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 Car! - 2004 Acura TL
  By AJMTaylor - December 21 - 2:00 am

  After several weeks of lusting after the new TL, I succumbed and went in and bought one. The car has exceeded expectations (which were high)in every way. It looks great and runs better still. I was after a car that was nice, but not a statement car (like a BMW) and one that not every Joe on the street owned (like an Audi). The Acura TL is perfect - fast, fun to drive and uncommon. Perfect!

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  Cars are for Driving - 2005 Acura TL
  By Alex A - December 21 - 1:53 am

  As good as this car is for the money, it falls short in driving dynamics to its German competitors. Its far from "bad", but after owning 2 VWs and 1 BMW, Ill take the German cars anyday for pure driving enjoyment. However, considering what you get in the TL for the $$$, you cannot go wrong. IMHO the TLs exterior design is gorgeous. Ive already brought the car to the dealer to replace the power memory switch. Normal in some German cars, but not normal for Acura. Overall, a great car for the American Market.

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  Zoooooooooooommmmmm!!!!!!!!!!! - 2002 Acura RSX
  By Ghost Rider - December 19 - 10:00 am

  Just take one for a test drive. It handles awesome and is a huge improvement over the Integra it replaced. Sporty fun!

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  Nice, but Rattles A LOT - 2004 Acura TL
  By Maryland - December 19 - 9:06 am

  I tried all the competition and chose this car because I got the most bang for the buck. So, for the most part, it was the best choice in terms of price, quality, engine, transmission, power, options, etc. However, it NEEDS a smoother shifting transmission and the rattles and the little noises drive me crazy. The car sounds like it is 100- years old and it keeps getting worse. As long as I turn volume on radio up, IÂ’m good. All-in-all pretty good car.

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  Replaced my BMW 528 - 2005 Acura RL
  By Tom Curry - December 19 - 3:56 am

  I purchased a new 2005 TL (6 spd) in November to replace a 98 BMW 528 (5sp) (that had reached 125,000 miles with repair bills to match). The TL turned out too small with too much front wheel torque steer; thus, the new RL in December. Very impressed with fit and finish. Overall performance is just fine (I do a lot a higher speed open road driving); the handling is much better with none of the TLs torque steer. I spend about 3 hrs per day in the car. Only problem in first 1,000 miles is a non-performing CD player, and thats about to be repaired. The rest of the audio system is great. The mileage is less than I would like; about 5 mpg less than the old BMW.

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  Clean lines and agility - 2006 Acura TSX
  By Bobby O - December 18 - 11:46 pm

  Superbly designed and heck of a lot of fun to drive! This is the very first new car ever purchased and I am 100% sure I made the right choice. I did a lot of research too and couldnt find a better value for the money.

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  325i to TSX - 2008 Acura TSX
  By mstew0102 - December 18 - 2:31 pm

  I recently returned a lease of a 2006 BMW 3251 6M. I am a loyal Honda-ist and am very pleased to be back on familiar ground. The BMW was a great car, but this is more like putting on a familiar old coat. The TSX may have missed by not having a V6, but overall this car is more satisfying and full of features that I love. The handling is not the same as RWD, but I have quickly forgotten that car and feel more confident in this TSX. I couldnt be happier.

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  Rides too hard-Its that simple - 2005 Acura TL
  By william hyman - December 17 - 9:46 pm

  I liked the technology( navigation & xm radio) BUT no ease of entry (wife couldnt reach door handle to close door from a seating position) tires were flat spotted for 3-5 miles from a resting position, engine & road noise was excessive. & ABOVE all the car gave me a ride like my "little red wagon" minus shocks & springs. Just traded for a lexus LS

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  Blown Away - 2004 Acura TL
  By steve_boris - December 17 - 10:00 am

  Ive had the TL for over a month now and I love it. The thrill of being able to maneuver on highways without worrying about whether the car has enough power and the way the TL handles turns at high speeds with such ease continues to awe me everyday. This is simply the best car in its class for your hard earned dollars.

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  Could not be happier - 2008 Acura TSX
  By John - December 16 - 9:57 pm

  My previous car was a VW Jetta (w/ Turbo). I was looking at 3 series BMWs, Lexus IS 250 and the TSX. I ended up with the TSX and could not be happier. After reading reviews I was worried that the car would not have the pick-up I desired. I envisioned it being like my brothers civic. Not the case and in fact I dont notice much of a differnce outside of not have the turbo kick-in at 6000 rpms. I also thought the body was somewhat plain at first, but have since grown to love it. This is a great car for anyone in the entry level luxury sedan market.