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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  Will buy another Acura - 1999 Acura TL
  By Roger - August 4 - 1:29 pm

  I bought my Acura with 44k miles and I have 238k now. Ive only had to replace a burnt ignition coil. Had to change the motor mount...going too fast over a RR track..my bad!!! I changed all belts at 144k and do my own maintenance. No tranny problems. This is a great car and my girlfriend wants one now.

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  Convinced About Acura / Honda Technology - 2009 Acura TL
  By Lee - August 3 - 10:49 pm

  I live in New England and drive 33,000 miles a year for my sales position. I recently purchased 09 TL AWD with the Tech Package. I upgraded from a 2004 Honda Accord V6 that had 163K Miles on it. What convinced me to buy and Acura was the reliability of my Honda and the trade-in value of my car. When the dust settled I walked out the door paying $30K with my trade-in. I looked at several competitors but kept coming back to Acura. The handling of the TL AWD and the Tech Package won me over. I plan to keep the car for 5-years and expect it will be very reliable and hold its value when it comes time to trade it in. If you dont look at the TL you miss out on an excellent vehicle.

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  Not good on gas - 2007 Acura TSX
  By langstonboy04 - August 3 - 12:42 pm

  I love the car but I hate the gas it use! 16.5 MPG In the city is not GOOD!! And that is with prem fuel. Car does drive well. I had a suv with a v8 to do better But i do love the way the car looks and drives. But be ready to pay a lot for gas and it will drink it up.

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  Do Not BUY - 2003 Acura TL
  By john c - August 3 - 2:00 am

  I bought my 03 TL-TYPE S in June 2002. It has been in the shop 6 times. I purchased the vehicle overfilled by 2 quarts of transmission fluid. Acura said it was a common mistake. This is the fifth brand new Honda product I have purchased (and I am only 25). They have lost a loyal customer for life. I have talked to other customers while in the shop over the months. I have found that Acura does not have the reliability it claims. Its not worth the many trips to the shop and the stress. I would strongly caution anyone looking to purchase an Acura/Honda.

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  Good vehicle, but little problems add up - 2003 Acura MDX
  By Jon - August 2 - 12:52 pm

  Bought used with 30K miles - all was fine for 2.5 years. Now, with only 65K miles we have had a lot of minor issues...All A/C vents have fallen off seat molding on drivers side fell off, rain sensor doesnt work, DVD player stopped working. Like I said, relatively minor, but very frustrating. For a supposedly reliable, well built vehicle Id expect more. We only drive this about 10K miles per year and dont abuse it. Overall, a good vehicle, reliable and roomy enough for 2 kids in car seats.

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  Never again will I buy a brand new model - 2009 Acura TSX
  By BAG - August 2 - 10:46 am

  I have had so many problems with the interior quality sometimes I think I bought an American car... over the past year Ive had two blown audio speakers, loose defroster vent, two trunk rattles, Navi screen control unit failure, loose exterior windshield molding and a rattle coming from the dashboard that the dealer cant seem to locate/fix. The only thing keeping me sane is that the deal provides a loaner car every time I bring in my car for service (which is about once per month).

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  Super sporty - 2018 Acura TLX
  By Dan - August 1 - 7:33 am

  Good performance

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  Love It! - 2009 Acura TSX
  By Jerrold - July 31 - 11:24 pm

  Ive had two Audi A4s and a Ford Fusion, all of which I liked very much. However, for the money, the Acura TSX is the best car Ive had. Excellent fuel economy, great features, nice design, and Honda/Acura reliability made this a no-brainer to buy. I, like many, am not overly thrilled with the electronic steering, and it took some getting used to. Frankly, now, however, I dont notice that its any different from any other car Ive driven. Its really only noticeable on highways city driving is just like any other.

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  I keep going back to Acura - 2007 Acura MDX
  By FlewByU - July 31 - 5:58 pm

  I just moved to Germany two months ago and bought an 07 MDX from another military member. It has everything I could want. We just returned from a week driving through the Alps and this SUV is simply amazing. Granted, I get to drive it much faster than I could in the states, but even at 120 MPH, it was rock solid. We need the AWD for the snow and the kids stay entertained with the AV system. Plenty of passing power and very comfortable on long trips. Acuras are rare in Germany and I get stares all the time by curious Bavarians wondering what kind of vehicle I have. If you are in the market for a luxury SUV for family touring, with cool tech toys to play with, MDX cant be beat.

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  Luxury + Peformance = TL - 2005 Acura TL
  By EverydayDriver - July 31 - 2:50 pm

  Picked up a pre-owned black Acura TL about 4 months ago. I love this car. One of the best cars Ive ever owned. My TL came with an OEM body kit and 18" A-spec wheels, looks very clean and aggressive. Interior is nice and comfy. Nice aluminum and wood trim. Big touch-screen navigation is very helpful but software seems dated compared to my wifes Benz navigation. The car picks up pretty quick on the freeway. Ill be going 80 but it feels like Im going 60. It does drink gas like crazy though. $40 of gas will last about 260 miles only. This is an overall GREAT car. You will not be disappointed.