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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  Excellent Value and Technology - 2005 Acura TL
  By utc2 - April 30 - 4:20 am

  Recently purchased a 2005 TL w/ Navigation 9/05. Have 600 miles so may be early for complete analysis but we love the car. Great fuel economy. (22 city, 27 mixed, 32 hwy). Roomy interior with unbelievable technology. Considered competitors. In the end the value of the car made it the one. May not have the cutting edge drive per se of a RWD car but Im not a race driver so I really could not care less. More important to me at least were the comfortable interior (more room than 3 series and IS250/350), cutting edge technology, reliability and of course value.

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  The new TL Rocks!!! - 2004 Acura TL
  By LilBluu - April 24 - 2:00 am

  Had my baby for over 3 months now - purchased 2 days before official sell date. I considered 03 model, but heard of redesign and waited. Worth the wait! New TL is a totally different car than the 03 - for the better. Power is amazing. All the luxury refinements you could want are here. Handling is great, but could be better with some new tires. Exterior styling is near-perfect, sleek & aggressive. I dont know why people complain that its still FWD. You cannot tell a difference, unless you drive the streets like a race track everyday. Any way you look at it, this car is hands down the best bang-for-the-buck in the luxury sports sedan class.

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  A Fine Purchase - 2004 Acura TL
  By Raytl - April 24 - 2:00 am

  I am extremely pleased with my 2004 Acura TL which is redondo red with a parchment interior. Performance is excellent and the car is more comfortable than I expected. And, everything works!

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  PLEASANTLY SURPRISED - 2004 Acura TL
  By MKING - April 24 - 2:00 am

  My wife and I have owned two Porsches and two BMWs--marvelous cars. We were, therefore, surprised by the Acura TL we drove while one of our cars was being serviced. A week later we bought a TL.

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  2005 RL - 2005 Acura RL
  By BoSox - April 23 - 8:30 am

  As Fun a car to drive as I have ever owned. The only issue with it was when I went on vacation and the car sat for 2 weeks, it did not start. I was originally told that due to the amount of computers in this car, the draw on the battery was causing the problem. I did not buy it. After the second time it happened, the dealer said they found the problem and fixed it. We will see if the next time I park it for an extended period it starts.

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  LOKO MDX - 2002 Acura MDX
  By lokoforever - April 22 - 10:00 am

  The car has exceeded all of our expectations--its very attractive inside and out, its very comfortable on long trips, and it performs much better than any other SUV weve ever driven. The Acura Navigation System is well worth the money!!!

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  my first one. - 2003 Acura TL
  By martin richard - April 22 - 10:00 am

  this is a good car. fun to drive. a lot for the buck. best and fairest priced car. compared to competition its a real steal. worth the price.

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  2006 Acura TL - 2006 Acura TL
  By alca - April 19 - 9:00 pm

  This is a superb car for the money. It beats german competition hands down when you compare all the features and the price you pay for them. The ride is extremely smooth. Automatic transmission shifts flawlessly and acurately, The sound system is awesome along with interior lighting. It is roomy enough for five adults or two car seats in the back (for those interested). Navigation system is wonderful and easy to use, especially when voice-activated. There is always room for improvement, however. For the life of me I dont understand why the car doesnt have day time running lights (and automatic lights on for that matter). Also, outside mirrors arent monochromatic.

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  Wolf In Sheeps Clothing! - 2004 Acura RSX
  By MGLUVZRSXS - April 19 - 10:00 am

  What a find! I was not so sure about the body style. Hesitated even looking at it because it was so plain. But then, WOW, when I got behind the wheel I discovered the surprise is under the hood. So unassuming yet so much of a machine. I also tested a Toyota Celica GT the same day, the salesman had to jump start the car, then the gas tank was on flashing empty and the engine sounded like a piece of crap. My new Acura is the best car I have ever owned. Highly recommend it to anyone.

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  March 2004 TL Evaluation - 2004 Acura TL
  By JKG - April 19 - 10:00 am

  Test drove 2004 Acura TL, 5 cars, and Infiniti G-35 4 door, 2 cars. Decided on 2004 TL for nunerous reasons. Front wheel drive; Intriguing outside styling; 270 HP; and extra accessories provided by Dealer (also see below). Best color selection and best value for sports sedans in $29,500 to $37,500 range. See 2005 Acura RL for $40,000 to $45,000 range.