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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  New to Acura - 2005 Acura TSX
  By Aaron - June 10 - 11:56 am

  I have owned a 2005 TSX about a month now and enjoy driving it every time. I have taken it through its paces and it handles nimbly and with ease. I do find the seats to be a bit uncomfortable on long trips and the gear shift a bit cheap feeling, especially when in sport shift mode. Overall, I feel the quality and reliability to be one of its strong points. I chose this car over the Audi A4 due to its standard features, reliability and performance. It looks really cool in black with tinted windows.

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  New TL - 2004 Acura TL
  By bjr1144 - June 10 - 2:00 am

  The car is very comfortable to drive, extremely quieton the road. The 3.2 engine coupled with the Honda suspension gives the car the ride and response of a much more expensive vehicle. The manual feature of the five speed automatic adds even more response and sport car feel. The attention to details and quality that is very high, I have not found or encountered a problem with the car. As you are travelintg, the DVD sound system in this car makes it difficult to believe you are not sitting in your home. Top styling, high quality, great engineering combine to make this an extremely enjoyable car to own.

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  Jakes Ride - 2004 Acura TL
  By jons04tl - June 10 - 2:00 am

  If you are looking for a sedan that is fun to drive, has great looks, and can keep up with the best of them, then this is the car you are looking for. This is the most fun I have had driving in a long time. There is no comparison between my wifes 2002 325xi and the TL. My kids love the car and are already fighting over who is going to get it as their first car. I am constantly getting compliments about the car. The 5 speed automatic is awesome. I will put it up against the the 6-spede any day. You have plenty of engine control with the automatic in the auto manual mode.

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  Fabulous Car - 2004 Acura TL
  By bolivar - June 10 - 2:00 am

  This is far and away the best car ever made...by any company, anywhere!

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  Love this car but... - 2008 Acura MDX
  By Edmund - June 9 - 11:52 pm

  This is my 2nd vehicle from Honda first being an Odyssey, which was great except for the run flat tire issues. I sold my 07 X5 3.0 & leased this car and saving a lot of money on the monthly payment. Compared to the X5, the MDX is roomier, more high tech, better acceleration & breaking and priced well below the X5. However, there is no comparison when it comes to build quality and attention to details as the X5 wins hands down.

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  Auto, no nav - Very, very happy - 2007 Acura TSX
  By Woof - June 9 - 2:52 pm

  After nearly a year, Im still very happy with my TSX. It was the best blend of features I wanted at a great price (i.e., handling, fun to drive, good fuel economy, safety features). It moves well and emergency handling has been great. Its also a good size for city driving and has all the oomph I need. Im appreciating it more and more all the time.

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  Great first sports car - 2006 Acura RSX
  By Keith - June 9 - 2:43 pm

  This car is great for a first sports car. It has plenty of power and handling. This thing takes turns beautifully. Shifting is smooth. There is also a lot of aftermarket parts for it.

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  Love this Car - 2006 Acura TL
  By Jeanna - June 9 - 10:52 am

  I love driving this car. I get to 80 MPH in no time. This car is so smooth and the drive is awesome. The brakes are great! I may be an Acura buyer for life. The car is the best of both worlds - luxury yet sporty. Great car for a young adult.

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  Its my third... - 2006 Acura TL
  By JHusa - June 9 - 10:26 am

  Love it! Now had the last 3 generations of TLs... 1998, 2002, 2006. Looking forward to a 4WD for 2010!

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  LOVE my MDX - 2006 Acura MDX
  By jennifer - June 8 - 10:53 pm

  I love my car. I am consistently getting between 18-20 MPG, which is great for a 7 passenger vehicle. Quality of finish is great. Has everything I would ever want in a car. Navigation easy to maneuver. Heated seats work well. XM and Bluetooth both work well also. My 6 teenage son is a little cramped in the back seat--mostly because he slouches. Wish there was sunglasses holder, but center console works fine. Automatic closing hatch would have been a nice feature, but all in all, this is the best car Ive owned. I have been looking around for something with same features and 25 mpg in the city... cant find anything that compares!!!