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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  nightmare - 1999 Acura TL
  By Alex - March 20 - 9:43 pm

  Transmission goes every 55k miles and Honda wants nothing to do with me. Theelectrical is a nightmare, the ballastshave gone out twice. The whole car is now creaky and rattley and the seats wiggle around if you move in them. Not impressed. I will never buy another Acura.

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  Lead foot is cured - 2002 Acura RSX
  By Mike - March 20 - 9:33 pm

  When I bought this car I was very impressed right away by its spectalcular performance. The gas is avg for a 4cyl, the interior is a little cramped but still is stylish. The exterior is like a very sportier Honda look but I like it. The red inteior lighting for the dash and speedo looks very awesome. The CD is just avg though.

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  Best car Ive owned - 2005 Acura TL
  By Gary - March 20 - 8:53 pm

  I read a lot of reviews about the TL before I bought mine. I drove both the 6 speed and the 5 speed automatic. I recommend the automatic because it definitely exhibits far less torque steer than the manual, and with the traffic in California who really wants to deal with shifting (besides, the automatic has a manumatic feature which really works! Im surprised that it sticks well enough in corners, as long as you dont take it too hot, that I really dont miss my IS 300. On the flipside, the turning radius is longer than I wanted and the disclaimer for the Navi system everytime you start the car is just way too annoying. The car is very quiet, and the ride firm but comfortable.

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  I FEEL LIKE IM DRIVING A BUS - 2004 Acura MDX
  By GOLEXUS - March 20 - 12:01 pm

  I should have done more homework before buying this vehicle. It is very reliable, because it is built by Honda, otherwise it is horrible. The seats are hard and get VERY uncomfortable on trips. It is very big, not smooth, and needs a better turing radius. It also gets horrible gas mileage, about 16 mpg. I have driven my sisters RX330 and found it is very comforatable and feels like you are driving on a cloud.Plus it has a great turning radius, and the service is great! It also gets 25mpg. Dont buy the MDX, it you want performance and dependable luxury, go to Lexus. I cant wait for my lease to end, to purchase the RX330

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  A Pleasant Surprise - 2002 Acura TL
  By arlo47 - March 20 - 10:00 am

  It was $$$ that sold me on the 2002 3.2TL -- I got an unbelievable price of $27,300 delivered through a dealership about an hour away via the AAA website. I have been amazed at how comfortable and luxurious this car is, not to mention solid and fast -- especially on the highway. The interior is absolutely beautiful, and the standard features list goes on forever.

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  Fun, dependability and good looks - 2005 Acura RSX
  By CHAZ - March 19 - 4:16 pm

  Have had this car for 10 months, and I love every bit of it. Color (Milano red) great choice, fast for a 4 cylinder, sleek looking, interior is snug unless youÂ’re a small family. Seats just hold you in while steering and dashboard is easily accessible.

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  Pimp my ride - 2005 Acura RSX
  By RSX Speed - March 19 - 1:19 pm

  This car is one amazing ride. I have taken it on 400+ mile trips and felt very comfortable. Shifting is a bit sticky when the weather is colder, but the car warms up quickly and has no problem after that. Very small back seat is hard to hold more than 3 people. But when you are alone and not worried about passenger comfort (nervous girlfriends especially), the steering and curves are at your control. It really is a performance drivers dream for the price.

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  Best Price, Value and Looks!!!! - 2005 Acura TSX
  By smoochy - March 19 - 1:33 am

  I have had 5 Acuras in my life and they have all been good to me. However Acura really did well when creating the TSX. Its stylish, fast, and reasonably priced for what is included. Also has a great sound system!

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  AN ABSOLUTE TREASURE - 1999 Acura RL
  By John D. - March 18 - 6:07 pm

  My 90 Acura Legend has 243K miles. L.A. tomorrow? (2K miles)No problem. Sold 94 Legend for RL. Got the RL 2 yrs ago with 60K, just turned 100K. Features in this car are tremendous, comfortable, quiet, (with right tires for sound)awesome off the line listed at 0-60 in 7.5 seconds, highway accelleration, 7K top RPM, 210 HP V6 high compression. Needs V-8? Bah Humbug! Handling dry, snow and ice, super. Im a big guy, theres ample room, astounding comfort access & workmanship. Great Stereo. Friends 04 E-Class Mercedes, problems, 99 RL, no problems, go figure? Reliability and resale are among the best. I get constant compliments on look, ride, all of RL. Pleasure to drive. "I LOVE THIS CAR!

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  Little Luxury - 2002 Acura CL
  By bkd - March 18 - 12:03 pm

  I have had my 2002 Acura CL 3.2 for just over a year now. I love this car. I did a lot of research before buying it, and after driving it, I was sold. I like the sleek look of the car. The interior is nice and roomy. The seats are comfortable, and the car offers all the little luxuries of a more expensive car. I love the heated seats, the dimming mirror, and the sound system. With 225 hp, the CL has some great get up and go. It handles well at high speeds. The gas mileage is better than I thought. Maintenance has been very low in the last year.