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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  my favorite drive - 2003 Acura TL
  By geekygirl - April 11 - 2:00 am

  I love my TL-S; just had it on a 800 mile road trip and it performed well, thumbs down on the MPG, but I didnt purchase it for MPG, either. Mine is black w/ gold trim and pinstripes,added shiny chrome whls. I enjoy driving it, also tested a new Maxima,,,didnt even rethink it....TL-S was for me!

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  just bought it - 2004 Acura TL
  By hugomarvin - April 11 - 2:00 am

  Spent the summer assessing the Audi A4, Lexus ES300, Infiniti G35 and Volvo S60. Decided to wait for the Acura TL, to be sure I would end up with a car that excited me(sportiness), and gave me a luxury feel. After driving the Acura, the decision was made. Cars I looked are all great vehicles; A4 is easily the most fun to drive, the Lexus is the most luxurious and possibly best built, G35 covered ground in both my critical criteria, but had a few too many quirky things, S60 fell short both on the sport and the luxury sides. Time will tell whether this was the correct decision.

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  Gorgeous but Tech Not!! - 2017 Acura RDX
  By Bunni - April 10 - 2:08 pm

  This RDX is gorgeous and unassuming! (Im still getting used to it as Ive owned it for less than 30 day.) I treated myself with the top of the line all the bells and whistles!! I love it!! The only issues I see is with the Navigation system and headlights. I traded a 2015 Jeep Cherokee and expected Acuras Navigation system to be superior, however to my surprise my Cherokees was far more superior and so intuitive. I didnt need to read the manual or look up any info regarding it. Also although Acura advertised the best headlights I cant see a difference from my 2015 Cherokee. As I said I do LOVE this SUV, the ride is very comfortable and I love the AWD and all the safety features. I think this is a great value and I plan to keep this SUV forever!!

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  Ruesters Review - 1997 Acura Integra
  By Bob Rue - April 10 - 2:00 am

  NEVER needed anything other than routine maintenance. Timing belt replaced at 98000 miles per owners manual. Great paint finish and color tone. 35-37 miles per gallon combined driving. Mostly highway miles on this car. Handles well in snow with four snow tires.

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  Nice size, good value - 1998 Acura SLX
  By Young Family - April 8 - 2:00 am

  Reliable SUV with a good size. Bigger than most but not as cumbersome as a Tahoe.

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  1994 Acura Vigor - 1994 Acura Vigor
  By Officer_ndogg - April 7 - 3:00 am

  This is a very reliable car. Build quality and reliability are excellent. Theres not one rattle or squeak on this car. The engine performs well, and has good acceleration and gets good gas mileage. The car handles well, though the ride is pretty rough at times. The driving position can be awkward for taller people and the back seat is very cramped. There is plenty of headroom in the front and back and the trunk is very big. Like I said, reliability has been nearly perfect, the only drawback is that parts can be somewhat expensive. Overall this car is one of the best older model used cars you can buy.

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  MDX - 2004 Acura MDX
  By JSB - April 6 - 2:00 am

  great SUV. Acura, again, rules!

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  Lovin this ride! - 2004 Acura TL
  By Sandy Eggo - April 6 - 2:00 am

  I deliberately made the TL the last of the 6 cars I tested out (G35, ES330, Passat, Accord, Camry), and I was sold after a half mile. Im a big guy, and I was worried about room - no problem. I found the seats very comfortable (havent checked out the rear seats, but unless the people back there are helping with the payments, Im not concerned!) Love the stereo, and never thought Id care for XM...its great for those with diverse musical tastes. So far, a great ride!

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  A solid car - 1995 Acura Integra
  By skippy - April 5 - 2:00 am

  Ive owned my 95 Integra for nearly 7 years now. Ive had problems with rattles in the dash and sunroof areas, a minor rust-colored stain on the carpet (when the car was brand new!) and the steering wheel airbag cover finish was peeling off when it was a few months old. Other than that, the car has been very reliable and is fairly fun to drive. It can be noisy in the cabin at higher speeds, though. Theres also a typical Japanese soft steering (over- boosted power) on this "sports car".

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  New Owner of Premium RL - 1998 Acura RL
  By BSS - April 2 - 2:00 am

  I just bought a RL, Premium model with Navigation system. I looked hard at BMW 5 series and Mercedes E320 as well as the Lexus LS400. I found the big Acura to have no real weaknesses. It was larger, more plush and with more features than the German models. Plus, it doesnt come with the snob label attached. It seemed the equal of the Lexus (other than the V8 vs the V6) and was thousands less. Plus, there are LS400s EVERYWHERE. I have had it for about a month and am very happy with it. Power is smooth, interior very comfortable and the sound system is incredible. This car doesnt necessarily demand attention, but it has understated class and refinement.