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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  Bought it brand new 4 years ago - 2004 Acura TSX
  By Mike - June 13 - 3:14 pm

  I bought my car in May of 2004. It was not disappointed me at all. I absolutely love it. It handles great, is very comfortable, and beyond anything gets great gas mileage. For a 4 cylinder to give me 200 horse power is also good. Im over 83000 miles right now and still riding great. Bottom line is if you are thinking of buying a used version of one of these then go for it. Trust me its worth it.

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  2008 Acura TL - 2008 Acura TL
  By diamondbacktx - June 13 - 12:53 pm

  It is only 3 inches shorter than a 5 series BMW and has nearly the fit and finish. The interior and electronics are ergonomically sound and easy to use, as well as beautiful. The navigation option is a brilliant and large 9-in screen in the center of the dash w/backup camera, that actually comes in use. The front wheel drive is a a bit of a bummer for anyone performance-oriented, but overall the car is fantastic top to bottom. Comfortable, fits 4 adults, rear seat legroom is spacious, all seat surfaces a plush. Gas mileage is averaging around 24, for a 260hp V6, thats quite amazing too.

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  Poor Persons Sport Car - 1992 Acura Integra
  By Clark - June 13 - 11:46 am

  I have owned Fords, Pontiacs, Peugeot and a few others yet, no car has ever performed as well as my Acura Integra - it has good pickup, so please do not stomp it, it will deliver, do not slam on the brakes, if you do do not worry anti lock system makes you feel great. Gas: 34/43 mile a gallon without tune up.

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  Bags ride - 2018 Acura RDX
  By Bags - June 13 - 5:47 am

  Great value! Same as my MDX just a bit smaller.

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  My Acura Legend - 1993 Acura Legend
  By Joseph - June 12 - 11:16 pm

  Acura Legend is a superb. I had my Acura when the mileage was about 215000, last year, now it is 238000 and still running good. The cooling system was not working, but when a mechanic changed the main relay, it began to work The little problem I have with mine is that it smokes.

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  Nice ride, drive it hard, it holds up we - 2000 Acura RL
  By B_man - June 12 - 9:40 pm

  Ive now got 90,000 miles, heres the problems it has had, not too much in my opinion. One electric window died, $350 repair, one front end wheel suspension damaged by a hard pot hole hit, $500 repair, normal stuff, battery, belts, brakes, fluid changes $500 / year. Everything still works good, not bad. Motor is kind of powerful, fun to drive, seems like a gas eater these days. Maybe if I didnt enjoy the big motor, and drove it easier would help.

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  Routine Mx & Go - 2003 Acura TL
  By Grandpa - June 12 - 2:56 pm

  We traded in a Lexus SC 300 to purchase the TL new, and havent regretted it. Other than routine maintenance and the trans which was recalled, the only thing weve had to replace is the wheels. (Hit a deep pot hole, blew both tires & bent both wheels). Wife is primary driver, with 75,000 miles. Now that the kids are gone, would probably prefer the CL which isnt made anymore.

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  It Still Thinks Its a New Car - 1999 Acura TL
  By Ken J - June 12 - 11:34 am

  I LOVE my 99 TL 3.2 sedan. We bought it new for what we though was a huge amount of money but it has turned out to be a bargain. It still has a luxury ride after 118K miles. Other than brakes (once!) and fluid changes it has only needed a new starter. The secret is regular maintenance by an Acura dealer. I spent major $$ for the 105K tune-up which replaced everything that could be, including timing belt and water pump. What I got back was a car that drove like it was brand new after putting on new Michelins. It was a much better choice than buying a new TL and I highly recommend it. No transmission problems. Almost 60K on the first set of tires. Original plugs!!

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  A great ride with all the goodies - 2006 Acura TSX
  By sportscarlover - June 12 - 6:03 am

  I bought my car in the last week of December. I started my search from BMW 3 Series, but realized it was out of my price range.One day I test drove TSX and loved it immediately. The car has very beautiful, rich interior - looks very sporty. My car came fully loaded with features like heather leather seats, XM radio, bluetooth etc. Engine could use some more power but in sport-shift mode (auto tranny), its fast enough. TSX has confident handling. Suspension and steering provide sharp cornering and good road-feel. I cant think of any other car that gives more bling for your buck.

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  TL missing something - 2006 Acura TL
  By Robert - June 11 - 4:36 pm

  I purchased this vehicle because of the rating/ review I read on Consumers Report and other sources. After about ten months now, I can say that--at least in my case--it does not meet my expectations in a number of areas. 1. Annoying vibrations when accelerating; 2. Bad BLIND SPOT on right rear (passenger) side; 3. Keyless entry problems--especially with trunk; 4. Potential electrical problem--ex: windows sometimes open spontaneously; 5. Substantially less MPG than advertised (though, I imagine this is the same problem with many vehicles). 6. Brake Handle not covered properly; allows items to fall into crevice. 7. AC fan automatically sets to MAX when turn on fan, defroster, etc