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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  Fun little car - 2005 Acura RSX
  By statusone - May 14 - 6:51 pm

  This was my first car ever and I enjoyed the heck out of it. It was vivid blue pearl and I had the type-s so the wheels looked amazing as well. The car was definitely a head turner and everyone seemed to like, people would let me thru in traffic (this doesnt happen in something like a bimmer). It is a Honda so it is reliable as the universe and I had it serviced at Honda (since no Acura dealership was built near me at the time) and I got Honda prices, but Acura prices arent that bad actually for a luxury car. It isnt as fast as youd expect a 210 hp car to be. The problem is you have to wind it up to 6500 rpm to get it going and theres very little torque. But a fun drive nevertheless

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  Buy This Underrated Luxury Sedan - 2012 Acura RL
  By tjazz1 - May 14 - 2:03 pm

  This may be the best value in the industry for mid-sized luxury sedans. I am very grateful for the car mags and pundits dismissing this fine vehicle as boring...dated...average...not keeping up... because it means I was able to buy a new one for $46K (Tech version). This is my second RL (last was 06) and is a subtle step forward. Strong acceleration that gets better high in the range (thanks to the perfected V-Tec). Amazing super AWD that keeps the cap balanced at all times in hard conering (others still trying to catch up with this innovation). Very versatile driving positions, and logical control layout. This car does everything very well, with class. How boring!

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  Like a Honda but Better - 2006 Acura TSX
  By gringoviejo - May 12 - 12:21 pm

  We recently replaced my wifes 2006 Accord EX-L coupe with a 2006 TSX. The Accord was a gem, but it was difficult for passengers to get in and out of the back seat of the coupe, so when this TSX came along with less than half the mileage on it (24,000), I bought it for her. There were, as they say, no flies on that Accord, but the TSX just does everything a little bit better: 25% more power from the same basic engine, bigger brakes, a better grade of leather, upgraded sound system. Also, the TSX feels *eager* at any speed. My old Lexus (2004 ES330) has some nicer convenience features and is roomier -- really not a bad car at all -- but is nowhere near as much fun to drive.

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  Major improvement in comfort & gas mileage on 2013 model - 2013 Acura RDX
  By gofitguy - April 26 - 5:57 pm

  Ive had my 2013 RDX AWD for two weeks now. My lease was up on my 09 Murano SL AWD & I wanted something a little different. I drove the RDX in 2009 & felt the ride wasnt comfortable & the gas mileage wasnt great. On the 2013, these two issues have been 100% corrected & its a far more comfortable vehicle to drive. The V6 performance is more than adequate, handling is stable & its fun to drive. A few features Id like to have are missing on the base AWD but I wasnt willing to spend the $3400 more for the Tech package when I dont need the navigation system. Compared to the BMW X3 or Q5, Im pleased with the value I got here & lots of extra comfort features are included. Way to go!

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  Better than I expected! - 2012 Acura TSX
  By oldsnwbrdr - April 24 - 4:04 pm

  Its interesting to read reviews from those who traded "down" from a European brand. I did the same, and my monthly lease payment is $120 lower than the Mercedes C300 AWD Sport I traded in. My family actually prefers the Acura for a lot of reasons... the only things I miss are the 6-cylinder refinement and the Mercedes bank vault build quality.

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  Excellent value for the money - but not perfect - 2012 Acura TSX
  By mtsn - April 10 - 1:58 pm

  I traded in an aging BMW X5 with a V8 that I loved but couldnt handle the expensive repairs any longer. The TSX with technology package is roughly $12-$15k less than a similarly equipped BMW, Audi, Mercedes and also $5-10k less than a similarly equipped Infiniti or Lexus. Ive been very pleased on the value the car offers for the price, but it definitely does not drive "German". The 4 cylinder noise is not pleasing the ear, but it does offer decent power and economy. The safety ratings are excellent, the sound system is very good, it has lots of standard equipment (xenons, leather, sunroof, bluetooth), and is a very solidly built car. I am happy with my purchase...but I still miss my BMW :)

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  Great car for the money - 2012 Acura TSX
  By flyboiord - April 5 - 8:31 pm

  I ended my 2009 C300 lease and looked at the TSX when i found a zero down 313 a month lease 10k miles/yr and 36 months. The car is very nice for the price and i generally really enjoy it although there are some minor drawbacks. Coming from a 6 to a 4 is a downgrade. It sounds like any other japanese 4 which means its whiney. Although the gas miliage is excellent and exceeds expectations and has plenty of power for me. 25 in town and 33-37 on the hwy. The driver seat is just ok and it hits me a little high. i cannot seem to lower it enough to make it comfortable. The passanger is perfect however. The radio is average and the dash has some cheap looking plastic in places.

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  MDX torque converter failures - 2010 Acura MDX
  By curious52 - March 29 - 3:40 pm

  There are many, many MDX owners out there who have experienced torque converter failures over the years from 2002 up to 2010. For newer models there has JUST been a recall, within the last month. New software needs to be installed by the dealer. Be sure to ask if this recall applies to your car. My TC was replaced two months ago in my 2010 vehicle. I find it interesting that only now has Acura accepted the fact that a general problem has existed across many years of the MDX production. This damages my long-time positive feelings about Acura automobiles.

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  What a disappointment - 2003 Acura TL
  By gralls4771 - March 24 - 9:05 am

  This car was my first Honda product after owning nothing but American built cars, I had very high hopes. At first I was very impressed with the Acura, I loved driving it, great for road trips, very powerful and sporty handling. But then I learned of the transmission problems. I felt like I was driving a ticking time bomb..........then mine needed replaced just like so many others. Count on spending about $5000 from Acura. This happened at 90K, then at 113K the engine started making internal ticking noises. Dealer recommended new engine. Really? Entire drive train replaced by 113K with a perfect maintenance record? Sold the car that day. So turned off by Honda now.

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  2001 Acura TL 3.2L (65K miles) - 2001 Acura TL
  By vb4000 - March 8 - 8:57 pm

  The Acura TL is a basically a Honda Accord with more fit and trim. If thats okay with you, then youll love this car. Personally, I think the car looks girly. I have it in white, and Im not a huge fan of the design. Ive seen it in blue and black and it looks much better. -Transmission was replaced at 56K miles. -The 3.2L is a reliable engine that has plenty of pep and a surprising amount of power down low. It wont exactly blow your hair back, but its a quick car if/when it has to be. As per gas mileage, its not that impressive. Edmunds says 20pmg, and theyre pretty much dead on. For a V6, it isnt exactly a gas sipper.