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 value - 2007 Acura TL
  By happygirl - August 21 - 4:55 pm

  Bought the TL for overall value. It has a nice ride but I wish that the shifting were a bit smoother. Love the exterior design. The car has a lot of features and the switches and controls seem to be all in the right places except for the MP3 plug which is inside the armrest console, making it awkward to control. Nice sound system and easy to use navi system. Heard about rattling problem with hondas/acuras but havent noticed it - lucky for a nice stereo system so ill just crank it up!! The low fuel warning is a bit annoying since it comes on with 4 gallons to go. Overall though, Im pretty happy with the car so far!

• 

  Great Car - 2005 Acura TL
  By Todd - August 21 - 6:06 am

  Bought 05 TL with A-spec package used with 6300 miles. Love everything about this car from the exterior to the killer interior. The A-spec package really makes this car stand out. Love the wheels and the ride the upgrade provides. For me the fuel economy is great. Took a trip to Colorado in May, 565 miles each way, and averaged 32 mpg going there and back. The sound system is the best stock system I have heard. Only wish they had Sirius instead of XM.

• 

  Stay Close To Home - 2003 Acura TL
  By okiebill - August 20 - 9:58 pm

  We purchased the 03 TL to replace our Maxima and things were fine for exactly 50,000 miles. The transmission (auto) went out at warranty, but was replaced at no charge. The second transmission lasted 1500 miles and went out when we were in a remote rural area. Now on the third tranny and fingers are crossed. Hate to trade in a car that is already paid off, but we really dont trust it anymore. Looks great and very nice ride on the Michelins.

• 

  A Lot of Car for the Money - 2007 Acura RL
  By Jack - August 20 - 2:37 pm

  Like most readers Ive driven them all, but this one delivers a lot of bang for the buck. Does not handle like a 5 series, will not out accelerate a 550i, but it handles beautifully, is great on the road, and has an interior and audio system that puts the 5 series and E-Class to shame. Put that together with Acuras reputation for reliability and we have a BIG winner.

• 

  Safety - 2006 Acura RSX
  By Joe Millhouse - August 20 - 8:55 am

  One of the most fun vehicles to drive. Bought new from dealership in February 07. Excellent gas mileage, 90 percent highway miles. I recently walked away from a very serious accident with only 2 minor scratches. The safety features in this car saved my life. Wish this car was still being produced, would buy again without hesitation.

• 

  Some Major Issues with the New MDX - 2007 Acura MDX
  By Telee - August 19 - 5:13 pm

  Rear view is extremely limited. Very small side view mirrors and late to upload rear camera do not help. Back up lights are almost useless. The seats become very uncomfortable if you are slender. A seam cuts across your rear, otherwise they would be great. Our 2001 Lexus nav system was better that the one they pack in the MDX. The auto window lock-out locks the driver out as well as the passengers. Our dog continually lowers the windows with his paws, and turns on the heated seats both front and rear. The tail gate is slick, but the rear hatch opening is too small to fit furniture that, otherwise, should fit. The key fob is not intuitive. Take a long look before you buy.

• 

  Headrest issue - 2007 Acura MDX
  By jaystuff - August 18 - 11:33 am

  About 4000 miles now. Never has been to Acura for a single problem. For the money, you get a lot of stuff. Voice recognition is for the birds. Main problem that I didnt notice during my test drive: if you keep the seat erect, at a good angle for your posture, the head rest pushes your neck down !!! Most uncomfortable headrest in the industry. Acura claims that it is a safety feature, but it only works if you angle the seat back about 15 degrees!!! Mileage is okay for a heavy SUV. Get the sport package - handling is out-of-sight.

• 

  I love Acuras - 2007 Acura TL
  By Patrea Pabst - August 17 - 3:19 pm

  I have been driving a 1999 Acura TL with 230,000 miles. Great car, reliable, high performance, comfortable. Went same place for a replacement (kids get old car, still running great). Wish it had darker interior, better rear visibility, more comfortable seat for shorter driver (53") and better gas mileage but cant fault anything else. Co-workers very envious. Love the sound system, navigation, maintenance features.

• 

  A well rounded performer - 2007 Acura TSX
  By prodigalsun - August 15 - 9:47 pm

  I have had this car for a week, but have been lusting ever since it debuted in 2004. My wife bought it for me as a birthday present, and I have been ecstatically behind the wheel every day. The car handles the twisties with minimal body roll, and the engine is eager to rev. The steering is precise, and Honda does the best shifters in the business. The interior has the quality of cars costing 10K more.

• 

  Great value - 2009 Acura TSX
  By sUSAN - August 15 - 8:00 am

  I just picked up my TSX. Traded 2005 TL. I love the new TL but its too big & I was looking for better fuel economy. The ELS music system is outstanding combined with the GPS which comes with a back up camera - in my mine no car for this price can compare. The car is very quiet for a 4 cylinder and has more than enough power. The fit and finish is perfect. Its just the size car I needed with all the bells & whistles. I looked at the Audi A4 as well as the 3 series BMW. Both of these would have cost me over $40,000 with the same equipment. A great car at a very fair price.