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 - 2004 Acura TL
  By ace2 - March 9 - 10:00 am

  An all around great car and a bargin at that. Only weakness is the crummy tires.

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  Acura TL - 2004 Acura TL
  By Gene Robustelli - March 9 - 10:00 am

  Best car Ive ever owned. Im 51 years old and I have finally had the opportunity for that special car. Im glad I picked the TL. Not only is it great looking, it is a blast to drive and makes heads turn.

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  One of the finest exotic cars even built - 1991 Acura NSX
  By sbfnsx - March 9 - 2:00 am

  A premier exotic. Its origin has kept it from the respect it deserves. Reviewers agree it is one of the best exotics ever made. It willbe superceded by a 2nd version, as it has had an long life span. This car will become a collectors item and will be a rare find in the future. Even with only summer driving, occasional road trips or track events, the car is well worth having in your stable. It can be used as a daily driver, but some, only enjoy its excellence on special occasions. It will perform flawlessly. This is one exotic that wont need $1000 oil changes! If you are lucky enough to drive or own an NSX, you will never be disappointed!

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  Awesome car!!!! - 1999 Acura CL
  By SKh - March 9 - 2:00 am

  My husband and I just bought a pre-certified 1999 manual transmission cl 2.3. We absolutely love it! Not only is the car stunning to look at, but the performance is amazing!!!

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  Love the MDX - 2001 Acura MDX
  By Gillian - March 9 - 2:00 am

  I waited 4 months for my dream MDX and Im pleased with it. Minor issues-- the steering wheel radio controls have been repaired/replaced twice and still dont work right. Not keen on the sheer amount of bass coming out of the sound system either. Car handles well in all weather and road conditions. Its a heavy vehicle so its not as nimble as some similar size SUVs but its solid, stable, and dependable. Vehicle holds 7 people easily although the third row is not comfy for anyone over 5 foot. Overall, one of the best vehicles Ive ever owned.

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  Fun to Drive, but Poor Reliability - 2003 Acura CL
  By Fastkar - March 8 - 2:00 am

  The car was fun to drive however, it was in the shop at least five times with under 20,000 miles. I had to get a new transmission, new rotors, seats got stuck many times, and my sunroof rattles like it was put in after market. They were never able to really fix it. Their fix was special tape made by Acura. This was my first and last Acura.

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  92 Legend standard transmission - 1992 Acura Legend
  By george reeves - March 7 - 2:00 am

  This is a beautiful, classic design, quality and reliability is excellent. Its an old friend. Who could want more?

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  A very good car - 1998 Acura Integra
  By Fred_in_Toronto - March 7 - 2:00 am

  This is a very good car. Good looking and reliable. I have this car for almost 5 years now and not a major problem occurs. It is not a performance car but it can run pretty quick. The handling is great. For everyday use, this is a perfect car.

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  smooth lux - 2000 Acura RL
  By bdnault - March 6 - 2:00 am

  I enjoy the comfort and smooth ride. I hear the engine isnt powerful enough, but find it much more than adiquate in all situations The interior is high-end... very well equiped and positioned features. The exterior design is strong yet eligant...

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  Great Car!!!!!! - 2002 Acura RSX
  By Gabe - March 6 - 2:00 am

  I LOVe this car.... Handles Great with a little aftermarket parts... But stock, absolutely the best overall car out there in its class......