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:

• 

  Great all round performer - 2005 Acura TSX
  By jamesoil - May 22 - 1:15 am

  This car has been an excellent replacement for my BMW 3 series. I was sceptical at first but have come to realize that BMW is not the be all and end all in sport sedans. Great price good fuel economy and fully loaded base model made this an easy decision. Handles all weather conditions well. I live in Edmonton, Alberta, Canada and see summer conditions as well as extreme winter driving conditions every year. The traction control in this car puts me at par with any SUV on paved icy and snow covered roads. This is a fine entry level compact sports/luxury sedan. Many reviewers have said that a 4 cylinder 200hp engine is not enough power. I disagree. Remember this is an entry level sports sedan.

• 

  Still Fun After 15 Months - 2005 Acura TL
  By Barry - May 22 - 12:10 am

  Still enjoying the car after 15 months. I continue to get a lot of positive comments on the body style. Lower profile takes some getting used to as vision is a lot more restrictive than the Hondas I own. Great milage on the freeway. I continue to buy the extended warranty on my Honda products but have yet to get my premium back, if anything. I imagine my first Acura will be the same. Not sure why the 2005 has a 12 horsepower increase over the 2006. Apparently, Honda didnt calculate it properly in 2004 & 2005.

• 

  Acuras Real Deal - 2004 Acura TL
  By Yummer1 - May 21 - 1:52 pm

  A car that handles well in all weather and looks great doing it, the TL by Acura is also a real deal. With amenities previously found on cars $5,000 higher, the TL combines a sporty look and feel with ample luxury.

• 

  Great SUV - 2004 Acura MDX
  By snaser - May 20 - 11:43 am

  The Accura MDX is a great SUV for the family & fun to drive alone. It is the perfect size & height...not too big. The lines are sexy and sleek, I love the heated seats (which I use all year round). It is comfortable and dependable.

• 

  Quality, Comfort, Quickness - 2002 Acura CL
  By DLarrison - May 20 - 8:39 am

  I purchased this car with 50,000 miles on it. It was a lease turn in and was/is in amazing shape. The sleek design and dual exaust caught my eye immediately. There are many well designed creature comforts to keep you occupied and comfortable on any drive. The smoothness, power and handling will get your heart pounding. The exaust sounds during excelleration are very satisfying and not overwhelming. This car was for me the moment I sat down in it and turned the key.

• 

  Awesome Car - 2006 Acura RL
  By Don Dreher - May 20 - 8:11 am

  Excellent value...period! Ive owned Acura for 15 years now and the new `06 RL will keep me coming back!

• 

  Gets it Done - 2005 Acura RL
  By bbyrone - May 20 - 5:19 am

  Probably the best riding car Ive ever owned.

• 

  Great Car - 2006 Acura RL
  By Robert - May 19 - 10:22 pm

  I test drove the BMW 530 and Benz E320. The RL was far superior to both at much less price. The techno gadgets are amazing. I have had absolutely no problems with the car.

• 

  How can you drive this car slow?? - 2003 Acura CL
  By stejus - May 19 - 2:00 am

  Just picked up a 2003 CL Type-S a week ago and I love it. Had to put it in storage until April when the warm weather returns (Winter in Massachusetts too much!). I cant believe the power under the hood of this car. I traded in a MR2 which I thought had power, but this Acura CL TypeS is twice as fast off the line! Cant wait for spring to arrive!

• 

  CL MEANS VALUE - 2003 Acura CL
  By mac wall - May 19 - 2:00 am

  Value is not a meaningless word to me and I translate it into my word with virtually everything. When it comes to autos, the Acura TV and CL simply beat the competition hands down. The BMW, the Lexus, the Audi and Volvo want to compete but they fall short in drive, fit and finish and performance. The CL could be light years ahead with so little attention on the part of designers. Why create a car that wins the VALUE competition yet let some other areas fall so short?