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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  update 2002 - 2002 Acura MDX
  By jcy - March 5 - 10:00 am

  much improved in noise reduction(I can tell the difference since I had owned a 2001 MDX before I traded it in for 2002 model) well, still not perfect, wish it may enlarge the trunk space particularly after 3rd row seat up.

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  Feeling Great After 9 Months - 2002 Acura MDX
  By RedMdxMemphis - March 5 - 10:00 am

  I love the MDX after 9 months. Hondas magic 3rd row seat is still the best. For daily routine, the ride is just smooth as silk. The computerized 4 wheel drive control is wonderful. Glad to be in this car when it is water all over the place. Hondas quality and drive. we just love it.. for that full price, we could not get a BMW with 7 seats (which they still dont have) and navigation, or Mercedez with the comfort of driving and convenience of 3rd row seat. MDX accelerates nicely with 24HP. I hardly use the gear shift beyond 4th and 5th. I got used to the size and huge inside space. It is a great ride with useful features for home.

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  Love this car - 2005 Acura TSX
  By Ron Warner - March 2 - 12:00 am

  Ride is not as soft as my V-6 Accord, but handles much better. 4 cylinder has decent torque, but accelerates better @ freeway speed rather than o-60

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  Great car - 2004 Acura TL
  By Robert C. - March 1 - 10:00 am

  Smooth, powerful, fun to drive. Especially like the navigation system and xm radio. Lots of interesting features.

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  Disappointed with the build - 2004 Acura TL
  By eph888 - March 1 - 10:00 am

  Comparing the TL against Infiniti G35, BMW 330Ci, it looks great on papers.. the TL is so much better for the money. I almost bought the G35, but backed out after seeing the TL on the street. But when I actually came to test drive the TL.. I was so diappointed with the craftsmanship. The linings/gaps are not even, assemblies/build is terrible for a luxury car standards. The sound is better than most cars, but not as great as I thought. I changed my mind after seeing the TL up close. Very disappointed. The design is EXCELLENT, the power is superb, but the build ruins it. Need better assembly crews. Cmon Ohio...

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  My RL - 2005 Acura RL
  By Allen - February 27 - 8:53 am

  I have had this 05 RL just 2 months, but I love to drive it. Build quality is perfect and Honda has thought of most every comfort and luxury. This car is a very close match in handling, comfort and luxury to my former 02 BMW 530i - which was problem prone from day one.

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  Great SUV - 2003 Acura MDX
  By Lou123 - February 26 - 2:00 am

  I test drove 9 different SUVs and this was by far the best one out there. It is perfect for me because I dont do allot of 4 wheel driving and I just need something to haul stuff and drive well in the snow. This SUV is smoother, faster and quieter than my Acura TL!

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  My Best Acura - 2005 Acura TL
  By Eric Kushins - February 25 - 2:10 am

  This is my fourth Acura. Prior to my 2004 TL experience the best car Id owned was my 93 Legend. I then drove two RLs which were well built but under powered! This TL has it all! It is comparable in quality and performance to high-end German sports sedans, and frankly exceeds some of them which cost upwards of $15K more. It is tightly built, extra responsive, and has terrific eye appeal. Acura has always rewarded owners with a lot of car for the money, however, this TL with its big basket of technology is far and away the winner in this catagory. And the 2005 RL appears to be taking us to an even higher level.

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  Review - 2004 Acura TSX
  By Lana Adams - February 24 - 10:00 am

  Car is a great value for the price..Only issue is there is a little bit of wind noise driving on highways

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  rating my honda acura - 2005 Acura RSX
  By Kiara - February 24 - 10:00 am

  This is a great car the kids love it. There friends say that they have one of the best cars. Its very comfortable and is a very easy smooth ride.