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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  Good Car - 2004 Acura TL
  By Rudy G - March 22 - 10:00 am

  I have 5000 miles on the car and there are a few problems, but have not had it in the shop yet. Either the computer is not calibrated correclyy or the gas tank is smaller than 17 gallons as stated in the manual. There is an occasional surge of power (watch it on the tach) when breaking. An occasional rattle or two (minimal), but I can live with those. Ride is harsh on rough roads. Understeer is noticeable, but it is on any FWD car with power. Fit and finish is suspect in a couple of areas(interior front door seams),especially bugs me as dealer spent a lot of time lauding the fit and finish. Caliper is the logo, etc.

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  Good car - 1992 Acura Legend
  By Acuraowners - March 22 - 1:57 am

  I have not owned this car long, but initially, I like it. It has a long wheelbase- which is really needed to help off-set the overly firm (for a luxury car) suspension. The car is roomy and I feel safe driving it. The gauges are easy to read, but not as pleasant to look at as they are in the 1990-93 Honda Accords, nor is the ride as supple. I am disappointed with the ride of my car, as well as the fact that it needs new axles, & transmission mounts. Overall, these are very good cars, but I have heard a lot of bad things about the headgaskets. They are prone to failures, as are the valve stem seals.

• 

  if you wanna know - 2005 Acura RSX
  By lilinfo - March 21 - 4:54 pm

  I had mine for about 4 months. So far so good no major complaints. You get enough performance upon demand and Acura really tried to give you more comfort. I had 2000 Integra and with 2005 I have more fun with out the back pain after some imperfect roads that I fail to avoid. Also this car has the best clutch. You drive any other manaul car than drive this car and drive the other car again. You will think that other car has broken clutch. I noticed some owners mentioning about some gears grind and I also had this problem once in a while. I thought I was not shifting properly but this might be a problem. Mostly in the mornings when engine is cold.

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  I FEEL LIKE IM DRIVING A BUS - 2004 Acura MDX
  By GOLEXUS - March 20 - 12:01 pm

  I should have done more homework before buying this vehicle. It is very reliable, because it is built by Honda, otherwise it is horrible. The seats are hard and get VERY uncomfortable on trips. It is very big, not smooth, and needs a better turing radius. It also gets horrible gas mileage, about 16 mpg. I have driven my sisters RX330 and found it is very comforatable and feels like you are driving on a cloud.Plus it has a great turning radius, and the service is great! It also gets 25mpg. Dont buy the MDX, it you want performance and dependable luxury, go to Lexus. I cant wait for my lease to end, to purchase the RX330

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  gotta love I-VTEC!!! - 2002 Acura RSX
  By skywalker - March 16 - 9:19 pm

  Always heard about vtec but never experienced it. What a motor!!! Gives you great acceleration with good fuel economy, 31 on long trips. Theres even some room in the back seat, unlike the Integras! The only thing I wish would have carried over was the double wish-bone suspension, other than that, love the design. With only intake and exhaust I beat nicely modded DC2s (Integras) even some type-Rs. Theres a lot to choose from when it comes to aftermarket stuff, so the set ups for this car are almost endless. Just beware of the insurance, its a bit high!

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  Great Used Choice - 2000 Acura TL
  By Labdog Willie - March 16 - 12:55 am

  After suffering through a few Volvos I decided to try the 3.2 TL after reading some articles and Im sure glad I bought this car. Bought a used on to let someone else pay the first years depreciation and Ive been a happy camper ever since. Havent experienced the dreaded Acura tranny problems (knock on wood) and my mechanic loves this car, well....after those Volvos who wouldnt. I consistantly leave the shop smiling because they never find anything wrong with it. Would I buy another....you bet....that 2005 looks pretty good about now!

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  good, bad, ugly - 2001 Acura TL
  By john cunninham - March 13 - 9:19 am

  I had difficulty rating the "fun to drive statement" in this review as I dont find driving any vehicle fun. The idea is to get from A to B safely, and, economically, and in this regard the vehicle has done an excellent job. For its size, and, type I think the 29 MPG is very good. I now have 130000 miles on the car, and, aside from routine maintenance, no repairs have been necessary. In saying that the SRS system has not functioned correctly from day 1. First the car dealer told me that my cell phone was triggering the light, then putting parcels on the seat of less than 35 pounds was doing it, etc, etc. Once it went over its warranty mileage the story changed, it was defective.

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  MDX=fun, reliable, practical - 2004 Acura MDX
  By MDX Lover - March 12 - 11:53 am

  I researched for two years before purchasing this vehicle. I have an ACURA Legend that has remained reliable with over 180k on it. That helped convince me to stick with ACURA in the SUV department. The MDX feels sturdy, and drive very nicely. You have a commanding feel behind the wheel, and good visibility. The navigation system is awesome. It is more than just an expensive toy. It will give you the confidence to venture into unknown territory without trepidation. I once drove an hour down back roads that didnt show on most maps, and I didnt have a clue as to where I was, or how to get out. Then I used the nav, and it guided me precisely and ACURA-tely back to main roads, and home.

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  Good value but... - 2001 Acura CL
  By BHarvey - March 8 - 11:13 pm

  ...its a Honda. Great engine and fortunately, Ive escaped the transmission woes (for now). Handling is OK, but steering feedback is typical Honda "dead". Little communication with the road. Turning radius is much too wide for a car of this type. OEM Michelins were terrible. Replaced with Michelin Pilot Sport A/S. Expensive, but a fantastic improvement. Great car for those who want a sporty car w/above avg power, but dont want to sacrifice comfort. Handling and feedback not even close to a Bimmer 330, but then again, it was $6 grand cheaper.

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  A sensible choice for a luxury crossover - 2016 Acura MDX
  By bonofca - March 3 - 7:09 am

  Purchased my MDX16 (SH-AWD Adv/ Ent.) 3 months ago. So far so good. Great handling, smooth riding SUV. Quiet and comfortable on the road. Very responsive in sports mode. The infotainment system was not simple to use at first, but when I learned how to use it, I really like it because of its cool advance tech. features. Great sound system. Excellent Rear entertainment system with wide screen that produces a surround sound quality similar to a high end home theater system. Safety features are probably one of the best in its class. The adaptive cruise control/ lane keep assist are great feature on long drives.