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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  in time revamp - 2005 Acura RL
  By greg - September 13 - 7:50 am

  Awesome handling,smooth ride with all the creature comforts.

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  28k of excellent - 2006 Acura TSX
  By Tom - September 10 - 8:33 pm

  I had a 2005 Toyota Corolla S before this car. It was an alright car, but handling was horrible & was a complete rattle box. My friend had bought the TSX when it first came out. It was love at first sight, I just had to have it. The car is EXCELLENT, hugs the road, sound system could be better but still great, my arctic blue exterior has everyone staring as I drive down the street..I just love this car.

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  Acura TL 2007 - Awesome - 2007 Acura TL
  By Speedy - September 9 - 10:36 pm

  Our TL had a driver door rattle. Took dealer 4 hours to find problem and fix. The mirror was was hitting something inside the door and they put extra padding to fix. All warranty. Highway mileage is excellent for size and power. Likes to drive fast to get best mileage. To turn off AC - display must say AC OFF - not blank - you will get 5-10% better mileage. Hands Free - Although when moving - the road noise interferes with its operation.

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  Excellent Value for the money - 2008 Acura MDX
  By namdxowner - September 9 - 4:08 am

  The 2008 MDX is a great luxury family SUV. The MDX rides like a car and makes my wife feel safe on the road. The last row seat is only useful for kids under 10. However, two features should have been standard with this car.

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  New Acura first impression - 2004 Acura MDX
  By Howard Silverstein - September 9 - 2:00 am

  It is a very nice vehicle. Stable and has good power.

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  amazing for the money - 2004 Acura TL
  By JCO - September 9 - 2:00 am

  Drove everything before buying this audi, BMW (3 and 5)series, Infiniti, Benz. Nothing compared to the value from Acura, neverminding the reliability issues with the others. Anyone who complains about handling must live in Arizona where a RWD would be fine. Here on the East Coast, it is perfect in the snow and rain.

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  For "Smart People"! - 2004 Acura TL
  By Richard Mesaros - September 9 - 2:00 am

  Just about perfect,next step should be four wheel drive.

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  I love my TSX - 2006 Acura TSX
  By SipsAcura - September 8 - 12:09 pm

  I have had no issue so far with my vehicle and I have had it over one year. Drives well great performance especially on the highway. I like the way it brakes down when you are slowing down. Great value for the money lots of amenities!

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  Wish I was a "Mecha"................ - 2003 Acura TL
  By Khushwant Jhaj - September 7 - 10:00 am

  If i was aMecahnical man then i would have married this car and would has done my best to produce babies. With no second thought this was my best decesion ever. This car more relible then any girl friend i eve had and more trustworthy too. I love the handling and speed. Believe or not i drove this flying souceser at the speed 120mph while driving on Highway 5. This is till now the best sedan for the price. If you are in the market for new Toyota Camery XLE of Infinity I35 or g series with all the option go for this and you will be more happy. This is luxury for free. Believe me this is right.

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  TL-S Ride in LA - 2003 Acura TL
  By myhonda - September 7 - 10:00 am

  The value of the TL-S is unparalleled. As a rocket scientist, I can say that this vehicle is top notch technically and creature comfort- wise, dollar for dollar. I never drempt of spending more than $25k on a depreciating asset, but only this car convinced me otherwise. The acceleration is superb in sportshift or auto. It is comfortable for the largest of my guests. Average 20mpg in LA traffic. 5k miles so far. Will take on a roadtrip soon.