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 nav system is tied into the radio/CD - 2005 Acura TL
  By jzucco - January 6 - 11:28 am

  I love the car but it is now 2009 and the nav system no longer works. H2O damage most likely due to condensation sense it is in the trunk. Now that the nav no longer works my entire console is worthless. No DVD/CD, radio works but dont know the station. Only solution from Acura is to purchase a new 3k nav system. I would not buy this or any vehicle that ties all these system together like this because there is no aftermarket solution and you are stuck with a 3k bill just to listen to a DVD!! I am not happy. I filed a complaint with Acura but they do not have a solution. This is a severe design flaw!

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  Best Bang for the Buck - 2009 Acura RDX
  By Triple - January 5 - 3:40 pm

  Originally we were set on a wagon to replace both a Pathfinder and a Saab sedan. However, when you look at whats out there in similar trim levels (new - Saab, Audi, BMW, Volvo) they get comparable gas mileage, with just a bit more room, but for 10K+ more. That made the RDX a no-brainer. Yes, it has a firm ride - its on the sport side of SUV. Its much better than a truck-based SUV (such as my PF), and by giving up a Caddy-like ride, youre rewarded with actual road feedback and sharp handling. Yes, gas mpg isnt the best - but it also has a turbo that has zero lag with effortless acceleration, and is no worse than other crossovers. This cars not for someone wanting a boring town runabout.

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  Love my TSX - 2004 Acura TSX
  By jeffb1q - January 5 - 10:00 am

  Upgraded from a 1991 Civic Si. That car was like a fun go kart, this car is much more refined and still very fun to drive. The MT is great! Look forward to driving it every time!

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  TL Great - 2004 Acura TL
  By TL-Great - January 5 - 10:00 am

  Second TL. My 1st was 1999. My first impression was it shrunk. But after driving one its wasnt small at all. Trunk space smaller but it will still hold 3 golf bags. Performance is outstanding and the interior is comfortable, functional, and all the controls at your finger tips. Navigation system a MUST! Once I get my bluetooth phone Im set to go. I dont think any car can beat the ELS sound system. One problem: my controls on the steering wheel gets hot. Do I need to have the dealship look into this? Otherwise, Im very happy with my Anthracite metallic, 5A, with Nav system. Gas mileage better than my 99.

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  Liked it so much I bought two! - 2004 Acura TL
  By kenbalentine - January 5 - 10:00 am

  My wife and I were both looking for new cars, she narrowed picks down to the TL or S60 (I was against anything turbo so TL was obvious choice)... but I was all over the place - looking at G35 coupes, Corvettes, etc. and hadnt really considered another 4 door car - but the comfort / features / styling / price / and ratings won me over (+ negotiating 2 cars = good deal). Got the first one (w/o Nav) this weekend and pick up mine (w/Nav) tomorrow. Looks great, drives & rides great and performs better than a 530i... my sole complaint: trunk lid feels a little flimsy (anyone else think this?)

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  Awesome Car !! - 2009 Acura TSX
  By KW - January 4 - 9:36 pm

  Have had the car for two weeks and love it!! It handles great and has better than expected acceleration. Its comfortable all around and the build quality is great. I am averaging 28 mile per gallon (local driving). Compared many cars to the TSX but the Acura consistently won because of features and price. I got a great deal on the purchase and am so glad I decided on the TSX. Get this car, you wont be disappointed.

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  Some Remorse - 2009 Acura RDX
  By RZeman - January 4 - 9:25 pm

  This is my fourth Acura. The last being an MDX. While I realize this is an "entry level" SUV the quality and luxury of Acura has been scaled down on this vehicle. When my Lexus RX350 lease ended I didnt want to get the same car twice and the MDX has gotten to big with no more kids or large dog to haul around. There some features left off of this Acura which should be standard issue i.e. automatic headlights and power rear door, rain sensing wipers. The gas mileage is ridiculous. We celebrate when I can hold the average at 19 mpg for more than 10 minutes and that is with freeway driving. I will not purchase another RDX.

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  Hard to beat - 2008 Acura TL
  By Mark in Tulsa - January 4 - 3:26 pm

  The car is hard to beat. I compared it with a wide variety of cars, the Jetta, BMW 328i, Lexus RX330, Infiniti G35, and Honda Accord. I kept coming back to this one as the standard. It met all my expectations and the value is definitely there. Its not the most exciting car, but its very handsome, and it suits my driving style just fine. The ride is nice, I love the nav and reverse camera, and the interior is gorgeous. I think there are a few problems with rattles, but other than that, its hard to find fault.

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  Best value out there - 2005 Acura TL
  By Very happy TL owner - January 4 - 1:33 pm

  This vehicle is amazing! Rides like a dream, pickup like a monster! I know Im driving the best luxury value on the market every time I get into this vehicle. Heres to many happy years of motoring!

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  Glad I did not wait for 2009 TL - 2008 Acura TL
  By Blah Blah - January 4 - 10:16 am

  Love the car! Midnight Black with dark interior and 6-speed. This card flies and is a blast to drive. Love the standard gadgets. This makes the buying experience very easy.