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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  great car but... - 2004 Acura TL
  By boomerpaul - February 22 - 10:00 am

  terrible tires and was delivered with a loose headliner - other wise a realy fun car to drive - had a 2000 TL and this one handles so much better

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  212,000 miles and counting! - 2004 Acura TL
  By testsbyseth - February 22 - 1:40 am

  As a Police Officer, I expect my equipment to perform to the extreme and this was no different when I set out to purchase a personal vehicle. Since buying this TL, I have put close to 84,000 miles on it in 2 years. I have replaced the timing belt twice and just recently installed a newer transmission (208,000 mls). This vehicle out performs my 2009 Crown Vic. I am still getting between 28-31 MPG depending on how I need to drive. Amazing vehicle!

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  Good car for Good money - 2003 Acura RSX
  By l_Yao - February 20 - 10:00 am

  If you looking for a car that can compete with those ppls on the street, and also need to fit into a fixed budget, this RSX-S would be your first choice. Compare RSX-S to Celica GT-S and others ( same level), I did my choice on this one, how about you? ( try them all and get a conclusion) . Have fun to search!!

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  MDX: SUV You Can Really Count On - 2003 Acura MDX
  By Richard Alexander - February 20 - 10:00 am

  The MDX provides great handling with style. The seating is very comfortable and adjustable. Driving the vehicle is effortless as it provides excellent stability on and off the pavement with good acceleration. Because it drives like a sedan, I was surprised to discover that it is a highly capable off-road vehicle. For me, the MDX provides a perfect balance of luxury features, comfort and the performance youd expect from an SUV. When I let my friends drive the MDX, it can be difficult to get keys back. Even if you dont like the idea of driving an SUV, you will find that driving the MDX is the coolest. Price-wise, it is an amazing value.

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  2003 MDX - 2003 Acura MDX
  By Boston Guy - February 20 - 10:00 am

  Excellent engine, I think its the best in its class. The torque band is very wide for a VTEC small 3.5L engine. The ride is quite and the handling is sporty. I have test drove about 10 SUV before I brought this Acura. I pay little more than I would like but I am very satify.

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  Thought I was downsizing! - 2003 Acura TL
  By EeeBee - February 20 - 10:00 am

  I recently traded my 1999 Acura 3.5 RL for a 2003 3.2TL. Since Im retiring shortly, thought Id get something more economical. I actually thought Id be sacrificing comfort and quality by getting the TL....was I ever wrong!! I love the TL as much as, if not more than, the RL...Its fun to drive, has a lot of power, and almost every amenity that my RL had. I made the right choice and Im very happy with the car. Ill always own an Acura. You cant beat the price and the service is unbelievable.......

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  Awesome Acceleration and Combined Fuel Economy - 2016 Acura TLX
  By Mike K. - February 19 - 5:22 pm

  The 3.5 V6 has awesome acceleration in Sport and Sport+ mode, 0-60 in 5.7 seconds. Not surprising given the 290 HP 3.5L V6, what is surprising is the 31MPG combined city/Hwy fuel economy that I am now getting even with car in Sport mode all the time. This car has an extremely quiet cabin and an awesome 10 speaker surround sound system that sounds like a concert hall in your car. I recommend anybody in the market for a midsize luxury sport sedan give this car a drive and compare to any in its class. It is many thousands less for more and 5 star safety and the Honda/Acura reliability and resale value I can confirm thru years of resales and trade ins with Acura is among the best of any make. It simply cannot be beat for a luxury sport sedan of this caliber and all that you get especially with the Technology package. Transmission issues reported on the 2015 are non existent on the 2016 and 2017 TLX, Acura upgraded the software and the issues from 2015 are gone, which is why I waited a model year before buying this new TLX vehicle. This is the best luxury sport sedan I have ever owned. The styling is conservative but sharp, the luxury is just what you would want without being over the top, and with Sport+ or Sport mode the 3.5L V6 FWD performance is awesome with documented 0-60 in 5.7 seconds (see zero to sixty website for TLX V6 FWD), it turns on a dime with excellent handling, and with the quietest cabin and smoothest ride you will find. With 5 star NHTSB crash ratings, and IIHS Top Safety Pick+ it is one of the safest vehicles on the road, and with the Tech package collision avoidance warning technology I personally avoided several very close call lane change accidents on my commute to and from work. If you are in the market for a luxury sport sedan and are looking to keep the price at or below 40$K, you will not find a better car in this class as the competitors will charge at least 11- 20 $K more for similar trim levels/options. I am a very pleased happy Acura TLX owner.

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  Quality at a Reasonable Price - 2009 Acura TL
  By Bill - February 18 - 9:39 pm

  Between my wife & me we have owned 4 Acura cars (starting with a 1992 Legend) over the past 17 years. We traded a 1999 TL for the 2009 TL. What really sets off the new TL is its sculpted looks and flowing lines however, I must admit that the front grille is a bit overdone. Although the dash controls look complicated, they are well marked and do not take long to figure out. Seats are comfortable (but not pillow like), with great support for the back. The brakes on this TL are much better than any Acura I have ever owned and the drive is smooth and quite with very precise steering.

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  So far - loving it! - 2009 Acura TL
  By Nick - February 17 - 10:58 am

  Ive only had this car for a few days but I absolutely love it so far. The looks were iffy at first but have really grown on me for the models with black exterior/black interior. The handling is superb - it doesnt roll much but has a soft highway ride at the same time. The brakes are awesome and I love the electric steering - absolutely no play = precision. So far there isnt anything I dont like about this. This is a great value for the money.

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  99 TL - 1999 Acura TL
  By marfay2` - February 16 - 5:24 pm

  Bought this car in 2002 w/32000 miles. Now has 98500 & is still going strong. No tranny issues (those were mostly the later model 5sp AT). Other than normal maint have replaced ignition switch twice and egr once. Other than that great car & runs like new.