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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  All in one Champ - 2007 Acura MDX
  By Srid - July 30 - 6:01 pm

  Undoubtedly this is the best of its class vehicle with outstanding bang for the buck. I am into 3rd week of ownership, so my experience with it is minimal, but all for now I can observe and suggest that Acura improve the ride with more comfort or sportier. Either be more like comfy Lexus or sportier like BMW. Regardless, my experience is still minimal and as it stands I own an outstanding car.

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  2007 RL - 2007 Acura RL
  By stu - July 30 - 5:41 pm

  Just purchased my RL. Build quality equal to or better than Lexus. A great value with current market support. SH-AWD useful in all weather, not just snow. A smart looking car, however not screaming I am here. Had a 2004 TL and liked it, this is much more car. I hope resale is as good on this as it was on my TL. Also owned a 2001 BMW 525, no comparison. The BMW was more like my TL. RL does seem overpriced until you drive it.

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  Joy to drive - 2004 Acura TSX
  By evil - July 30 - 10:00 am

  Originally planned to purchase the TL but fell in love with the TSX. This car is a true joy to drive. The Inline 4 engine doesnt seem to match the class of car but it doesnt hold it back at all. The power of the car is definitely felt at higher rpms where it seems to come into its own. Acura has done an excellent job with the gear shift with the 6 speed manual. Clutch is nice and isnt even a pain when you are stuck in traffic. Handling is superb. The interior has been designed for comfort and is extremely luxurious. The dash is well designed and controls are easy to use. A great sporty sedan.

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  All-Around Champ! - 2004 Acura TL
  By Stephen Caton - July 30 - 10:00 am

  I am an admitted car nut so when it was time to buy, I did major research. I started out with a pretty big list of $35k and under candidates but quickly narrowed the group to the Acura TL, the Infiniti G35, the Nissan Maxima, the Audi A4 and BMW 325. While the Audi and Infiniti are very nice and the Maxima is a lot of car for the dough, the TL simply dominates in this class when you consider all-around goodness. There is no better combination of performance, safety, features and design in this price range. I would go so far as to call the TL the finest effort from Acura to date! The BMW doesnt even come close, which makes one realize how overpriced that brand has become.

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  From a 2001 to a 2004 Acura TL - 2004 Acura TL
  By bclarkcd - July 30 - 10:00 am

  While I enjoyed the luxury feel of the 2001 Acura TL, compared to the new 2004 TL it was simply too sedate. The new TL is even more comfortable and just as quite to drive, but much more fun. Its more powerful engine is much more so and its handling is far superior. The improvements in interior features and the many new ones added make me feel like Ive stepped up a couple of notches in style and performance. The new TLs appearance is much sportier and quicker looking. I love it from any perspective.

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  Luxury with Performance - 2007 Acura TL
  By Chris - July 30 - 9:11 am

  This car has all the luxury features that are in similar offerings like Lexus, MB, Cadillac, et.al., but also has performance to go with it. Yes, you can purchase a Bimmer, but would you get all the standard features of this vehicle for the same price?? No. Just returned from a 800 miles road trip, and the car returned 31 miles per gallon. Excellent for a brand new car, usually it takes time for the engine to break in and get the advertised figures on the window sticker.

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  Great family car - 2007 Acura MDX
  By Jake and Katie - July 29 - 11:49 am

  We absolutely love this vehicle. It fits both of our kids (with car seats), our dog, and several adults comfortably. The memory seats are great, being that my husband and I have almost a foot difference in height. Does not drive quite as well as our Saab 9-3, but definitely more like a sedan than expected. Also like that insurance barely increased (and prior vehicle was 99 Passat).

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  05 TSX - 2005 Acura TSX
  By Tgr - July 29 - 9:32 am

  AcuraÂ’s reputation for quality and reliability as well as inclusive standard features are what persuaded me to purchase the car. I have 21k miles on my TSX and my only complaint has to do with the occasional squeak or rattle I hear on the open road. For instance, the moon roof visor occasionally rattles in the open position and the glove compartment squeaks more often than not. However, overall Ive been impressed and I will sure keep this car for a while.

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  A great blend of car and SUV - 2007 Acura RDX
  By Henry - July 28 - 5:41 pm

  I always get a consistent 21 mpg all around. The seats are best in class. Go ahead and try all other makes - none compare. Ride is stiff - thats the price you pay for handling.

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  Acura TL Rules! - 2003 Acura TL
  By pollardra - July 28 - 11:48 am

  The Acura TL is the best car I have ever owned, and if I were to buy another car today, I would get another TL. It comes loaded with every possible convenience and option standard (except navigation), and it is a terrific value. I plan on keeping my car for many years to come. Acura sets the gold standard.