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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  I LOVE IT! - 2003 Acura TL
  By Scotty - May 11 - 3:43 pm

  I purchased this car one year ago. So far it has been a pleasure owning it. 260h(200whp) engine delivers smooth power when you need it. Interior is spacious and well designed. Large trunk. So far it has been very reliable.

• 

  Fast n Fun! - 1992 Acura Legend
  By cclegendle - May 11 - 8:16 am

  I got my first Legend in March of 09 with about roughly 204,500 miles on it, and it ran like a new car! I like the leather interior and the auto drivers seat, but what I especially like is the surprising speed and handling and the fact that you have access to all four speeds in an automatic (which is something most automatic owners dont even have access to today!). I like this car so much that when Im done with it I think I will get a type 2 Legend with a 6 speed manual transmission. 4 door or coupe it doesnt matter 2 me because they both look good!

• 

  Questioning My Decision - 2009 Acura TL
  By Slack - May 10 - 10:02 am

  I just got my 2009 TL SH-AWD/TECH last week. I love the design and the gadgets, but I am really disappointed in the constant rattling each time I hit a bump. It sounds cheap and drives me crazy. I found out after purchase that this has been an issue with Honda/Acura cars for a while. As much as I like it, I am seriously considering selling the car if the dealer cant fix this. The ride, in general, is a little harder than I like.

• 

  04 TL - 2005 Acura TL
  By Ice Art - May 10 - 4:56 am

  After about 1 year, several squeaks and rattles have developed in the cabin. The handling is a bit spongy around turns. Great acceleration. Awesome sound system.

• 

  I love it! - 2002 Acura TL
  By ExecAsst - May 10 - 2:00 am

  I owned an Acura Integra prior to buying this car. Im hooked on Acura. They are reliable, dependable cars. The TL is beautiful and everything comes standard except the navigation system. I love it!

• 

  Best car for the value - 2003 Acura TL
  By scotts - May 10 - 2:00 am

  Compared with Lincoln LS, Lexus, Infiniti, Pontiac, Oldsmobile, 300M, BMW, Mercedes; by far the TL type S is the best car for the $$$. Well just wait to see what the resale is on the aforementioned vs. the TL. Why pay more for less. The Honda reliablity and value retention will surely pay off in the long run.

• 

  Problems with tech pack/nav - 2009 Acura TSX
  By ben - May 10 - 12:12 am

  Bought the car 2009 tsx /tech pack and since the first week noticed problems with the rearview camera - would not turn on despite the car in reverse. Also having problems with the nav syst. Would not activate despite the car being driven. The bluetooth system is not very clear as BMW and has lots of static. The louder the road noise the louder the static gets when you increase the volume to listen while using the bluetooth. Also the nav syst. will not let you pair the phone and this is an ongoing problems. It took Acura regal dealer 5 visits and a call to Acura headquarters to confirm the above issues. They have stated they will replace the system and all should be back to normal. No guarantee.

• 

  Safe and solid performer - 2009 Acura MDX
  By IN46321 - May 9 - 6:31 pm

  Love my MDX. Solid build quality and fit n finish. Did a apples to apples comparison with the Lexus RX 350. Hands down the MDX is much better value. The smoothness of the ride and the technology package is just incredible. My 2 kids(8 & 6) are having a ball. Bluetooth and phone book downloads are so convenient. The navigation system with lane assist, traffic updates and other advanced features like Zagat rocks! Xm is a nice icing on the cake..Cant stop looking at it and driving it. Plunge in and pamper yourself. You live only once..

• 

  Absolutely awesome.... - 2002 Acura RSX
  By luvthecar - May 9 - 6:13 pm

  This cars handling, design and overall quality are exceptional. The car rips!

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  Loving it! - 2016 Acura RDX
  By satirical - May 9 - 2:55 pm

  Bought an RDX Advance model and so far I love it. The nav unit and center console took time to get use to but now a I float with ease. Awesome SUV!!