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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  Hot looking car - 2009 Acura TSX
  By Azul - June 23 - 1:05 pm

  I got my TSX almost a year ago now and I get a lot of compliments from ppl. I didnt get the nav sys because it was way more expensive that just buying a separate one if you dont have one already. The brake pads were defective, it started making the annoying squeaky noise after only 4 months. The bracket that holds the trunk door went out of place because some wire was not connected properly, so it wouldnt open with the remote control. They were both fixed under warranty at no cost. Great service, just inconvenient to spend a couple of hours each time to fix a new car.

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  Best vehicle weve ever owned - 2007 Acura MDX
  By Pleased - June 22 - 2:05 pm

  Im two years into a three year lease and I love this car. The only thing I would change would be the shape of the grill...THATS IT. Everything else is perfect. Great performance, plenty of power and AWD when skiing, plenty of room for baggage, great MPG for an SUV, navi system is far superior to GMs Suburban (dont have to put in park to change your destination, etc). Zero problems...just gas and oil changes. One beautiful car...except for the sho-gun shield looking grill.

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  I love my TL-S! - 2003 Acura TL
  By saige - June 22 - 12:23 am

  I bought my TL used with 37K miles on it after my 9 yr old Prelude bit the dust. I had never purchased a used car and was cautious. I wanted something that was family friendly and reliable, but still had that v-tech since I just LOVED my Prelude. Four years later I have never had any major problems (except the transmission that was recalled and replaced for free by the dealer - it never died completely just was sounding funny, RPMs were strange,etc....) but I could not be more pleased. It pays off next year and I plan to drive it as long as possible. Best purchase ever.

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  Not impressed - 2009 Acura TSX
  By Suzie - June 21 - 12:26 pm

  Traded my 2006 TL. Got the TSX because TL no longer offered a manual transmission. Got the wing spoiler and underbody molding. Looks really "hot" in the basque red. That said, I should have stayed with the TL. Navigation is a waste. I can read a map "direct route" keeps you on main roads & takes you the long way traffic conditions on radio is better. Drivers seat has a hard spot in the middle of my back. The switchblade key spring is wearing out in less than a month. Radio has static. Bluetooth doesnt connect (this was problem with 2006 TL I would think they would have this fixed by now). Computerized MPG calculator isnt correct after fillups.

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  Nothing else comes close. - 2006 Acura TL
  By ParallaX49 - June 20 - 6:53 pm

  After looking at every other car in this class, (Audi A4, BMW 3, Infiniti G35, Saab 9-3, Lexus ES and IS) nothing even came close to the feature content and performance of the TL. Everything either costs thousands more (the BMW and the Lexus cost over $50k for an entry-level car!) or didnt have good buld quality (Saab may have been ruined by GM.) The TL has attractive styling, plenty of electronic toys, excellent acceleration, and a firm but comfortabl ride. The TL is the best all-rounder on the market. I should know, I actually work for an Infiniti dealership.

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  This car is awsome! - 2009 Acura TSX
  By Martin, IL - June 20 - 2:47 pm

  I love my TSX! Since I got it back in February I put 9K miles on it and I average 27.3 MPG. I also clocked it at 7.1 0-60 and 15.2 1/4 mile. Edmunds times are way off to everybody elses for some reason (car&driver, road and track, motor trend etc) by about 1 full sec. for 0-60 an 1/4 mile! I love the handling .084 and the road feel. You cant beat that value for the money! Try to get a A4 or 3 series for $30K! Thats not going to happen! If youre looking for something fun, reliable, with the best resale value in its class - you found it! Im very happy with my car.

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  Pretty good - 2009 Acura MDX
  By Dave - June 20 - 12:01 pm

  Nice car. Build quality is excellent. Dealer service has been excellent. Bluetooth cell phone pairing is easy and nice. Seats are hard for me to set up comfortably though and the headrests are absolutely awful. Very uncomfortable due b/c they tilt too far forward. Dash has too many buttons. Acura should consolidate the controls to make them easier to use, rather than trying to make you depend on voice input. GPS requires far too many steps. No iPod integration is disappointing. Needs better, more durable clear coat on the paint. Rear camera display hangs switching modes (dark to light) backing out of a driveway so often is useless when needed most on a sunny day.

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  Bad experience - 2005 Acura TL
  By Mark - June 20 - 10:02 am

  Love the look. I went with Acura after looking at everything from BMW to Benz. Fun to drive, great color (black with blue specks over gray) and very comfortable interior. However, it has been the most unreliable car I have owned as an adult. Numerous trips back to the dealer for mechanical issues, interior rattles like crazy, lousy roadside assistance (Ive had to call them 4 times in 9 months). I will be trading it in on a Lexus or BMW as soon as I get it back from service (again).

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  Rattle box - 2016 Acura MDX
  By Jerry - June 19 - 11:18 pm

  This is the worst purchase ever. The seats are very uncomfortable. Cheap build quality as the doors rattles when you drive. Terrible drivetrain. Lots of noise and vibrations. If you want a real luxury car, look at Lexus, Mercedes, or Bmw.

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  Would I lease it again? - 2009 Acura TSX
  By RC - June 19 - 12:49 am

  I have driven my 09 TSX/Accord Euro for over 3 months and put 4000+ miles on it. My first 4 cyl after 20 yrs. Hate the shake from the engine, (I know the V6 is coming, but for $5K please...) makes the car feel cheap, once accel. it is smooth. The ride is too firm on the highway, very tiring. Ive owned sports coupes and luxury cars and dont know if it is the seats (too firm or suspension). Tech pack great, however the XM Radio dynamic range is poor compared to my 06 Nissan Morano. DVD-A and IPOD audio amazing. Who designs cars should create deeper footwells in back seats, stupid. Use the S selection on the Automatic, wow drives like a different car. Too much road noise. Again? No.