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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  Excellent Replacement - 2008 Acura MDX
  By Eric Dise - May 1 - 2:07 pm

  I owned a 2004 MDX Touring and traded for the new edition. I am very satisfied with my decision. The pep this has over my old MDX is undeniable. The comfort is much improved too. This 2008 is equipped exactly as my 2004 was but thanks to the poor economy, I paid nearly $3K less than the 04 as a model closeout! The MDX is fun to drive and nearly feels like a car. (Nearly...) I am very pleased with the decision to purchase this vehicle and look to have it for many years!

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  Tons of toys - 2006 Acura RL
  By Joe - April 30 - 9:34 pm

  This car is so much fun! I would recommend this car to anyone. My car has 46k and still runs like new.

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  A Great Car - 2009 Acura TSX
  By tjny - April 30 - 3:49 pm

  I bought the TSX with tech package one month ago and could not be happier with it. I traded in a 2003 BMW 325 and enjoy driving this car as much or more than the BMW. It has plenty of power for me and has a nice balance between a luxury ride and a sporty look and feel. I really love all the tech features, especially the sound system and voice-activated controls. I looked at the Lexus IS250 and BMW 328 but neither of them could compare with the price point and value of the TSX in terms of size and features. Anyone who is looking for this size and type of car in the luxury arena should give serious consideration to the TSX.

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  Great Value - 2009 Acura TSX
  By Fun in So Cal - April 30 - 12:36 pm

  A lot of the so called magazine and Web “expert” reviewers need to get their collective heads out of there tailpipes. For some reason it’s fashionable to be negative these days and they go out of there way to be just that about the 2009 TSX. Read the user reviews instead! We are the ones who drive this car on a daily basis and appreciate how well engineered this car truly is. They expect this to be a race car…it’s not… get over it! This is a really fun affordable sport sedan to drive. I test drove everything in the $25-38K range and the TSX offered the most bang for the buck.

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  Great Car! - 2009 Acura TSX
  By Cyberbro - April 29 - 10:28 pm

  Love the car, right car for people that like sporty handling but need front wheel drive for the snow. Not fast but can be fun.

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  Its a Honda - 2008 Acura TL
  By John S - April 29 - 7:21 pm

  Moving from 6 years with 5-series BMWs to an Acura TL requires a major adjustment. The TL is a well-built auto with nice interior design and complementary touches. Its a bit light, and coupled with the regular skinny tires, provides a harsh, shaky ride over rough pavement. Go for the better tires. I dont agree completely with the car being described as having sporty handling, especially as a front-driver, as it pushes through the turns. But it does have good acceleration to get you safely on the highway, but at a cost in fuel economy (averaging 23 mpg overall). Sunroof operates nicely, but admits cool air in the winter with the shade open and roof closed.

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  Fantastic Car - 2008 Acura TL
  By stormy - April 29 - 12:20 pm

  This is my second TL. My first was a 2003 TL-S. Got a great price since the 2009s were coming out soon. Since the 2008 car has the same engine as my 2003 car I did not see the need for any more horsepower. This is really a fantastic car. Love the navi. Like to mess it up by taking a different route than it suggests. My two complaints with the 2003 were that the back seat does not fold down and that the garage door button was not lighted. They got one fixed. Ill be buying Acuras from now on. BTW, there is a way to secure the gas cap. There is a little piece of plastic on the cap that sticks out. It fits in the groove on the inside of the gas door.

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  Best 2009 Car Under $30k - 2009 Acura TSX
  By Ryan - April 29 - 11:49 am

  Spent a lot of time researching TSXs over several months. Driving the 2nd gen compared to the 1st gen was night and day. This is arguably the best car on the market under $30k for what the car offers as standard features. Bought mine 12/31/08, am 5,000 miles in, and still have a smile on my face every time that I drive it. GREAT vehicle for Road trips. Overall, a very economical car. For a smoother ride, I recommend not putting on aftermarket low-profile tires/rims.

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  Acura kills fun - 2007 Acura TL
  By Doug - April 29 - 11:15 am

  This car has done what I thought was impossible. Its taken the fun out of driving. Outward visibility is useless. Its like living/driving in a cave. The all-back interior is hearse-like and depressing. The transmission is wonky. It has an impossible-to-read mind of its own. The suspension. Dont get me started. It cant decide whether its a sports car or a sedan. The gas mileage is horrible. Sitting at idle in heavy traffic, you can watch the needle on the gas gauge slip down, down, down. The HVAC controls are confusing.

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  Best SUV Ive ever owned - 2003 Acura MDX
  By LuvMyAcura - April 29 - 10:00 am

  If youre considering an SUV in this class, dont even consider anything else. Ive owned Lexus, Ford and Jeep SUVs and this tops them all. Very comfortable, quick acceleration, and stylish. This MDX turns heads!