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:

• 

  RSX - 2002 Acura RSX
  By ColdS - August 11 - 6:50 am

  Needs torque! Acura made the car height too high and this hurts its already unsporty appearance. Interior is great but the stereo was no good coming from a brand name Bose. Ride quality is ok and the engine makes sweet noises running through the gears but it does get annoying after awhile. A Celica GT-S can keep up with the Type-S and so can a ITR. Not good. So performance isnt even satisfying for 200hp. Its an overpriced Civic.

• 

  PLEASE SHOP BEFORE YOU BUY... - 2003 Acura MDX
  By Peter S - July 6 - 2:00 am

  I do not feel confortable with writing this since I am an MDX driver but my ownership experience has been EVERYTHING but pleasure.... - Fuel economy is brutal - handling is marginal - interior is very plastic feel - Exteriour design not practical (front end collision) - road noise is japanese style (very loud)..... I suggest you look at the BMW or Lexus before you buy the MDX. Also, Volvo has recently introduced the XC90.... lots of good reviews on it.

• 

  Faulty Hub/Wheel Bearing Assembly - 1997 Acura CL
  By bkmitroy - May 19 - 2:00 am

  Purchased my Acura CL (2.2 Premium) with 44K Miles on it. I had regular maintenance done and vehicle was performing fine - till I hit 70K mi. I started hearing humming noice from up front. It gradually grew in intensity to the point where it is unbearble. I am at 72K mi. Dealer investigated issue and says hub/wheel bearings are worn out and I have to replace front wheel and bearing assembly for $900!!! I was shocked. This is my second Honda vehicle and I did not expect this from Acura. You pay a lot for Acuras because of the reliability factor - if you are not getting this, what is the point? Spoke to Acura, got a cold reply: Your vehicle is not in warranty.

• 

  Better go for German cars. - 2003 Acura RL
  By Audi.VW,BMW,Mercedes - May 2 - 2:00 am

  Gas mileage isnt great. Steering wheel feel is a little too soft. Put 6 disc changer in dash. Redesign moonroof close button (it takes two separate clicks to close it). Two zone heat/AC.

• 

  hard seats, bad suspension, great stereo - 2005 Acura TL
  By iggy - March 14 - 6:06 am

  This is a great car for a 16-30 year old who has an extra 35 k to spend. It has without a doubt the best combination of horsepower and sound system in any car I have ever driven. Now for the 30 and over set, the seats are leather which have no softness to them, ie they are like sitting on a hard leather bench which is quite uncomfortable on long rides. The damping system or shocks is adequite only on smooth roads, any imperfection in the road is immediately transferred to your spinal column otherwise in a jarring and overly communicative fashion. Having driven Audis in the past I am used to road feel, this car gives you almost no damping and is a quite harsh ride especialy with the hard seat

• 

  overall good car ruined by crappy 9speed tranny - 2015 Acura TLX
  By mlody_me - November 25 - 3:07 am

  Overall good car, but watch out for 9-speed tranny. It is horrible especially in early models (not sure if the issue is still present in 2016). My car also vibrates on a highway that takes tons of enjoyment out of driving, so if you drive a lot on highway, make sure to test it on a highway before spending hard earned money as Acura will not fix it!!!! My car was in service 6 times to address vibrations and 9 speed tranny and I gave up and sold the car cause I could not deal with it anymore. Also for people coming from 4th generation TL. The TLX is a bit smaller and overall cheaper (material, plastics, smaller engine, tires etc), so just beware of that.

• 

  Transmission Gone at 7400 miles - 2016 Acura MDX
  By Darrin Mangiacarne DO - August 12 - 8:02 am

  My car was making a loud squeak sound while shifting gears. I was told that there is a leak of coolant into the transmission. They need to replace the transmission already. What a piece of junk. Cant believe that I bought this car. Going to go after the Lemon Law for assistance.

• 

  Disappointment - 2007 Acura MDX
  By ralph frank - August 11 - 5:56 pm

  After purchasing I realized this vehicle is very overpriced for the quality you receive. Options such as rain sensitive wipers which were on my 06 MDX are no longer available. Very poor fit and finish, not to mention orange peel paint which the dealer assures me is normal. The vehicle is tight and confining. I think I will trade it in before I lose too much in depreciation. I would have to sum up to say that this vehicle is a very big disappointment.

• 

  OVERALL PERFORMANCE - 2001 Acura TL
  By jUDY PRIES - August 6 - 2:00 am

  OVERALL PERFORMANCE IS OK, BUT HAVE HAD PROBLEM WITH THE BRAKES,CRUISE CONTROL,WINDSHILED,SINCE TAKING DELIVERY OF THE CAR BRAND NEW, THE FIRST YEAR THE CAR WAS IN THE SHOP CONSTANTLY. I AM SO DISAPPOINTED IN THIS CAR, I AM TRADING IT FOR ANOTHER BRAND AND MODEL

• 

  Very Dissappointed!!!!! - 2001 Acura TL
  By CATHYP - July 30 - 2:00 am

  Have had nothing but problems with the car since the first week of ownership. Dealership and Acura Direct providing no remedy. The car has a severe engine hesitation since I purchased it. Sometimes the hesitation is very subtle other times very noticeable. Have been back numerous times without positive results.