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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  A Very Reliable Car! - 1995 Acura Integra
  By alan_in_florida - November 16 - 2:00 am

  I drove my Integra off the lot in December 1994 with 5 miles on the odometer. What sold me on the car at the time was its excellent and nimble handling. The car now has over 260,000 miles and is still going strong!! My car has been like a old reliable friend. Honda reliablity and build quality is superb. Considering how many miles this car has seen (and not all highway miles either!), it has had very few problems. If you are looking for a reliable and fun to drive used car, I think the Integra is an excellent choice.

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  Too bad they dont make them anymore :-( - 1996 Acura Integra
  By Bipin Pillai - November 15 - 2:00 am

  It is more than 7 years now and 155000 miles old. Still running as if i just took it out of the dealership !! The only thing i had to fix was one headlight, radio antenna (it got stuck and I went through a car wash!). No other repairs ... only maintenances !! I would have definitely bought a new one again ... if only they started making them again :-(

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  My reliable ride - 1995 Acura Integra
  By Beagleboy - November 15 - 2:00 am

  Bought it used from a lease buy-back. Biggest problem has been exhaust system rusting out: costly compared to other vehicles. A bit of rusting problems along the rear wheel wells where they meet the bumper. Have seen many with the same problem. Not much speed on first gear, but flies throuigh rest of range. Best performance above 3500 rpm.

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  Best Value if You Can Find Any Left - 2003 Acura CL
  By Gawain - November 15 - 2:00 am

  There was a silver 6sp/CL-S that I had my eye on for months at the dealer. Knowing that 2003 was the last model year, I figured I would be able to pick one up for a good price. Indeed. I did. This car comes with everything. The build quality is top notch. The engine, ooh, that engine. Tranny, a slick shifting dream! Quiet cabin, excellent ergonomics. Honda builds great cars!

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  LOVED MYACURA - 1994 Acura Integra
  By loved my acura - November 14 - 2:00 am

  I bought my integra 2 years old with very low miles. Over the years.. I moved and drove it many, many miles. This little car was the most reliable, cute, and fun car I have ever owned. My husband recently totaled it on the interstate so now we must move on to something else. but I highly recommend it. The only problem I could see, is if you have a minor fender-bender, it is expensive to fix.

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  Excellent quality luxury vehicle - 2001 Acura RL
  By Vlad Markov - November 14 - 2:00 am

  This car is best value buy, among all luxury vehicles. Super interior, comfortable sits, slick exterior design. Excellent car for the long ride.

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  A very nice ride! - 1999 Acura TL
  By Craigo - November 14 - 2:00 am

  This is a very nice vehicle. I rate the car very high in all categories and feel it is an outstanding value. Would like better back-up lights, and more power and performance features, but, who wouldnt. Besides, these desires appear to have been satisfied in the newer TL Type-S.

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  barefoot surfers review - 2002 Acura RSX
  By barefoot - November 13 - 2:00 am

  Its performance saved my life today- the computer braking system, suspension, and perfomance.

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  chris - 2003 Acura NSX
  By chris0897687 - November 12 - 2:00 am

  a fast car with great duribility.

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  Everyday Sports Car - 2001 Acura CL
  By PCO - November 12 - 2:00 am

  Opens up a can of whoop on most cars. Quiet, fast, great Hwy mileage. My kids want it when I am ready to trade. An everyday sports car that seats four.......