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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  The Best Car Ive Ever Driven - 2008 Acura TL
  By Aristides - January 21 - 9:10 am

  This vehicle is the best value for the money out there. There are no options, enhancements or suggestions that I could make to improve this vehicle. The interior and exterior design is superior and unfortunately, not matched by their 2009 TL entry. No problems whatsoever at 12,500 miles to date.

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  Best Integra Yet - 2004 Acura RSX
  By Jesse Wingert - January 21 - 2:00 am

  I am very satisfied with the nest generation Integra. The Type S RSX is a real quick and snappy car the combines top notch performance with leather interior, 7 Bose surround sound speakers, CD player and a 6 speed manual tansmission.You have to love a car that delivers so mucth.

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  Classy, practical, and worry free - 2004 Acura MDX
  By DocDad - January 21 - 2:00 am

  This is a wonderful vehicle. Id buy it over and over again. Its nice enough to make me feel special, and to make others jealous. It handles well with good power, and the ride is smooth without being floaty. All the little things (seat warmers, cup holders, seat position controls, side mirror heaters) are functional, solid, and well thought-out. Great for driving alone or with a carload of kids. I bought the base model and custom installed a DVD player for the back, costing much less than getting the Touring model with its DVD option. The climate controls are a little hard to figure out, but work well.

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  5 scouts - 2004 Acura MDX
  By MDXFAN - January 21 - 2:00 am

  Comfort and fun. Taking 54 scouts and gear can be a tough. The MDX with the Nav and entertainment keeps everyone occupied. I added a Thule gear box for snowboards, tents, skis etc. Gas milege is better than expected. Averages 20 MPG, goes anywhere offroad I need to go.

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  2004 Acura TL - 2004 Acura TL
  By JTD - January 21 - 2:00 am

  Everything about the 2004 Acura TL is very enjoyable. Significant improvement over prior model. Only comment is that rear passenger headrests obscure vision through rear view mirrir.

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  Best in class - 2004 Acura TL
  By acd - January 21 - 2:00 am

  I purchased this car in late October and it continues to impress. I had owned a 2001 BMW 330 convertibile before this car and although the TL is a front wheel drive and does not handle as well as the BMW, it outshines the 330 in EVERY other aspect. The interior is superb and very well designed. The navigation system is first rate (I am frequently in San Francisco and it is incredibly accurate) Bluetooth feature for cell is great! Nothing even comes close for the money, nothing.

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  really expensive honda accord - 2004 Acura TL
  By meemee - January 21 - 2:00 am

  Does not have the sport of my last acura, integra GSR. First to second shift is notchy, does not spool up as quickly. Stereo is great, but other than that cant justify its 34k price tag.

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  Best Bang for the Buck - 2006 Acura TL
  By Palmster27 - January 20 - 10:30 pm

  Looked at the Grand Prix, Saab 9-3, CTS, IS 350 and the TL. The TL was the best value for the money. I am a techno guy and enjoy all the technology. My gas mileage is great on the highway (25-28 MPG) but so-so in the City (16-19) - granted, I only drive about 500 miles a month. Car handles and drives wonderfully. Very fun to drive. I do hear some of the much talkjed about rattles every so often, but not enough for me to regret my decision.

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  Terrible customer service and tech problems - 2016 Acura MDX
  By Jeff Axup - January 20 - 8:58 am

  Acura customer care refused to return my calls for 8 months when the backup camera was intermittently not functioning. Even after I send videos of it occurring they refused to accept responsibility or communicate. Acura clearly doesnt care about customers after they make the purchase. The navigation system and voice recognition system is really a joke as well. I replaced it with a dash-mounted iPhone. The car does handle well and the all-wheel drive is great.

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  Wifes Car - 2002 Acura MDX
  By GRuss - January 19 - 10:00 am

  For the last 15 years my wife has driven a couple of different SUVs and she says shell stay with the MDX. Handles great in snow and ice. Smooth on the highway.