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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  2007 TL-S type Carbon Bronze Pearl - 2007 Acura TL
  By BabyGee - July 31 - 2:40 pm

  I have a 2005 MDX and recently we needed a second car. After test driving three different Acura models, I chose the TL. The car was far superior to the TSX (in quality as well), and also had a more sleek and mature personality than the RDX. Since we have an MDX, I opted for a nicer, smoother and more sophisticated TL. I chose the S-series to get the manual transmission - lots of fun. The car is subtlely aggressive, yet practical too. My kids fit easily and safely, and the gas mileage is AOK (25 mpg mixed (city/hwy)). Love my Acura(s)!

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  The Perfect Vehicle - 2001 Acura MDX
  By David OBrien - July 31 - 2:00 am

  This vehicle has it all. While it is technically a SUV, it handles and is as comfortable as a car. I call it the perfect vehicle because it suits all. It seats 7 very comfortably without being too big, it has plenty of power with excellent gas mileage. Plus, it is an Acura which will have excellent reliability and resale.

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  not what i expected from a $50 k car - 2005 Acura RL
  By Peter - July 30 - 2:13 am

  the car looks nice on the outside and in, but has the acceleration of a v6 accord. i was very disappointed with the acceleration of the car and the sound the engine makes- it just sounds like a weak car.

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  my first car - 1991 Acura Integra
  By integra owner - July 30 - 2:00 am

  ive been driving this car for about two months now and i must say that i love this car. although the hp reads 130 it actually feels around 180. the acceleration of this car is simply superb and makes the integra one really fun car to drive. two months have gone by and i havent had any problems or shortfalls, although it is a bit early to say.

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  Very Dissappointed!!!!! - 2001 Acura TL
  By CATHYP - July 30 - 2:00 am

  Have had nothing but problems with the car since the first week of ownership. Dealership and Acura Direct providing no remedy. The car has a severe engine hesitation since I purchased it. Sometimes the hesitation is very subtle other times very noticeable. Have been back numerous times without positive results.

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  Great Car! - 2001 Acura TL
  By rcmagic - July 30 - 2:00 am

  To anyone considering a TL. I love it. Its a great car: reliable, quick, good looking. Its just right.

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  Great car and bang for the price - 2005 Acura TL
  By AD - July 29 - 9:20 am

  It is an overall great car. Great pickup and very smooth auto. transmission. Had some clicking noises though on the door and the dash. Interior is better than most of its competitors. Test drove BMW 3, mercedez c280 also but went ahead with the Acura. MB does not stand in the competition. And you get more for the buck compared to BMW.

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  Thanks Mom - 1990 Acura Legend
  By Cinciman - July 28 - 2:00 am

  My mother in law sold me her ride for $1. Thanks Mom! I cant believe that the car has only 160 hp. It is so fast and the passing power is incredible. Reliability is great. The car was in a really bad front end accident in 94 and it must have been perfectly rebuilt. I cant tell. Moms dog tore up the rear leather seats because they were dry rotted. Rust in all the typical Legend areas. Otherwise this car used is better than most new cars that cost $20,000. Even newer Acuras arent this nice inside.

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  Really Good Car! - 2000 Acura RL
  By RKRKAR - July 26 - 2:00 am

  Really Good Car! No bad habits. Good freeway cruiser. Quiet. Not exactly snappy performance, but adequate. Great Quality!

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  The best Acura ever made! - 1992 Acura Integra
  By 92 integra - July 25 - 2:00 am

  I have had this car for 10 yrs and I am very satisfied with it. This car has been very reliable and I have not had any problems with it, only minor maintenance. I highly recommend this car to all.