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 value to price ratio - 2004 Acura TL
  By Black on black TL - July 6 - 1:36 pm

  I recently purchased my 04 TL with 27,000 miles on it. I wanted something a little nicer than my Accord, but with the same features (navigation, etc). TL seemed like a perfect fit. Since driving the vehicle for a month now I have noticed some wear and tear that seems excessive considering the mileage of the car and presumed quality associated with Acura. Annoying rattles are common and the fuel economy could be better (I get around 25-27). However, when comparing the price tag for a comparable European vehicle, the TL is an absolute steal and I would recommend this vehicle.

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  I love it! - 2004 Acura TSX
  By Tim L. - July 5 - 10:24 pm

  I have owned the car for a week and I love it. It out-handles and out-performs any midsize sedan Ive driven. I love the styling and my bright red exterior. The four cylinder has plenty of power to it plus good gas mileage. The manumatic transmission is fun to play with too. I am the envy of all of my friends. Dual climate control, heated seats, and supple leather define this cars interior. Great resale value too. All buttons and other features were learned in maybe 5 minutes.

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  2007 Acura TL Type-S 6MT - 2007 Acura TL
  By dcdgoth - July 5 - 2:54 am

  I traded in my 05 TL 5AT for 07 Type-S and I absolutely love it. I test drove the IS 350 but I didnt like the riding quality, space was too small, and also it didnt have option for manual transmission. Type-S was exactly what I want it. I was going about 40 mph and upshifted to 6th gear to see if this car could handle a stiff hill without stalling, and it did! It accelerated and gained more rpms as it was reaching to the top. With $4000 more than base TL, you get all the options: NAVI, brembo breaks, 3.5L engine, sport tuned suspension, etc.

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  Great car - 2005 Acura TSX
  By Jonathan - July 3 - 10:56 pm

  Bought used with 13000 on it. Have put 15000 on it in a year. Absolutely no problems. The handling is great. The automatic transmission is super smooth. By far, the best car you can get for the money. Great resale value and great driving experience.

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  Great Value - 2007 Acura TSX
  By Doctor Watson - July 2 - 9:10 pm

  As a longtime Toyota owner (20+ years) I was ready for another Camry or an upgrade to the Avalon. However, after reading mediocre reviews on the new Camry and with the Avalon looking dated and overpriced, I looked at the Acura. The car is loaded with so many more standard features that are options with Toyota. Only had the car for two weeks, but a terrific ride and great value, a luxury car with a modest price. Worth a serious look and test drive.

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  RL.... MEANS - RIGHTEOUS LUXURY. .. - 2002 Acura RL
  By Roger Priest - July 2 - 5:35 pm

  For a 2002 model and purchased used with 79000 miles, this car has been FANTASTIC, period. Ride is very nice, a bit soft but handles well. Road noise is minimal most of the time unless you are running snow tires. At 113,700 miles she is still running very nice and is for sale. #acurarlforsale

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  MDX Review - 2002 Acura MDX
  By Jason b - July 2 - 10:00 am

  This car is great! The ride is smooth, quiet, and fun The MDX has great pick up and good horsepower (240) The only bummer is that it takes premium gasoline but it gets good fuel economy 19/24

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  Near Perfection. No competition - 2003 Acura TL
  By Acura1 - July 2 - 10:00 am

  The TL type S puts the competition to shame. We drove the Infiniti G-35 and there was no comparison. The transmission is exceptional. The acceleration is awesome. When using the sport shift feature the Acura gives you total control after second gear. The manumatic in the Infiniti takes over if you hold it a lower gear for too long. It defeats the purpose. Interior is very user friendly. Exterior is slightly on the modest side with a bid too much chrome for a sport model.

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  Great overall car - 2006 Acura TSX
  By kaiger - June 30 - 8:19 pm

  Those who say this car is underpowered are either comparing it to true sports cars or theyre driving the automatic. This is a sedan. Its not meant to break any quarter-mile speed records. For what it is, it is quite sporty. The 6-speed manual is great. The gears are crisp, it accelerates well and you cant beat the features for the price.

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  Truly a Legend - 1994 Acura Legend
  By chip - June 30 - 5:21 pm

  I bought this car new and I drove it into the ground (traded it in on a new TL). The Legend was a great car. It was traded in with 275,000 miles on it with only a few problems. The only reason I traded it was because I got hit 3 times in a 1 month period (none of the accidents were my fault). I am convinced that the electrical system started to have issues after getting in the first accident. I loved that car so much I actually want to buy another one.