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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  An Adult Car - 2000 Acura RL
  By bobbycar - November 4 - 2:00 am

  After driving/riding in any other vehicle(eg, BMW 740), Im immediately surprised by the smoothness of the RL. The car handles very well on the highway @ 80-90 mph - precisely, quietly & smoothly - with four adults in the car & all their luggage in the trunk.

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  2009 Acura TL - 2009 Acura TL
  By ms - November 3 - 6:23 pm

  I am a fan of Acura cars, having owned a 2003 Acura TL, 2004 TL and 2008 TSX. Overall I found the 2009 TL to be an improvement over the 2004 TL, but there are some little things that I dislike: The soft armrest for your right elbow that slides forward that was present in preceding models is now gone. I miss this.The trunk lid is now higher so you have to lift things higher to put them in the trunk. When accelerating, the engine revs more than the older TLs. What I dislike most is that the steering is too light and feels unnatural. Pros: The interior feels luxurious and upscale. The navi is quicker and the screen sharper and brighter.

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  Good car - 1991 Acura Integra
  By Makaveli - November 3 - 2:00 am

  very good car, worth buying

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  Great car for students - 1990 Acura Integra
  By Benjamin_24 - November 3 - 2:00 am

  My Integra has over 213,000 miles on it and Ive driven almost 100,000 of them. This is a very well-rounded car lots of storage space (hatchback + fold- down rear seats), good looks, good mileage, sporty performance, good price, lots of useful features, and to top it all off: reliability. The interior is terrific, high quality, and the center console is slightly tilted toward the driver so all of the radio and climate controls are at a natural angle and close.

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  Love My MDX! - 2005 Acura MDX
  By Paula - November 2 - 6:53 pm

  I appreciate the way my MDX handles. It is as comfortable as a sedan, yet with all the added space and uses like a truck. I am extremely pleased.

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  Probably the best car Ive ever owned - 1996 Acura Integra
  By Rick Ides - November 2 - 2:00 am

  Well, after 6 years, the car has cost me basically nothing other than normal maintanence and one new battery. (Ok, 5 years is pretty standard for a battery.) The car handles responsively, accelerates smoothly, the cockpit noise level is a little high, and theft rate is off the chart.. Secure yours well!

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  Marks Review - 2002 Acura RL
  By medison - November 2 - 2:00 am

  Car has plenty of power in most circumstances. Indecision of the automatic transmission is partly to blame. Gas pedal placement is slightly encroached by the center console. Some compartments are too small (sun glasses, change) and the seat controls are hard to reach. There was one very small dent that I noticed that seemed to have occurred at the factory. Reliablity has been top notch. Overall I am very pleased with this car. It is very comfortable and I enjoy driving it as well as being seen in it. I was originally going to buy a TL-S but opted for the larger size vs. performance. I am 40.

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  Best SUV - 2007 Acura MDX
  By Joe - November 1 - 9:03 am

  This is a very fun and smooth SUV. I have owned it about three weeks, and have the best time driving it. The gas mileage is not the best but I can live with it. Do wish that the roof rails, side running boards, and side body moldings did not have to be extras, but they make the car look so much better.

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  1991 Legendary Coupe - 1991 Acura Legend
  By Legendary Coupe - November 1 - 2:00 am

  Proud owner of a 1991 Acura L Coupe since 1994. Today, the coupe continues to turn heads. People want to buy the car right on the spot. I say, No Way! Traded the coupe in for another car...the next day I got my coupe back. It is dependable, durable and the besting looking car on the road.

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  2001 Acurat TL is a 10!!! - 2001 Acura TL
  By kcchef - November 1 - 2:00 am

  Its the best ride ever!!! Its amazing and FUN TO DRIVE!!! YEs, its a big car, too, with plenty of room for five and gear. The styling is luxurious and I get LOTS of compliments. Simply the best ride on the road for under $30,000.