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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  OverLooked Luxury Sedan - 2002 Acura RL
  By sgt - June 3 - 2:00 am

  We owned a TL and decided to upgrade. We are very happy with our decision. The ride is fantastic, like riding on a cloud. Well built automobile.

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  Acura owner for 12 years - 2000 Acura TL
  By annek07 - June 3 - 2:00 am

  I traded up from a 1990 Acura to the 2000 TL. Just when I was ready to jump to another manfacturer, I fell in love with the TL. Its got great pick up and is great fun to drive. My friends all think I spent $10 -12K more than I actually did.

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  Luxury and Value - 2002 Acura RL
  By bfisch - June 2 - 2:00 am

  This car is superb. I look forward to driving it because of the comfort, excellent ride, and sense of safety and reliability. On one slippery occasion the vehicle stability assist system kicked in and almost wrenched the steering wheel out of my hands while simultaneously taking control of the brakes to keep the car stable and going in the desired direction. Amazing! Everything works as designed. Like some other, I had low gas mileage but then adjusted tire pressure and am now getting 22-24 MPG on a regular basis. Not as many bells and whistles as Lexus or Audi, but less pricely.

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  Cheaply priced, not made - 2000 Acura Integra
  By Sights - June 2 - 2:00 am

  Great car to drive. If you love to drive, then this is one to consider. Whether iss racing down a street, or going for a nice enjoyable ride it delivers!

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  mdx is the best - 2003 Acura MDX
  By heather - May 31 - 10:00 am

  The MDX rides smooth, it is extremly comfortable and drives like a luxury car. I can fit seven people plus a stroller and a picnic. It is truly like having a luxury car and SUV in one. I had a suburban and this is so much better that I cannot believe I ever owned a suburban. I love it and will only get rid of it to give it to my daughter when she drives and then buy another one for myself!

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  THE CAR - 2003 Acura TL
  By HHRCPA - May 31 - 10:00 am

  The TL is a car with may solid features. It handles extremely well, is built very solidly, and is ultra- reliable.

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  Acura - 2003 Acura TL
  By Ink - May 31 - 10:00 am

  nice car for tall people, I could not fit in the Lexus IS, C230, and a few other cars I tested. Im 64 with long legs, and this is the car I needed. The transmission is always a little busy for some reason, and the rubber around my sunroof rotted off and they wouldnt replace it. Gas mileage is less than desireable, but I didnt buy the car for economical reasons. The extra 600 I paid for the wood wheel was worth it, so was the exterior body kit. All in all, if the car wasnt as quick as it is, it would be a total loss.

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  Miata to Vigor was good decision - 1992 Acura Vigor
  By SandyOne - May 30 - 2:00 am

  Sports car drive in family style. After 10 years the style looks good and the performance has remained strong, handles like a new car.

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  Best Car Ive Ever Owned! - 2002 Acura RL
  By Mr. R.J. H., CISSP - May 30 - 2:00 am

  I have owned many many cars during my lifetime and the Acura RL is by far the best ever. Lexus, BMW, Audi, and any American Luxury Car cannot compare with the Acura RL. I will be an RL owner for life. The price is right and the car is an excellent value for the money. The RL is comfortable on long trips, handles very well in all types of weather, and not bad to look at. In addition, maintenance cost are low.

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  Iowa Green TL - 1996 Acura TL
  By Jeff Durbin - May 29 - 2:00 am

  Excellent car. I bought a five-year old 96 with somewhat high miles but I got a very good price. Interior is wonderful and the exterior is solid, if somewhat conservative. The only nit I have with it is that the drivers side window sometimes comes unsealed at 75 or 80 and I get a lot of wind noise. Dealer servicing was obscene so I am finding a new mechanic.