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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  THE BEST - 1998 Acura CL
  By Cory - January 18 - 2:45 pm

  I own a 98 acura cl 2.3 5 spd tranny and it is amazing . My vehicle has over 200k and STILL RUNNING like new. No Major Problems for the mileage. All my Suspension/steering parts are still factory and not worn out YET. Car is 100% reliable and would rec. to any body looking for a Cheap reliable used car Awesome car!!!

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  Great SUV, love it - 2007 Acura MDX
  By Tim - January 17 - 4:38 pm

  This was our first luxury vehicle purchase. We bought the 07 Sport/Ent with 18K miles from an Acura dealership (Certified). We compare it to X5, ML, and the RX and the Acura had many more features, and more value than the competitors. Sporty feel, good power once the rpms climb, nice interior. Wish the interior was more quiet at highway speed and the LED for the sport button and the trunk release button died but luckily replaced under warranty.

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  understated - 2009 Acura TSX
  By kevin - January 17 - 4:30 pm

  The first big deal is the seat comfort. Im able to drive for over 3 hours without pain in thighs as I experienced in my BMer and my RL. Gas mileage at 75-80 is 34 mpg. Around town its about 21.5 on mid-range gas-- -doesnt need supreme. I miss the 2 compartment (upper and lower full console in which I could put and FIND smaller things. Voice recognition, as usual, isnt ready for prime time---it really stinks! Accepting telephone numbers is near impossible even with my radio voice. Its quick off the gun, passes with ease power to spare and interior room is fine with good trunk space. I probably will go for another TSX as my lease comes due in 18 months.

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  Love it! - 2010 Acura TSX
  By Dan K. - January 16 - 11:04 am

  After 1000 miles I now have the sense of the car and it feels great. I bought it in Nov and only had a couple weeks before a major snow. No issues, and handles well. Sure a little more torque would be fun if youre drag racing, but with 6 speeds you can match to the situation is goes great. Lots of fun to run through the gears with the smooth shifting and great clutch feel. I felt the automatic was a little busy shifting up/down, but the auto does get a little better mpg. I use it mostly for commuting and it makes the drive pleasant and engaging. I get about 25 mpg with mix of commuter driving, and the trip computer says 27, so about 10% optimistic (same as my last car).

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  Love it for 160,000 miles!!! - 2003 Acura MDX
  By Ron - January 15 - 12:27 pm

  My MDX has been great! I have 160,000 miles and have only had to keep on maintenance schedule (although these can get a bit pricey). I would get this car again and am actually thinking of purchasing a new MDX or RDX. Only negative is that after 150K miles started to get a number of interior rattles - much to be expected after so much use. Speakers are excellent.

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  Breaking up is hard to do - 1990 Acura Integra
  By Sherry in Cambridge - January 14 - 5:42 pm

  Im trying to find a new home for my 20 year old car with 230K miles. I love this car and wish I could buy a new one. Mine really is succumbing to the hard life in New England and I think I just have to let it go to the great racetrack in the sky.

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  Surprised 3rd Acura TL owner - 2009 Acura TL
  By Lynn - January 14 - 1:05 pm

  It is difficult for me to write this review since I loved my last 2 TLs. I did not like the new body style at first but that did grow on me however some of the other changes I could not get use to and traded the car in after only 7 months. The Nav system is no longer touch, you have to use the dial which I found to be very cumbersome or voice which for some reason did not seem to understand me most of the time. The interior also kind of plain compared to previous years. I miss the blue lights. I also felt this new design did not seem to have the same quick pickup that I fell in love with in my 1st TL. Not sure if its the added weight that caused that or some other change.

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  Best bang for your buck - 2010 Acura TL
  By Happy buyer - January 13 - 11:45 pm

  I tried a lot of the other cars out there including the German ones. I have to say that the Acura offers everything they had for much less. The all wheel drive handling is second to none although this cost fuel economy it is worth it. The grill is a love it or hate it item. However if you hate it a lot the dealership can offer different custom grills but for a price. I myself dont mind it and i love the rest of the car. Tech package is a must!!

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  Used 2006 TL - 2006 Acura TL
  By Scott - January 12 - 3:56 pm

  Bought used with 69000 miles. I was pretty happy with the price at $15,700 (Acura Lease car). This is my 3rd TL and each one Ive put over a 100k on. Very good reliable cars that perform very well. I would highly recommend this car to anyone looking for a performance geared sedan.

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  Best luxury car for much less - 2006 Acura TSX
  By Tim Hogan - January 12 - 2:59 pm

  Looked at BMW and Lexus before realizing this was the best for far less. Car is amazing on gas and have achieved 35mpg highway going to Massachusetts. Everything works great and performs well. Put on snow tires for it and does very well in slippery conditions. Great car for a kid or commuter or simply around town. Would recommend to anyone. Son is buying mine and i will be getting another one.