have ever had and the most sporty. The sport does add a much stiffer suspension than some may like but for handling you cant beat it. It loves the on ramps to the interstate and the faster you drive it the better it sticks. The higher the revs the better and it will fly in the higher rev range. Best car in this class for the money, period.

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  Great Value - 2017 Acura MDX
  By Z Jones - March 24 - 7:49 am

  Good gas milage, loaded with features and very affordable.

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  NRH RSX S type at 4 Months - 2006 Acura RSX
  By Rosemary Eppa - March 23 - 1:08 pm

  Driven mostly in town, to and from work. No long trips yet. Very reliable, gets in and out of tight spots well. Great get up and go and great braking ability. Havent really stepped on it yet but has plenty of horses to spare. Very tight gearbox. Fun to shift up or down. Wet or dry its all good.

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  Even - 2005 Acura RSX
  By David Rector - March 22 - 11:59 am

  I love the care but it has allready had a new Motor put in it and there are alot of rattiling in the dash but overall the car is fun to drive and the fuel economy is great so over all I would Rate and allright car

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  Love my MDX! - 2005 Acura MDX
  By Hecklabs - March 22 - 10:32 am

  I am so pleased with this vehicle. I looked at BMW and Lexus and found that the storage capacity (we have 3 Labs) was much bigger in the MDX. It is extremely comfortable, roomy and well built. Add to that the fact that it is the most reasonably priced and youve got a winner!!

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  Love It! - 2005 Acura MDX
  By SueOOO - March 22 - 10:06 am

  I love my MDX and Im looking forward to upgrade to the 2007!! This SUV has everything! And living in New England in the winter...the MDX was made for snow! It also looks great in the summer and having a versatile car as a young woman is key!

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  FUN FUN FUN...no regret! - 2005 Acura TSX
  By HC - March 21 - 8:05 pm

  This car is the perfect package, combining performance, luxury, fun, design, and quality in the standard package. Although, acceleration cannot compare to BMW, Lexus, or Audi, its perfect for everyday driving. Comparing to the entry level vehicles offered by the 3 listed above, TSX wins hands down. In the standard pkg at 36,100 cdn, leather, sunroof, automatic, 6 cd changer, heated seats, etc...basically all you could ask for except the nav option. I have it in black, looks great with the contrasting chrome.

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  Great SUV - 2005 Acura MDX
  By Bill - March 21 - 4:07 pm

  I have had Acura sedns for years. I got the MDX for the higher seat due to a bad back. I find that the SUV gives me many more options for transporting things as well as providing a very confortable reliable ride. My only wish would be for better gas milage.