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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  Quality - 1999 Acura RL
  By 1911mojo - July 15 - 2:00 am

  I bought this car used and have only had it for a few months, but for the money you cant beat it. It provides an exceptional ride and comfort level and is in a complicated bracket. Very good low end pulling power

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  More than I expected - 2000 Acura TL
  By hogger - July 14 - 2:00 am

  I was suprised at the power this vehicle has as well as 29 mpg hiway and 23 in town. I drove 1,000 mi nonstop and I did get a little tired of sitting but who wouldnt? I like everything about the car except for the cup holders. I would recommend this car to anyone.

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  badgsr - 2000 Acura Integra
  By badgsr - July 13 - 2:00 am

  i have a 2000 integra gs-r and it kicks ass!

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  Love this car! - 1997 Acura TL
  By Adam G - July 12 - 2:00 am

  This vehicle deserves a much better rating than given. This car is reliable and a beautiful automobile. It holds its value well and it looks like a brand new car.

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  Couldnt be happier - 2002 Acura MDX
  By suvman87 - July 11 - 10:20 am

  Drives like a sedan. Its roomy and the rear seat folds flat for lots of storage space. Excellent fuel economy so far, averaging about 20 mpg. Outstanding navigation system. Easy to use. Also very good acceleration with the 240 hp engin.

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  acura tsx - 2005 Acura TSX
  By Don Fuller - July 11 - 8:50 am

  This is a fun car to drive. Its more exciting to drive than my SHO was. Global navigation is great in my business. I originally bought it for my wife but she doesnt like a car telling her when to turn. Had to get her a new Lexus with no navigation to get it away from her

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  1994 Acura Legend- buttery ride - 1994 Acura Legend
  By Rickster - July 11 - 2:00 am

  Get compliments every week on how good this car looks... from strangers. White is best color w/toupe interior. The buttery/smooth drive is really great. I have 150K+ miles on it. Needed new transmisssion last year, but that is uncommon. Acura dealerships really provide great service and good value.

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  Wont find a better used car - 1990 Acura Legend
  By jds1990coupe - July 11 - 2:00 am

  Ive got a 1990 Acura Coupe LS [and a 1990 Coupe L] with about 168,000 miles on it. It had around 149,000 when I purchased it. The mechanical design of the car is great and it has proven to be very reliable. Replacement parts are more expensive, but then you dont have to replace them all of the time. If you can do some simple repairs/maintenance on your own you will benefit greatly. Styling design is awesome, as people think im driving a mid-90s car. That says a lot for a 12 year old car. The 5speeds are a kick to drive and if you can find one get it.

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  Driving pleasure - 1995 Acura Legend
  By gs4amg - July 11 - 2:00 am

  This vehicle was well-maintained by the previous owner, and had low mileage. It is one of the few six-speeds made in 95. Acceleration and handling are outstanding. For highway driving the fuel economy (28 mpg) is terrific. The interior leather shows wear. Were it not for the absolutely horrible BOSE stereo in the car, a recall candidate if there ever was one, this car would be a 10. It is a wonderful car to drive. My only regret is that I live so close to where I work.

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  The Legend.... - 1990 Acura Legend
  By xtecnro - July 10 - 2:00 am

  I believe that the Acura Legends where the best car ever made. The name goes great with the reliability and smoothness of the ride. Who can forget such a car? Plus, the structure of the car is still looking good today. The look is still up to date with the other cars in the new 2000 era. Although the interior may not be excellent, (which can always be modified) the exterior and the engine make the car live up to its name....."Legend".....and thats exactly what this car is, a legend. I give it 2 thumbs up!