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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  awesome - 2004 Acura TL
  By peps - March 21 - 10:00 am

  I originally thought this car was too small for me because im a big guy but when i first sat in it i was very impressed with the size of the interior The comfort of the the car is great and the engine response is incredible. Overall the car is fantastic and im glad i made the choice of going with the TL..By the way my last vehicle was a cheverolet suburban..Quite a difference....I love the car

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  Awesome! - 2004 Acura TL
  By Tony Prevo - March 21 - 10:00 am

  Love it Love it I have never owned a car like this I have recvd sooo many good comments on my car

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  You cant beat the TL - 2004 Acura TL
  By ghill - March 21 - 10:00 am

  Best value you can find. Performance and workmanship is first class. Interior is comfortable and refined not gaudy. Exterior is simple yet classy.

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  ACURA 3.2 TL Automatic w/Navigation - 2004 Acura TL
  By kn100 - March 21 - 10:00 am

  This is my second TL; its a Type-S. Im very pleased with the car, and Im considering getting another TL.

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  Favorite Car, so far! - 2004 Acura TL
  By larry9h - March 21 - 10:00 am

  I have been driving my TL for about 7 months now and I must say that this car is my favorite of all of the cars Ive owned. Ive had everything from Hondas to Volkswagens to BMWs to Mercedes and this car beats them all hands down. The fit and finish equals or beats the Mercedes, as does the handling and standard features. The handsfree phone is a VERY useful feature and I use the navigation system much more than I ever thought I would. All in all, I am completely pleased with the car.

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  Excellent car - 2004 Acura TL
  By eliazar manresa - March 21 - 10:00 am

  Great deivig machine, nice interior and very smooth driving expierence with plenty of power.

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  It is fun to drive!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! - 2004 Acura TL
  By Konna - March 21 - 10:00 am

  It is fun to drive. I feel very safe when riding inside the TL. I love the navigation system and the great stereo sound. It is small enough to get into tight parking spaces, but large enough to give great comfort.

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  My best Acura purchase to date - 2005 Acura TL
  By paul heemskerk - March 21 - 10:00 am

  fast, quiet, fun to drive. Seats are so comfortable great lateral sapport. Black is hard to keep clean but gives the car a sporty presence deserving of itself. Love the look of this car from every angle. The car has a mean front nose with squinting headlights. The rear quarter of the car has a very unique door to c pillar design.

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  Fun to drive and cheap to run. - 1990 Acura Integra
  By Dudleyr - March 21 - 2:00 am

  I bought this car new 12 years ago. It now has 140,000 miles on it, and has been very reliable and inexpensive to maintain. I still have the original clutch and front brakes. I will probably keep it until it hits 200,000 miles. The handling and braking are terrific. Fuel mileage is much better than the EPA 24/28. I get mid twenties around town, and between 32 and 40 on the highway depending on speed. The seats are comfortable, but they are starting to wear.

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  Best Car Ever Produced - 1997 Acura NSX
  By NSX4U2 - March 21 - 2:00 am

  This car is soo cool to drive. Cant be matched by anything $ for $