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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  Great Vehicle - 2006 Acura RL
  By Mitch G - August 22 - 5:59 pm

  Traded a 2004 Mercedes 4matic E320 for the RL because I couldnt take the shifting lag any more. Have owned MB vehicles since 1973 and can say the RL is as good if not better than the recent MBs. My only complaint is the fact that the drivers seat is not adjustable otherwise this is a wonderful and fun car to drive

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  Great Wheels! - 2006 Acura RSX
  By Commissioner - August 22 - 5:46 pm

  Bought a red Type S and couldnt be happier. Been looking for a sporty coupe with a stick since I sold my 94 Vette. Yeah, I know, this aint a Vette. But it just might be even more fun to drive. Im not crazy about the exterior, but the interior is really nice. I dont get the people who complain about the ride. If thats so important why didnt they buy a luxury sedan. The RSX is a more of a bare bone sports car, though it does have the Aucra luxury, and, more importantly, the Honda reliability. Like I said, the exterior doesnt do much for me. I prefer the older Acura Integra...or, better yet, a Hyundai Tiburon GT with the Type Ss drive train.

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  best yet - 2006 Acura RL
  By gascolator - August 22 - 11:38 am

  really like the car.bought it because of the price and the all wheel drive.also like the fact that it is a honda product.

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  Great Workhorse with Looks - 1999 Acura TL
  By Kentrosi - August 21 - 7:53 pm

  This is my 4th Acura. I am trading it in next week for an 03 TL-S. It has 152,000 of some very hard-driven mileage. I have done nothing but change the oil and replaced the timing belt at 100k. This car is extremely dependable and great looking. I drive 35-45k miles a year and do not have time to deal with the annoying prblems that plague so many other makes. I am sticking with Acura.

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  Type-S 6-speed - 2003 Acura CL
  By denouve2 - August 21 - 5:16 pm

  What a fun car... the engine and manual transmission are the best Ive driven of any car in this category. Anyone considering a 6-speed Accord coupe should try to find one these rare gems first. I find myself passing Bimmers on every stretch of road, yet this car can provide a very comfortable and safe drive in all weather conditions due to its design. The 3-series may best the CL in handling, but the Acurss engine is far more powerful and fun to drive. The list of features and build quality cannot be topped for the money, and Ill be driving this car well over 100K.

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  Im Extremely Pleased - 2006 Acura TSX
  By dmaccioc - August 20 - 11:54 pm

  For the money, I couldnt find a more well-rounded, well-equipped vehicle. As someone who lives and works in an urban area, this vehicle makes great strides in active safety. Im able to carry on a phone conversation (hands-free) while being guided by the navigation to a new address, and have a better view of the road thanks to those fantastic Xenon headlights! Everything about the car feels solid and well-thought out - needless to say, Im extremely satisfied.

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  Best vehicle in Class - 2005 Acura TL
  By S D - August 20 - 9:56 pm

  The best car thats out in the market today (for the price). Its a combination of exquisite style, luxury and good performance. The Sound System is fabulous.. and everything but the navigation comes built-in.

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  CL Fun - 2003 Acura CL
  By tsmiththi - August 20 - 1:37 pm

  My CL-S is a six-speed manual, which is superior to the automatic in this model. I have seen reports of problems in the auto trans. The car has tremendous acceleration and performance, and excellent, if unexciting, handling. I can see over 25mpg on the highway and over 21 around town (if I short-shift it). It has plenty of torque over 3500 rpm. Great fun to drive and excellent reliability so far.

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  Acura TL - 2004 Acura TL
  By tsmiththi - August 20 - 1:24 pm

  The car has plenty of luxury features but it will really run if you need it to. The handling is very solid but not all that exciting. Great reliability of course, solid performance and handling, an a great value at its price. The best car I ever owned.

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  Wonderful car... but not perfect - 2005 Acura MDX
  By andygs400 - August 18 - 10:20 pm

  I have only had this car for a couple weeks now, but I absolutely love it. It definitely has its shortcomings, but the car as a whole makes up for it. Drove it from Phoenix to LA and back and I was never more comfortable. Great blend of utility and luxury. I would definitely get the Touring package because the little luxuries are great.