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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  super - 2007 Acura RDX
  By acurardx2 - March 3 - 10:38 am

  Plain super, I love the vehicle. I was contemplating between fully loaded RAV4 and BMW X3. I am glad that I test drove RDX, within minutes I was certain that I was going to buy RDX. Turbo engine gives great accelaration, which I like better than v6 of RAV4. You get a feel of road while driving this suv which is very much like x3. RDX definitely score big points on style (interior and exterior). I have driven this car in lots of snow and icy conditions, Acuras SH AWD and Vehicle Stability Assistant provides super handling. I love driving this so much that I kinda want to be on road all the time.

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  2003 MDX (Loaded) - 2003 Acura MDX
  By gordon wheaton - March 3 - 10:00 am

  I was actually contacted by two dealers in Houston who wanted my 2001 MDX to meet used car MDX customer demand. I decided to trade mine in when a new 2003 load arrived. My 2001 sold the same day I picked up my upgraded 2003 (fully loaded). I was surprised at the improved performance/comfort/sound system since I really had great success with 2001. I researched and found MDX still the best SUV on the market bar none!

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  Love my MDX - 2003 Acura MDX
  By AnnW. - March 3 - 10:00 am

  I love the smooth and comfort ride in the MDX. I had to test the Break once, and I was pleased with its performance. There is much more room in the 2nd row than our other SUV. And the 3rd is very easy to use and getting into.

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  Love my RL - 2006 Acura RL
  By ssirl - March 2 - 10:29 pm

  Have had my Opulent Blue Pearl RL for 6 months & have just over 12,000 miles on it. No problems. This is my 4th Honda product. It replaced a Lexus GS 400. The RL has the best integration of tech on the market. Bluetooth, nav voice recognition all blow the comp away. Esp the nav that you can use while driving instead of just in park like the Lexus. The SHAWD is great I live in the south & did not think I needed it ut it works great. Car is a great highway cruiser.

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  Great anA - 2016 Acura RDX
  By Kim Bloch - March 1 - 8:50 pm

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  Top Value - 2008 Acura TL
  By Daniel - February 28 - 10:20 pm

  This Car is the best value on the road. From the reliability to the performance. Also, the interior finishes are top notch. Do yourself a favor and sit in this car if you are in the market for a four door sedan... you will by this car

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  Excellent Value, Quality and Performance - 2006 Acura RL
  By Michael - February 25 - 6:05 pm

  Great vehicle, had a Mercedes E320 nice car not as many features. Same 2006 E320 as Acura 10k more. Acura is a great car.

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  Awesome vehicle - 2007 Acura RDX
  By mlb11 - February 25 - 11:56 am

  Ive owned the RDX for a month now and I still cant wait to drive it - I look for excuses. It handles magnificently and the turbo provides impressive power. Interior fit and finish is top notch and the seats are comfortable. When cruising at 80 it feels like youre doing 50 because it is so quiet and refined (the 4-cyl is only taching 2800 at 80mph). Great handling and cornering as well with a ride that makes you feel in control. Driven it in two snowstorms and the SH-AWD & VSA performed excellently, keeping the car straight and in control.

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  Top of the line - 2004 Acura TL
  By Jay Rock - February 25 - 2:00 am

  This car is smooth, powerful, and full of luxury. You cant even feel the corners. The transmission shifting is hardly noticable. This car is solid with every feature you could want as standard options. No other car is like it.

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  The phenomenal new TL!! - 2004 Acura TL
  By Spencer Wallis - February 25 - 2:00 am

  I have to tell you folks that this car is absolutely astounding, especially for the price range it is in. With its features, performance, and "fit and finish", this car should cost at least $12000 more than it is. Drive one and you will certainly agree!