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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  Traded Up - 2006 Acura TL
  By Nightwind15 - January 4 - 2:30 am

  Just got it and drove it 120 miles from the dealership home. I did a great deal of research before buying. Having owned two Honda Accords I expected better quality and amenities. Got it all in the Acura. I really like the handling, ride and the electronics! This car is a wonderland for a technophile. It is like driving a sports car while is the comfort of a wonderfully equipt personal hideaway. I cannot imagine wanting more. What a bargain and what a great ride. My Black on Black TL will likely sell me on my next one in two years. After compairing Lexus and Infinity the TL was a no brainer for me. So much more for your bucks.

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  Love this SUV - 2003 Acura MDX
  By tv99 - January 3 - 10:00 am

  One of the best vehicles I have ever owned. Rides better than my Lexus GS400 with better luxury, Handles better than most cars, more storage than the BMW X5 and RX330. I love it.

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  2003 TL-S - 2003 Acura TL
  By grover - January 3 - 10:00 am

  Love the car...

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  2003 3.2 TL - 2003 Acura TL
  By Neal - December 26 - 8:53 pm

  I leased this vehicle just last month. Its a truly amazing car. Certainly not the best out there, but its very close. It has all the creature comforts one could want in an entry-level luxury vehicle. The engine is very well built, and the SportShift transmission adds a real flavor to driving this car. It corners admirably, accelerates quite well - 0 to 60 in about 6.5 seconds. And its all rather affordable.

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  Great Ride - 2005 Acura MDX
  By Chiefton - December 26 - 8:43 am

  I have had this car for a couple months now it is had been great so far. I am very pleased.

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  Never Looking Back - 2008 Acura TL
  By Acura Girl For Life - December 26 - 2:26 am

  I came from driving a Honda Civic (4 cylinders) to the beautifully sleek Acura TL. My best friend and I instantly fell in the love with the sexy body and outstanding features. She has the white diamond pearl with parchment interior and i have the nighthawk black pearl with ebony interior. I wanted the Navigation system but was presented with a pricing offer that was too good to pass up so I went w/o. Even though I know it is not the same, I can always buy one.

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  Its the best SUV - 2004 Acura MDX
  By Tabasco - December 23 - 10:00 am

  This is the best SUV on the market. Here are my only complaints: The switch for the sunroof is located to the left of the drivers wheel. Passenger can not control the sunroof. The other annoying thing is the clock, located on the radio which most times is not readable. They should either locate it in the instrument cluster or make it bright so I dont need glasses to see the time. It would be nice to make a time button on the Navigation screen.

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  Nice Ride - 2006 Acura TL
  By texbuck - December 19 - 4:50 pm

  This is my third Acura, I continue to purchase Acuras because of the quality and value concept. The service departments have always been great, free loaner cars, car always washed after an oil change etc.

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  A Great Looking Car with Some Quirks - 2005 Acura TL
  By Chris T - December 17 - 7:30 am

  Have an 05TL with Navigation. The Nav is worth the money. The car will get up and go from 0 all the way to 120+. Could use some more low end torque, but it really pulls above 4,000 rpm. Two major annoyances for an enthusiast like me. The automanual when in manual mode still shifts by itself out of or into 1st gear. It completely ignores your commands at launch, and if youre in 2nd and floor it, it downshifts to first whether or not you have commanded it to do so. Very annoying. The TSX doesnt have this flaw. Also, the front doors wont stay open, even on a flat surface they constantly want to swing closed on you. Other than that, only the FWD prevents it from being an outstanding car.

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  acura TL w/ navigation review - 2004 Acura TL
  By Jane L - December 17 - 2:00 am

  Absolutely fun to drive, excellent handling, beautiful interior and great features