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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  I love my new 2016 MDX ! - 2016 Acura MDX
  By Sid J - July 7 - 1:15 am

  My wife and I were in the market for our first luxury crossover and we couldnt be happier with our purchase (Advance Pkg, SH-AWD). Let me say outright that we did not consider any German cars for reasons ranging from high price point/high maintenance to poor reliability/longevity. We werent particular about having 3-rows, but felt itd be nice to have the option (for trips with family/friends) - the MDX fit the bill perfectly. Ive had my MDX for 6-weeks and driven 1800 miles, so its obviously too early to talk about reliability(which the Acura brand is known for) but here are the pros/cons as I see it. Pros: - Drives great. Plenty of power to summon in any situation (esply with Normal/Sport IDS modes). - Very comfortable seats & ride. You dont feel minor road imperfections & the suspension does a great job of dampening out big potholes. - Very quiet cabin. Conversation between 1st & 2nd row passengers have never been easier. - Gas sipper (I use premium 93 octane). I consistently average over 24-mpg in combined driving. Averaged 26-mpg during a recent 600-mile road trip(80% highway) with 5 adults, fully loaded cargo space (3rd row folded). That said, I always use cruise at highway speeds and avoid very hard acceleration/braking. I calculate MPG estimates to be 100% sure though the tip computer is not off by much (-0.5 to +1 MPG off actual). - Realized the beauty of SH-AWD driving on curvy, hilly wet roads (yet to test on snow/heavy rain). Just when I thought I needed to hit the brakes to slow around a corner, the MDX breezes past with aplomb. It drives like a car - you dont feel body roll, side-to-side weight transfer during turns. - Love all the safety features, esply the Lane departure warning. I read recently that it received great crash-test scores. Now for the Cons: - Depending on the gear you are in, the transmission sometimes seems to lag for a split second before it accelerates. I believe this has to do with dog clutch in the ZF-9 speed design. - Adaptive cruise may seem hard on braking/acceleration depending on how you normally drive. - Touchscreen response is a tad slower than Id like it to be. - Fog lights are offered only as an accessory (extra $) - Power-folding side mirrors, panaromic roof, motion-activated power liftgate not available. Ive seen people voice concerns on online forums regarding transmission, build quality(as MDXs are built now in Alabama Vs Canada until about a couple of years ago) but based on my experience, Im inclined to believe most of them are unjustified. There have also been complaints about higher than usual noise coming from under the hood(for someone outside the car) even when the a/c compressor is not running - the owners manual clearly says that is expected as a result of the system checks ! Complaints related to dual-screen is a matter of getting used to - I actually find it convenient. The 3rd row of seating is mostly for kids (or short adults for upto 2-hr ride). In my opinion, this is the most well-rounded luxury crossover offering an optimal mix of comfort, handling, value and safety. Get one - youll love it !

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  La Traviata, Japanese Style - 2003 Acura RL
  By Jolga - July 6 - 2:00 am

  Weve only had our 2003 for a month now but its been sublime! This car was not built nor manufactured it was DESIGNED and ENGINEERED!

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  awesome car - 2003 Acura RSX
  By sistomofadann - July 6 - 2:00 am

  its awesome fast and lots of funplus the girlies love it

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  Great SUV - Love the Nav system. - 2003 Acura MDX
  By Rich B - July 6 - 2:00 am

  Tested most of the SUVs in this class. Came down to the MDX, Volvo X90 and a Highlander. The Volvo X90 was very cool, but not avalable until June or so and only averaged 15 - 20 MPG. Highlander was nice, but in a different class. The MDX fast became the SUV of choice. I really love the vehicle. Its has an extremely comfortable ride and handles well for an SUV. It has top saety ratings and has the look and feel of a true luxury vehicle. The car is well made and there were no flaws in fit or finish. I wouldnt hesitate to recommend the MDX, with Navigation system to anyone. Its a fun, safe, and pleasing vehicle to ride in.

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  RDX - Outstanding value with Class - 2017 Acura RDX
  By Be Pivirotto - July 4 - 10:03 am

  Really enjoy the RDX and compared to my brothers Lexus, it blows it out of the water. Instrumentation is the only negative as it is very confusing and not easy to intuitively understand the functions. The split screens are also confusing and should be combined into one screen and not the dual screen method as of now. Ride, handling, safefy features such as lane departure and lane departure assist are outstanding! So glad I decided on the RDX.

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  Perfection - 1996 Acura Integra
  By brujc - July 4 - 2:00 am

  I have owned my Integra for 7 years and I have had no, I repeat, no mechanical problems. The only things that I needed were a new power radio antenna and tires. Not bad for seven years. Ive had more fun driving this car than any I have owned and Ive owned Zs and RX7s.

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  More Bang 4 The $ - 2003 Acura RSX
  By geofkent - July 3 - 2:00 am

  My last performance car was a BMW Z3. It proved to be too impracticle for most purposes so it had to go. I wanted to find a car with the same performance but usable interior and trunk space. Well, I found it! The engine, transmission (6speed) and brakes/suspension are all world-class. Plus, you can actually haul stuff with it. Lots of stuff. Oh, buy the way did I mention? It runs like it looks...FANTASTIC!

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  Fun, reliable, convenient all in one! - 2002 Acura TL
  By Franzi - July 3 - 2:00 am

  I love my car! I had a 1999 CL and loved it but wanted more room and 4 doors. So, I ugraded to the TL. Its been fun to drive. I especially enjoy the sport-shift and the power in traffic or for fun. Of course the reliability and quality of Acura overall is the reason I bought the TL and I have not been disappointed. I would recommend Acura and the TL to anyone wanting a practical but fun vehicle with excellent service personel and locations for regular maintenance.

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  All-Around Awesome Vehicle - 2005 Acura RL
  By Matt Carmody - July 2 - 5:33 pm

  This car really has the best of everything. Luxurious and roomy, yet responsive and fast. Quiet, yet possessing an unbelievable sound system. Simple to operate, yet loaded with features such as handsfree Bluetooth telephone, real-time satellite traffic and XM radio. And best of all - its all standard. There is no other car in this class - not BMW, not Mercedes, not Lexus, not Audi - where you get what the RL offers for $50K. When you get done with all the upgrades needed on other models to even come close to matching the RL, youve already moved into a whole different price range. You just simply cannot go wrong with this car, and its a pleasure to drive.

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  Integra GS - 2000 Acura Integra
  By Byron King - July 2 - 2:00 am

  My family and I have owned the 2000 Integra GS up till now and my dad still thinks that this cars drives brand new. If you believed that the Hondas were reliable and efficient... think again. Since the day we bought it this car has been such a pleasure to drive. It is extremely reliable and very fuel efficient. Downfall is probably the back seat space because it is quite condensed. Overall though it is a great car to keep, I know my dad has no intention of selling this car.