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 owner of acura - 2012 Acura TSX
  By Ann - August 29 - 12:26 am

  this is my first Acura. Always drove Honda Accord. Bought the Tsx Special Edition. Like the kool wheels. This car is nice. Except it needs a keyless entry and ignition. Acura really dropped the ball here. Most luxury cars in year 2012 have this feature. Also, arm rest for driver could reach forward a bit further. Leather feels so thin, it appears to be vinyl. Ive been assured it is indeed genuine leather, but gee, not like the leather they used to put on cars! Glad i got the 6 sp standard transmission, fun to drive. Trunk space seems small, compared to Honda accord. Also, no pass thru from trunk, into rear seats. Other features are ok. But for the price, Acura dropped the ball on a few key items. Also, im NOT USING PREMIUM GAS, despite the recommendation by Acura to do so. After 3 years and 30,000 mi., it seems to be doing fine on regular gas. ANY OPINIONS ON THIS? Let me hear your thoughts. Thank you , Ann

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  A few gremlins to prepare for..... - 2008 Acura TL
  By first used acura for me - August 19 - 11:02 am

  Nice sized city car with ample power, high quality interior and attractive looks. Relatively quiet and comfortable. Bought used from Acura w/ 64k miles. Subsequent repairs/replacement that are endemic to this car as youll learn on the internet. Purge value in the evap system, easy fix. O-rings on the hydraulic steering system (loud sound on cold mornings that goes away as engine warms, an easy fix). Hydraulic shocks/struts for the hood, easy fix. O2 sensors, a bit trickier fix. Check Youtube for demos on replacing these items and save big, big bucks over expensive Acura dealers. The nav system is not intuitive and if it has the original DVD, youll pay like $170 for an upgrade that is, unfortunately, probably worth it. The upgrade has all U.S. major roads and city streets. The original only had 72 cities and was filled with irrelevant stuff like reviews of restaurants. Big diff. Do not tint the rear window or the nav wont be accurate............as it isnt in mine. Grrrr. Car holds value well, it appears, and I think that is because it is one of the best looking of the TL series plus Hondas reliability record which is best with their 4 cylinder jobs, not six cylinders. Mostly satisfied but would be happier if some of the components were more durable and the Acura dealers only charged an arm instead of an arm and a leg.

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  Nice Comfortable Turbo Crossover - 2011 Acura RDX
  By Carguy - August 12 - 11:09 am

  We have a 2011 RDX base FWD...as a driver,very comfortable seats,easy to read gauges nice panoramic view with low dashboard... easy to get in and out.. a blast to drive when you spool the Turbo,lots of torque but beware if you keep spinning the tires (burnouts) front driver side axles might go out easily, you would notice a vibration on low speed acceleration,will go away when coasting... this problem is only on FWD models between 50-70k miles when ABUSED(easyfix) You NEED to use synthetic engine oil religiously on schedule for the turbo bearings and seals to last long (all turbo engines) ..otherwise you will start to have leaks from your turbo. You just have to be mindful of your scheduled maintenance and not to abuse its power otherwise with over 90k miles now we love our RDX no problem whatsoever.....with a small growing family moving to the burbs we sold our Lancer EVO and Subaru WRX for an RDX and an RX.... I would recommend the RDX to my family and friends....you get a lot of car for your money. This is the ONLY Acura that the Shield front grill is actually functional as an air intake hood scoop for your top mount intercooler. If you are buying a used RDX make sure you check its history,all original stock meaning no modification has been done,if buying from a private party it is worth to pay a 3rd party to inspect the mechanical condition of the car,if buying from a dealer make sure you can get an extended warranty.. Since the Turbo RDX is no longer in production and if you do not want a used vehicle the KIA Sportage SX (SX ONLY) would be a good car to consider ....... Thanks for reading... Happy Motoring!

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  05 Nighthawk Pearl TSX - 2005 Acura TSX
  By Sophia - August 12 - 2:01 am

  I bought my car exactly two years ago. It is a very small and super comfortable car. It definitely is a comuter car. My 05 has comfortable tan leather seats. I love my LED lights!! I tinted my windows so the car looks even better. I had to eventually get new brakes and 3 of my cylinders blew up which was provoked by the previous owner who used the wrong material the first time! My battery eventually gave out so i replaced it. I just replaced my thermostat which was constantly fluctuating in temp in a span of 2 minutes. The costs were low and the parts were cheap. Unfortunately the car does not come with an aux so i bought a cheap mp3-radio converter. I used to be able to hit 350 mpt but now i barely get bg 330 miles (depends on traffic!!!!!!!!) Cheapest i paid was $32 for gas without any safeway discounts and the most i have paid was 65-70$ (cant remember exactly). My tank holds 14 gallons. I have seen really nice bumper body kits that make the car look nice! This is not a race car!!!!! I despise seeing tsxs and hondas built completely when in reality theyre not rally cars!!!! (I have seen a dope built tsx though. It only looks good if the owner knows what theyre doing to their car except for Honda fanatics! Stay away from those!!!) I do not suggest putting an exhaust because it will sound horrible and everyone will laugh at you. V techs produce farting sounds! You cant escape that noise..ever. Acuras and hondas are not rally cars! They shouldnt be built especially stanced.... Overall, it is a fun and cute car! Still my first car but definitely was/is a great learning experience and comuter car. Parks easily. The costs are reasonable. I

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  Great if you can live with the compromises - 2008 Acura RDX
  By Drew Engstrom - August 6 - 4:27 pm

  The RDX is sports sedan masquerading as a luxury SUV. Cornering and acceleration? Great. Cushioned, quiet ride? Nope. I chose the RDX because there are many SUV and truck drivers where I live and I wanted to sit a little bit higher than I would in a sedan - and I am completely sold on Honda/Acura reliability and quality. Quality and reliability have been excellent and the driving position is comfortable with excellent visibility my advice to prospective buyers would be to simply understand the trade-offs: 1) The turbocharged 4 cylinder is very responsive and fun to drive - but, dont expect to get much more than 16 MPG when youre zipping around town, or about 23 MPG when cruising on the highway. 2) The taut suspension makes for great handling - but, dont expect a plush, Toyota-ish ride quality you will feel and hear road imperfections. 3) The car is very nimble and comfortable for an SUV - but remember, this is a smaller SUV and it really isnt any roomier than a smaller sedan (think Acura TSX) Conclusion if you like the Acura feel (tight suspension, cornering on rails) and you want something with some power, this is as good a combination of value and quality as you can get in a small SUV.

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  I love my 1996 Acura rl butt.... - 1996 Acura RL
  By Lisha - July 30 - 4:58 pm

  Ive only had my used Acura for almost 2 months now. Great car but the motor to adjust the steering wheel stopped working. My review mirror keeps falling off. On top of that my transmission is starting to make a weird noise. Im scared to see what else is going to happen in another 2 months. On a better note it is good on gas, quiet, comfortable, beautiful interior, lots of space, great speakers, and handles country roads beautifully. I really wish it wasnt falling apart on me i love car.

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  Best value - 2014 Acura MDX
  By Al - July 28 - 6:37 pm

  I buy a lot of cars for myself and wife. This is my 4th MDX in 7 years. Tried an Enclave terrible seats and steering. Had a MKX for 9000 traded it the steering had torque steel when you punched the gas. My wife drives an Audi but has had a Cayanne, an X5, Range Rover and more. Dollar for dollar the MDX is the best value for me. Quiet, quick and very good seats.

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  Overall We Love This Car - 2008 Acura RDX
  By mike - July 17 - 11:55 am

  In the year 2015, had to replace our 2005 CRV which we loved, because of a hit and run that left our car trashed. We were looking at simply getting another CRV, but stumbled across a 2010 RDX at a dealer. We took it for a drive and fell in love. We didnt quite like the look of the 2010 model (fog lights are a little "pronounced" for our taste, so out of curiosity we looked and found a 2008 model with 59k miles that was a new arrival at a local dealer. Took it out for a drive, and loved it even more than the 2010 model we had driven earlier. To be sure, we subsequently tried a few other CRVs (2005, 2010, 2012) but by that time I think we were just too smitten with the RDX and never looked back. We got the RDX for $15k and are sooooo happy about it. (cheaper than any CRVs we saw, including a 2005 model that would have essentially replaced the one we lost, but was more expensive than this 2008 RDX. A couple things that any buyer should be aware of especially in 2015: (1) Mileage. We just took a road trip and got 23 mpg, which is about what it was advertised at (actually slightly better). You have to be on top of RPMs, use of AC, buying gas at Costco, and other things if you want to keep your costs and gas use down - and those are all things we are good with doing. (2) We had a little rattling in the car when we got it. After a long search we found it wasnt mechanical, but rather the latch for back seat (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2OS7CgzsiRs&feature=youtu.be), which is now totally silent thanks to electrical tape! Thats pretty much it so far, and granted its only been a month since we bought the car, but it is a 2008 model and no other red flags (just had it inspected too). So many good things for us. The cabin is like a dream after the CRV. Again we loved our CRV but didnt realize how much better it could be with a car like an RDX. Driving it feels like we got bumped from coach to first class. Dont know what rear passenger seats feel like, but front are awesome with leather, memory seats, amazing stereo, storage, Dual climate setting. Dash is real easy to look at and find what you need. We dont have the Tech model but dont seem to be complaining either. And as much as cabin rocks, the engine is amazing. 240hp turbo, whoa. So fun to drive!! That might have been the kicker for us, Im pretty sure it sealed the deal for my wife, Ill never forget her face when she turned her first corner - she was like "oh yeah, I love this car." Separate from that, good fold-down seats in back to make the entire rear a flat surface, and our model is black with tinted windows, so lord it is sexy! If you can keep on top of gas use and budgeting, I think this car is great. I realize its early for us but coupled with our inspection by our trusted mechanic and plans to get regular maintenance checks, we hope to have many years of RDX fun to come...

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  GPS and Bluetooth are unsable- get a base model - 2015 Acura MDX
  By jesseg2 - June 14 - 11:14 am

  I have had my tech package MDX for over 6 months now and can confidently say that a $100 tomtom GPS beats the in-dash hands down. Boot time takes about 60 seconds. Sluggish input. Passenger cannot input an address while moving. score 0 of 10. The Bluetooth phone is horrible. People ask if I have the windows down or if they are on speaker phone. My $100 Plantronics voyager works perfectly. Also cant press any digits on touchscreen when vehicle is moving. But can use the iPhone to press # for conference calls, etc. 0/10 Save your money and get the base MDX. I do love the ride and 28mpg highway that I average. Probably the most comfortable front seats on any SUV out there. 10/10

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  VSA nearly killed me - 2005 Acura TL
  By aap2 - June 13 - 6:04 pm

  Was driving 60mph on the highway using the stick shift feature on the automatic transmission. Out of nowhere the VSA decided to turn on while i was on 3rd speed simply cruising on 60mph. When the VSA light turned on the tires screeched and immediately i lost control of the car and it banged into the divider of the highway. The airbags went off (there were no passengers) and the front left wheel just popped off completely. Thank god there was a gas station 500 feet near me. I Been having a problem with the VSA turning on abruptly for no apparent reason ive taken it to a mechanic before and even they have no clue wtf is wrong with it. Ive read forums which people have had the same issue...