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 overall but bouncy handling - 2004 Acura TL
  By rsud - May 19 - 4:50 pm

  My 3rd Acura and pleased overall. Great gas mileage for 270 hp car (25 mpg mixed). My only gripe is the suspension that bounces you all over the place when you hit a rough patch or leans when taking a hard corner. Approaching a toll booth on a rough road (poor pothole fills) I couldnt let go of the steering wheel to reach for change. Not a car that compells you to drive hard. Good smooth road cruiser.

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  Very nice but not without headaches - 2006 Acura MDX
  By IgnatiusReilly - May 17 - 11:53 am

  I bought my CPO MDX about a year ago. I drive mostly city/highway mix with a few long road trips here and there. The gas mileage in city driving is weak averaging around 14mpg, nowhere near the 17 mpg it claims. Pure highway driving has produced better results though getting 23.5 and 25 on two long highway trips. The interior is what sold me on the car. Im 64 and this is one of the few cars that afforded me adequate seating room while still enabling an adult to sit behind me. It comfortably fits 5 full size adults. The all weather performance has exceeded my expectations. I was able to drive through 1.5 feet of snow without issue.

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  Ok Car - 1998 Acura CL
  By Molon - May 13 - 6:10 pm

  Upscale Honda Accord. Transmission replaced at a little over 100K. Driver side window broke around 50K. Radiator leaked and replaced at 70K. Gas mileage only average, but I got a lead foot. Interior quality excellent with easy to use controls. Rear seat room tiny, Im 59". Acceleration only average due to 4 cyl and the car weighs a lot. Sound insulation only average, as road noise is prevalent. Air conditioner is not that strong for summer usage.

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  Long Crank to start! - 2007 Acura TSX
  By Praneeth - May 10 - 11:41 am

  OMG - I could get a nap while it starts. When I bought I did not really realize that it was taking too long. sometimes when it rains overnight or if it is cold all day or I dont start for over 8 hours, then it takes 6-8 cranks, isnt that too long. I almost get scared what if it wont get started at all, Im late to my office. Is that only me? anybody else has this problem. My steering wheel vibrates when brakes applied, but they fixed it when I took it back.

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  Cant really go wrong with this car... - 2007 Acura TL
  By mike - May 7 - 3:55 pm

  I recently purchased this as Certified Pre-owned. When compared to its Infiniti G, BMW 3 Series, Lexus IS and Audi A4 counterparts, using such factors as build quality, performance, comfort/convenience and manufacturers overall attention to detail - all weighed against price - the TL is far and away the best value. It may not be the quickest, most nimble or even the most fun, but it is far above average. The TL is meant for a more utilitarian consumer: high-end without the flash (although still somewhat of a head-turner). Overall a very easy car to drive and the best front-drive you can buy. The 2007-08 TL compares closely to the 2010 TSX V6.

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  Not bad. - 2008 Acura TSX
  By Toeser - May 7 - 9:18 am

  Being retired, I now put far more miles on my bicycle and motorcycle than my car, so it made no sense for me to buy new. After a lot of reading and looking, I narrowed my choices down to about 5 brands/models, and then just searched for the best one available. I like the style, the gizmos, and the comfort. However, the TSX is not nearly as quiet as an Accord I owned in the early 1990Â’s. I agree with others that the paint is cheap, and the radio just O.K. I love the Nav system, but it does have some voice command brain farts. Mileage isnÂ’t awesome (compared with newer cars), but decent - 26/30 for me. It is one of the more comfortable cars I have owned. Great seats.

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  Not typical reliability - 2004 Acura TSX
  By sledin_biker - May 5 - 12:17 pm

  Although this is my 4th Honda product, this one does not match the reliability of the others. Overall this is a great car to drive but the list of serious problems with this car is very un-Honda like. I have replaced my entire A/C system ($2,200), radio unit (warranty), stains from the inside out on the seats, tail light recall, but most concerning is the oil consumption. My car consumes (not leaks) 1 L (~1qt) of oil every 1000 km (600 miles), and I have found similar stories on forums. I dont drive it hard, in fact I baby the car and rarely engage VTEC, it would be easier to understand if I abused the vehicle. This is my first vehicle to actually consume oil.

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  My New TL - 2010 Acura TL
  By Deputydog35 - May 3 - 12:38 pm

  First impression... Wow! This car is much nicer then my 03 TL Types S. The only thing I miss is the quickness of my Types S. This car is quick dont get me wrong but its not a Type S. Wish they kept the option!!! This car has tons of gadgets! I purchased the TL w/Tech in Mayan Bronze with only 2 miles on it! Love the color. I called 6 dealerships before I found this color! Acura is right, this car is fun to drive and very luxurys with a lot of room. My 2 yr old and 4 yr old have lots of room in the back! Just wish they could watch DVDs off the front monitor!

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  Hitting the salvage yard with fond memories - 1991 Acura Legend
  By Acura Impressed - April 29 - 3:17 pm

  A stud of a car and Im still happy I purchased it those years ago. A powerful, fast car both on the freeway and off the line. Timeless lines and style before the paint started fading people asked about it thinking it was a newer model car. Only in the last couple year have I started to nickel and dime for small things. After a fender bender though, the insurance has deemed it an economic total -- transmission and engine are still strong with 160,000 miles on it.

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  Pretty good all around car - 2003 Acura TL
  By alehr - April 26 - 10:12 pm

  I bought this car in 2005 with about 75,000 miles. Unfortunately, about one year or 6,000 miles later my transmission failed. Acura did not cover my specific transmission problem for whatever reason so I ended up spending about $3500 to replace. Other than that, I did replace the timing belt just as a precaution but nothing else major. I still love my car and plan on buying another Acura when this one goes. However, beware of the transmission!