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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  Happy got lucky - 2003 Acura CL
  By MikeyC - December 23 - 2:00 am

  Simply awesome! I love everything about this car. I had been longing for a V6 vehicle and was looking around for the perfect car for me for several months. I think I test drove everything. I almost bought the new Accord EX V6, however I wanted to see what I would get for a few thousand more and I am glad I did. This engine is much more exciting than the Accords. The power, the styling, luxury features, Acura service. You cant go wrong. Love it!

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  The Pimp Mobile!!!!!!!!!!!! - 2003 Acura CL
  By The Phil - December 23 - 2:00 am

  This is one of the fastest cars I have ever driven in. Everthing from the Bose speakers to the heated seats makes this car the best quality car on the market. Personally, the 2002 version is nicer than the 2003 with the fog lights and without the tints on the front headlights. There are not many cars with this speed and performance. I have no real problems with this car so far. All I have to say is that the girls dig it! So get 1!

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  I picked the right one! - 2003 Acura MDX
  By Robert R - December 23 - 2:00 am

  Picked up the Silver MDX with the Navi and Quartz interior right after the new year. Its really a great SUV. The ride is smooth and very enjoyable. The engine is the perfect size and there is plenty of room for anything you would like to carry. I looked at several SUVs in the same price range and this one wins hands down. From what I see so far I did pick the right one.

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  Best Car I Have Ever Had! - 2003 Acura TL
  By - December 23 - 2:00 am

  I traded in my perfectly fine 1998 Acura 3.0 CL, with 200 HP, and didnt expect a big step up. Man, was I wrong! The 265 HP engine screams performance.

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  Great Value for the Price Range - 2006 Acura TL
  By ans - December 18 - 4:03 am

  I have looked at GS300, Benz, BMW 3x, and infinity. Out of all the cars, this car offers the best technology, price, power, and fun to drive.

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  dissapointed - 2003 Acura RSX
  By boffman - December 17 - 10:00 am

  ergonomics of this car become more annoying the longer you own it. the grey rims are ugly. you get used to the performance and bored very quickly. not a great tourer for long trips to the beach. no arm rest gets to be nuisance after the novelty of a new car wears off. i am trading it in for a 320 kompressor coupe.

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  great - 2003 Acura TL
  By fic - December 17 - 10:00 am

  great car, great reliability, great exterior design, nice colors, built to own for a lifetime. Love it!

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  Acura TL - 2006 Acura TL
  By Jessica Del Toro - December 12 - 2:00 pm

  This is an awesome ride. Not only is the design of the vehichle both sophisticated and sporty, but it drives wonderfully. The navigation system is great as well as the surround sound system. Its a powerful car. It drives great!

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  Fine SUV - 2003 Acura MDX
  By BuddyP - December 12 - 10:00 am

  Overall very happy. Just passed 4000 miles in 6 weeks. Excellent build quality, quiet and generally comfortable. Underpowered compared to American competition, especially from a dead stop. Gas mileage slightly less than EPA.

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  My MDX - 2003 Acura MDX
  By choy - December 12 - 10:00 am

  A very confortable SUV. Lond driving friendly to passenger and driver.