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:

• 

  Nothing but a Honda for me! - 2002 Acura TL
  By Honda Lover - January 26 - 11:55 pm

  I bought my 2002 Acura TL-type S used with 37,000 miles I believed it was a leased vehicle before I purchased it. This is my 2nd Acura purchase my first was a 1990 Acura Legend LS that had 186k miles on it when I sold it. I have been nothing but happy with the purchase of my TL. And, I know that I am not going to get ripped off by the dealer when I take it there for service.

• 

  First Blush - 2005 Acura RL
  By Big D - January 26 - 3:03 pm

  So far Im satisfied. It does what I expected. (My third Acura) However I am a little concerned/puzzled about the "throttle by wire" feature. I dont know if its a characteristic of the system, or there is a fuel injection problem. When I nudge the accelerator the vehicle hesitates, almost as if one snubed the brake, before it moves forward. Id appreciate reading about others experience in this regard.

• 

  Like A Dream - 2006 Acura RSX
  By Langston - January 26 - 2:00 pm

  This is my first car after owning a Chevy Cavilier and this car is fantastic. I live in Miami and have to be in traffic alot but when I get a break in the road- it zips right out of those tight spots and gets ahead of alot of the other cars. I have been able to get out of traffic where a larger Mustang will get left behind. I dont see alot of RSXs around and when I do I think they look really hot on the road. My friends love my car and I have been challenged to race several times on the road- but of course, I am a safe driver. ) Overall- this car handles like a pro, it looks great and the chics love it. Black with tinted windows and all the fixings- it is the Intergra I always wanted.

• 

  Still smilin - 2004 Acura TL
  By MusicDoc - January 25 - 2:20 pm

  Almost 2 years now and Im still totally enjoying my TL. Only problem has been a minor one (had a fidgety passenger window) and I wish the back seat folded down....but, oh well.....the rest of the car MORE than makes up for it.

• 

  mdx - 2002 Acura MDX
  By jfxm - January 24 - 10:00 am

  caris btter thanmeedes benz, bmw and toyota but needs additional improvemnets to make it even better as ided in comments below.

• 

  TL-S Best Bang for the Performance Buck! - 2002 Acura TL
  By mask0425 - January 24 - 10:00 am

  Best choice by far for the enthusiast in the price range. Excellent build quality and reliability. Loaded with features. Love the aggressive styling thats not a cop magnet! GREAT ENGINE!!! Trannys OK, as far as reliability goes, I suspect that some of those in need of replacement were abused or misused by those who never drove a stick before...

• 

  I love my TL - 2003 Acura TL
  By OleGkn - January 24 - 10:00 am

  I love my TL

• 

  Great SUV - 2005 Acura MDX
  By Chaos - January 24 - 8:10 am

  Just got this car and drove it up to Tahoe in time for 9 feet of snow. Handling was flawless. Didnt think I would like the XM radio and backup camera (both included) but have decided that they are good to have as well. I test drove virtually all other SUVs in this price range +/- $20k. Handling of the MDX was among the best, acceleration was adequate even at 65mph, height above the road was good.

• 

  I am in love - 2009 Acura TSX
  By Heather - January 23 - 8:56 pm

  I have had this car for a little over a week now. I am totally giddy! Went in to get a TL and came out with the TSX. Test drove the TL and the TSX is so much more fun! I got the manual and it is a chore for me to do the speed limit now. The ride is so smooth. I love the exterior, the sound system is also amazing. The interior in my opinion is simply gorgeous! Beautiful leather and dash. No wood grain for me thank you.

• 

  Quality Ride - 2002 Acura TL
  By Adam - January 23 - 7:00 pm

  I purchased the car from the dealerships pre-owned certified program which gives you one more year to the base warranty and 12,000 extra miles. Good program. The car had 12,800 miles upon delivery. It has been very reliable and enjoyable to drive. I have not experienced any of the transmission problems that other drivers have experienced, maybe they should try servicing the transmission every 35,000 miles like I do to avoid potential problems. Lubricatiuon is everything! I had one recall issue to deal with which was minor, transmission needed a second gear jet kit that the dealer installed to avoid any potential overheating. I had never even experienced a problem but installed the kit anyway