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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  Very happy 28 months later - 2004 Acura TSX
  By Dr. Daryl - November 29 - 12:34 am

  We are getting 25 mpg commuting and 28-33 mpg highway depending on load. The TSX is highly entertaining to drive being very agile. Fit and finish continue to impress. The leather shows only a mild patina and the kids have lightly scuffed the seatbacks with their shoes. Our sole problem is a slightly sticking door lock. No rattles, squeaks, or mechanical issues. Id buy another without question.

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  Shame that 06 is the last year - 2006 Acura RSX
  By Roland - November 28 - 9:34 pm

  I bought a 2006 RSX Type S in July of this year. A huge upgrade from my previous car! The firm but supple ride, well bolstered and supportive seats, responsive steering, sharp handling, rev-happy engine, and 6-speed gearbox just makes the car a blast to drive. It is comfortable enough for me to commute 100 miles round trip to school twice a week and 15 miles round trip to work 5 days a week. The gas mileage is great too, even when in lots of spirited driving time I still manage over 22 mpg all city. If I stick to ho-hum commuting I get just under 30 mpg with a 60/40 city/highway mix of driving. The only let down is that they discontinued production of this car for 2007 and beyond.

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  2002 Acura MDX Touring - 2002 Acura MDX
  By gensaco - November 26 - 3:19 am

  After owning 9 vehicles this being the 10th, I find it to be the best yet. Considering I was hell-bent on buying a hybrid suv, Im pleasantly surprised how easily I changed my mind after taking mine for a test drive. I love it more each time I get in. Hate to get out when I get home, could drive it forever. All the interior controls are placed well for easy access. Roomy interior. The ride was a tad stiffer than an Equinox but I do love the way it handles. May be due to too much air in the tires. Great on icy roads. Nice tight turning radius. Unless they make drastic changes, Im fairly certain Ill buy another in 3 yrs. All the bells & whistles are great. The MDX fits me like a glove.

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  1994 Integra - 1994 Acura Integra
  By Chopper - November 25 - 8:30 pm

  Very reliable. Mine had almost 265,000 miles on it with the original clutch.

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  Awesome Acura TL! - 2006 Acura TL
  By Holly - November 25 - 8:24 am

  Ive always had V6 Honda Accords, loved them all, and was ready to buy a 2006 but couldnt find a good color combination. Moved to the Acura TL based on reputation, looks, and color combinations and Im so not sorry! It is a hot car - it looks good, has all the creature comforts, is great to drive, has more speed than Ill ever need (but love it!), and it is incredibly sturdy and safe. This car is everything awesome about an Accord, and so much more! The only sad thing is that the surround-sound stereo doesnt have much chance to perform because the music industry hasnt produced many surround-sound cds! Id definitely recommend this car for every reason.

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  Fun, Fast, Comfortable, and Sharp - 2003 Acura TL
  By Beaner - November 24 - 10:00 am

  This was the last car I test drove and I had low expecations going in. However, the cars handling, acceleration, and comfortable cockpit sucked me in. As did the price. This is a well-built car that gets you excited about driving. I chose the TL Type-S over the BMW because of the roominess and the price. It handles the same and has even more power.

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  Love our first Acura - 2016 Acura RDX
  By Bob Federwitz - November 24 - 4:03 am

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  Love the 98 3.2TL - 1998 Acura TL
  By Don from Florida - November 23 - 3:23 pm

  Purchased the 3.2 in November of 2001. Ive been very happy with the ride and reliability. It has 88,000 miles and all Ive done is change the oil, belts, and tires. (The lone exception was new front brakes & rotors at 87,000 miles) It rides like a cadillac but without the reliability issues. The interior is 1st class as well as the comfort of the seats. Its not a fast sports sedan, but the 3.2 V-6 200 HP engine has plenty of speed for us. Exterior is black and the paint has yet to fade. (There are the normal nicks from opening doors and such.) Like the sleek exterior with the long front hood. I feel comfortable enough to sell this car to my daughter next month. Will purchase another Acura.

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  Great Ride - 2004 Acura MDX
  By bri32974 - November 22 - 10:00 am

  Ive had the vehicle for about 3 weeks now. Love the ride. It just feels like your driving a nice vehicle when driving. All my family and friends love it. I did research for about 3 months. Test drove alot of different SUVs. The decision came down to either the MDX or Volkswagen Toureg. For the money, I thought the MDX beat it out. The history of reliability and resale is pretty good compared to some of the other competitors. Im averaging about 18 to 19 miles on the average. Definitely, get the side steps and luggage rack on the vehicle. That finishes off the look of the vehicle. It kind of looks naked without it.

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  Love it!! - 2004 Acura TL
  By Love my Acura - November 22 - 10:00 am

  Great car... What a home run! Awesome gas mileage.. getting 32 mpg hwy/23 city after 2500 miles. This is unreal mpg considering the power of this car! Love the look, inside and out. Quiet, high end feel. I researched cars for an entire year...this is a great value. Better buy one before Acura raises the price..they could easily get 2k more. I had to wait to get mine...folks are seeing the value.