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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  Fast Junk - 2005 Acura RSX
  By Time 4 a change - July 7 - 11:22 am

  I had a 2002 RSX base that I loved. Then got hit by a red light runner which wasted the car. I went out and bought a 2005 Type S thinking it would be even bette. WRONG! This thing is junk. Ive had it in the shop more times that I can remember. The struts have been fixed/replaced at least 5 or 6 times, the moonroof stopped sealing and had to be replaced, I have numerous rattles in the dash and doors. All this started at 750 miles and it now has 10,000 and is still going. Ive had to file a lemon law claim as one deal just stopped returning my calls. I have well over 40 days of shop time and I can say that the TL is junk too since Ive had it as a loaner car all this time too.

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  So many problems - 2004 Acura TL
  By Ken B - July 6 - 8:31 pm

  Really liked this car. Still do. However, I cant keep it aligned. My commute is a wrestling match to keep it on the road. Just hit 22,000 miles. Aligned it FOUR times at the dealership. Just had to replace the tires - at 21K MILES! Crazy. Brakes are shot now. Acura service in Cockeysville Maryland (Baltimore) has been HORRIBLE. Owned a Toyota. Was always pleasantly surprised by their sercice. Acuras is always a let down and a hassle. The car looks good and aside from a few rattles (that youd expect in a Chrysler K Car) and the tire alignment issue, its a nice machine.

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  Disappointment Reigns Supreme - 2005 Acura TSX
  By jrene - July 2 - 2:10 am

  Ive had my TSX for 1 yr,(my first luxury car) and Im extremely dissatisfied. I initially loved the car, but about 5 months after purchasing it, it started to have loud, obnoxious squeaks and rattles-- from the windows, the sunroof, and god knows where else. It struggles to get up I-70 in the CO mtns and struggles to go when at a stoplight or an on ramp. Accords and Civics are blowing past me. No one knows what the prob is. My windshield washers never work. I wont ever buy another TSX. Plus, it doesnt seem to be holding its value like I thought it would.

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  Could be better - 2004 Acura TL
  By L - June 14 - 4:18 pm

  Great looking car from the outside and inside... Great luxury features and very enjoyable for a test drive but with issues when you have it long term. Minor rattles, not very comfortable seats (and not good quality leather as it had on the previous model years), and very heavy doors (with not enough "spring" to help you open it). But mainly HORRIBLE turning ration - have to make a 3 way U-turn every time instead of a regular one. Sold it - got 325i instead! :)

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  Be Forewarned - 2003 Acura RSX
  By Used to Love Acura - May 14 - 10:00 am

  I loved my 1996 Integra. It was comfortable, zippy, and most of all a dependable quality car. I purchased an RSX TypeS to replace the Integra expecting the same quality. Dont assume the Acura name guarantees quality. I know the TypeS suspension is tighter than the Integra, but there is no excuse for the terribly rough ride. Plus, the interior rattles and squeaks override any joy received from driving the sharp little fun car. I have had the struts replaced and three trips to the shop to quiet the rattles. Just been told I need to tear out the transmission to replace gear sensors. Not the best experience for a car I have had a mere six months!

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  Transmission woes - 2000 Acura TL
  By tam-o-shanter12 - May 13 - 3:07 pm

  This is my second Acura. I bought it after having a great experience with my older Legend which currently has over 340,000 miles on it with minimal problems. Overall the TL is really great but the problems with the transmission make it overwhelming disappointing. I had the first trans replaced at 100,000 miles and before the original recall (I dont drive the car hard or use the sport shift) and this new transmission only has 73,000 miles and is failing. Of course, Acura refuses to replace the second transmission, which is no different than the original that was in the car. Sorry, but I will never buy an Acura again.

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  Dont Be Fooled - 2005 Acura RL
  By tmedman - May 3 - 9:45 pm

  I bought this car a little over a year ago and within a month I started experiencing total electrical failure. This has happened about six times over the last 14 months. I brought it to two dealers and nothing seems to fix it permanently. Acura roadside assistance is a joke unless you liking waiting 3 to 4 hours for help. The car looks great and when it is working (which is rare), it performs well. Gas mileage is dismal.

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  Strut issues - 2006 Acura RSX
  By JB - April 26 - 5:08 pm

  I bought this car and traded it in 6 months later (last weekend). The struts make noise. Had the right one replaced, then shortly after the left one started making noise, however the dealership wouldnt fix it, saying that Acura is developing a permanent fix. This was back in January. The car was also broken into via UNFORCED ENTRY. Why even have an alarm? I bought an Accord Coupe EX with V6 and couldnt be happier. I expected more from Acura, but didnt get it.

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  Regret this purchase - 2016 Acura RDX
  By Nicole - April 18 - 5:46 pm

  I downsized from a GMC Yukon Denali for better gas mileage, and wanted a dependable newer car as my 04 was aging. I am getting better than the 14/miles/gallon but not happy with car at all. In the first month, already had AC go out during 90+ degree heat. Was told it was low on freon. A brand new car low on freon? The navigation system is beyond frustrating and I end up using my smartphone or my TomTom. The integrated voice command is not user friendly, despite spending many hours programing and watching videos on youtube as to how to "learn" the system. As far as handeling, I know this is not a Denali or a BMW, but the handeling was very disappointing. The first time I drove on wet roads I went through a very shallow puddle and I was nearly pulled off the road! The interior is asthetically pleasing and comfortable, but I am very disappointed with the confusing set up of the bluetooth and voice commands as well as navigation. I really would rather have my non-tech Denali back! Car overall feels like a cheap SUV that has luxury interior. The jewel headlights are GREAT and really light up the road at night. LOVE those!

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  One of the worst - 2004 Acura TL
  By Omad - April 16 - 10:00 am

  Prob the worst rattling cars I have ever owned. Very poor interior quality. The car is basically held together with double sided tape. Even the dealer admits to all of the build issues. Very dissappointed in a 35$k car. Needless to say my car is for sale with 4000 miles on it. If you are looking to buy a new TL, wait till 05 if at all.