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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  Great Vehicle at a Reasonable Price - 2015 Acura MDX
  By karhill1 - December 17 - 8:30 am

  Have had a 2015 MDX, AWD with Tech for a while. Previously had a prior generation MDX. The differences are noticeable. The 2015 is far more luxurious. The vehicle is solid, extremely quiet, and fun to drive. The interior design and materials are top notch. So far not a single negative thought about the vehicle. Performance has been exactly as promised.

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  Just Be Cautious - 2001 Acura CL
  By cdabs3 - December 16 - 7:56 pm

  My uncle got the car new in 2001. He gave it to me 3 years ago with 93,000mi on it (nothing for a Honda) within the first 3 months of having it at 96,000mi the transmission died. This was the first of my problems. The side motor mount as well as front, were worn out so much they were not holding the engine in place anymore. At 123,867mi when I HAD to give it up because of the enormity of problems it was having Acura quoted me at $4,895 for all the repairs. List of items that needed replacement: All four rotors, brake pads(normal), All four struts with the coils because they were "weak", both front CV axels, and the front passenger brake caliper. Maybe I just had bad luck but just be weary.

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  Not a luxury SUV anymore! - 2014 Acura MDX
  By suitespot - December 15 - 3:03 pm

  Leased my third MDX in late March. Fit/finish not like it was when Canadian made. LED screen control of HVAC began to flicker off/on, phonebook would not load, rattle at left rear wheel. But, real issue was vibration and noise caused by Cylinder Management System. Dealer tried to resolve without success. Called Acura Tech only to be told that they could not help with any of the issues. In the meantime the engine vibration and noise worsened. So emailed Acura. After unpleasant exchange of emails got a call with promise to call back but would make "no promises" re: resolving my concerns. No call back in a week. Obviously Acura did not want me as a customer. Bought a new Lexus RX.

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  Pretty Bummed with Acura - 2003 Acura TL
  By corbin12 - December 5 - 3:13 pm

  Bought this TL with about 60,000 miles on it and was very impressed.....for about a year then it started falling apart. A/C needed to be completely replaced. Transmission never shifts down in town, so it hardly ever runs below 2500 RPMs even at low speeds. The exterior trim is faded, the heat controls inside have a mind of their own...you can turn the system off and still have hot air blasting out. The wiring on the steering wheel stereo controls is fried and never worked right. I thought Acura made a quality product but I was very wrong. Disappointed with this car...its kind of a piece of junk.

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  Love this car! - 2015 Acura TLX
  By mapleloaf - December 4 - 8:24 am

  To provide contextI, since 2008, we have owned 3 TSXs, a CSX, a Civic, and, currently, an Altima 2.5 SL Tech. This is my first 6 cylinder car, as I decided I wanted the SH-AWD. Before I bought the TLX, I test drove multiple times and read dozens of reviews, in addition to looking various competitor vehicles. I can say with a resounding WOW that this car does not disappoint on any level. It is a wonderful balance of all the things I typically look for in a car, and then some! Luxury, technology, uber quietness, handling, and performance in a classy attractive package for very reasonable $ Driving this car is a joy. Good to be back to Acura!

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  Acura TLX from AutoNation Acura Best Experience Ever - 2015 Acura TLX
  By mitchell22 - November 27 - 11:35 am

  TLX is a great car especially for the money. I had a Lexus ES300h & its a great car. But fully loaded it came in at 48K before TTL. I got a 2.4 w/ Tech Pkg. & as far as "losing" features from Lexus I lost power steering wheel & ventilated seats. At 35K MSRP the TLX is a steal. Ride is fantastic just as smooth as ES300h & seat comfort is honestly better. AutoNation Acura gave me the best buying experience Ive ever had! They didnt try to sell me extra stuff during financing. I was able to pick one vehicle and change my mind on color and not once did anyone seem irritated. I cant say enough how they worked with me to make this purchase. Thank you AutoNation Acura. Youre the best dealership

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  My 3rd Acura - 2015 Acura TLX
  By shs111 - November 20 - 8:27 pm

  Traded my 2005 RL -- reluctantly -- for the TLX. Impulse decision. And I havent looked back. Handles beautifully, great technology features, perfect driving size. Id say Acura really nailed it. Would recommend this car without hesitation.

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  Buyers remorse - 2015 Acura MDX
  By drjaykorsen - November 16 - 4:37 pm

  I had my MDX for just a few weeks and the warning lights started going off for tire pressure, check engine, and a few other things. Brought it in and it had a computer reset. That seemed to help but come on! The computer, nav and radio voice commands are not very intuitive. You have to memorize a text book to make it functional...no thanks! I just got a "recall" notice in the mail I have been waiting for and it is just for the radio, nav and phone, not to address the other computer problem. Lastly, I get flashed every time I drive at night because the headlights Blind Every Oncoming Car...What a 50K dollar pain in the Butt!

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  Excellent SUV - 2014 Acura MDX
  By liaisonnco - November 15 - 1:47 pm

  I have owned my 2014 Acura MDX for over 4 months and have not experienced any of the issues (i.e. Cylinder Management System (VCM noise) mentioned in previous reviews. I truly enjoy driving this vehicle. Its a comfortable, quite riding and maneuverable vehicle. I believe the price matches the quality of this vehicle. Hopefully the quality and reliability will match my expectations in the future, but for now Im fully satisfied with this MDX.

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  Fantastic car, could not be happier - 2015 Acura TLX
  By shs111 - November 7 - 5:17 am

  Traded my 2005 RL for the 2015 TLX. Great, great car. Would have purchased the Advance if it were available, but went with a Tech because it was on the lot. No regrets on that choice. The car handles well, the technology features are great (although they take a bit of getting used to). I think my RL could have lasted another ten years, Im a huge Acura fan. Great value foe the money.