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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  Mixed Bag - 2002 Acura MDX
  By Aaron - June 3 - 5:05 pm

  After looking at a ton of Suvs I finally decided to go with a 2002(55k) MDX. Everything was great with the car until strange noises started to occur. Mainly between 35-40mph. It sounded like running over rumble strips. The problems just got worse from there. Rough shifting, clunking, etc. I went and tried to find an answer for this problem and discovered that transmission problems in these vehicles are pretty common. I love this car but the transmission is a HUGE issue for me. I am very disappointed with this vehicle and I will not be buying another Acura product.

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  My new 2017 MDX - 2017 Acura MDX
  By Marianne Kanning - June 3 - 9:18 am

  This is a great car for the price. This is my third MDX since 2001 and I put many miles on a car. With regular maintenance, this car can go at least 200.000. A very stylish ride.

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  A good car from Acura, if its for you - 2008 Acura RDX
  By Mike H - June 3 - 7:49 am

  Buy this car with your eyes wide open and your expectations in line - youll be happy. Reading the previous reviews for the RDX, I wonder whether some simply chose the wrong car. Dont buy a race horse, and then complain that it eats too much or cant pull a loaded wagon. This turbocharged engine has its quirks, but drive it right and youll be rewarded with decent mileage and good acceleration. About 21-22 if driven moderately. Is it noisy? A slight growl when floored. How about road noise? Depends on the road. Texas chip-and-seal roads get a little tiresome, but interstates are pretty quiet, and low-to-moderate speed roads are no problem. For me its the right car - Im happy.

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  Overall great Car - 2008 Acura TL
  By Sue - June 2 - 2:05 pm

  Great car. Looked at Lexus and Infinity. Acura gave more for the money. Love the carbon bronze color and wood grain details. Handles well. Loved not having to decide which options to pick since many were already included. Heated seats warm up quickly. Good pick-up. Get 32 mpg on hwy. Heavy doors. Such a solid car.

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  Rattle Trap - 2007 Acura TL
  By Rattle Trap - June 2 - 12:18 pm

  For a luxury car, the TL performs well, but is under-powered compared to others in the same class like the Infiniti G35 and the BMW 3 series. The suspension and handling is impressive at the expense of a smooth ride and a very poor turning radius. The 07 automatic transmission is less responsive than what I would expect from a luxury car Trim and paint quality is no better than the paint used on Honda cars while paint on the Infiniti is better. Road noise and rattles are the biggest issues with this model and Acura and Honda in general. There are known rattles in the 2007 TL many coming from the window sills front and back. Most do not happen all the time thus hard to trouble shoot

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  Nice car - 2009 Acura TL
  By diane - June 1 - 8:04 pm

  I had an Infiniti M35x and wanted a cheaper monthly payment without sacrificing the luxury. Looked at BMW 3 and Volkswagen CC. BMW was too expensive and everything was extra and VW was a little too small. The TL had everything I wanted standard (heated seats, sunroof and bluetooth). Dealer added the decklid spoiler for free. Engine is powerful and seats are comfortable. A little more road noise comes in than I would have liked. Dash layout is nice, looks modern and sporty. Steering is nice and tight. Fuel economy is great (22+) considering I averaged 14 mpg with the M35. I like the ipod connectivity. Good sounding stereo. I like this car a lot.

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  So Far So GOOD! - 2009 Acura MDX
  By ljndsl - June 1 - 2:45 pm

  Picked up this vehicle one month ago and so far logged 3200 miles without any problems. The vehicle runs great and is very comfortable for a guy who is 65" tall and 280lbs. I researched all AWD high end vehicles and went with the MDX. I had the car in for service at the dealership I purchased it and they were fantastic and extremely professional, so maybe Honda has listened and read all the consumer complaints. Last, I own a BMW X3 also... this SUV smokes the X3 in regards to service maintenance. A BMW oil change is 250.00 plus... a Acura oil change is 39.00 with a free car wash!

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  Best Mid Sized Luxury SUV Around - 2005 Acura MDX
  By Great MDX - May 31 - 11:20 pm

  We have had our 05 Touring w/Nav MDX for four months now (all winter) and absolutely love it. For all out traction in mud/snow, this one cant be beat. Solid as a rock and have had not one single problem. Voice activated Navigation is absolutely amazing. Looked at the RX and X5, both were way overpriced and gas mileage was worse than MDX. Its time for an MDX Hybrid.

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  Great 3-row SUV - 2009 Acura MDX
  By J. Isman - May 31 - 5:48 pm

  For comfort and luxury it cant be beaten....design is sharp, esp. front grill and badge....wish the city gas mileage were a bit better...not bad tho on the highway...

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  Great car, buy one if you are looking - 2009 Acura TL
  By RSchwagerl - May 30 - 1:33 pm

  Upgraded from a 2004 Chrysler Sebring 2 door coupe. Tech package is awesome. I have taken the car on a long road trip and was very impressed with the handling and the ride. The fit and finish from the interior and exterior is first rate.