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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  great car for your money - 2004 Acura TL
  By markus - July 31 - 2:00 am

  I thought my 01 TL was a great, but this vehicle is the icing on the cake. There is know vehicle in its price market that compares to the 04 TL.

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  LOVE THIS CAR - 2003 Acura TL
  By MIKE GRAHAM - July 30 - 10:00 am

  FUN CAR TO DRIVE,GRATE PERFORMANCE,EXTERIOR RICH LOOKING,DASH IS DULL LOOKING.

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  Easily my favorite car ever - 1994 Acura Legend
  By legendsareborn - July 30 - 2:00 am

  Of all the cars I have owned in my life, the Legend is my very favorite. I owned an L model prior to owning the faster, six-speed GS, and other than being only slightly less sporty, it was just as fun to drive, and equally reliable. I have owned a 5 series BMW before, and it equals the fun-factor of the Legend. Performance wise, the Legend beat the BMW though. Fun, very fast, and above all, the Legend, unlike a lot of Japanese cars, in my opinion, has loads of character, charisma, spirit. The stereo is simply astounding. Ive never been so satisfied with a car before, and I am not interested in selling it.

• 

  Pure Delight - 2004 Acura RL
  By First Time Acura Own - July 30 - 2:00 am

  This is a fabulous automobile. Its only downside, which you will read about, is that its performance is a wee bit sluggish. But this is really nothing more than a minor inconvenience from an otherwise flawless car!

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  Best car Ive ever owned! - 2000 Acura TL
  By racedoc - July 30 - 2:00 am

  Ive had this 2000 TL for 3 years now, and it is hands down the best car Ive ever owned! I put > 20k miles/year and have had NO problems whatsoever with this vehicle. Its not that thrilling of a car, and its not as comfortable as a Deville, but it does handle well, is responsive, has a great stereo, comfortable seats and HVAC system, and most importantly, starts when you put the key in the ignition! (I cant say that about the 3 series BMW Ive had, nor the Mercedes!). I recommend this car highly.

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  Integra is too much fun! - 1995 Acura Integra
  By Cav - July 29 - 2:00 am

  Modern styling for an older car with exceptional features that do not have mechanical problems. Extremely nice car for the money. Extremely reliable. Extremely comfortable. Easy to work on if you are a gear head. A bit expensive the farm out work to a shop, but not to bad because usually there isnt much of that. Plenty of modifications in the aftermarket market for the Integra. You can trick-out your Integra for a unique style and performance levels. Put a HKS filter and HKS Intake System and gain HP and about 5 extra miles to the gallon of gasoline. Best, funnest car I have ever owned. Highly recomended.

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  Type R awesome if willing to rev! - 2001 Acura Integra
  By mpro - July 29 - 2:00 am

  This is a great car. There is very little Horsepower/Torque below the 5700 vtec changeover, so be ready to rev the engine like a motorcycle. Handling is the best I have ever seen in a front wheel drive, or any car for that matter (under $50k). Balance is near perfect, the limited slip is excellent.

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  The best for under $35,000.00 - 2003 Acura CL
  By JohnSandoval - July 29 - 2:00 am

  This car rocks! It really deserves a 9.5 rating. I have never driven a better car, but then again, I have never driven a Ferrari.

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  Very satisfied Honda/Acura convert - 2002 Acura MDX
  By ArmyofTwo - July 28 - 2:00 am

  I was looking for a replacement for my 97 Explorer Limited. Tested the BMW X5 & the Volvo XC90 both were impressive. The BMW had limited cargo space & the XC90 felt underpowerd for the weight and leary of 1st model year. Tried the MDX and found it very roomy, comfortable & excellent "bang for the buck". Great car with the power & economy balance that more than satisfies me. Friends & family that have owned Honda products swear by them for reliability & endurance features reinforced my buying decision. I am not a tree-hugger but I am pleased that the vehicle meets ULEV standards.

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  Lots of car for the money! - 2009 Acura TSX
  By Jeff - July 27 - 3:43 am

  Ive had the car for just over 2 months and love it. ( Pearl White , Ebony) Great color and people stop me in parking lots to ask about the car! Got rid of a 2005.5 A4. Love the fit and finish, got 35 mpg on the highway - WOW ! Great style, interior, xenons , loaded -- a lot of car for the $$. Do not miss Audi or the higher payments!!