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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  Acura TL - 2004 Acura TL
  By Rob R. - March 16 - 11:05 am

  I have a difficult time, in this market, finding a car to replace my TL. I am thinking of upgrading to a more luxurious sport sedan but I cannot find anything in the current choices that comes anywhere near the product for the money. This is especially true when you consider the reliability and possible maintenance costs based on other car makers track records. This car has had no major problems (other than some issues intially with the XM receiver-it was new at the time) in the roughly 4 years and 70,000 miles Ive owned it. It has taken some hard driving and has all the ammenities for longer trips.

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  So far so good. - 2017 Acura RDX
  By Scott - March 16 - 12:49 am

  Overall, I really enjoy this vehicle. I chose the base AWD because I did not like the stereo and navigation interface on the technology package and above. I also did not get Acura watch package because its not perfected. The only options I wish I had are blind spot monitor and rear cross traffic. Get about 21 mpg overall so far and it is winter. The past 3 days has been 32-40 degrees and Ive been getting about 24 in mixed driving on regular. Overall, the RDX has great acceleration and great value vs its main competitors. Nothing else comparable with a luxury nameplate comes close. I only have 3 minor complaints. 1) use of cargo space could be better. My wife has a Mazda CX5 and her car holds way more and has nice little cubbies the RDX lacks. 2) handling. Again, comparing to the CX5 steering is vague and lacks feedback. 3) When using the Bluetooth its really hard to hear. Voices very tinny and have to have volume on very high to hear the other line. Its a little odd because the stereo and speakers are otherwise fine. Overall, I definitely recommend. Bulletproof engine and transmission and again, its hard to match at its price point.

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  Tranny worse than an American Tranny - 2003 Acura CL
  By never_ever_again - March 15 - 10:00 am

  Had this car for a month, after only 1500 miles, the transmission went bad even after babying it. It doesnt shift past 2nd gear. Thought I was a rare case, but when I went to the dealer, they werent surprised. There is a freaking 3 month waiting list for CL/TL transmissions! When I saw the www.acura-cl.com message board I wasnt the only one. They have a section dedicated to "Transmission Problems"!!! Hundreds of people are having transmission problems for a wannabe luxury car. People, stay away from the CL and TL and get an accord. The CL and TL tranny is a piece of crap.

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  Awesome ride - 2002 Acura RSX
  By Trekblue98 - March 15 - 10:00 am

  I bought the RSX about a week ago and I am very shocked. The car accelerates fast but yet I get 35 mpg. It takes awhile to get use of the firm seats. The car turns very well and stops on a dime. I love the red dashboard lights.

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  A Truly Great Automobile - 2002 Acura TL
  By Lynne - March 15 - 10:00 am

  This car has it all. Great styling, speed, comfort and handling. You really couldnt ask for more

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  This Car is a BLAST! - 2008 Acura TSX
  By Moms Car Rocks! - March 14 - 3:47 pm

  I looked at Lexus, BMW 3s, Audi, Benz & Infiniti. Feature to feature, sticker to sticker, NO CONTEST. Classy look, beautiful interior, every option standard (not nav.) for $5-10K less. Ive owned 2 Hondas before, 1 Audi, and 1 MB-E class. This is a great car for those $3.50+ per gal. fill-ups without feeling like you are stuck with a boring ride. It handles great in the corners, stops swiftly, hauls tail on the freeway and still gets my blood pumping. I love this car, but when they get a V-6 or turbo, Im soooo there! I needed better mileage, which the TSX delivers (26 in major traffic everyday). The TL was too heavy feeling for me and I know I would be getting WAY too many speeding tickets

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  What a car! - 2008 Acura TL
  By henry - March 13 - 7:05 pm

  This Acura TL is a step up from a fully-loaded 2003 Accord V6 that I previously drove, and wife continues to love it despite 320,000 km on it (bought it brand new!). So far, Ive had very little regret from choosing it over Audi A4 and Lexus IS 250. The car drives beautifully, esp. on the highway! This car gets the most bang for your bucks!

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  Red Lemon - 2004 Acura TSX
  By Ken Clancy - March 13 - 3:02 pm

  I bought a red TSX and the paint has now deteriorated so that there are pinkish/white blotches all over the car. Acura dealer has been less than helpful and corporate customer service are running for cover. I had a new clutch put in at 60K old one stopped working. RPM have improved 20% at highway speeds, nobody can explain why this is the case. I think it is because the clutch has been slipping since i got the car, new.

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  08 TSX - 2008 Acura TSX
  By 08 TSX - March 12 - 7:16 pm

  Replaced 03 TL-S and while I miss the power of the V6, the trade off of better handling and trimmer size was worth it. Good power above 3000 RPM, responsive manumatic makes it easy to stay in the power band when needed. Build quality is flawless. Fuel mileage has been the only disappointment-only 24MPG, about the same as the heavier more powerful TL. Overall, I am very happy with this car, and think it is a great value.

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  Try It Youll Love It! - 2008 Acura RDX
  By CHdriver - March 11 - 11:38 am

  The RDX was the last car we looked at before we were going to commit to an BMW X3. Are we glad we looked! Absolutely great price and deal, and so much car. Saved at least $7,000 of the X3 and we still got everything we wanted.