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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  Car of the Future - 2005 Acura TL
  By benjb53 - August 24 - 10:00 am

  After searching for a mid size luxury sedan with high technology, the Acura TL was the only vehicle that fit into this category. No Japanese, German or American car had all the features that the Acura has, especially not at the same price point. This will be my first Acura and am sure I will enjoy this car with the most up to date features-for a very long time.

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  Nice Ride - 2015 Acura TLX
  By Carressa Hutchinson - August 23 - 9:46 pm

  Quiet riding vehicle. Real smooth ride in city or on the highway.

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  Great quality car - 2008 Acura MDX
  By Todd - August 23 - 8:11 pm

  Second MDX we have owned. First generation was good but unexciting. New MDX quality matches all of the German competition with Honda reliability. Very solid feel and intuitive electronics. Nav and bluetooth are great. ELS sound system is excellent - especially when surround is turned on.

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  All purpose family vehicle - 2003 Acura MDX
  By Happy Family Man - August 23 - 1:28 pm

  I purchased my MDX used with 64000 miles after I got my wife and father-in-law to leave the Lexus RX300. The ride is very sporty and comfortable. The roominess paid off immediately on a family trip. The navigation screen is big and simple to use, with voice activation, and the rear entertainment system kept the kids quiet and entertained on the whole trip from Texas to South Carolina. The vehicle ran perfect with no problems, just regular oil changes and services. I feel very comfortable putting my wife and kids in this vehicle anytime. The bland exterior should not distract you from the safety and comfort and style you get for the same luxury as Lexus without the 15000 price increase.

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  First MDX - 2016 Acura MDX
  By Shawn Ayers - August 23 - 11:28 am

  The MDX overall comfort with all the gadets is top notch. If I had to write any negatives about the vehicle would be the lack of fog lights for a near $60K luxury SUV. The other, is merely personal with regards to settling for the MDX as it wasnt our first choice because "everyone" seems to have one. On the flip side, after driving the MDX and the overall comfort I see why every seems to be driving an MDX everywhere I look. My wife absolutely loves driving it as our family vehicle. It is spacious and very comfortable. I would purchase again!

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  RDX Worst Horrible Ride ever - 2009 Acura RDX
  By Frank G CPA - August 23 - 9:14 am

  First the RDX is NOT a luxury auto by any standards. The ride is so harsh that on a mildly bumpy road your head bounces off the restraint. On rough roads you had better hold the steering wheel very tight or you will get bounced off and lose control of the vehicle. I got over the lack of simple luxury items like seats that fold onto themselves and no power rear gate but the ride is something else. I am EXTREMELY sorry that I leased the 08 RDX. Acura has no clue that this is an issue as the response "well it is based on a truck" so I dont expect future models to address the ride.

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  I travel a lot - 2009 Acura TSX
  By Price Winters - August 21 - 9:23 pm

  I tried 15 different cars while waiting for the new TSX. My salesman told me it would be worth the wait. I am in sales and put on heavy miles. So far I have put over 1000 miles on it. I looked at all the 4 cyls because at 4.00 a gallon gas I thought I needed to move down. I am so happy I did it. This car has been nothing short of spectacular. The ride is solid, the power is fun and all you need in the city. I love the reworking of the Vtec it seems much more useable than the old model was. I am 62" 285 lbs and am very comfortable. The stereo and navi in itself are exceeding my expectations, especially the nav traffic with the re routing feature, in Houston I have to use this a lot!

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  A Little Overrated - 2005 Acura MDX
  By VW - August 21 - 9:16 pm

  I find the MDX to be more hefty and top heavy in driving dynamics than I expected. Its pretty thirsty at 15 MPG city. Engine seems rock solid and smooth. Ride suspension is tuned nicely -- not too firm, not too mushy. Should have HID and lane change signal without having to clicking on the signal arm. Stereo is pretty good quality. XM is nice. Navi and Handsfree link are a little awkward to use.

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  best yet - 2005 Acura TL
  By Jerry - August 21 - 6:03 pm

  Weve had 2 Acuras before this TL. It is vastly superior. Love the luxurious interior, sound system, and looks. Both wife and I like the firm handling in the corners. 32 mpg on road but 22 or so in town.

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  RDX is Rockin! - 2007 Acura RDX
  By Michael - August 19 - 2:43 pm

  Just purchased an RDX w/ tech - definitely worth the additional $3k. Handles well, navigation, voice, gadgets are awesome. First tank of gas was 21 mpg. Turbo definitely works! As long as youre not looking to haul anything or carry 10 people, definitely look at the RDX as an alternative to any SUV on the market.