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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  Fast car but un-reliable - 1991 Acura Legend
  By zanebrant - May 18 - 8:07 pm

  This car is very fast and fun to drive. It also has a lot of interior space and pretty comfy in general. The sound system and electronics are high quality. The "leather" seats have quickly become ripped and torn. And the cooling system has given me many problems, it is always springing leaks or just generally not cooling well.

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  RSX Type S - great all round car - 2002 Acura RSX
  By redline8x1000 - May 18 - 5:51 pm

  This was my first car I bought on my own and it was great. Had everything you would want in a car including, performance, looks, utility, fuel economy, and reliability. If I had a need for a 2nd car I would have kept it however Im sure it will be a blessing to the next owner.

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  Cool Car - 2009 Acura TL
  By CH - May 18 - 1:53 pm

  Great Car, I dont like the material used on the grill and trunk as the finish is already tarnishing after 2 months. I dont like rust on brake drums as well. Gas mileage needs improving. Other than that, great car!!

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  Great car, handles like a go-cart - 2004 Acura TSX
  By TSXter - May 18 - 10:00 am

  Had the car about a month, very satisfied with performance, handling and fuel economy. Has a squeek on the top of the dash that I have to get taken care of. Miss the memory seats from my last car. Car is great and a lot of fun to drive. The navigation system with voice command is the best I ever tried, and is fun and worth the money.

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  What a deal! - 2004 Acura TSX
  By brenob - May 18 - 10:00 am

  I looked at several others entry level luxury-sport cars. The 330Ci, G35, C320 Sports Coupe, and others. The TSX was more fun, had better fuel efficiency, better features, and (except for the 330Ci) better handling and road feel. Plus the included features like dual-zone automatic climate control, heated seats, and sunroof were standard, not extra. If youre thinking about getting this car I would DEFINITELY go with the navigation option. The navigation is amazing, the 8" LCD touchscreen is amazing, and the voice activation lets you keep your hands on the wheels and eyes on the road!

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  I love this car! - 2004 Acura TL
  By corene Myers - May 18 - 10:00 am

  I have only had this car since April, but we already have a love affair. It is a wonderful ride, its sporty, smooth and just a beautiful car, both in and outside. I get compliments on this car where ever I go, even at the traffic signals people tell me how beautiful the car is.

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  Too bad...not enough comfort - 2009 Acura TL
  By neilman - May 16 - 8:56 am

  Tested both base and SH-AWD. Would have been a great car to buy...but base model seats are too hard, could feel pressure in the lumbar area. SH-AWD ride is too firm...lots of noise driving over reflectors on the road etc. Lots of reviews from extensive research say ride is too firm for a luxury car. Also, unfortunately...armrests are decorative and not functional...just leather covering over a hard surface. Comfort is important to me...resting my elbows on hard surfaces while driving does not work well. Too bad...most manufacturers do not think of this, even Lexus. American cars are much better on comfort...been driving GM for 20 years. Although the 09 Maxima does offer great comfort.

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  I Looooove This Car!!! - 1990 Acura Legend
  By BDCarguy - May 15 - 2:14 pm

  I just bought this car for my first car about 2 months ago and I must say I am very pleased with it all the way around. To my surprise and delight I found out that a 19 year old car with 230k miles can still kick on the highway. The torque produced by the low volume V-6 makes this car jump off the line like no other! I dont think Ive seen another front wheel drive car that can burn out. I had to drive it hard for a while just to break it in and get a feel for it and found that it is surprisingly easy to chirp the tires into second and I even heard a squeak into third. The comfort factor on the seats has to be a nine but the lack of cup holders is disappointing...

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  Very good - 2003 Acura MDX
  By Jason - May 15 - 2:00 am

  It drives wel in the rain, its like there isnt any rain

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  Great Car! TL-S - 2003 Acura TL
  By dasa - May 15 - 2:00 am

  I upgraded from a top of the line Camry. It has great power and features that come standard. It feels well-built and reliable--yet sporty.