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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  14 years old and looking great - 1994 Acura Legend
  By SJB - June 20 - 10:24 pm

  I always was allured by the body style of the Legend. Even after the fact that it is a 14 yr old car the design is unsurpassed. The Legend was way ahead of its time. I bought this car with 120k and the motor is as if it was off the showroom floor. It squaks the tires from 1st to 2nd gear, without me trying. It is luxury and sport wrapped into one. Nough said!!!

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  Great car - 2008 Acura TSX
  By Terry Flynn - June 20 - 8:54 am

  Very economical for a luxury brand. 25 MPH in city. High in quality. One problem is that it takes premium gas. Excellent pick up. Third Acura I have owned. Other two were Integras. Will always stick with Acura.

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  10 years of ownership - 1999 Acura TL
  By JFD - June 19 - 2:24 pm

  Best ownership experience imaginable. Very reliable car. Transmission replaced at 19k miles. Replacement 4A still going strong at 220k miles. We had a problem with warped rotors. Build quality is phenomenal. Nearly 10 years of New England and mostly Canadian winters and the car looks incredible inside, outside, and underneath. MPG usually mid-twenties US mpg, about 30 Canadian mpg. Commutes 250 miles at 80+ mph several times per week, plus longer highway trips. Durability of trim pieces is amazing. Engine bulletproof, very smooth, and adequately powerful. Vinyl on edge of drivers seat will tend to crack while leather still looks new. Highly recommended car.

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  Love This Car! - 2005 Acura MDX
  By Joanne - June 19 - 9:28 am

  Bought this car in February of 2005. Havent had one problem with it since! Very reliable and very luxurious. Was coming from a 1998 Toyota Camry LE. Compared it to the Lexus RX 330. While the Lexus was nice, it couldnt fit 3 people across the third row comfortably. But my Acura can. The Bose stereo in my MDX simply superb and this car handles so nicely. The nav system is also extremely easy to use. Like the V6 and the AWD. I also like the visibility that comes with being higher off the ground. Will never buy anything other than an Acura. Unfortunately the gas mileage is around 12 MPG. I do mostly city driving but I was expecting more like 16 from a mid-size SUV with just a V6.

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  Right Choice For Me - 2008 Acura RDX
  By Satisfied Owner - June 19 - 7:42 am

  Car is wonderful to drive. Quick and nimble, quiet yet solid. I purchased the RDX with Tech package and am glad I did so. Nav system is great and the ELS Stereo system is impressive. The drive is a sporty, stiffer drive which I prefer. I now have 3,300 miles and in mixed driving I am averaging 23 mpg.

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  What a Machine - 2001 Acura Integra
  By TYPE R 01 - June 19 - 1:41 am

  This vehicle is one of my favorite cars. I drive this vehicle like a race car. It performs when requested, accelerates with hesitation, and screams like a motorcycle! The car is very fun to drive especially when it reaches VTEC! The sound of the cross-over from normal cam lobes to higher lobes provides a exciting moment to enthusiast. Sit back in a nice and comfortable bucket seat, enjoy the gripping power assited by LSD and watch your tach as it reaches 8500 RPM. It is no V-8 but it performs like one!

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  My next car - 2016 Acura TLX
  By Jo - June 18 - 7:19 pm

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  Happy Owner - 2007 Acura TL
  By Nicolas in Montreal - June 18 - 10:28 am

  Subtle sporty looks combined with a power-plant befitting Honda’s “no boring drives” slogan. The manufacturer’s strong credentials and this car’s appeal made me give-up my beloved Accord EX V6 (1998, good low-profile tires). With the Type-S, I got a faster, safer and more luxurious car. Normal driving is smooth, but floor it and WOW! Which brings me to the torque steer issue: not a problem unless you want a race car. I put the VSA (vehicle stability assist) system of the Type-S through a real-life test on an icy parking lot this winter, and at 80km it kept the car on track by activating alternatively the rear brakes when I steered heavily in an attempt to get it to skid. Canadian-winter approved!

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  Zacura - 2006 Acura MDX
  By LZ - June 17 - 10:04 am

  In 18 months of driving the MDX, not a single item has needed repair - we had a leaking tire once, but the dealer removed the nail, patched the tire, and didnt even charge me (and we only knew of the condition because of the dashboard warning light). Great ride, sporty handling, good acceleration off the line, does everything right.

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  AC........ On IT!!!!!!!! - 2004 Acura RSX
  By JON_JON - June 16 - 2:00 am

  Driving the car is an experience.