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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  Gotta Love it - 2003 Acura TL
  By getsome2 - December 30 - 10:00 am

  This vehicle is a dream to drive. The car is built solidly, without a hint of any future issues. I was tossing around the idea of the Acura and the 02 Maxima, but Im sure I made the best decision.

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  acura happy - 2004 Acura RL
  By natezin - December 30 - 4:04 am

  This is my 4th Acura. All are pleasant and reliable. Car has all features needed in a luxury car. Classy styling that tells the world you have something important, but you are not rubbing it in their faces. Sat radio not important to me, but On Star is valuable, as well as Nav system.

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  Great Sporty Sedan - 2004 Acura TSX
  By Stephen - December 29 - 5:13 pm

  I have had the car for almost a year and I have had no problems. The handling is smooth and youll love the precision of the 6 spd manual shifter. The engine pulls nicely off the line given it is a four cylinder but it is happiest freely reving from 3000 to 7100 rpms. Standard features include everything you can think of except the navigation system. Fit and finish are exceptional. Adequate room to haul people or things. As a point of reference, I owned a 4dr 94 Acura Integra GSR followed by a 4dr 99 323i BMW. I believe that this is a great buy for a sport sedan even when compare to the venerable 3 series BMWs.

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  Acura TL in Connecticut - 2004 Acura TL
  By WK - December 29 - 4:06 pm

  Impressed by initial test drive and continue to be impressed by the combination of accurate and stable handling, ample power and beautifully finished interior.

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  1 year later...still pleased - 2001 Acura CL
  By Ryan - December 29 - 1:15 pm

  Bought used with about 42K miles on it. Couldnt be happier with the vehicle for the price I paid. Runs great, good speed, love the heated seats, navigation system rules. Being the first experience with a foreign car, I am very pleased. We hope to upgrade to a MDX in a few years. For the money and options included, this is a steal compared to a Lexus.

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  Love the TSX - 2004 Acura TSX
  By Bryan - December 29 - 9:40 am

  I was in the market for a new car. I looked at all the Hondas because before I owned my TSX, I had a Honda Accord. I loved the Accord, but I found that the TSX is a much more smoother, funner, and stylish ride. In one hour I went from almost purchasing a new two door Accord to buying the TSX. The cost of the TSX versus the cost of the TL was the decision for me. I could have all the fun, style, and luxury of an Acura, but still feel young and sporty with the TSX. I would definitely reccomend the TSX for anyone who loves to have fun and look good while doing it.

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  Love the RSX - 2002 Acura RSX
  By Damon - December 29 - 5:43 am

  Love this car, its sporty, yet more luxurious than most other similar sport coupes out there. Handles great, looks great, the interior is very sporty/modern looking, the seats are very comfortable. Great deal for the price.

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  Better than most of its competitors. - 2005 Acura RSX
  By Jose - December 29 - 2:02 am

  This car will definitely blow most competitors doors off, especially in the price-to-equipment ratio. A similarly equipped Toyota Celica GT-S will cost you $4000 more and still be outrun by the Type-S. New for 05, this car now pumps out 210hp, without any turbo. Torque is broad across all RPM ranges the Celicas narrow powerband was disconcerting, especially during passing. Performance, good fuel mileage (24/31), and reliability are this cars strong points. Keep in mind, though, this car requires premium fuel, but thats a small price to pay for such a performer.

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  HondaMans Review - 2004 Acura TSX
  By HondaManTSX - December 28 - 11:51 pm

  Im lovin this car! It is a great Honda/Acura and you cant go wrong there in my book.

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  RDX is best care we have ever owned! - 2018 Acura RDX
  By Susie Markow - December 28 - 10:49 pm

  Smooth, reliable, comfortable, fun to drive. LOVE this car! Will absolutely buy another when the time comes. Best car and best dealership - DCH Tustin Acura would highly recommend!