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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  Modern Luxury Right Here - 2010 Acura TL
  By JLGolden - September 26 - 2:00 am

  I first considered Infiniti G37, Lincoln MKZ, Lexus IS / ES. I even looked at a new LaCrosse. Then it all came together at Acura. The Acura brand is a quiet, confident player among the luxury cars. The TLs styling, comfort, performance, features, and value were the perfect ingredients for me. The Acura brands reputation, as well as the great dealer experience, further impressed my purchase decision.

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  Worth it - 2010 Acura TL
  By ACD - September 26 - 2:00 am

  I have owned a 2004 TL prior and went to Lexus GS 350 in 2007. I came back to the TL after driving the 2010 SH-AWD. Acura does all the little things well, the bluetooth (quality is outstanding), the stock stereo is everything other reviewers claimed (outrageous for stock), the Navigation is second to none. Having owned a Lexus, BWM and Infinity, the Navigation is well executed and very useable. The AWD reminds me of my 2001 BWM 330ic it truly makes handling feel like a German sports car. I shopped it against the Audi 6, the Infinity M and Cadillac CTS. For the money with all the things Acura puts in the TL standard it was not even close. A perfect choice for an outside salesperson.

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  2011 MDX BASE..GREAT !!!!! - 2011 Acura MDX
  By svofan1 - September 26 - 2:00 am

  Just purchased the MDX base model this past Saturday, and so far I am very impress with the quality of build, features (bluetooth is great ) and in general very please with the purchased. I know is too soon but so far I am not regreting getting the base model over the TEch....afetrall $4k difference to me is a lot for nav and a few other features that I will not ahve a great use for

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  one minor hitch, but great now - 2010 Acura MDX
  By kf - September 23 - 2:00 am

  5K miles so far and loving it. Rattling noise after purchase, took 2 visits to discover defective strut that was replaced without hassle. Great for family trips with 3 little ones (and there are 3 latch connectors 2nd row which is nice). Highly recommend.

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  Good Experience - 2010 Acura TL
  By New Owner - September 20 - 2:00 am

  Thecar is exceptional in its handling and performance. Best car on the market for the price and the lease options are sensational.

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  Nice Ride - 2010 Acura TSX
  By KMack - September 16 - 2:00 am

  Well I bit the bullet, was considering a V6 accord Coupe, but after really looking hard, decided on the TSX V6. I am impressed with this vehicle. As Porsche owner, I can verifiably say the handling for a sports sedan is quit good. The steering has a nice feel especially at high speeds. The V6 get pretty decent fuel mileage. The ride is very acceptable. I really have nothing negative to say. My opinion is after looking at the Lexus IS250, this car is above it. The size is perfect. And the features it offers make it a very nice package. I am impressed with the Noise Cancelling system. Really does a nice job keeping out the external noises.

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  Navi - 2010 Acura RDX
  By Bean - September 14 - 2:00 am

  The RDX is exeptional in every way...Id recommend it to anyone. The quality is second to none. But I want to stress the superiority of the NAV package. After a recent road trip in a friends Lexus, I am embarrassed for Toyota. The Honda Navi is far superior...the joy stick, zoom in/out, changing addresses on the go, categories of attractions, etc. The Acura Navi is intuitive, easy to use, fun and informative. I only have Lexus to compare it to, but that Toyotas is a total waste of money.

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  Great Car - 2005 Acura TL
  By Cornel - September 13 - 2:00 am

  I purchased this TL in April. Love the car with only one real complaint. The Seats are hard to keep clean.. The dye from jeans bleed right into the leather. The seats are tan so they look dirty. Other than that this is a wonderful car.

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  Gotta love this one! - 2010 Acura MDX
  By Bruced4 - September 12 - 2:00 am

  Fast, nimble, comfortable, killer stereo. This is an amazing vehicle. It drives more like a sports car than an SUV. Incredible in the corners. Great power throughout the RPM band with smooth delivery from the 6 speed tranny. I have heard some complaints about gas mileage but I get 18 all around - quite good for this size vehicle. I think this is probably the best value in a luxury SUV out there, so make sure it is on your test drive short list.

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  Silky Smooth - 2010 Acura TL
  By WalterSobchak - September 12 - 2:00 am

  Was shopping on and off for an all-wheel drive luxury/performance car, and was checking out all the usual suspects (Audi, BMW, Benz) plus the Subaru Legacy GT. I had written the Acura TL off, as I was determined to keep my left foot awake with a M/T. Around the end of July, I discovered that Acura added a M/T to the 2010 lineup. Went to the dealer for a test- drive, and fell in love with the handling/power mix. The size and amenities are great, and the (polarizing) looks have been growing on me daily. Dollar for dollar, the 4g TL is the best value mid-size performo luxo sedan on the road, especially once resale value and insurance costs are figured in (w/ the perfect crash-test ratings).