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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  Follow Up Review - 2007 Acura TL
  By Bryan - October 20 - 10:57 pm

  10,000 miles into my silver TL Type-S with 6 speed manual, and I figure I would give you all a follow-up. First, the bad: rattles in the door and steering column. Tsk, tsk in a near 40-grand sports sedan. Interior materials scratch real easily, and dashboard is starting to lose its color really quickly (from dark gray to milky gray). Torque-steer is getting old now. The good: this thing should be called a muscle-sedan instead of a sports sedan, because thats the demeanor it has. Big, mean looking, mean sounding, and fast. Handling is second only to BMW. Interior is very comfortable, and very spacious.

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  Acura was the car - 2006 Acura TL
  By babeh123 - October 20 - 8:56 am

  I thought I had a good car. No such luck. First the steering wheel was aligned crooked and the ride is horrible. The ride is too rough and bumpy. You feel it on smooth roads and it shakes the car on rough roads. I thought the tires were out of balance but after 3 times in the shop, no improvement. Mine is a 2006 and I am going to trade it in for a rear wheel drive car. No more Acuras for me

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  TL is Junk - 2003 Acura TL
  By Acura TL is Junk - October 19 - 1:34 pm

  I have never felt so badly about a product as to write a review, but this car is so awful that I cant let it go. I drive the car very conservatively and cautiously. The transmission has failed three times. Exterior paint scratches and chips easily. Exterior sheetmetal is thin and dents easily. Brake rotors warp and require maintenance frequently. Seat heaters no longer work. CD changer has stopped working. Interior has numerous rattles, squeaks, buzzing noises. Air conditioner has needed refrigerant refill two times. Moonroof leaked and flooded interior, car interior now has disgusting mold odor. I am sorry I purchased this vehicle.

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  I love my car! - 1997 Acura Integra
  By Christina Smith - October 19 - 11:46 am

  This has been the best first car I could have asked for! I have owned it for over 6 years, and it has been exceptionally reliable, which is extremely important to me for safety and convenience reasons. It gets great gas mileage. Also, it is so fun to drive (I have a manual)! Because of this car, I have a feeling I will be brand loyal to Acura for the rest of my life!

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  Luxury Honda Accord - 2007 Acura TSX
  By David - October 19 - 11:21 am

  Just got my 2007 Acura TSX w/out nav last weekend. What a great car. It rides similar to my wifes 2006 Honda Accord but holds tighter through the turns and is more fun to drive. There is a little less room in the back than the Accord, but the front and the trunk space seems very comparable. The design is becoming a little dated and the redesign should be coming out some time in late 2008. If you love Hondas but want a little more luxury, then Acura is the way to go. Plus you can get a steal of a deal on the TSX right now.

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  Engine troubles are a surprise - 2007 Acura RDX
  By CD - October 18 - 7:58 pm

  I love everything about this car except that I have been into the shop with engine troubles about every 2-3 weeks. The engine will suddenly rev uncontrollably and the turbo has stopped working 3 times. This car is downright dangerous to drive without the turbo support to get you moving. The dealer hasnt been able to figure out what is wrong yet -- just keeps erasing the codes which make the problems go away for a short while. Sadly, its time for a trade-in after only 5 months. So much for Acura quality, which is one of the main reasons I traded in my Saab 9-5 for this.

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  Excellent choice - 2007 Acura MDX
  By JC - October 18 - 8:21 am

  I love this car! It feels secure & solid the handling is smooth & the acceleration is strong. The leather seats are comfortable & the sound system is fantastic great sound quality & easy to use. The nav system has proven to be a real asset. The rearview camera takes a couple of seconds to come on, but gives a good view of whats directly behind the car. The climate control system has been flawless. The power tailgate opens slowly, but works great. I havent used the bluetooth. The headlights work great too, giving a wide area of coverage. Dont know about other drivers, but I love them! Blind spot on the right rear side, but comfortable w/it now. MPG is decent 20/22 combined driving.

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  Straight Up Review - 2009 Acura TSX
  By Charley - October 17 - 2:10 pm

  I just dont get it. In a lot of magazines reviews and forums people slam this car as not as good as the old and not as powerful as the G35, etc. It costs another 5 grand to get the same options on these other cars. For the money this is the best thing going.The old car got great reviews and this car is even more improved than that one. I like the styling, and from what I have seen it is the best looking car in the new Acura lineup. This car is not sluggish at all, but it is not made for drag racing. What I value most of all in terms of performance is the handling. This thing takes corners well and Ive never gotten a ticket for cornering. The tech package is the way to go hands down.

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  "A Well Kept Secret" - 2007 Acura RDX
  By J. Wood - October 17 - 11:55 am

  I knew this was the car for me the first time I test drove it. I tried other small SUVs in this range, i.e, Lexus, Murano, and there was no comparison. This car has a solid compact feeling. I was not aware of this car. Someone talked me into seeing it. Its a quality car and handles well in bad road conditions (heavy rain storms and wind). I love the turbo power when I need to accelerate in traffic. The interior is classy & the techology is state of the art. I highly recommend this car. Its fun to drive - I look forward to driving everyday.

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  2008 RDX Base - 2008 Acura RDX
  By benlee78 - October 17 - 1:48 am

  Since my wife had a baby, I have traded my 06 Acura TL (base) for the 08 RDX base model. Even though I miss my TL, I thought this was a good trade. Pros: This is a fun and powerful vehicle. The turbo gives it an extra kick in acceleration. AWD gives the vehicle more stability. Interior and the exterior design is pretty decent. Stereo sounds is great. Price value is pretty good for a luxury/sport vehicle.