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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  4 1/2 years and still going - 2001 Acura CL
  By Wilbur - May 10 - 11:26 am

  I have owned several Hondas as well as a previous Acura Integra, so I had no reservations about purchasing my CL Type S. I had the transmission issue that weve all had, but Acura backed it up without issue. I have since only had a seat belt issue, again under warranty, and have only gone through 1 set of tires and a battery. The reliability I expect from an Acura. My fiancee has a Mercedes C230 coupe which she has driven 10K miles and were already considering selling it and keeping the CL until we drive it into the ground. It was a great buy 4 1/2 years ago and is still a great buy as a pre-owned car.

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  Nice design - horrible build quality - 2004 Acura TL
  By hammer - May 9 - 11:34 am

  Car developed numerous rattles and noises which the dealer couldnt solve. Eventually after many attempts, sued Honda under the lemon law in California and won a small settlement after mediation - still waiting for payment from them after over 3 months!! So, after 3 Acuras and 1 Honda, goodbye American Honda!!

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  Annoying rattles - 2003 Acura MDX
  By grlyman - May 9 - 10:00 am

  Acura MDX with 7000 miles has annoying rattles that the dealer cannot fix. At the roof near the DVD viewer is an annoying noise like fingernails clicking. The air conditioner makes a rattling noise like a soft baby rattle which can be heard on the two lowest fan speeds. Im very disappointed that the dealers service department was unable to fix these two noises. This distracts from the otherwise excellent performance of the sound system and the automobile.

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  Acura TL - 2005 Acura TL
  By Big John - May 8 - 11:37 am

  Wonderful car. Seats extremely comfortable, supportive. Navigation system is easiest one yet to use. Reliable as expected.

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  So Far, So Good - 2002 Acura TL
  By Mdblimited - May 8 - 9:41 am

  I bought my TL with 38k pre-certified from a dealership. It has been reliable, comfortable, and economical, plus good performance. The original Michelin tires are junk (bought Bridgestone Turanzas) and the foglights are an invitation for rocks. My vehicle is black and has a little chipping on the roof that the dealership alledges is from sap. There are no other paint defects. The transmission has been fine, but it does shift with force into second gear when driving slowly. I dont know if this is because the car has so much torque or a tranny problem. Either way, it is covered to 100k... and it will be traded in before then. The seats could be deeper. But it is fast and reliable.

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  Good..but not good enough - 1993 Acura Legend
  By Okus - April 27 - 3:55 pm

  I bought my Legend at 129,000 miles.. i loved every bit of it until 2 years and 35,000 miles later. I was upset to learn that these cars have expensive problems. Bad Head Gasket, sticky door. Rust around typical Honda and Acura areas. Gages went out. Window motor slowed way down. I sold it after 3 years and bought a SC400 Lexus. I would never go back to 90s Acuras or Hondas ever again!!! 1st and 2nd gears are good. But 3rd lags and 4th is nothing. I took care of my car very well. washed all the time and maintained at Acura Dealership. No major problem except BHG. I wish i owned the rare Type 2 Coupe Manual!! I suggest buying from a non-snowed state. where rust hasent started.

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  A young professionals dream car - 2005 Acura TSX
  By GM - April 26 - 12:53 pm

  I love the interior and exterior design features of this car. It is the perfect car for a young professional with no family (as the back seat is very small). I have only one complaint thus far---This car requires premium gas!!!

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  Must be a lemon - 2004 Acura TSX
  By Ouzo - April 23 - 7:51 am

  I was very taken by the price/value of this car. However I have had many problems. Brakes, AC, Stereo and console lights to name a few. The car was not designed to be servived affordably. Total cost of ownership has been comparable to more expensive cars I passed up that include better warranties. Should have bought a BMW.

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  everyday rSx - 2006 Acura RSX
  By russmey - April 22 - 1:17 pm

  Its been a great experience to drive a car that can provide 160 hp with v-tech at only a few thousand rpm away.

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  Best Overall Value - 2005 Acura TSX
  By Scott - April 22 - 9:46 am

  I have had this car for almost a year now (silver w/6spd). Pros: many standard features, superior quality build, perfect control layout, low maint. requirements, fun to drive. Cons: average stereo, weak engine below 3k RPMs, occasional dash rattle, and seemingly weak paint. The paint seems thin as even the slightest rock chips/scratches the paint. I have had cars with more durable finishes. Overall: You will not find a car in this class that beats the TSX when it comes to value. I looked at the Audi, for example, and when you look at cost vs. features, build quality, reliability, etc., nothing can complete with the TSXs value.