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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  98 Acura RL 4 door sedan - 1998 Acura RL
  By jbaist - June 11 - 11:40 am

  Continues to provide an excellent ride & reliability even after 10 years.

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  PERSONAL REVIEW - 2004 Acura MDX
  By RENE PRIETO - June 11 - 10:00 am

  EXCELLENT ALL AROUND VEHICLE RUGGET ENOUGH FOR THE BACK COUNTRY IN THE MORNING AND ELEGANT ENOUGH FOR THE OPERA AT NIGHT. VERY NICE INSIDE

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  Its mine and I love it - 2004 Acura MDX
  By mking - June 11 - 10:00 am

  I had one of the first MDXs (2001) off the line. My husband always borrowed it when it rained hard or snowed. When he asked what I wanted for a holiday gift, I said I a car he could drive in bad weather without taking mine. Just before Christmas we bought our 2nd MDX-- one for me, and he took over the 2001 MDX. We had a hard winter here, with lots of snow--and we each loved having our own MDX! I enjoy the upgrades: 265 hp, rearview scan in reverse, automatic windshield wipers, and automatic lights. The new navi system is slightly more difficult to use, but has more features. I feel safe, and I am glad he is safe, too.

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  Acuras MDX is the best SUV available - 2004 Acura MDX
  By Acura lover - June 11 - 10:00 am

  This is my second MDX. It is the most comfortable and luxerious SUV Ive ever owned. Everything in it (besides the DVD and Navigation System) is standard. There are no dealer "add- ons". This includes the leather seats, the seat heaters, moonroof, side curtain air bags, 6 CD changer, premium sound system, and premium paint job. The MDX rides as smooth or smoother than any car I have ridden in. The 265 HP engine climbs mountains without any hesitation.

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  2003 Acura TL 3.2 - 2003 Acura TL
  By rhs - June 11 - 10:00 am

  The best car Ive ever owned in all respects.

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  love this car - 2004 Acura TL
  By bonnie - June 11 - 10:00 am

  i loved this car it handles very well

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  First Acura and pleased so far. - 2004 Acura TL
  By dhott - June 10 - 7:28 pm

  We bought this TL recently for my wifes primary car and are very pleased with it. Its a great looking and very solid feeling car. The interior looks like new except for the metal trim pieces everyone seems to complain about that are nicked and dinged. Also climate and radio display face is pitted and shows it bad in the sun. The car has great power and gets 30+ mpg on freeway. The car has 67570 miles and I havent noticed any rattles or problems yet but it is still new to us. The seats look new. I bought it because I like the features and Honda quality plus it came certified with manufacturers warranty. Manual shift auto is useless though, I just leave it in drive.

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  Last Forever? - 1994 Acura Legend
  By Order the Schnitzel - June 10 - 2:55 pm

  I have had only the most minor of problems with this car: the little plate at the top of the shifter that tells where the gears are fell off, I had to replace the radiator twice, everything else was normal wear and tear. Why would anyone want to pay upwards of $20K to get a new car? Is the GPS or XM radio that important? Get the portable versions for cryin out loud.

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  Best Car Ive Ever Owned - 2006 Acura RL
  By IP35 - June 10 - 2:51 pm

  The Acura RL is a fantastic, luxurious practical performance sedan. Ive ownwed BMWs, Saabs, and various other domestic and Japanese brands over the years. The Acura RL is, hands down, the best. The only trips to the dealer have been for oil changes and routine service -- absolutely problem free driving. Fuel mileage is outstanding for this class of vehicle -- I get 26-27 mpg on interstate trips while cruising well north of 70 mph. Its a fun car to drive thanks to the SH-AWD, and its quiet, comfortable and luxurious.

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  New TL - 2004 Acura TL
  By bjr1144 - June 10 - 2:00 am

  The car is very comfortable to drive, extremely quieton the road. The 3.2 engine coupled with the Honda suspension gives the car the ride and response of a much more expensive vehicle. The manual feature of the five speed automatic adds even more response and sport car feel. The attention to details and quality that is very high, I have not found or encountered a problem with the car. As you are travelintg, the DVD sound system in this car makes it difficult to believe you are not sitting in your home. Top styling, high quality, great engineering combine to make this an extremely enjoyable car to own.