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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  5K Miles and never looked back! A JOY! - 2010 Acura TL
  By RSL - August 13 - 10:12 am

  With 5 months and 5K miles under my belt, the car is everything you come expect from Acura. A trip to Las Vegas yielded 24.6 MPG! This car maneuvered its way around a bad traffic accident happening right before my eyes thanks to superb handling. A work of art in the design department that grows on you the more you look at it and all the technology one would love to have and needs to have! 5 Star safety rating and super Acura service that adds up to a car I have come to love to drive!

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  2004 MDX reliable after 100,000 - 2004 Acura MDX
  By Terry - August 12 - 1:34 pm

  I have had my car for 4 years and reached 100,000 miles on it and still a great car to drive and dependable. Only changing the oil and brake pads. No problems with maintenance. This car is amazing while in town or traveling on vacation on the highway. Its an All Weather car also. Forget Toyota or Nissan, Acura has definitely made a quality car to last a long time.

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  Awesome All-Around - AAA! - 2010 Acura TL
  By zooly - August 10 - 8:20 am

  Very fun car to drive - was looking at the Audi S4, as well. But with all the options that I liked, was pushing $60K. With the rebates & 1.9% financing, car was over $20K less! Tech package, AWD, HD, just awesome. My only complaint are the seats for now - they are very soft (Milano, I believe), but the sides are too tight around the sides of my back. Starting to break in -- hopefully that will be ok. If driven normally, can avg 32-35 mpg on the hwy!

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  1999 RL - 1999 Acura RL
  By John - August 9 - 1:39 pm

  What a great car - A quality Honda product that is good looking and has superior fit and finish. Very nice on any type of road trip. Mileage could be better but not a big deal to me. Found mine used with only 29K on it 4 years ago and it still looks like it is brand new after a good wash/wax and detail.

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  Great car and value - 2010 Acura TL
  By John Voorhees - August 8 - 4:37 pm

  I took my new TL for a 800 mile road trip right after the purchase. What a car. The handling was wonderful and the feel of luxury was all about the cabin. The electronic were easy to learn and I used them all on the trip. My 2006 TL was a nice car, but this one is a dream. Besides being a great sport type luxury sedan, this is a real value.

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  05 MDX - 2005 Acura MDX
  By mdxer - August 7 - 4:55 pm

  Replacing Cadillac Eldorado and more than happy with the change. The MDX had 82,000 miles when I got it, 97,000 six months later without any trouble, except with an a/c vent cover. Early on I had the opportunity to drive for several hours in a blizzard with complete confidence. I have also had it on unimproved old logging roads with equal confidence. I would not take it where I would take a 4Runner, but I prefer cabin comforts. The cabin is awesome and the toys are awesome. Front seats are 5 star. This is my favorite car ever. I installed after market transmission and power steering filters as a precaution. The trannys are suspect. I drive in D4 around town and D5 only over 60 mph.

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  The Best car overall - 2005 Acura RL
  By Kim - August 5 - 2:24 pm

  I searched for a luxury used car after my BMW 525 totaled by an accident. Acura rl was the answer. Its interior is beautiful and comfortable. I wasnt impressed by exterior first but it keeps growing on me. Navigation system is the best so far. My wife and baby daughter love back seat sunshades. It doesnt drive like a BMW but its awd really works. The cabin is Lexus- quiet and stereo sound is the best I ever heard. RLs unpopularity, price is more reasonable which was good for me. Unfortunately, fuel economy is pretty bad in city. For luxury used car for a price, rl just cant be beat. Last, I am happy with acuras reliability which I had suffered from BMW.

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  Good Car - 2009 Acura TSX
  By TSX 09 lover - August 4 - 2:09 pm

  I brought my Acura TSX about 5 months ago. The only issue I have with this car is the cheap speakers. I had to replace the speakers at the dealership two times. Other than that the car is perfect no other issues.

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  Great first Acura - 2009 Acura TL
  By Dave04 - August 4 - 12:12 pm

  My 09 TL with the tech package is everything I wanted in a CPO Acura. I traded in a 2008 Audi A4 and wanted an upgrade to something larger and more spacious. The car drives great, handles awesome (without the SH-AWD too!) and has all the features of a BMW, MB or Lexus for a thousands less. I highly recommend you test drive a TL before making your next car purchase.

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  Im a believer - 2010 Acura TSX
  By kkm - August 3 - 10:05 pm

  Just picked up my TSX. Didnt opt for the 6 or tech package due to cost. My Acura dealer got me out of the remaining 8 months on the lease of my RDX. I could not be happier. The TSX could have more power and torque but overall the Im very pleased with the car. Great ride, handling and amenities. Base audio system is amazing and the ability to control and charge my ipod from the audio system is awesome. Handles extremely well and the sport mode using the paddle shifter is a kick. Great interior, extremely comfortable seats and very intuitive controls. This is my third Acura. Had an 05 TL, which I loved and an 08 RDX which I loathed. Very happy with the TSX