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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  Volvo patron - 2009 Acura TSX
  By rcsdvm - February 26 - 4:00 pm

  I have had nothing but Volvos since 1982. TSX compared favorably with S80, 328, IS 250, CTS and was cheaper. MPG has been great - 36+ hwy and 30+overall. I still havent mastered the tech pack. That lady doesnt understand KYeze. I have one negative: Steering is very sensitive and feels "notchy" in turns and there is sometimes a distinct steering torque with acceleration in turns. I have not investigated with dealer. One more thing: dont break a mirror - $525. So far dealer experience has been very positive.

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  THE ONE! - 2004 Acura TL
  By e11even - February 26 - 10:00 am

  Drove the dealer demo hard and the TL merely asked what was next. Acceleration, braking, handling, and refinement sold me on this vehicle. Safety features add to the secure feeling you get when driving this car. The Volvo S60 was our other serious consideration. No comparison for the money. If the TL is on your list of "Possibles" then launch on this vehicle right away. Acura does not disappoint....

• 

  Great car - 2004 Acura TL
  By Science123 - February 26 - 10:00 am

  Ive had three Acuras, and they consistently amaze me with their craftsmanship, performance and overall value. The 2004 TL is a head turner, with the guts to back up its radical new design. An A+ for this new Acura.

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  Survived! - 2002 Acura RSX
  By btray - February 26 - 2:00 am

  I give the RSX Two Thumbs up for safety. I unfortunately was involved in a car accident and totaled my RSX. I walked away with minor Whiplash. I impacted the center median at over 60 miles per hour almost straight on, and there was NO cabin damage. In most cars I would have had an engine where my knees were. ItÂ’s a very safe car.

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  My NSX car - 2004 Acura NSX
  By NicknPDX - February 25 - 2:00 am

  This is my 2nd NSX and for the price, its the best car Ive owned. Very comfortable interior and exterior. Its a head turner!

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  Acceleration plus! - 2007 Acura TL
  By copierdduude - February 24 - 8:03 pm

  Being a California driver our freeways often have slow pokes and indy drivers mixed in the fray. I can not tell you how much confidence this car gives me to pull into another lane and pull away from somebody running up my rear camera. I have had the porsches, bmrs, and mbz. This car is a kick in the pants, awesome sound system, and good looks to boot.

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  Just voting - 2002 Acura RSX
  By FastFox - February 24 - 2:06 pm

  But love the car.

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  rsx - 2002 Acura RSX
  By ragav93 - February 24 - 10:46 am

  great

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  Performance/Durability - 2009 Acura TSX
  By bwmusicboy - February 24 - 4:33 am

  I am now on my 2nd TSX. I leased my first one in 05 and just recently proceeded to my second. At first I was a little unhappy due to it being somewhat bigger. After having it one week I was already in favor of the size. It is amazing how much smoother the ride is due it being a little wider and longer. I already knew it was built off the previous TL frame. When I drove it off the lot it had 280 miles on it. It now has 1200 on it and Ive only filled the tank twice. I purchased the manual this time and the gas mileage is amazing! They say the auto. is to get better mileage, I dont think so! I got 450 on my first tank, 450 on my second! Go buy it! Seriously!

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  Cool - 2003 Acura MDX
  By barg - February 22 - 2:00 am

  This car is awesome. We went to many places with this car. I would recommend.