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! - 2006 Acura TL
  By SpeedRacerGabe - December 15 - 11:02 am

  I have owned my TL for about 3.5 yrs now and I still love it as much as I did when new. The most reliable car I have ever owned, great performance and with the 6-speed I just love driving through the mountain roads and winding up the engine. Fuel mileage better than I expected and have seen 38 on the hwy thanks to a couple of performance upgrades.

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  1 Week Review - 2005 Acura TL
  By Airmobile - December 15 - 8:50 am

  I was fortunate to be able to purchase my TL thru my sister which works at Honda Corporate so I got a good deal. The car has plenty of power but does not have a plush ride like the Accord due to the sporty suspension and the low profile tires mounted on 17" rims. The seats are wonderful as is the seating position given that I weigh 235 lbs and stand at 6 tall. The leg room in the back is not as good as the Accord and was pretty tight with my 63" sitting in the back. I cant wait to cruise to Vegas! If youre debating between an Accord or the TL, the Accord will appeal to your logical side but the TL will definitely please your senses.

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  Love it! - 2001 Acura MDX
  By Barb - December 15 - 7:41 am

  Ive had this MDX for almost nine years (brand new with 14 miles on the engine) and have thoroughly enjoyed owning and driving this SUV. Dealer replaced the transmission about 75K miles ago. Love the strong, stable feel when driving in snow & rain. So roomy and comfortable for trips. Even though I no longer need such a large vehicle (the kids are grown & gone now) I most likely will get another MDX only I will buy used this time. I have over 175K miles and am seeing just how long/far this car will go. Have had most of the preventive maintenance performed which can be pricey but still havent found another SUV I like better.

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  Go buy it now. - 2003 Acura MDX
  By will4271 - December 15 - 2:00 am

  Test drove the MDX, RX300, Highlander, ML320, X5, 4Runner, Sequioa and other SUV. This is most accomodating for a family. Great power and the stops are short and straight.

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  Good value for money - 2009 Acura TSX
  By AcuraCU2 - December 14 - 12:50 pm

  If youre cost conscious, fuel miser, but yet want a sporty, upscale, reliable, practical and techie car, this is the right car for you. I get 31mpg on long trips, Navigation and traffic reports are very useful. Acceleration is pretty smooth up to 100mph (umm...so Ive heard ) Looks nice and modern inside and out, and top notch fit and finish. The car is no slouch, but the car feels faster than it really is when its moving. Overall, great value for money and should last a long time. I came from the 1st gen TSX, and this car feels more upscale.

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  Acura is just average - 2002 Acura TL
  By Gerhard - December 13 - 12:53 pm

  I bought my Acura based on consumer reports reliability and performance recommendations. However, my Acura did not live up to my expectations. I spent the extra money on Acura over domestic products and other foreign brands because I thought I was getting top quality. Instead I got many headaches. For the record, I still like the design and I like the performance. However, I did not like the fact that I have had to have my transmission changed 2 times. I am on my third trans and now I have to purchase a new timing belt that is supposed to cost over $1000. And that is only at 7100. Needless to say I would not recommend this model, nor would I endorse this brand any more.

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  acura TL - 2009 - 2009 Acura TL
  By Triple lakes - December 13 - 11:30 am

  This is my 3rd Acura, a 2000 TL, a 2003 TL-S and the 2009 TL. Far and away the 2009 is the best. love the style and the interior is outstanding. Handles great.

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  Great Car - 2005 Acura TL
  By Tom - December 12 - 10:44 pm

  Extremely stylish vehicle. Head turner, even at five years old. Abundant whiz-bang features in the cabin -- lots of them linked to the particular drivers key fob. Engine is very powerful -- wonderful sound. Front-wheel drive pulls the car forward nicely on dicey roads. Soft leather seats. Xenon headlights which are tightly focused. XM/Sirius radio. European feel on the road. Great value.

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  SWEET - 2010 Acura TL
  By Ed Robust - December 12 - 1:39 pm

  This car is on $$$$$... has everything you could want in car and more. Styling, handling and the pure enjoyment of this car makes me get out and just ride. Ive owned a 3 Series BMW and this car excels past that, no longer crave that in-line 6. Went with SH-AWD, with bigger engine and tighter suspension "YOU CANNOT" ask for more!!

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  Mediocrity and excellence in one car - 2007 Acura RL
  By Gasman - December 11 - 3:53 pm

  Hmm. Where to start... I bought my dealer demo with 5K miles. The drivers door shuts on me on entering and exiting the car--on level ground. The key fob works when it feels like it (I am told its in how I hold it). My wife and I use the car and it has trouble with the seat memory settings. I had to take the car in to get a fender realigned, though I did not have an accident. The doors are very tinny sounding-- especially when you release the handles. It is not powerful from the start and you have to gun the engine to get the torque up to sufficient levels. But its not all bad, the ride is nice, the interior is all of excellent quality, and the seating is comfy.