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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  2006 TL - 2006 Acura TL
  By jinjaman - April 14 - 7:06 am

  I looked at the competitors. All were great but could not beat the value of the TL. Low end torque - not been a problem for me. The Nav system is worth the investment.

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  Hmmmm... - 2004 Acura TL
  By Desire - April 13 - 10:00 am

  Just traded in my 2000 TL, which was a pleasure to drive & fool others with its power on the highway, breathlessly smooth ride, etc., etc. Drove my 2004 Manual off the lot & onto the highway, and was a little disappointed. Accelaration? You bet. Smooth ride? No. Immediately, I thought, tires. Like another reviewer, I miss my Michelins. Theres a slight shake in the steering & I can feel a consistent vibration in the drivers seat. Im calling the dealer today.

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  Acura TL - 2004 Acura TL
  By BILL M - April 13 - 10:00 am

  Great Car, terrific handling and performance. Great radio/DVD player. Navigation is excellent, easy to learn and to use.

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  Another satisfied customer - 2004 Acura TL
  By Murux - April 13 - 10:00 am

  Ive had the car for over a month without a single disappointment or moment of regret. Outstanding quality and workmanship. And the Bluetooth is a fantastic feature if you get it. Subtle things about the car grow on you as you get used to it- the interior lights, the feel of the drive, the audio system, the detailing.

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  Best car around! - 2004 Acura TL
  By Acuraladi - April 13 - 10:00 am

  After owning an ACURA TL 3.2 for four years, why would I buy another make? This 2004 ACURA exceeds my expectations..the navigation system is better than any Ive seen and is a car with all the perks!

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  Excellent for the money - 2007 Acura TL
  By Mo - April 12 - 6:40 pm

  I had a 2005 TL with Navi and I was waiting for the new improved TL. I m glad the TLS came finally, and I had the pleasure of buying it a few weeks ago. It has everything I ever wanted in car especially at this pricepoint. So test drive one and you will fall in love with it too.

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  Great after almost 2 years - 2002 Acura TL
  By clarifypso - April 10 - 2:00 am

  Upgraded from Infiniti G20 after 125000 miles. First Acura, although I have had 2 other Hondas, a Mazda, a Toyota and a Porsche. This car is fun to drive. No problems other than the warranty recall for the windshield fluid tubes clouding up the windshield. Dealer fixed it right first time. Very easy on the back and good in cold weather here in Colorado.

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  MDX 2003 - 2003 Acura MDX
  By habkarkfl - April 10 - 2:00 am

  great and pleasent SUV ride.Great accelaration.

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  great car, just waiting for awd - 2004 Acura TL
  By jjman - April 7 - 11:40 pm

  This is a fun car that is a decent handler with good steering feel. It is at its best when passing or accelerating on straightaway. Its at its worse when turning a corner because of an annoying tug on steering wheel. Cant wait for sh-awd with same engine or maybe a little bit more power. Then it would be ultimate luxury car!!

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  Acura TL - a bat out of hell - 2006 Acura TL
  By bay diamonds - April 7 - 10:00 am

  The new Acura TL is a fun to drive, reliable, fast and good looking sport sedan at a resonable price. It appeals to young and old drivers with plenty of features and lives up to its name. Over-all I think its if not the top sports sedan, is one of the top 5 sports sedan in its class. But just remember, there is not a perfect sports car out there that appeals to everyone, but many different sports sedan to choose from.