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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  Not Quite as Good as I Expected - 2006 Acura RL
  By stonehenge - May 3 - 10:05 pm

  While the Acura RL handles extremely well and is generally a solidly built vehicle, I am disappointed by the amount of interior rattles. I traded out of a VW Passat that had no squeaks and rattles into the RL and the unwanted noises are most annoying. The quietness of the cabin just serves to amplify the interior squeaks and rattles. I would not buy another for the price of the car.

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  awesome car for awesome price - 2002 Acura RSX
  By Thien Nguyen - May 3 - 10:00 am

  The rsx type-s is an awesome car! I just got one and it is just as good, if not better, than what everyone says. The car is an absolute thrill to drive, and everyone just looks at the car. It has a demanding presence, and you feel really confident driving it. Its comfortable and fast. Its also a lot roomier than the celica. Its a better car than the celica in every way.

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  Still a big WOW! - 2002 Acura RSX
  By mrfoxman - May 3 - 10:00 am

  This car is so much fun to drive I keep catching my self smiling as I drive down the road (especially the twisty ones). I also love the fact all the tricked out kids look at me in awe.

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  Great Car - 2001 Acura CL
  By decided - May 3 - 10:00 am

  This car is a perfect blend of comfort and performance. Fun to drivw, looks great and as reliable as a car can get.

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  3.2TL TYPE S NAVI - 2003 Acura TL
  By GEORGEP - May 3 - 10:00 am

  GREAT CAR PREVIOUS OWNER 3.5RL & ACCORD I THINK HONDA PRODUCTS ARE THE BEST OUT THERE. I DIDNT LOOK AT OTHER BRANDS, BECAUSE I NEW FOR THE MONEY IT COULDNT BE BET. YES THERE ARE A FEW THINGS THAT COULD BE DONE TO INHANCE THE CAR, BUT LETS DONT GET TO PICKEY FOR THE $$$. I HAVE OWNED BMW AND FOR THE MONEY THE TL HAS IT HANDS DOWN.

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  Right Choice - 2008 Acura MDX
  By Albert - May 2 - 4:47 pm

  Test drove Lexus RX 350, Volvo XC90, Pilot, and 2009 Murano before selecting the MDX. Its the best in class. Great SUV. It runs much better after the initial 500 miles or so. GPM got better too. Some of the accessories should have been made standard (roof rail, side molding). The plastic door handle and the same color plastic on the steering wheel make the interior look cheap. Acura should have made them better and add a few hundred dollars to the based. This is sold by Honda/Acura as a luxury SUV.

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  Very nice car! - 1990 Acura Legend
  By Molly - May 1 - 4:36 pm

  I bought this car with 200000 miles on it and it is still running very well at 220000. Great first car! Not the greatest mpg (22-23) but it is V6. It handles very well and still can beat a newer car in a race! Im going to be very sad when it dies, but then again it still wants to run, I dont know many cars that will top 220000 miles and stil be running as well as it is now! Wonderful car I cant imagine driving anything else!!

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  My best ride - 2005 Acura TL
  By BWood - May 1 - 9:48 am

  I really love this car. I have had several sedans including Cadillac STS and Lincoln LS and this is my favorite. Very comfortable and looks so good!

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  My 3rd MDX - 2008 Acura MDX
  By Ryki - May 1 - 8:04 am

  This is my 3rd MDX, I have had a 2001, a 2005 and now a 2008. This is the Best Bang for the Buck SUV on the road. Looks great inside and out. Good performance, good handling, decent feul economy (16 mpg on mixed driving) for a 300 horsepower engine and all these vehicles have proved very reliable.

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  Best Honda Ever - 2007 Acura MDX
  By Hondafan - April 30 - 3:16 pm

  Ive owned over a dozen Hondas and Acuras through the years. I must confess this is probably the best vehicle Honda has ever made, right up there with such ground breakers as the NSX and s2000. Honda has simply built an SUV version of the Acura RL. I should know since I also have an RL. In all but the most aggressive of handling maneuvers the MDX matches the RL. Its very quiet with a nice engine growl when revved. Acceleration is good for such a heavy vehicle. Rear comfort for 2 is excellent. The other 3 spots are for children. Cargo space is ample with the rear seat stowed, towing performance is excellent. Competitors may be better in one category or another, but overall none is even clo