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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  very nice - 1998 Acura RL
  By hal9000 - May 19 - 2:00 am

  This is an excellent car for anyone who wants a great reliable sporty sedan. No problems at all.

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  Better than my 2001 - 1991 Acura Legend
  By fillabuck - May 18 - 2:00 am

  Trouble free, purchased it new in 91 and just cant give it up. Only serviced at dealer, current reading on odometer is 57,200. Nice quiet ride, smooth transmission and has just a joy to own. I purchased an Acura TL in 2001 and the Legend is a better car. The Acura service department where we purchased our cars were excellent.

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  This NSX is awesome compared to Z06 - 2002 Acura NSX
  By laseca - May 18 - 2:00 am

  Ive driven a ZO6 for a few days before buying the NSX. Heres a comparison: The Z06s steering is too light No feel. Shifting is truck-like. Body rigidity is worse than my 11 year old Honda. Ergonomics are pathetic. Controls vintage 1970. Build quality poor. Wavy panels, uneven gaps. Acceleration and braking are much better than the NSX. Handling is about equal. The Z06 feels half sports car and half truck. The shift feel is horribly coarse. This car feels like an old rattly crapbox with a big engine stuffed into it. There is none of the hi-tech feel one gets from most modern cars. Sure it costs less than a new NSX but I dont see the attraction at all. You get what you pay for.

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  GREAT CAR - 2001 Acura TL
  By ROSS - May 18 - 2:00 am

  GREAT CAR DRIVES BETTER THAN MOST ALL DOMESTIC CARS IN CLASS. AND I WORK FOR A DOMESTIC

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  Great buy - 2004 Acura RSX
  By ToddAT - May 18 - 2:00 am

  Fun to drive. Good substitute for my Corvette as a commuting car. Great performance.

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  Fab SUV - 2004 Acura MDX
  By foodie - May 18 - 2:00 am

  My new MDX is the most wonderful car. I enjoy it more then any other car I have had, be it SUV or sports car. It is safe, reliable, beautiful and handles like a dream.

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  MDX - 2004 Acura MDX
  By Strong - May 18 - 2:00 am

  Best vechicle I have ever owned. Pleasant to drive, good visability. The Nav system is wonderful - never ben lost since I have satrted using it.

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  2004 Acura TL Great car for the money! - 2004 Acura TL
  By jdboca - May 18 - 2:00 am

  Great car for the money! Love at 1st site...lolThe new body styling is very nice and sleek. The interior is very sharp looking. I liked the color selection. The car is luxorious and sporty at the same time.

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  Best in Class - 2004 Acura TL
  By joaquin soto - May 18 - 2:00 am

  This has been the best decision that I have made when it comes to purchasing a car. It comes with just about everything. The only option is a navigation system. The car is sturdy and fast as hell. Count the horses here and compare with the 3 series, CTS, A4, and ther is no competition.

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  Acura got it right - 2002 Acura RSX
  By DPH - May 17 - 10:00 am

  Pure fun, great flexibility. Drives smooth & easy or blasts when appropriate. Smart, functional cockpit. Makes driving to work fun. Suspension just right, stiff enough to hang a corner but not jar your teeth on expansion joints. Perfect fit and finish. Only my BMW can match the gearbox for shifts and feel. Most enjoyable machine.