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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  My First SUV - 2001 Acura MDX
  By SDS828 - April 30 - 2:00 am

  Test drove and personally rated about a half dozen mid-sized SUVs in fall 2000. Selected MDX over others for basically 3 reasons - best/most useable room for hauling (make 16-20 trips/year of 600-800 miles carrying lots hauling stuff in-town), ULEV rating, and best value compared to others driven. Perspective - previous car Toyota MR2!

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  transmittion problem - 2002 Acura TL
  By vli - April 30 - 2:00 am

  The transmittion can not get over 3rd gear. RPM is running high while car is not moving, it is like running at neutral gear. I love the car otherwise.

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  My 1999 Acura 3.2 TL - 1999 Acura TL
  By Lorraine Brooks - April 28 - 2:00 am

  I have driven this car cross country 2- 3 times...it is so reliable! I drive now as a single over 60 woman. I now go to Pleasanton Auto for my service. There they usually ask me How long are you in town for now? I reply, but I live here! The last out of state Acura serviceperson changed the oil & pronouced my car cleaner than most even in her large city. That was in Indiana...I now have some 84,000 miles on the same tires--still more tread.

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  A must have - 2004 Acura RL
  By luvmyrl - April 22 - 2:00 am

  I love this car, XM radio, Voice activated navigational system. Better sounds system. I didnt think they could improve on the RL, I was wrong.

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  Love it - 1995 Acura Integra
  By Jeff2220 - April 11 - 2:00 am

  My stock 95 Integra has done it all: helped me move (hatchback with the seats down give you a ton of space), commuted over 100 miles a day everyday for two years, drive from Boston to NJ every other weekend for the past two years, and get me to work and back everyday. Through it all the car has no rust, never broken down, and doesnt have one annoying rattle or squeek! I have 140K on it now and cant bear to part with it...love the Integra. Hope the RSX lives up to the reputation.

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  Since 2001 - 2001 Acura Integra
  By Sri - April 10 - 2:00 am

  Great sports car. I have had it for more than 2 years. Great car for Street driving . Best performance in Higher RPMs. Not for snow , not for comfort, you feel every bump on the road. Not a family car. Its for people who are in need for speed.

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  It has its quirks - 2002 Acura MDX
  By Not too Impressed - April 10 - 2:00 am

  When I bought my MDX I thought I was getting quality that you would expect with the Acura name. I have never spent this much on a vehicle before and had high expectations. There are too many quirks for a $40k car. Rattling noises from every where, doors, rear seats, dashboard and some places that I just cant figure out. The driver seat back squeaks if pushed back on slightly. After a rain or car wash if you roll your window down the inside window gets wet and must be wiped off. Sometimes there is this low ringing noise that I cant figure out where its coming from. Not to mention the annoying brake clicking and gas tank sloshing.

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  Best Acura YET. Tranny ok. Nav = DINOSAUR - 2015 Acura TLX
  By Wes - April 9 - 9:03 pm

  I have owned or leased four Acuras before this one: 2003 TL Type S; 2004 TL; 2007 TL; 2006 RL. All great cars. This one is the best, IMO. Yet it is still not good enough to keep me loyal. Ive had my 2015 TLX for 14 mos. Generally happy with it. Common themes bring me back to Acura: 1. Drive and handling with descent fuel economy for MY driving style; 2. Sufficient amount of tech; 3. Unparalled reliability and durability; 4. Dealer experience; 5. Value. If you are an avid Acura owner like me, then I am sure you get where I am coming from. Brand loyalty is a funny thing, though. You can look across many car groups (Subaru, Mercedes, Jeep, etc.), and it is interesting to notice the "Seth Goden Tribal" phenomenon with so many. Humorous almost. I am sure it applies to me, until I open my mind to something else, right? That said, here is my review, and I will start with the bad. First, I think Acura dealerships and the OEM need to get a clue about their NAV system and the entire user experience on the dash. They need to stop boasting about being the inventors of NAV and that they have the best, most awarded technology. This is utter [non-permissible content removed] and so 1991. This system absolutely sucks! It is difficult to use, the voice prompts are useless and complicated, the menu structure on the touchscreen requires way too much attention for the simplest of tasks, the NAV wont integrate with any smart phone without a paid subscription (really, Acura?) and the on-board NAV system is absolutely HORRIBLE, in fact worse than past years. The 2-screen system is very cool and has potential for a well-designed solution, and it helps mitigate the user experience trainwreck that is like a tractor beam from the ditch. Anything that doesnt offer Apple Carplay or Android Auto (or both) is a dinosaur. Period. Hey Acura, these players own the space. Get on board already. Stop charging for it. Looking across the digital car technology ecosystem, this is downright insulting. You are going to have to invent another business model for upside. My hope is that Acura will provide an upgrade, and soon. This system alone will keep me from buying another Acura after this, as on-board tech is the new differentiator for car brands. This is where GM got it right, but I would have to own a GM, which is a non-starter. Training a device to bluetooth is tedious, should be easier. There are $29 bluetooth accessories that do better. Phone control once in bluetooth is also extremely tedious. Voice prompts are useless here. Next, the transmission was annoying at first, but like other owners, I got used to it. I drive in sport mode all the time and it seems to do okay. There is *slightly* noticeable lag, but quite frankly, it is not a deal killer. This car is "very fast enough". Now the good. I love how this car handles. I love how it feels. The acceleration is there, even if in need of minor refinement. To me, this car is the best of both worlds: good, smooth torque like my 06 RL and superb handling like my TLs. The car feels big, smooth and solid, yet nimble. Viva la SH-AWD. The engine sound is throaty, yet car looks like a lion in sheeps clothing. The fold-down rear seat was a huge seller for me, and a deal breaker without. (Hey cyclists, I can get my 56 cm road bike or medium size 29er MTB removing only the front wheel. Huge!) Despite my desire to haul my bike without an external rack, I love cars and how they drive, which is why I didnt look at Grand Cherokees, MDXs or Explorers, etc. I have the Advance package. The adaptive cruise is very nice, once you get used to it. I find the lane control feature a little flaky and still in need of refinement - will be looking for an update on next trip to dealer. I also love the rear and blindspot warnings and associated audible indicators. They are especially useful in the Costco parking lot where worst parking lot drivers on earth tend to congregate at velocity. Good looks, steering wheel controls, fit & finish. No noise w/sunroof open during bluetooth call. Here is what it comes down to for me: Acura, dont be arrogant. You have done great things to build the brand over the course of decades. I am a living example. But times are changing. Even your loyalest followers will look elsewhere. Pay close attention to the evolving definition of what makes the car/owner experience. Tech is a huge part of that. Gather quantifiable market and usability research, dont deny the findings, and keep up with rapidly changing consumer desires. In fact, get out in front of the curve. I am mainly referring to the touchscreen nightmare. But styling and tranny too. There are ways to improve this, to do things others have not, make it safer, and even more compelling. Otherwise you could end up in the disrupted pile. Yours truly, 14 year Acura loyalist slowly turning surfer of tinder for cars.

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  Fast, solid coupe - 2003 Acura CL
  By bobc0944 - April 2 - 2:00 am

  Traded in a Porsche 968 for a CL Type-S 6spd. Can drive this just as fast if not faster, sticks well, neutral right up to breakaway,very confidence-building. Only..wish for less body roll, better headroom (Im 6-0, have to sort of duck), sunroof baffle doesnt baffle, just buffets, and did I mention headroom.

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  Good car - 1990 Acura Integra
  By kevlexus - April 1 - 2:00 am

  Purchased my car with 150k on it. Had to get a 2nd car because of these high gas prices and having a SUV will break your pockets. Car is very fun to drive. Car is very easy to fix and parts are cheap and readily available. Dont have to go to the dealer for everything( my previous car was a 95 BMW 740i). Anyone with a basic knowledge of auto mechanics can keep this car running and tuned up. Driver seat was a little worn when i brought it but it seems like all of them are like that with this many miles on them. Seat cover fixed that problem. Paint still has a little luster to it. Very good 2nd car or car for a student.