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:

• 

  86000 miles and still lovin it - 2004 Acura TSX
  By FOUND939 - June 21 - 3:25 pm

  Just an update on vehicle #719. Original review from 2003. Got my TSX in April 2003. I now have about 86K on it and it is holding up suberbly! I use Yokohamas for tread now cuz the Michelins are way to expensive and are not rated as well.

• 

  Almost settled 4 an Accord - 2006 Acura TSX
  By Bella - June 21 - 9:22 am

  This car replaced my Civic, a big step up without the huge price tag. I LOVE this car. I wanted luxury features and I got them. This car has everything (except nav.) standard and all for $27K. Im SO glad I didnt settle for the Accord. This is quick, sporty and a very smooth ride. Best of all, my 61" husband also fits confortably and loves to drive it.

• 

  Acura at its best! - 2003 Acura TL
  By ohimark - June 20 - 10:00 am

  This is my 5th Acura. My TL Type S is by far the best car that Acura has come out with. I average 27-28 mpg. hwy. This car handles extemely well and is very quick!!! A great commuter car.

• 

  A Great All Around Choice - 2006 Acura RSX
  By Frank - June 18 - 12:32 pm

  I decided it was time to purchase a reliable car that would hold its value, Acura was my choice. The warranties, customer service and quality of these cars are second to none. I needed a daily driver that was sporty, reliable, held its value, and got great gas mileage at a good price. The RSX was all these things. Im extremely happy with my purchase. Im in Pa and averaging 31-32 mpg with a little spirited driving in that number. The car gives all its power in the 5- 7k rpm range. Its quite a sound at that rpm. I wanted the S-Type but the insurance premiums made it unrealistic, not to mention having to use Premiums gas. The 5-speed base RSX was the perfect compromise for me.

• 

  TSX review - 2005 Acura TSX
  By Rich541 - June 17 - 5:15 pm

  I am really happy with the overall performance and handeling of my 05 TSX. The only thing that I think that could be changed on the car as the main thing, is the engine power. There is a very fair amount of power that you get from the car and it is very fun to drive just there is a little missing in that part. I have had this car longer then I have owned any other vehicles in the past. Usually I keep for around 9 months, and I have owned my TSX for almost 1.5 years. So I really think it is "fun to drive" or I wouldnt have it now. There has only been a few times that it has gone into the shop for minor adjustments and due mainly to annoyance only.

• 

  solid luxury - 2006 Acura RL
  By kentd - June 16 - 8:41 pm

  enjoy the tightness of build and sureness of handling. Bose stereo is the best ever. Easy for my wife to master and dealership is woman friendly, something just never seen!

• 

  Nice car.. - 1997 Acura Integra
  By Jeff - June 16 - 12:38 pm

  It is very nice exterior look. Fun to drive. Good gas mileage and still a pretty cheap car. I love it

• 

  Mikes Take - 2006 Acura RL
  By pxmike - June 15 - 8:21 pm

  Great car, no regrets. The technology embedded in the car is a bit intimidating, but once you figure it out, very cool. Having troubles with the Hands Free feature using the Palm 650. The dealership experience was exceptional. Kudos to Minh.

• 

  Excellent Auto - 2006 Acura RL
  By MM - June 15 - 7:55 pm

  Ive owned Mercedes, multiple Lexuss, Infinitis, and an earlier version of the RL (FWD) and this car is definitely the most fun to drive. The handling is unbelievable. The features are so extensive on the base model that it takes a while to learn them all, but its worth it...especially the navigation system.

• 

  Excellent Car! - 2004 Acura TSX
  By Amanda Beardsley - June 15 - 8:44 am

  My Acura TSX is the best car I have ever owned! It is sleek and stylish. The performance is great and that of a luxury car! I will always buy Acuras in my future!