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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  ricks pick - 2004 Acura TL
  By Rick - December 29 - 2:56 pm

  Stylish and best bang for the buck. Smooth handling like a sports car. Quiet running.

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  Diamond in the Rough - 2005 Acura TSX
  By GDK - December 29 - 11:07 am

  The TSX is the best value for the money and is better looking than most cars in the same class, including the BMW 3. The interior is much more up to date than the 3, and the dash is much sharper. Fuel economy is great, particullary with high gas prices today. It is equally as fun to drive as the 3 series and without the BMW sticker price. You get much more for your money with this overall package and reliabilty will be much better than a German made car.

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  great car! - 2005 Acura MDX
  By mell - December 28 - 11:00 pm

  very fun to drive, the dvd player is very nice. very roomy 2nd and 3rd row seating, fits 7 passengers comfortabley or TONS of cargo. navigation system is VERY helpful. very comfortable ride.. but it is a gas hog. goes good in snow and ice.

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  2 Years of Flawless Ownership - 2004 Acura MDX
  By PC MDX - December 28 - 5:33 pm

  I have to admit. This is my first SUV, and it is the best on the market by far. I have had no issues, no complaints, and dealer service as been good as well. Buyers of SUVs should evaluate before purchasing, since it took me 3 months to decide between the Lexus RX, the MDX, and the Pilot. The MDX has the best overall performance, features, turning radius and off road ability as comparable to the Pilot. If a person would like to have simple styling, then go with the Pilot. Better exterior styling then go with the MDX, which was the deciding factor for me.

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  acura cl s-type - 2001 Acura CL
  By acuraowner - December 28 - 2:50 am

  purchased a certified preowned CL, Acura stands by their warranty BUT too many trips to the service dept. car rides smoothly, great on gas but constant engine light problems transmission had to be replaced soon after i purchased but dealer covered costs - car was in dealership for 3 weeks!!! tire rims do scratch easily paint job is poor side airbag lights keep coming on, dealership says its nothing maintenance cost not too bad rear passenger seats only for 2 bose system is weak cds get stuck in changer DEFINITELY KEEP YOUR RADIO CODE unless you want your radio replaced if car batttery dies and you need a jumpstart! hope it will trade-in fairly.

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  Great Car! - 2006 Acura RL
  By pappy164 - December 26 - 10:59 am

  I may not have as much pull as other owners in here because this is my first mid luxury sedan. I can tell you I did drive almost every other vehicle in this class. Although the power of the M seemed to be a little more it didnt have the finese of this vehicle. The Acura RL has some of the most comfortable seats in the class and with the AWD you can really shoot around corners. With the VTEC you dont get that low end torque (altough its not wimpy at all),but you do get great mid range power (30-70 MPH range) this is where this car really performs. Although a vehicle with this much technology is kinda intimidating at first, Acura seems to be easier to leanr than the other brands. Great car!

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  i love my tl - 2003 Acura TL
  By 03tl - December 26 - 10:00 am

  theres only one thing i can say about this car. that thing being i love it. i cant wait till the 2004 model is out so i can get that one

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  Great car! - 2002 Acura TL
  By KDS - December 25 - 6:36 pm

  It may not be the fanciest vehicle, but its a fun and comfortable drive.

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  Love it. - 2007 Acura MDX
  By LC - December 24 - 4:33 pm

  The MDX is a very smooth ride, easy to handle and extremely comfortable.

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  First SUV - 2006 Acura MDX
  By Snow - December 24 - 4:03 pm

  This is the third Acura I have owned. It is great vehicle. Fun to drive, handles well in ice and snow. Great sound system. Over all I am very happy with the MDX. This is my first SUV, and I wouldnt go back to a car after driving this vehicle.