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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  Test drive a few times before purchasing an RDX - 2014 Acura RDX
  By kelley shimo - May 6 - 6:52 am

  The RDX rides rough, I can feel every dip, bump, manhole, etc in the road. Test drive on city roads and you will understand what I am talking about. I have encountered some strange brake noises that the Service center said is standard. There is a strange clanging noise in the front when you cross over lane separators or bumps. It is annoying and is standard in the RDX and I also heard it in the TL. It sounds as if the front axle is loose. Substandard paint used on this vehicle, after 1 week, I already have chips. After 7 months, more chips and many scratches some as long as 12". These are not malicious or deliberate scratches; more likely someones purse rubbed against my car as they walked by. I had my Mercedes ML320 for 19 years and did not have this many chips and scratches. The placement of the air vents is nonsensical, the drivers vent is blocked by the steering wheel base and the levers for the turn signal and windshield wipers. I dont see how this design flaw was not noticed by Acura, I need the heat directed toward me not my steering wheel and levers. The heat control is baffling. This car is 3 years old, but in 51 degree weather, it takes a good 10 minutes for the heater to work. Heater set at 73-80 degrees and cool air comes out of the vents. I think for a newer car, I had higher expectations of design and functionality of an Acura. Too many little things add up to an annoying vehicle.

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  Nice ride... - 2009 Acura MDX
  By shooterj - May 5 - 10:09 pm

  Switched from RX400H to MDX due to the need for more room to haul rugrats. :) Test drove X5, Fx35/50, and GX470, somehow overall MDX gave me the best combo scores in handling, performance, luxury amenities, and reliability... not to mention the safety rating on this 300 HP beast...

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  Transmission problems - 2003 Acura MDX
  By Ron - May 5 - 8:58 pm

  I gave a poor reliability rating due to the fact that my transmission went out with only 73,000 mile on it. I cant believe that a SUV of this caliber would have this issue. Warranty ran out at 60,000 miles. Repair cost is $3,167.00. This is a regular problem with 2001 ,2002 and 2003 transmissions.

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  Best Bang for your Buck - 2009 Acura TSX
  By MWTSX - May 5 - 7:07 pm

  Acura did a great job giving performance of a sport car along with comfort and convenience of a luxury car! Its slightly bigger and wider than the old TSX but it comes loaded for the price... I would have had to get so many upgrade packages in other makes to get the base model on the TSX! I didnt get the navigation but it doesnt matter. I had driven other models and Acura gives a nice tight drive with sold performance.

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  Long term review - 2009 Acura RDX
  By tom - May 5 - 12:34 pm

  Have owned the SUV for one year and 18k miles now. Fun to drive, good visibility, excellent handling and did real well in the New England winter. I am not a very aggressive driver and dont use the paddle shifters much. I do a mix of highway and city driving. I am averaging 21 mpg. The rear suspension is very firm which could be uncomfortable for rear adult passengers on longer trips. I owned another Acura five years ago. I was disappointed with the fit and finish of my SUV. Total of three trim pieces on the dashboard and passengers door panels were replaced under warranty because they became loose. Had to also take it back for rattling sound behind the glove box .

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  Best car ever owned - 1994 Acura Legend
  By CarlD - May 5 - 12:09 pm

  I purchased my 94 Legend GS from my father in law with 187000 mi on it. He kept it in top shape. Every service was done on schedule and at the dealer. I have since done the same and now have over 340000 mi on it. It is fun to drive and a great looking car. Acura needs to bring back the Legend. I have a 99 RL and enjoy driving the Legend more. Everything on the car works. Have only had to do normal repair work. Engine still strong and burns no oil and passes emissions with no problem. Love this car!

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  The wonder wheel - 2007 Acura MDX
  By The wonder wheel - May 5 - 4:20 am

  I recently picked up my 2007 tech and entertainment MDX on 2-23-07. It has been truly a great purchase. I traded in a 2006 Mercedez-Benz that had multiple problems to an upgraded dream. All of the technology is great. I offer to drive my friends around just so I can feel the comfort of the seats. I am a stay home mom with 2 kids. This car has plenty of room for everyone. I highly recommend it.

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  Spoiled Honda Owner - 2007 Acura RDX
  By LoveACURA - May 4 - 6:50 pm

  I owned Hondas for years but strayed to AUDI a few years ago. I loved the AWD of my AUDI but hated the UNreliability - Ill NEVER have another Audi. Finding AWD for under $40K was a challenge. LOVE my RDX - a suped-up Honda with AWD! All the bells and whistles of a more expensive model but at a great price. Gas mileage is wonderful when I drive it like a 4 cyl. When I need the power of a 6 cyl, I have it with the Turbo. Drive it like a 6 cyl and youll too complain about the gas mileage.

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  I like - 2009 Acura TSX
  By Eazgon - May 4 - 4:50 pm

  When I drive it, I just feel so in control of the car. Its comfortable, the display is intuitive and it just feels like the car is one with you. Sound quality is excellent as well and you can hook up your ipod directly and see a listing of all your songs on the console. There are just so many gizmos to this car. Yes, with 4 cylinders you dont feel that extra umph of power you get from a V6 but its more than enough, especially from city driving. I get 29.4 miles to the gallon (calculated). The backseat feet area can use some more room but its roomier than the IS for sure. All my friends who have been in my car love it as well. Its definitely an excellent value for what you get.

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  MPG could be improved - 2005 Acura TL
  By adhikun - May 4 - 12:40 pm

  I got the car used, at 27,500 mi. Not bad for a 2005 car. Handling is very sporty, suspension is more sporty than luxurious. MPG is pretty bad - mix driving only gets me between high teens and 21mpg.