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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  Very nice surprise - 2009 Acura TSX
  By ljp - September 11 - 1:46 pm

  I have been driving German cars for the past 5 years, but rising gas prices made me look into an entry level sport-luxury sedan with a 4 cylinder NA engine. The TSX is unique in the market, and the car drives like a dream. Its light and agile-feeling, power with the 6 speed manual is good, the comfort is right on the money and the tech features are a bonus. The fuel economy so far is excellent! There seems to be some controversy surrounding the looks of the car, but park it next to a 2008 or earlier model, and it makes the old car look instantly dated. It definitely has more street and parking lot presence than the previous model.

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  The best for under 30K - 2004 Acura TSX
  By kimas - September 11 - 10:00 am

  I have been shopping for a car for about a month -- test drove New Maxima, Accord, Passat. I was looking for a V6 car - but the moment I drove TSX, I knew this is the car for me. Though a 4 cylinder car, Honda/Acura has given enough zip to make the pick- up attractive, the drive smooth, the turns w/o any body-rolls.... The interior is awesome - unfortunately I couldnt get the NAV. I had a chance to check it out - it is the best NAV in the circuit.

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  Awesome car!!! - 2004 Acura TL
  By Shobizz - September 11 - 10:00 am

  Its about 3 weeks I bought this car and just love it. It drives smooth, amazing acceleration in highways, looks very cla$$y....

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  My Acura - A beauty - 2007 Acura TL
  By Gene Shaw - September 11 - 2:36 am

  I test drove BMW 330i, Lexus IS 350, Lexus ES 350, and Acura TL. I eventually decided to get TL. Ive had my Acura for a month now. I often have to resist the urge to just drive it for fun. For those of you who are still searching out there, buy an Acura and you will not regret it.

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  Be careful of roof - 2007 Acura RDX
  By CB - September 10 - 2:11 pm

  We bought a new RDX two months ago and now have been hit with a $4,500 bill to repair the roof’s “complete collapse.” We mounted a bike rack on the roof, virtually identical to the one Acura sells as an RDX accessory. My son got on the roof to make sure that the bikes were placed in the rack properly – just like we’ve done on other cars we’ve owned with bike racks. This turned out to be a giant mistake, even though Acura never states anywhere that you shouldn’t do this. This time though the weak, badly- designed Acura roof “collapsed.” Acura will not cover this huge expense – so much for customer service. My advice: don’t buy this car especially if you’re putting something on the roof.

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  Worth Every Penny - 2000 Acura TL
  By KingGeorge - September 10 - 1:26 pm

  August 31, 2007 marked the 7th anniversary for my ownership of this solid machine. Bose sound system is unsurpassed. Smooth ride, far more superior than the 2005 330BMW xi. Paramount level of precise engineering when it comes to areodynamics...the car basicall hugs the road. I only replaced tires once, battery once, transmission fluid once, brake fluid once, and periodic oil change. Thats it. Make sure to read the owners manual and not to go about replacing stuff that are not listed.

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  The Best Valued Sport Sedan 2007 - 2007 Acura TL
  By AB - September 10 - 11:55 am

  I have owned previous Acura TLs (2) and was very happy to see Honda bring back the Type-S this year. The impressive thing about this car is the level of features added from older versions. The fact that there are no options needed or available tells it all. The only thing I added was the iPod connection. The cars handling and performance is what makes it fun to drive. They didnt just add the RL engine, they did a great job tuning the suspension to really use the additional HP. This is probably the best buy out there right now when you consider all of the standard features, the fun to drive quotient, and the price you pay. Kudos to Acura.

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  Great car - 2005 Acura RSX
  By lovetodrive7 - September 9 - 11:01 pm

  If you liked the prelude SI you will love this car. It builds upon and improves on everything that made the prelude (back in its day) fun and special to drive. Great handling in the mountains, fun to drive, and suitable as a daily driver. Engine and 6-spd transmission add to the enjoyment. Much more fun to drive than the Accord EX coupe.

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  Very good car - 2004 Acura RSX
  By Roger - September 9 - 6:17 pm

  I bought this car summer of 04 brand new. Its a great car all around. Great handling, nice power and engine sounds. Only problem I had w/this car is 2nd gear goes in rough a lot and 3rd gear pops out sometimes. I took it to Acura 2 times and they cant find the problem.

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  Mid-Life Crisis Car - 2001 Acura CL
  By J.B. - September 9 - 3:07 pm

  I recently purchased this red, 2001 Acura CL 3.2, 2 door coupe, Type S. I had a 1997 Camry for 10 years, which still ran excellently, but the suspension was degrading, and other things were starting to go wrong with it. So, I had heard the Acura was a "fancy" Honda, and took a look at this used one with only 47,000 miles. It was great, and so "zippy"! As a middle aged woman, who has always been sensible, I decided to go for it. What fun! I am really enjoying this car. I do have to watch out for the paint, as it seems to flaw easily. Also, I have heard the trannys are not the greatest, but so far so good with this one. And features!? It practically comes in and cleans the house!