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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  Just short of Awsome - 2004 Acura TL
  By tp2005 - November 29 - 10:20 pm

  I took delivery of my new TL in September. After a short test drive I was sold. Excellent comfort, performance, and build quality. Would not recommend buying the tester in the future. Found scuff marks on the front bumper that the dealer could not buff out. They offered to paint it, havent returned for that yet. Only other complaint would be the low speed brake squeal when backing. Probably would buy again if given a second chance.

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  Second and last MDX - 2007 Acura MDX
  By Dan McMahon - November 25 - 1:31 pm

  Nothing but problems with all of the new electronics. Nav works when it wants to and always when it is at the dealer. Air bags misfunction... messages pop up dealer tells me to just ignore it. Rear camera works MOST of the time. Entertainment system not working for 5 months. Dealer wants to fix it but doesnt have a clue. I guess service personel will eventually be trained on the new model. I owned and still have a 2005, I didnt test drive before purchasing... what a mistake!

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  2002 Acura RSX Type S - 2002 Acura RSX
  By JohhnyW - November 20 - 8:27 am

  Overall Im happy with the car. My first car was an Integra, then I drove a Pathfinder and Im happy to be back in a two door coupe. That said, the Type S isnt as good on gas as Id hoped and its downright treacherous in the snow. Snow tires are needed on this car. My only other real complaint is that it doesnt reach a decent speed until you rev the heck out of it, but thats the V-Tech way. Oh ya, the V-tech chip fried a month after I bought it (I bought an 02 in 06). I love the red interior lighting, the short stick and the six speeds, although at times it seems like Im shifting way too much. Acura really just packed six speeds into 200 HP here as a gimmick, but it can be a fun one.

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  Acura LX - 2017 Acura TLX
  By Kevin Mooney - November 18 - 3:08 pm

  Great car for price paid. Huge discount!

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  Wonderful Automobile - 1994 Acura Integra
  By Gregg - November 15 - 3:04 pm

  This car was a perfect gem until I turbocharged it.(Yes, my own fault). It started everytime. Got 30+ MPG average!! More on the highway. Once boosted the engine didnt hold very long however, it had 125k miles!!

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  First Step Up - 2004 Acura RSX
  By Walkman - November 15 - 2:00 am

  When the RSX first came out I was peaked. I looked and pondered as to paying 20K+ for something not much different than my Civic. When I got the oppourtunity, I steped up and havent been one bit dissapointed. I did not expect Space Shuttle Gadgetry and Ferrari performance but what the car really had to offer is a Real Bang for the buck. I dont regret it one bit.

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  Pretty darn good - 2004 Acura MDX
  By mysimonj - November 15 - 2:00 am

  Just got a 2004 Touring RES/Nav cause I needed more space for the baby and cargo space to carry more than a golf bag in my bimmer. I knew that Acura always had a good reputation for overall refinement and quality and this vehicle does meet my expectations. Very smooth engine which is surprisingly quick, its cargo space is monstrous; ottoman, weber grill, you name it-it fits. Third row seating is practical for my minisized friends. Excellent vehicle with such practicality, truly an "UTILITY" vehicle.

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  Jimbos car - 2005 Acura RL
  By Jim Brody - November 13 - 7:16 pm

  The carhandles well. The gas mileage is not what I expected, much less about 15 mpg.The Navigation system is great but hard to learn.

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  So far so good.... - 2008 Acura RDX
  By ScottyB - November 9 - 6:26 pm

  I leased this car last month, and am generally pleased so far. It drives well with nice power and handling, although the ride is a little bumpy, if you are used to a luxury or performance sedan.

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  2004 acura tl - 2004 Acura TL
  By JimmyJames - November 8 - 2:00 am

  So far, this car has been excellent. I believe in the acura brand, and I am amazed with the looks, the sound sytem, the power, and the comfort... for the price.