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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  Unbelievable Car for the Money - 2005 Acura TL
  By Kevin - August 11 - 3:06 am

  Me and my wife chose the TL over the BMW 325 and the MB C230 Kompressor. For the money you get everything both the BMW and MB have for about $3000 less. The TLs acceleration and handling is phenomenal not to mention the navigation which is so easy to use. I will never own another car without NAV again. My only complaint is the subwoofer vibrates with songs that have high base amounts. The dealer said its a known problem amongst all TLs and there has been nothing that has come out from corporate yet to fix it. All highway got 31 mpg, combined highway and city average 25. Those figures go down rapidly if your foot is in the gas a lot. This car is worth every penny we spent on it.

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  You should have one - 2004 Acura RSX
  By Mr. BlueMan - August 11 - 2:00 am

  This is a great care... I looked at the Cooper and New VW Beetle, however was not sold on their long term questionable performance. Ive had three other Hondas and never had a problem. So once I drove the 2004 RSX there was not going back. Great get up and go. Feels great to ride in, excellent sound system and all the standard features for the leather-auto was the best of all, with CD, power windows, moon roof, etcÂ… Great handling. ItÂ’s just the best in class.

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  smooth ride - 2004 Acura MDX
  By alibclan - August 11 - 2:00 am

  this vehicle handles great. at 80 mph it feels like it is travelling 55. tight around corners for an suv. it is also very comfortable inside, has lots of room and a very good sound system.

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  more car for the money!!! - 2003 Acura TL
  By acuratlpower - August 11 - 2:00 am

  This car is fun to drive and is comfortable. THe engine is very quiet. Sometimes i forget that its on when im heating the car up. I once was about to turn the car on again because it didnt feel like it was on. Good quality car. i love it..

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  TL Review - 2004 Acura TL
  By Harry032 - August 11 - 2:00 am

  Recently purchased, drives great, handles great, is very comfortable, roomy, and stylist. So far a great purchase. Havent had it long enough to evaluate fuel ecomony.

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  2 Week Status Report of my 04 TL w/ Navi - 2004 Acura TL
  By Poe - August 11 - 2:00 am

  It has been two weeks since I picked up my Black/Ebony 04 TL w/Navigation. This is by far the most fun to drive vehicle I have ever owned. I am the former owner of a 2002 BMW 330i, and I must say the TL has proven to be a pleasant surprise. The power is quite adequate, and the handling is impressive. I really enjoy the styling of this car, and have received far more positive comments from strangers than I ever did driving my Bimmer. The interior quality is outstanding, and the sound system is the best stock system I have ever heard. Best all- around package under $40K!

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  Great Car! - 2002 Acura RSX
  By jdaclown - August 11 - 1:53 am

  I absolutely love this car... half a year and still counting, no problems with it whatsoever!

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  Quality and Image - 2005 Acura TL
  By Courtney - August 10 - 6:40 pm

  Having my vehicle for only two months this car makes me feel safe knowing all the safety features, but it is also sporty. This VTech engine gives this vehicle a lot of horsepower, while maintaining luxury and comfort that a car should include. I love my TL, and searched around for a year before making my final decision on this purchase. I couldnt have made a better one.

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  2007 Acura TL Type-S - 2007 Acura TL
  By Loglendin - August 9 - 1:26 am

  Test drove the Lexus IS 350, BMW 335i and Type-S. Type-S best deal for the $. Not the fastest car but great for everyday use.

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  A little disappointing - 2003 Acura TL
  By Jules0622 - August 8 - 2:00 am

  I was very excited to purchase my first "luxury" vehicle. I did a lot of research and knew this was the car for me. Im surprised that I already have rattles with only 1500 miles. My chevy didnt get rattles until after 30,000. Maybe I got a lemon. Overall I am pleased with the vehicle however Im not sure it will last as long as I had hoped!