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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  CAs Acura - 1990 Acura Legend
  By CA - July 17 - 2:00 am

  Wonderful, reliable car. Good looking, head turner. Maintenance requirements minimal. Good fuel economy for luxury sedan.

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  pleased - 2003 Acura RL
  By kato - July 17 - 2:00 am

  Brought this car after thinking about cars for a few months. Was really interested in buying the Lexus ES300. Have small children so I knew I would need a car that was roomy. When I arrived at the dealership I just looked for a while before asking for help. There where no ES or Volvos S80s on the lot. (The Volvo was another choice I was thinking about) Saw the RL in a distance and immediately loved the look of it. Even forgetting the look, (though Im a stickler for a luxury style car) the ride was a dream. Of course I listened to the sales pitch about its resale value and great reliablility. You wont be disappointed in this baby.

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  This thing is sick - 1997 Acura CL
  By Johnny Dukes - July 17 - 2:00 am

  This car is unreal. It combines the technological masterpiece of Variable Valve Timing (VTEC) with a sleek look and Honda- esque reliability. I got mine with 73,000 miles for around 8,000. A Honda Accord wouldve been a cheaper investment with similar results, but I went for the head-turner instead and am very pleased with the results I got.

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  MDX is TIGHT - 2001 Acura MDX
  By ifetayo - July 17 - 2:00 am

  Overall performance and value for the price, is awesome compared to its competitors.

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  Best Car Yet - 2003 Acura RSX
  By JoeRSX - July 17 - 2:00 am

  Magnificant car!! Ive had 2 Hondas, an Integra GSR and a Subaru and this is by far the best car Ive ever owned. Honda/Acura is famous for its quality but this takes it to a new height. Every dial, switch, and button is perfect. The transmission is smooth and precise. No matter how fast your going, the car wants to go faster. Ive never driven a car with as stable and confident ride. I seems to steer itself.

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  I Love It! - 2003 Acura RSX
  By ladybug - July 17 - 2:00 am

  I cant wait to get up and drive my RSX! I believe the Bose System to be suitable to my needs and i dont mind not having armrests. I have not experienced any noise and it is just an awesome ride!!

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  I LOVE MY RSX!!!! - 2003 Acura RSX
  By Megster - July 17 - 2:00 am

  After looking into Celicas, Eclipses, Civics, and RSXs, I finally chose the RSX. This car has been the best car I have ever had! It is quick, sporty, and extremely reliable and fuel efficient. I have had absolutely NO trouble with my RSX, and have found Acuras customer service excellent.

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  Just picked it up - wow! - 2007 Acura MDX
  By krafty81 - July 16 - 3:56 am

  Picked up the car 11/21. Drove it about 300 miles on a trip right off the lot. Very comfortable car. Great side view mirrors, driving position. Custom features impressive - you can design this car however you want. Sound system very nice, navi is the easist Ive seen, although the voice commands are a little rough so far for me. Bluetooth is awesome, linked up my phone in minutes. Acceleration is solid, especially in the 60+ range. Averaged 20 MPG in freeway driving so far. Added roof rack - solid metal rack, and sport running boards as well as D/N mirror. Perfect family car.

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  Love the car - 1996 Acura RL
  By dianejersey - July 16 - 2:00 am

  The Acura RL was my husbands corporate car. After driving a new BMW for 3 years (not the smoothest ride) I was thrilled to purchase the RL from his company. It is the most comfortable interior of any car with the smoothest ride.

• 

  LS 4dr - 1992 Acura Legend
  By Q. Riddle - July 16 - 2:00 am

  Bought used with 90k, at 93k now and loving it. Everytrhing about the car is just as good as he day it rolled of the line..