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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  97 Acura 2.2 CL - 1997 Acura CL
  By dilwin - August 20 - 2:00 am

  I bought this car a month back and so far Ive been very satisfied. The car looks great both inside (polished wood- like panelling) and outside and I admit that was the main reason I went for it. It drives great though the engine feels the strain when there are more than 3 occupants (its a 4 cyl 2.2 L engine). It handles superbly and even though its a big car (its as long as a taurus) it maneuvers like a smaller car. Ive had no problems parking it in tight spaces. The a/c unit doesnt cool the air inside immediately on +90F days.

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  A FINE PERFORMER - 2001 Acura TL
  By HARDIGUY - August 20 - 2:00 am

  THIS IS MY INITIAL EXPERIENCE WITH AN ACURA. IT IS A FINE AUTO IN ALL RESPECTS, VERY TIGHT CONSTRUCTION (NO SQUEAKS OR RATTLES AFTER 41K MILES), GREAT PERFORMANCE, AND EXCELLENT GAS MILEAGE. THIS CAR WAS PURCHASED USED, AND I DID NOT REALIZE THAT IT TOOK PREMIUM GAS WHICH I WOULD SAY IS ITS ONLY SHORTCOMING. HOLDS CURVES VERY WELL, AND I WOULD SAY THAT ITS ONE OF THE BETTER AUTOS IVE HAD IN OVER FIFTY YEARS OF DRIVING.

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  Great Car - 2003 Acura RSX
  By gregj - August 20 - 2:00 am

  I purchased my RSX in February of 2002 and Ive enjoyed it ever since. Love the ride however they could have put better tires on it. This car radio system should have more watts. I like how the controls cater to the driver. I love this car, but Im planning to buy the 04 TL!

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  love it - 2002 Acura RSX
  By rcampbell - August 19 - 2:00 am

  I love this car. I got the stick shift. It is so fun to drive. Very quick. Best transmission Ive ever driven the thing shifts like butter. I did a ton of research on comparable cars and this was easily the best buy for my money. The Celica didnt even compare.

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  Best suv!! Performes like a car!!!!!!!! - 2003 Acura MDX
  By William Sheppard - August 18 - 10:00 am

  Withe the standard saftey feature of vehicle stability assist this car, oops i keep forgetting SUV, performes like a car. I take corners fast and the mdx hugs the road. Fuel economy is top notch, compared to others i almost bought. Dont take my word test drive for yourself. feel free to mail me.

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  Simply the Best - 2005 Acura TL
  By Starley Andrade - August 18 - 2:26 am

  This Car rocks! I was in the market for a 4 door with guts, in this car has it... not only is it classy its stylish and the vtec engine will not disappoint you!

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  COLLECTION SPEACIALIST - 1994 Acura Integra
  By JENNIFER HAGENKOTTER - August 18 - 2:00 am

  MY CAR HAS BEEN A VERY RELIABLE,OUSTSTANDING PERFORANCE CAR FOR ANYONE WHO WISHES FOR FUN IN AN AFFORDABLE SPORTS CAR.THE ENGINE IN THE ACURA HAS BEEN PROBLEM FREE FROM THE START.I ALWAYS HAVE THE OIL CHANGE AT EVERY 3k MILES,SO THE ENGINE STAYS CLEAN OF DIRT.THE HANDLING OF THIS CAR IN THE SNOW IS VERY GOOD&I LIKE TACTION CNTRL IN SEVERE WEATHER CONDITIONS.THE AUTO DEALERSHIP THAT I GO TO HAS AN EXCELLENT RELATIONSHIP WITH THEIR CUSTOMERS AS WELL WITH THE FACTORY&THE CUSTOMER FOLLOW UP AFTER ANY SERVICING THAT WAS DONE.THE REASON I MUST SELL MY CAR IS TO BUY A 4DR SDN TO ALLOW FOR EXTRA ROOM FOR KIDS.I WILL CONTINUE TO BUY ANOTHER ACURA.

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  Beautiful, Dependable Car - 1990 Acura Legend
  By mrs_rockefeller - August 18 - 2:00 am

  I bought this car used in 1992 with 12,000 miles on it. I put probably 50,000 miles on it in the next 3 years, but now work out of my home, so put very little mileage on it presently. It has always been great fun to drive, and the styling is so nice that I cant tell you how many offers I have of people wanting to buy it -- even now! The best part though, is that this car has never EVER been in the shop for anything other than scheduled maintenance. It has never broken down and left me stranded somewhere, or failed to start on a cold winter morning.

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  Awesome - 1995 Acura Legend
  By Sarada - August 18 - 2:00 am

  This car has kick, very comfortable, has every feature imaginable, safe, large trunk, and classy. Wish it got better gas milage for the environment, but this is the cost for a powerful car. I got up to 110mph easily, and I felt like I was going 60mph! Its smooth riding, and the Bose sound system is awesome. I have really found my dream car!

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  Good entry-level sports car - 2003 Acura RSX
  By retrpostage - August 18 - 2:00 am

  The good: acceleration, reliability, tight suspension. The bad: audio system, road noise. The ugly: insurance rates. This is a remarkable car. The S- type is a better sports car, but less practical if you live in an urban center. Tall 3rd gear is a lifesaver during rush hour. It’s a good car to learn or refine your manual driving skills. “Precise” is the keyword for a RSX. Because this car is marketed to the 20 something crowd, insurance rates are high (if you’re under 25, expect your monthly insurance rate to be half of your car payment). Visit an RSX forum to hunt for a good dealer. Overall, no car comes close the RSX for the price.