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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  Love returning to my MDX after a flight. - 2001 Acura MDX
  By herzjb - June 29 - 6:09 pm

  Love this car. I have 60,000 miles on it now. Dealer has fixed second gear under warranty via recall. Ride and performs like a car. Sturdy interior. Plenty of cargo space, cup holders and power outlets. Good entry level sound system.

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  None like it in the market... - 2005 Acura MDX
  By Harrisburg, PA - June 29 - 4:56 pm

  There isnt another Lux SUV on the market that has the blend of size and utility with comfort and safety like the MDX. Seating for 7 with safety features like Onstar and all the airbags you could ever want. The review states that the interior is bland, but I would call it understated elegance. Everything is where it should be and the materials (dash seats etc.) are all top quality. The only things I wish it had are daytime running lights and automatic locking when placed in drive. Overall the wife loves it (even the nav system I had to have) and the kids like being able to have their friends all in one car. NOTE: The MDX is due for a redesign in 2007.

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  Ode to the CLs - 1998 Acura CL
  By MB Finck - June 29 - 4:08 pm

  I am a huge fan of my Acura CL. I was really disappointed when the line was discontinued. With under 115k on it, I cant see any reason to trade it in for at least another 85k miles. Was originally wanting the Honda Accord which had just been redisgned, but because of extended backlogs ... I looked at the Acura CL instead. It was fate ... I have been loving my car ever sense.

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  Happy New Owner - 2005 Acura MDX
  By Brenda - June 29 - 3:55 pm

  Have researched SUVs for about 4 years and always came back to the Acura MDX as the top choice. Purchased in 2005 and so far we have really enjoyed our MDX experience

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  worst...transmission....EVER - 2004 Acura RSX
  By B17A1girl - June 28 - 3:37 pm

  As a the Internet Sales Manager and a salesperson at a car dealership, I drive different cars every day. My Acura RSX type-S, which is supposed to be one of the most reliable cars available, has the worst manual transmission I have ever experienced on a new car. Ever since I bought it, 2nd and 3rd gear have been grinding. Its been back to 3 different Acura dealers 4 times for the same problem. Only one of them was willing to fix it and found that the synchros are bad from the factory. They supposedly replaced them but the problem continues. NEVER buying a Honda product again.

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  freddieboi - 2005 Acura MDX
  By Fred Miller - June 27 - 8:00 pm

  safe, solid fun to drive for an SUV, good looking, very dependable, comfortable and solid as a rock

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  Gods gift to the sport compact scene - 2005 Acura RSX
  By 05 Black Type S - June 27 - 7:07 pm

  This car is an absolute dream. I picked my 05 Black Type S up for invoice price! The Type S has what feels like an endless supply of power. I drove from Chicago to Indianapolis right after I bought it, and had problems keeping it under 90mph, it just wants to get up and run. I love the attention this car brings... Im a single 23 year old male, and I dont mind the looks I get from girls who see/hear the Type S. Its fast, and looks classy... almost like a baby Ferarri.

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  Hard to beat...but for gas mileage !! - 2005 Acura MDX
  By Austin Barney - June 27 - 6:52 pm

  I have had my MDX for about a month... first car that ever talked back to me! I looked at MANY other cars first and think I chose the best for my needs, a combination of off road and long distance driving. The car is great in all respects but the gas mileage is atrocious!! I am getting 14.4 around town and only 18.6 on the highway ! Miserable compared to my last car, a W8 VW wagon.

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  2004 Acura MDX review - 2004 Acura MDX
  By david94134 - June 27 - 2:00 am

  Excellent SUV and best in its class.

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  Fun to Drive - 2004 Acura TL
  By Rudolf - June 27 - 2:00 am

  Ive had this car for a month -- 1400 miles -- and its great fun. Not as much fun as a BMW or MB, but who wants to finance six-week vacations for German assemblers? The BMW/MB just arent worth the extra money. My Acura is extremely comfortable, fun to drive on country roads, has a great sound system, and is loaded with features.