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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  2002 Acura MDX Lemon - 2002 Acura MDX
  By mdxlemon - May 22 - 10:00 am

  On delivery MDX it had a rattle which came from dashboard area. Took in for service and car was at dealer an entire month (22 business days). Nav system also blacking out intermittently. Took back to Ryans acura for final repair under lemon law and rattle was fixed but not nav. I requested under lemon law that Acura give me a new vehicle and was flat out refused. They feel I should bring my car back over and over for service while getting a loaner car with no nav that is worth far less and drive around in that. Lemon lawsuit is being filed this week to bring Acura to justice for not complying with the lemon law. Acura just lost this customer.

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  Excellent peformance crossover - 2007 Acura RDX
  By Chapel Hill - May 21 - 10:18 pm

  We purchased an 07 RDX brand new when they first came out (we purchased in Aug 06). We are in the process of selling it, not because we want to, but because our family has simply outgrown it. We put 40k miles on it in almost 3 years of ownership and have thoroughly enjoyed the RDX. Weve used it around town & on family trips. Extremely reliable. Quiet ride. Incredibly comfortable interior w/ awesome styling. Multiple compartments for storage, & many tech features. Front & back seats are quite roomy & backseat easily folds down flat (2/3 / 1/3) to expand cargo space. The AWD RDX drives better than most performance cars - handling is incredible & it is a fun, solid drive/ride.

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  beware of useless nav system - 2016 Acura MDX
  By al - May 21 - 8:39 am

  Navigation system is mostly useless..better off not paying for it and using Wavz

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  Bang for the buck - 2009 Acura TSX
  By boxster - May 20 - 1:42 pm

  Lots of feature for the price. Comparable to Mercedes c-class, mbw 3-series as far as luxury features. Performance-wise, it feels under power.

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  Exciting car to drive - 2009 Acura TL
  By Wayne - May 20 - 7:38 am

  Picked up this 2009 TL Sho With tech package 4/2009 and I must say the nav system is much better than in my 05 RL. The vehicle is fun to drive and Im having a hard time staying out of it. The sound system is top notch and I love the IPod USB feature. Overall after doing much research and test driving BMW, Mercedes and Infinity this is the value for the money out here.

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  The best car ever - 2006 Acura TL
  By Torri - May 20 - 6:53 am

  I own a 2006 TL. I often just get in the car and ride because I love the feeling and the looks I get from others. I must say it is a real head turner. The voice activated navigation system is very easy to use, the blue- tooth technology is awesome. The only thing I am not impressed with is the 2 tone interior, besides that I have no complaints about my new purchase. I think Acura has definitely stepped up and can run with the best of them. It is well worth the money, you will not be disappointed.

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  I Love This Car - 2009 Acura TSX
  By Michael - May 19 - 3:35 pm

  Though less than a month old, I am in love with this car. I previously owned a 2005 Volvo S40 turbo, and while I have nothing but good things to say about that car, I think I like my 2009 TSX better. The interior can feel a bit like the cockpit of a 747 at first, but within days I was comfortable navigating and controlling it. The nav system with integrated blue tooth and iPod is a dream, and the the backup camera, while cheesy, is a nice touch. The only drawback to this car is power. At barely over 200HP, it seems hesitant to accelerate. The handling and braking work like a champ, but I would love to see this with a turbo. Overall, this is a fantastic car!

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  So So - 2009 Acura TL
  By Dookie - May 19 - 1:01 pm

  Had taken my 2008 TL Type S in for some routine maint and given the 2009 TL. Must say I was not disappointed but not overly impressed. Kinda left me feeling a bit ho-hum *yawn*. The styling of the 2009 TL is confusing. Its as if they attempted to include everything on the exterior and the result is just big question mark. What was the statement? The interior is just as confusing with all its swoops and swirls... definite disconnection. The ride was comfortable, stereo sounded great, seats comfortable. Acceleration was quite lacking as Ive become accustomed to much more in my 08 Type S. Overall not a disappointing ride, however, nothing spectacular. The Tech package is extraordinary.

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  Get one! - 1997 Acura CL
  By kalzone - May 19 - 9:06 am

  Ive always been a VW/Audi guy and recently bought a used 1997 CL 2.2 for about $1500. Best money I ever spent. I cant believe I got all these option in one package. Engines good. AC, power seats, sunroof, ABS, radio all work great. Plus its great on gas. It doesnt corner like an Audi or a VW but close. Has lotsa room and is built tight. VTEC engine performs great and literally sips gas. Why didnt I discover Acuras sooner? Only thing I changed was a ball joint. You can pick these CLs up now for about 2grand and you wont be disappointed. Its a mixture of luxury and performance. Its not a Beemer but is much better than an Accord. My advice, get one!

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  Awesome Car - 2005 Acura TL
  By TL in PA - May 19 - 4:50 am

  We love our new Acura TL. We love the power. Also the grade logic control which we cant live without. The interior is great and has ample room. It is a well packaged car with good distinctive looks that sets itself apart without being "ugly." The Bluetooth is an awesome feature along with the sweet sound system. We truly have enjoyed our TL. Its an awesome highway cruiser with plenty of passing power. Best bang for your buck, no comparison to others in the class. Acura is the BEST!!