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:

• 

  Im glad I own this car - 2009 Acura TSX
  By big al - September 21 - 5:33 am

  I bought my 09 tsx about a month ago, and have nothing but good things to say about it. I was torn between the 08 accord and tsx, after test driving both, the choice was simple. The tsx test drive was superior. I commute 120 miles a day and I am truly impressed with the ride and comfort of this car. I love the car and have nothing to say but good things about it. It is great on gas and a blast to drive, and compares nicely to those pricey luxury vehicles.The bluetooth is great and with Acuras well known performance and reliability, you cannot go wrong with this car.

• 

  I think its a great value - 2015 Acura TLX
  By rwp626 - September 9 - 6:20 am

  I drove an Acura ILX before getting the TLX a few months ago. The difference is night and day. While both have the same reliable Acura quality, the ride in the ILX was choppy. By contrast the TLX is a very comfortable ride. I have the 4 cylinder base model, but I find it fine for me. If someone wants to drive aggressively, with lots of peppy acceleration, this is not a match for that. But for the average driver, the performance of the car is fine. Its comfort is well above average. I would compare the drive to a Lexus 350. I did not get the navigation system, because with a smart phone, its all you need. Acura service is tops when you need it, but you rarely do.

• 

  Excellent Compromise - 2003 Acura MDX
  By SteveV - August 28 - 2:00 am

  For a family with four kids this is an excellent and balanced compromise. Priced well - as long as you can work your way around the dealer/accesory mark-up issues. Decent performance within the class. Very respectable handling. If you need the space this is a great way to go.

• 

  A little disappointing - 2003 Acura TL
  By Jules0622 - August 8 - 2:00 am

  I was very excited to purchase my first "luxury" vehicle. I did a lot of research and knew this was the car for me. Im surprised that I already have rattles with only 1500 miles. My chevy didnt get rattles until after 30,000. Maybe I got a lemon. Overall I am pleased with the vehicle however Im not sure it will last as long as I had hoped!

• 

  Almost Great - 2003 Acura TL
  By Mike W. - August 8 - 2:00 am

  TL Type S is a great car that is very fun to drive. 260 Horsepower is just enough to teach those younger kids a lesson every now and then. The car accelerates well and handles corners with ease.

• 

  Daves Review - 2006 Acura TL
  By David Smallwood - August 4 - 1:56 pm

  Squeaks and rattles from the dash, drivers door and sunroof areas. While braking, the downshift to third gear is often too noticeable. More wind noise than I was expecting. Leather in driver seat is beginning to wrinkle after only two months. Cup holder doesnt like to release your cup.

• 

  Value Buy - 2002 Acura TL
  By Value buyer - August 3 - 10:00 am

  For the money, this car will match any feature for feature. The 260HP delivers on low-end and mid-range acceleration. The car corners flat and the breaking system is excellent. If I had known about an available 6 speed in 2003 I would have waited.

• 

  Ultimate Commuter, Not a Sports Sedan - 2006 Acura TL
  By emos - July 29 - 2:33 pm

  Just spent 3.5 yrs in a G35 Coupe and had driven G35 Sedan loaners. Test drove Passat and A4. The TL is a great car and an awesome value (cost me under $29k new in July). Ride is nice balance b/w sport and comfort. But it is not a sports sedan. Mainly because it is FWD. RWD cars handle much better. Also, transmission gearing is too low (probly for fuel economy) and its hard to keep engine RPMs up where the power is (over 4000) It eats up miles on highway, offers enough fun to drive factor, looks good, is comfortable and fits 4-5 easily. But cant compare to handling and balance of RWD cars like G35 and BMW 3 series. Still - the Ultimate Value Perf Luxury Commuter (need FWD or AWD in NJ).

• 

  TLX Early Impressions - 2016 Acura TLX
  By Gregory Lowe - July 25 - 9:53 am

  Car has above average technology for the entry luxury sedan class, but below average performance for the category. Also, the engine automatic stop when stationary at a traffic light, etc. is annoying and requires manual override.

• 

  Good buy! but minor problems - 2005 Acura TSX
  By Chuck - July 23 - 3:00 am

  I bought this car after reading all the reviews and forums I can find. Everyone said its great, but no one ever saidanything about the TSX brakes. IMO, I think the brakes can be more responsive. I had a 97 civic before this car, and it seems TSXs brakes slower in stopping than my civic. Now, I have to plan ahead in stopping. Another problem is the speedometer. The 40 mph mark is placed at what another car would be at 20 mph. You got to be driving above 60 mph in order to see the needle above the 9oclock mark. That makes driving in city a pain, since the needle position causes me to feel I am going like 20 mph.