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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  So far, not satisfied - 2004 Acura TL
  By Mike140 - September 6 - 2:00 am

  We have only had the car for a short period of time but we have already noticed rattles and the Check Engine light just came on. Otherwise, we are very happy with the car. It is comfortable and fun to drive. Probably too early to tell, but we are worried and annoyed already.

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  Incredible car... - 2004 Acura TL
  By NDV831 - September 6 - 2:00 am

  Had to wait for a while to get mine, but the wait was worth it! Great overall car in design, performance and comfort. Test drove or researched just about every other vehicle in and out of the same class and couldnt find anything matching features for the price. Smooth trans, engine and ride!

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  I like it but... - 2001 Acura CL
  By acura lover - September 5 - 10:00 am

  I finally bought an adult car having always owned hatchbacks. I compared the CL to Audi,BMW,Lexus,Infiniti and Volvo and found the CL to be the best value for the money. The CL has the biggest engine, horsepower and amenities. However, I do have a several complaints. I wish the doors would lock when I start the engine and unlock when I stop the engine like in the Integra. Also, could they put back the side moulding. The most annoying part is the door ledge. There is a little ledge that always gets dirty when it rains and my pant leg hits it getting out of the car.

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  Love the car - 2005 Acura TSX
  By Mattk - September 5 - 2:40 am

  Very pleased with the car overall, it is a joy to drive.

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  Here is an honest review, - 2002 Acura RSX
  By Attila - September 5 - 2:00 am

  I got the car with 15 miles on it, now it has 15,200. The car runs great, not one problem. I didnt put a ten one some ratings, but lets be honest, it doesnt have performance that of an M3 or Viper. But for its class its the best. They could have made the exterior sportier like the new Celica, but this way its not a flat out sports car, its got some elegance to it.

• 

  Mean Whip - 2009 Acura TSX
  By Dennis - September 4 - 10:33 pm

  Had the car for about a month now. Went from 2000 Infiniti G20, so TSX was a natural progression for me. That being said, the power and the pickup is far greater. Acura maximizes the ability of a 4 cyl engine while making it fuel efficient. Getting about 27-29 mpg in 70-30 highway driving. Id advise not to take your MPG reading off the monitor and actually calculate it yourself, youll find it to be about 1-2 MPG difference, but still great mileage. Note that this is an everyday sports sedan. If you want a high performance sports car, get a BMW 3 series or Lexus IS-250. The rest of us who go to work everyday, want to have a little fun and not pay a fortune in doing so will enjoy this car

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  Frustration - 2005 Acura TL
  By Frustrated - September 4 - 9:40 am

  My fifth Acura and this is the first with a major problem. Randomly, when starting the car, the exterior temp display goes blank and the temperature settings go crazy. Twice, I have had a dead battery, first time at 1000 miles, and this car stays in the garage. Dealer replaced the original battery but had another dead battery three weeks later at 3000 miles. Guess Ill be working through exercising the "Lemon Law" and hope the dealer responds favorably.

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  RL3.5 - 2000 Acura RL
  By RLC - September 4 - 2:00 am

  Excellent vehicle especially with the navigation system.

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  Acura gives great service! - 2003 Acura CL
  By Metalmaiden - September 4 - 2:00 am

  They have a great service department. My vehicle was damaged by hail at 125 miles. They have completely restored the vehicle to its "new" condition. They also provided a courtesy car while mine was in the shop. This car is fun to drive and the sound system is fantastic. I have also found the TCS system to operate well and also provide a safety factor as well. If back issues are a problem as they are for me this has the best drivers seat I sat in BAR none. Also I compared this vehicle to Infinity, BMW,Mustang Cobra, and Monte Carlo.

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  Best Value - 2003 Acura CL
  By George C - September 3 - 2:00 am

  My 3rd Cl coupe, does get better each time