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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  A great car - 1996 Acura Integra
  By gdub - June 24 - 4:58 pm

  Loved this car, recently sold it to upgrade to an RSX type S. Handled great, shifted great, and you cant get that 8000 RPM scream anywhere else. Also had lots of cargo space. I know lots of people dislike the 4-headlike look, but Im not one of them.

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  Must have gotten a dudd - 1996 Acura TL
  By Dissapointed - June 24 - 4:38 pm

  Wanted it as soon as I saw it. Bought a 8 yr old car with 69,000 miles on it, expecting to make it to 100,000 with grace (Honda engine!). In the first 6 months replaced battery, starter, had random misfire, replaced sparkplugs, heater failed, sound system failed. NOW I am replacing a blown head gasket and am worried about the antifreeze that was BURNING out my tail pipe. Minor cosmetics were fixed like cupholder cover. Not only did I pay too much at the dealership originally but I could have bought a new car for the amount of money I have put into this one. As soon as this car is out of the shop I am selling it to someone who can deal with fixing it every week.

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  Acura that meets expectations - 2007 Acura MDX
  By steve - June 24 - 11:00 am

  Leased 07 MDX 2 weeks ago, have 800 miles so far. With the exception of fuel economy (16 mpg of suburban driving), MDX is very much what is expected from Acura: comfort and good road handling.

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  Excellent performance and reliability - 2004 Acura TL
  By Lubo Lubomirov - June 24 - 9:06 am

  I have about 10000 miles on my TL already and it has been one of the most exciting experiences that I ever had. Great performance and reliability - I never experienced any problems with the car. Front-wheel drive is still a disadvantage for the car - needs to change in future releases. I have the 6 speed MT and this car is very fast - no matter what theyre going to tell you how great other German rivals are, I have tested the speed of the TL against some of them already and I left the test with a smile.

• 

  love it - 1997 Acura CL
  By Max - June 23 - 4:19 pm

  owned this car from new, very reliable. 73k miles, done all maintenance...warranty replaced computer in first year after erratic cold idle. michelin tires dry rotted after 36k, same happened to next michelins. continental extreme contacts at almost half the price seem great after 7k miles. after tune-up at 7 years 57k the emission system needed warranty cleaning. driver window motor replaced a few years ago. everything else done was routine maintenance, never a problem, great car. prefer honda dealer for work over acura for all reasons. will need muffler soon, parts are expensive.

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  Mild mannered, got it where it counts - 2001 Acura CL
  By Meike - June 22 - 6:55 pm

  This car has been great. It always does what it should, and when I need it. Fun to drive, comfortable for long weekend driving. Style is clean and impressive, whenever someone gets in it they ask what is it?

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  TL - 2003 Acura TL
  By Jellyfish - June 22 - 6:43 pm

  Handling is crisp and precise with ample comfort to boot. Rear seats are a bit cramped for average size adults. No fold down seats, no rear heated seats, no heated steering wheel. Tilt needs to be improved as well. Fuel economy is outstanding with better than 30MPG.

• 

  Great car but a little bumpy - 2003 Acura RSX
  By Automatic - June 22 - 4:21 pm

  I purchased this vehicle because of its reputation. However, I felt a little disappointed with only two things City Gas mileage and the bumpy ride. The suspension is great but the shocks are bouncing you all over the place. Its a little nerve racking. Other than that I have to say the car is excellent. Enough storage space and the controls are within reach. Keep in mind this is not really a racing car its a sporty look and feel but its not going to take you from 0- 60 anytime quick, unless you step on it and suck all the gas out of your tank. Which bring me to the next point of gasoline. It doesnt have good gas mileage in the city but the highway its great.

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  My first coupe - 2005 Acura RSX
  By patrick tyrone - June 22 - 1:43 pm

  This being my first coupe had to be the most exciting. It was the 1st car I laid eyes on as I walked out onto the lot. I was impressed with the ergonomics of its compact yet stylish design that says, Hop in and Go! I will say while the engine loves to rev, the ride can be a bit tight and bouncy, but in this particular car, thats what gives it that race appeal. On the inside, Acura did an outstanding job on the leather seating, simple yet functional. The controls on the dash were again simple, but tied into the whole theme of the vehicle. I did think for this class of vehicle, Acura could have beefed up the audio system, which was not bad, but could be better. All in all, this was a good buy.

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  First Impressions - 2007 Acura TL
  By Luke - June 22 - 11:16 am

  Just picked up our 07 TL today and drove it home, about 30 miles. Beautiful car, handles nice. The new Nav system is cool with the backup camera when you put it in reverse. Got a couple blind spots off both sides that I need to work on. Ride is very comfortable, not too soft and not too stiff. Stereo is outstanding. Enough gadgets to keep me studying for a bit. I like the new gauges over the previous ones. More later!