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 car overall - 2004 Acura TL
  By Steve1010 - August 4 - 10:00 am

  Ive had this car for a few weeks. It looks beautiful inside and out. The engine is smooth and the cabin is quiet. The materials used seem to be very high in quality...which kind of confuses me because there are so many creaking noises and rattling. This car would be perfect if not for the annoying little cracks and pops coming from different places. In my opinion, these are only minor fit and finish issues, although the noises distract me from enjoying the ride sometimes. As far as the amenities, I love the navigation system. It is extremely user-friendly, and the screen is huge! This is a great car overall.

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  Sporty and fun - 2003 Acura RSX
  By Joni - August 3 - 1:49 pm

  This was my first Acura and probably not the last. The car has awesome acceleration, great handling and is very fun to drive overall. Decent gas mileage, lots of looks, six speeds and the classic tell tale headlights (I like the 02-04 look better than the later 05-06 models). The third gear does grind from time to time. You really have to carefully place the gear to avoid it. Also this car is incredibly connected to the road. You hear and feel every little bump... a good thing if youre driving a sportier car, but tiresome if its also your daily driver. Finally the insurance on this car is outrageous.

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  I Love It - 2007 Acura TSX
  By muddboner - August 3 - 1:41 am

  This is an excellent car. I bought a store demo to save a few bucks. Its the right size with a sporty/luxury ride, very well equipped, moves well and gas mileage that wont make you mad buying premium. The nav system is great but I didnt need it and wasnt paying another 2k for the novelty.

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  Satisfied in Chicago - 2007 Acura MDX
  By inguinal hernia - August 2 - 9:31 pm

  Ive owned a new 07 MDX for a month now, and have driven it close to 2000 miles in city and suburb. Comparing it to my past ownership of a Honda Accord and my spouses BMW 5 series sedan, I think this is an excellent AWD SUV and I would, with no doubt, buy it again. The audio system quality and navi. are noticeably superior to the bmws. Easy to drive around family and friends in comfort. Easy to haul luggage and purchases from the local hardware store. Rear view camera is indispensable (IMHO, this should be standard on all SUVs for safety). Minor quibbles: "live" traffic update is not so helpful, I prefer pushing buttons or twisting dials for commands rather than voice.

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  Exceeds my expectations every day - 2007 Acura MDX
  By Larry - August 1 - 11:02 pm

  The 2007 MDX a superb vehicle. Its truly hard to express how great this vehicle is. The navigation system is intuitive and simple to use. The voice recognition is excellent. The ride is extremely comfortable and the vehicle handles the road extremely well. I cant imagine how well the Sports Package performs. Overall, easily the best vehicle Ive owned (compared to Explorer, Jeep, BMW). Highly recommended.

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  CL-S 6-Speed: Wolf in sheeps clothing - 2003 Acura CL
  By srelay - August 1 - 1:14 pm

  My wife and I both drive and enjoy this car. We bought it with 18k on the odometer and 6-speed manual because we prefer self-shifting and heard about the problems with the automatic versions. My wife especially loves the CL for its clean exterior lines and interior creature comforts with those particular appealing Acura-Honda ergonomics. I like it for its rarity factor as well! Reliable with no problems yet. Very quiet with a solid feel on the highway - cruising in 6th gear - with superb handling and road-feel on the curves. Great for long trips. Lots of power and torque for those sticky highway situations. At 260-hp its the most powerful car weve ever owned and probably ever will.

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  Nice balance - 2007 Acura TL
  By John - August 1 - 11:23 am

  I test drove the BMW 335i coupe, Lexus ES 350 and this car. Loved the balance in this car and costs a lot less than the BMW. While not as solid in handling and performance as the BMW, the Acura TL-S has more creature comforts and almost as good handling for a lot less money than the BMW. The Lexus was great but not very solid at handling as the Acura TL.

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  Best car Ive ever owned - 1997 Acura Integra
  By Scott - July 31 - 11:55 am

  This 97 Integra GS-R V-tech, purchased new, has performed beyond the call of duty with only routine maintenance. After 10 years all systems, 5-speed transmission, engine + components, shocks, electricals are still working smoothly. Never in the shop except for state inspection and routine oil change, tire installation, etc. Im continually amazed it uses virtually no oil. Though it doesnt look like a sports car, it acts like one, with excellent acceleration (especially when the v-tech kicks in) with quick-response precise handling and excellent match of transmission + engine. The high-quality paint still looks rich. Nothing in the interior or on exterior has ever broken. A tight, fun car!

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  Perfect harmony of luxury, tech, and sport - 2007 Acura MDX
  By Facha - July 31 - 9:53 am

  I bought this SUV early July, and am loving every bit of the vehicle. My family members including myself are owners of 5 Lexus vehicles (2 ES, 2 GS, 1 SC) and I introduced the 07 MDX to the bunch. I have no complaints so far and I love the luxury feel of the inside with an awesome sport feel that I would not be able to get from the RX. I test drove several SUVs (Audi Q7, RX 350, BMW X5, Buick Enclave, Chevy Tahoe, looked at the LR3, GMC Acadia) and nothing came close to the drive and luxury that MDX offered. Navigation and voice commands for nav, climate and radio are by far the best.

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  One Sweet Ride! - 2003 Acura TL
  By G Wis - July 30 - 7:07 pm

  Performs great. Handles well, gas mileage is adequate (but uses highest octane) and the car has a nice sporty appearance. I drive this car to work daily.