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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  Great SUV - 1998 Acura SLX
  By Chris S - August 7 - 2:00 am

  This thing is great. 4 wheel drives works well, and holds plenty of gear in the back. It does not handle like a BMW but no SUV does.

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  Pretty good car - 1999 Acura Integra
  By riverrun - August 3 - 2:00 am

  I bought this used with 18,500 miles. It is a very reliable car - so reliable it is the third one that have I pur- chased. It is very small for carrying passengers, but with the convenience of its hatchback,it is great for hauling things around. The drivers seat could be more comfortable with more padding. Interior is not as plush as earlier models. Lots of road noise.

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  High-reving fun - 1996 Acura Integra
  By colinb001 - August 1 - 2:00 am

  A blast to drive. The overall reliability is good, but some things seem like they are about to go bad. The interior is quite noisy. The headlights from the japanese integras should have been used on the american integras, instead of the controversial 4-eyed front end. All in all, it is very fun to drive. Once VTEC engages, you forget about the cars downfalls.

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  4.5 Months and 12,000 Miles Later....... - 2005 Acura TL
  By TW - July 31 - 10:06 pm

  I drive 65 miles each way every day in my commute. This is hands down the most fun car I have owned for a combination of highway and country driving. The fit and finish are unequalled. The driver response is superb. This car gives me all I could want. Last Friday, I had to "put it down" hard as an opposing driver fell asleep and drove through 2 utility poles coming towards me. I went from 50MPH to O in 30 ft., traveling off dry pavement through mud and into a neighboring grass lawn coated in thick dew. It tracked straight with no "yaw", and it stopped on a dime.

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  not what i expected from a $50 k car - 2005 Acura RL
  By Peter - July 30 - 2:13 am

  the car looks nice on the outside and in, but has the acceleration of a v6 accord. i was very disappointed with the acceleration of the car and the sound the engine makes- it just sounds like a weak car.

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  Thanks Mom - 1990 Acura Legend
  By Cinciman - July 28 - 2:00 am

  My mother in law sold me her ride for $1. Thanks Mom! I cant believe that the car has only 160 hp. It is so fast and the passing power is incredible. Reliability is great. The car was in a really bad front end accident in 94 and it must have been perfectly rebuilt. I cant tell. Moms dog tore up the rear leather seats because they were dry rotted. Rust in all the typical Legend areas. Otherwise this car used is better than most new cars that cost $20,000. Even newer Acuras arent this nice inside.

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  Really Good Car! - 2000 Acura RL
  By RKRKAR - July 26 - 2:00 am

  Really Good Car! No bad habits. Good freeway cruiser. Quiet. Not exactly snappy performance, but adequate. Great Quality!

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  2017 MDX - 2017 Acura MDX
  By John L Sipe - July 24 - 9:33 pm

  Love the car except for the transmission. Poor performance for a quality vehicle.

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  Excellent Compromise Sedan - 2005 Acura TL
  By ron lebko - July 21 - 10:33 pm

  If you are too big for the Infiniti G35 cabin, yet want a performing sedan with high reliability, this is the car. Its not a rear driver, the auto selectshift isnt as good as std trans performance, but its a freeway cruiser for everyday tasks and fun to drive. Suspension is a bit too firm, and the automatic slows after 85 when punched to pass and the tires arent what they could have been if you got the Bridgestones, the seats are set a bit too low to get out of the car easily, and there are cabin area rattles sometimes. But nobody seems to have a better car on the market within 10 grand more with such roomy front cabin. And the electronics & sound are sweet.

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  Love My Acura - 1991 Acura Integra
  By al dente - July 20 - 2:00 am

  I have had very little trouble with this car. Beside brakes, mufflers, a timing belt and tires, I have spent money on only axle replacement (under $300) and a used part for the steering mechanism ($70). The car handles very well. All cars should be made as well.