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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  whoopee - 2004 Acura MDX
  By bob gillette - October 1 - 2:00 am

  have two mdxs, best road vehicle ever, also have honda s2000. thank you honda

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  Great Car and truck - 2004 Acura MDX
  By reineerbrad - October 1 - 2:00 am

  Very car-like ride. This SUV is a fun to drive alternative for us fathers that need to drive a mini-van but dont want to be seen in one then you have AWD to boot! Once inside you forget you are driving a large vehicle and you feel like you can disolve the road ahead with its handling and comfort. Great curves, handling, room, with a shape to match. Even has pleanty of room for our large dog.

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  Like flying low - 2004 Acura TL
  By Ted the retired guy - October 1 - 2:00 am

  Have driven my new 2004 Acura TL for 6 weeks now and have experienced more driving pleasure than I did with my 2000 BMW 323 in four years.

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  Great Car - 2004 Acura TL
  By bigtimeitpro - October 1 - 2:00 am

  All I can say is this car is absolutely amazing. If you consider yourself a "driver" then you have to get the 6 speed. It adds to the overall driving experience.

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  THis car is awesome - 2005 Acura NSX
  By stephanie s - September 30 - 2:00 am

  I wish i could keep this car forever. Or on the other hand that it would last for ever. Its the best car i have ever had and could ever ask for

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  wow! BEST DEAL IN TOWN - 2001 Acura CL
  By paganpink - September 30 - 2:00 am

  The type S begs to be driven in a sporty manner, but has a comfortable ride at any time. I highly recommend several basic changes that will awaken this incredible car 1, Buy the AEM cold air intake,(2-3 hundred).The increase in performance is amazing,10- 15 horsepower, and the 2nd intake opening at 5k RPM in the S engine sounds absolutely incredible.2.Buy the Eibach springs (2-3 hundred.)Hugely improves handling at all speeds with no loss of ride quality! Giving it a more aggressive appearance and keeping it glued to the turns. 3. Buy a 75 horse shot of nitrous (7-8). Engine computers will never let it run lean, and you now outrun BMWs,350z,V-8 Camaros,&

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  Fun Sedan - 2002 Acura TL
  By vineviz - September 30 - 2:00 am

  I love the TL-S. Quality is bulletproof, and the car is quite fun to drive: it handles very well, accelerates smartly, and is very comfortable on my commute. There is plenty of space in the back for two child safety seats, and the front seats are comfortable and well- bolstered.

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  Great Car - 2002 Acura RSX
  By mrbrett - September 29 - 9:56 pm

  This is a great car, it has a great balance of performance and luxury.

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  Love my RSX - 2002 Acura RSX
  By Age - September 29 - 10:00 am

  I leased a 99 Integra w/auto and i felt that it was sluggash at best with the acceleration, However, the RSX jst wants to go and go fast. GREAT CAR

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  Perfect Car!! - 2002 Acura RSX
  By Ferny - September 29 - 10:00 am

  Everything about the car is perfect. The cars small so the 160 HP is definately enough. It accelerates fast so you wont have any problems getting into Highways, etc. It handles perfectly and the small steering wheel makes it even easier to handle. The Red Dashboard Lights look really nice but guess thats a matter of an opinion. The engine has a really nice sound (not too loud or soft). I find the seats comfortable and I received compliments from many people on its looks. I definately reccomend this car.