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 Ride - 2011 Acura RDX
  By Siva - October 16 - 2:00 am

  I love this. I did look at others like BMW, Lexus before going with Acura. I made the right decision.

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  Worst I have qwned - 2009 Acura MDX
  By Terry Gonsalves - October 16 - 2:00 am

  Thud/scraping noise from front wheel when driving from cold.Driver side window rattle. Dealer says that these are the characteristics of the vehicle. Acura Canada not responsive.Why is it only a characteristic after you buy the vehicle. Very poor fuel economy. Worst vehicle I have owned. Definitely a do not buy.

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  Great Car - 2006 Acura TSX
  By nb - October 15 - 2:00 am

  This is a really fun vehicle to drive. It is especially good in the turns and has good power.

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  Hard to Beat an Acura - 2007 Acura RDX
  By Acura Lover - October 11 - 2:00 am

  This is my third Acura. I traded a BMW X3si for this RDX. I had the BMW only 5 months. Before that, I had an Acura TL. Always wanted a BMW until I actually owned one. Proved to myself I am an Acura fan for life. This is my first 4-cyl car. Turbo makes it feel like a V6. Comfortable ride, quality interior expected from an Acura. Tech pkg is nice, but could be much improved. Feel like I went downhill from the 03 TL to the 07 RDX on that end. This RDX really makes me feel as though my TL got a face and body lift. Dont miss the BMW one bit except for the Bluetooth. I hate pressing the talk button for each and every command even my 03 Yukon doesnt require that.

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  Acura TL 2007 steering and turn radius - 2007 Acura TL
  By Rita - October 11 - 2:00 am

  I tried this new car at the dealership but didnt try any parking. Big mistake. The steering is so tight that it is a chore to park, and the turn radius is larger than my previous cars, which means if I dont have the entire wide roadway to start my turn, I have to reverse, back up, and then get the car into the parking place. The steering is so tight that I end up sweating while parking on a hot day.

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  ACURA TL Delivers...but check steering!! - 2008 Acura TL
  By Mike - October 11 - 2:00 am

  This is a GREAT car, loved it...was fun to drive. great looking exterior, sporty and modest. quick and agile. Overall very happy and will consider buying another TL. However, see issues below, cons....I had to return to shop 3 x for steering adjustments under service warantee..disappointing they did not catch it first two times.

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  Still Love it after 20 years - 1991 Acura Integra
  By DRBroundtheworld - October 10 - 2:00 am

  After owning my car for 20 years and 141,000 miles its still going strong and Im still in love with it. Im short (51") and this car fits me well - able to reach the clutch without chewing on the stearing wheel. Forsome reason Ive replaced way too many muflers and brakes but maybe thats because I had the work done at Midas. Other than those expenses Ive barely spent a dime on repairs except for starting this year. And it could be because it was involved in 2 accidents many years ago and the issues are just beginning to show over time. I still get great gas mileage and its still peppy. I may hold onto this for another 20 years!

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  Disappoited - 2010 Acura MDX
  By Brent - October 10 - 2:00 am

  The audio system is both good and horrible. The AM radio is the worst I have ever heard on any vehicle, regardless of price. There is no mid-range at all, making it sound as though it is being played through a megaphone. Interestingly enough, when playing the hard drive, or CD, it sound much better.

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  Best Acura Ive owned - 2005 Acura TL
  By GK20TH - October 10 - 2:00 am

  I purchased this car in July of 08 with 33000 miles on it. I love this car and all its features. I have owned several Acuras and Hondas in the past and this TL is by far the best. The only issue I have had is the drivers side window seems to rattle but I understand this is a common problem. I recently replaced the tires with some that were highly recommended on a tire website and I think it has made a major difference with the drive ability of this car. Acuras seem to hold up so well, they have qreat fit and finish.

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  One happy buyer here - 2010 Acura RDX
  By May 2010 Buyer - October 8 - 2:00 am

  Having used these reviews in my decision, Im repaying my debt to the forum. Great car, would buy it again. I would recommend to anybody looking for something fully loaded for base price, V6 power in a V4, and luxury without the price. Five months and 8,000 miles later, I can appreciate the quality and workmanship even more.