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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  poor car - 2003 Acura TL
  By username - July 24 - 2:00 am

  the car broke down as i bought at 45000miles

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  Acura Sucks - 2004 Acura RSX
  By Matthew Stewart - June 24 - 2:00 am

  The enigne block was cracked after 5,500 miles. I took it in becuase it was leaking oil. They replaced the oil filter. Still something wrong so they had to "call" Acura to find out the small block was cracked. Seriously. It took 17 days to fix and when I was intially told I could get it the dealer said my car was not ready because my engine was "laying in pieces on the floor". Not a comforting thought. They clutch just went out at 45,000 miles and they would not replace it for free because it is a wearable part. Well, I guess the enigne is "wearable" too but it still does not go bad after 5,500 miles. The seal around the drivers door was coming undone.

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  Wished for More - 2005 Acura MDX
  By irishwheat - May 13 - 10:50 am

  Wished this car had been as reliable and fun to drive as other Honda products. In general, a great disappointment. Electrical problems and navigational breakdowns. AC would not shut off. In shop five times in first 7 months.

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  Dont Bother! - 2003 Acura MDX
  By JoeBl - December 19 - 10:00 am

  This SUV isnt worth the price! I have only owned this car for 3 months and already I am having problems with rattling. The engine is sometimes noisy as well. Ive contacted the dealer and they said thats just how this car is. My car is too new to be rattling like this. Also, the entertainment system doesnt seem too sturdy. This SUV is not worth the high price! Buyer beware!

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  Would never buy it again - 2002 Acura CL
  By B. Greenfield - December 4 - 2:00 am

  It is glubby when in the drivers seat. It is uncomfortable to drive in. Just trying to turn the steering wheel can give you a hernia. It is as if the power steering fluid is empty. The seat backs are so high you cannot see behind you when you back up. Trying to move the front seat up when getting in the back seat is next to impossible. I bought it about 2 weeks ago and I am very unhappy. I cant believe I traded my wonderful 1988 Acura Legen Coupe for this monster.

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  Acura Customer Support Is A Myth - 2004 Acura RL
  By Jack Watney - November 6 - 2:00 am

  The automobile, itself, is average in ride and comfort. Fit and finish are good but noise level, for this niche, and its gas mileage are poor. It can be jittery in ride and will sidestep at certain speeds and improved road conditions that it should handle well. Its distinctive attraction lies in its integrated cabin systems. The navigation system and XM radio work well but OnStar was delivered inoperative and continues to be partially so over a month later. GM and now Acura tell me that there is nothing to be done. There will be no operating telephone in this car. Its absurd.

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  Transmission issues - 2016 Acura TLX
  By Lisa - October 22 - 2:35 pm

  I have taken this car to the dealership three times and complained about the hard stopping. They said it was a software issue and they fixed it. It continues to do the same. Tired of the car.

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  A used TSX is better than a new TLX. - 2016 Acura TLX
  By E. J. Ross - August 25 - 12:19 pm

  I have owned Acura cars for over 20 years and this one is the worst. Getting in and out is terrible as the reach to close the door is too far. You can not see the front if the car so parking head-in is just guess work. The entertainment system is far too complicated and not easy to use. I never feel comfortable driving the car and wish I had obtained something else. I want my old TSX back.

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  Worst vehicle over $30K Ive ever owned - 2016 Acura RDX
  By Mike Wilson - August 17 - 6:07 am

  While there were some high points with my 2016 RDX, all in all, it was the worst $30K+ vehicle Ive ever owned. First and foremost, the electronics in my vehicle were so buggy and unreliable, it became positively maddening. About 1/3 of the time, my hands-free calls would fail to connect and leave the phone in "private mode" and utterly useless for 2-3 minutes. Worse yet, the voice recognition was horrific. The car dialed 9-1-1 three different times when I asked it to "call Taco Deli." For all intents and purposes, the bluetooth phone operation was worthless. The entertainment system worked okay, however, the preset labels rarely displayed the ACTUAL saved station. When I pushed preset 1, the tuner would tune to 94.7, exactly as expected, but the label on the display was sometimes 138.9, sometimes all Cyrillic characters, sometimes all 1s and many other random values. As long as I remembered what preset went with which stations, I was good to go. The navigation system works, but the traffic indicators are illegible. It actually took me a couple of weeks to realize I actually had traffic indicators on the Nav because the colors are so muted and the lines so fine. Traction was abysmal in the rain and poor when it was dry. While the RDX handles well (within traction limits), and ride quality was good, the traction was just such a liability. Interior build quality was revealed itself to be sub-par over the second half of my year of ownership. I had squeaking, creaking rear suspension, rattling door panels and a squealing A/C fan. Under the hood, only one complaint. I had a pulley that squealed as it spun down after engine shutdown. On the plus side, Fuel economy was quite good and when I sold it last week, I got $35,000 for trade-in after only paying $39,500. Headlights and general visibility from the vehicle were first rate. Thats about it for positives.

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  No More Acuras in My Future - 2001 Acura CL
  By Car Girl - August 12 - 2:00 am

  Although somewhat stylish and powerful, the number of trips to the service department has lessened my exuberance for ever owning an Acura again. My first experience of driving my new car off the delaer lot was a glowing check engine light..related to the transmission... to my latest experience of having the same part replaced for the second time. From the petty annoyances of rattles to the ongoing transmission problem, this car has been a disappointment.