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:

• 

  Fun + Value = TSX - 2007 Acura TSX
  By SouthernDriver - September 2 - 1:13 pm

  The TSX is really a very solid car. I was pleased when I purchased it and am now downright happy when I drive it. It represents a perfect blend of power and efficiency. If you dont hog-dog it around town, mid 20s is easily attainable, and on the highway Ive averaged 30-33mpg. The features are useful and easy to operate, the interior fit and finish is outstanding, right down the satisfying "thud" of the doors closing. The stereo stands out among "premium" stereos because of its balance - too often premium stereos overemphasize bass to the detriment of the mid and high ranges. Here the bass is present, but gets out of the way for vocals and instruments. Not just a rebagded Accord.

• 

  No Compromise - 2007 Acura RDX
  By SyracuseAcura - September 2 - 11:23 am

  After extensive driving I noted that the RDX really shines in a wide range of driving scenarios. The rear seats DO fold down for a very flexible interior and abundant cargo room. The car actually gets quieter over the break in period and it is a vehicle that definitely grows on you. The performance and handling is impressive for a sport sedan let alone an SUV. Get one and have fun.

• 

  shake,rattle and roll - 2004 Acura TL
  By eh20man - September 1 - 8:26 pm

  Have owned my TL for about a year, and this car has more quality issues than any new car Ive owned. I am shocked that Acura would release a car to the public without proper testing and quality control. This thing rattles like a box of bolts, and has numerous cosmetic issues with the paint, dash and interior parts. The seats and door locks have a mind of their own. I have accumulated a list of 14 items that the dealer will be asked to fix. This is ridiculous, I will not be purchasing another Acura.

• 

  Not reliable anymore - 1995 Acura Integra
  By JF - September 1 - 6:40 pm

  I bought the car with 48K miles on it, has 130k now. Acura/Honda reliability? My Integra didnt get that memo, unfortunately. Since I bought the car I have replaced the distributor, two wheel bearings, the radiator TWICE, water pump/timing belt TWICE, thermostat THREE times, the antenna, yes the antenna - TWICE, two brake jobs, along with belts/hoses/pulleys etc. It is an older car yes, but "its a Honda", right? Shouldnt have this many problems. I cant go 2 months anymore without it breaking down. Overall I have enjoyed this car the past 9 years. But it has spoiled Hondas reliability reputation with me. If 9 out of 10 Hondas/Acuras are reliable, I got the one lemon.

• 

  This car turns heads!! (in a good way) - 2009 Acura TL
  By chuckz53 - September 1 - 3:59 pm

  I absolutely love the styling inside and out. There has been some criticism in the press about looks, but to me it looks strikingly different and fresh. Same with the inside. Theres a knock on the the multitude of buttons, bit I rarely go to the console because everything is voice activated, and besides, thats so much more fun. The novelty of saying "set driver temperature 70 degrees" still isnt wearing off. Being a Honda, Im sure reliability will be bullet proof. Acceleration is OK, but I do give it low scores for handling - my only disappointment. Once you set up for a turn its stable and secure, but transitions and aggressive moves are not this cars forte. Still, a great car.

• 

  Love My TSX - AWD Would be Fantastic - 2009 Acura TSX
  By KAB - September 1 - 2:23 pm

  I most definitely love my car. Outstanding owner experience. Bought it in October 2008 and have logged 17K+ miles to date. No defects at all! I shopped Lexus, BMW etc. and settled on the TSX. Final choices came down to new TSX or used TL (or used BMW 330xi). Former Honda owner so in the end I wanted reliability and sacrificed AWD. The car is a pleasure to drive (quiet, no rattles etc.). For pure fun, I would have bought the BMr, but did not want to face any downstream reliability or expensive maintenance. The only minor negative is the car is really so-so in the snow (even with snows) ... traction is not great. Everything else meets or beats my expectations!

• 

  Rolling perfection - 2007 Acura TL
  By Blacura - September 1 - 3:04 am

  I cross shopped all the others in this class (Lexus, Infiniti, even BMW and Mercedes) I couldnt get anywhere close to the options for the money. This car comes loaded for less. The build quality is great, the engineering in this vehicle is superb. They thought of everything. Every surface has a pleasant texture, the switches and knobs operate perfectly with weighted balance. The Navi is a must, it transforms the experience in the car. Others just have a moving map of sorts, this becomes the control center for the car. Audio, climate, everything. You can use conventional buttons, touch screen or voice commands. Handles and drives well for a larger car. Very sharp design inside and out.

• 

  Good car, but ask yourself... - 2009 Acura TL
  By maverick - August 31 - 6:10 pm

  Coming from a 08 TL. Test drove many times both AWD & FWD w/ tech. Got a mixed feeling like other 08 TL owners did. Technology beats other competitors like G37 or 08 TL. But not sure why such an advanced car has to skip auto-dimmed side mirrors, ventilated seats, rain-sensing wiper, etc. On a 08 TL I dont have to pay for the tech package to get ELS sound system and the perforated leather. Still a very good car for the price level, but option-wise, you want to ask yourself whats really important to you vs. what it has to offer.

• 

  I Love this Car - 2009 Acura RL
  By BECKY - August 30 - 7:52 pm

  I traded in my 2.5 year old Jeep Grand Cherokee Overland loaded with everything for this vehicle. The interior trim is excellent the Nav system is far better then the Jeeps and as good as my husbands Audi A-8 system. The ride in this car is excellent, the vehicle is extremely quite and the sound system is exceptional. I am so pleased I purchased this car I looked at the Cadillac and the Lincoln...the quality was no match. I believe I will be an Acura client for my next purchase too!

• 

  Great Sports Car - 2010 Acura RDX
  By Jonathon Wacek - August 30 - 12:29 pm

  When looking at crossovers it was hard to find one with design, reliability, and power. My wife wanted a CRV but I was not impressed with the small engine (166 hp for a big vehicle). I tried to convince my wife about the RAV4 with a V6 engine but she didnt like the style. We found the Acura and I believe it is a great compromise (250 hp!!). Great power and reliability I wanted, with the looks and feel she wanted. To my surprise it was only $2,000 more than a loaded CRV or RAV4 after neg. We have had it for about a month and my wife loves it. I am not impressed with the gas mileage. With a prius 17-19mpg hurts. As a crossover it fits our wants but we dont use it for towing or haul.