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 Happy With Purchase So Far - 2002 Acura MDX
  By twelborn - November 10 - 5:30 pm

  My dad and I found this 2002 Acura MDX with around 101,000 miles on it for around $12,000. Was a little off-put with the miles at first, but after I drove it I absolutely loved it. Luxury cars engines last better than normal cars, you get a better car for the buck too. It provides smooth acceleration and provides an overall very comfortable ride. Was using unleaded-plus fuel at first, but then the ride got a little shaky. Switched back to straight-up premium and the engine performance and fuel economy became much better. I love the Bose sound system in the car, good and clean audio deliverance. Very happy with this car. As long as you do regular maintenance, you shouldnt have problems.

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  Amazing - 2011 Acura TSX
  By mikezpainter - November 9 - 3:19 am

  Bought in feb 2011, now 10 months & 16,000 miles later.... all i can say is simply amazing. Ive heard good things about Acura but was sold from my first test drive. The handling of this car is by far better than most sports cars, & ive had my share in the past 35 yrs. I smile in the morning as i get out of the door looking forward to my 30 min drive. I look forward to freeways that merge so i can take the turn i never decelerate and it asks for more. I also like the lumbar seats, my gas is over 20 atimes gets 24-26 when i can keep it at 65. Quiet, problem free, a dream car. Im not usually at a loss 4 words so all i can say is i wish everyone could drive a car like this.

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  What A CAR!!!!! - 1990 Acura Legend
  By jonathan11 - October 23 - 11:57 pm

  When I got this car, it was like mid-september. I really didnt know how to react with it, but the more i got to drive it, te more attached i am with it. Ive driven lots of cars in the passed, but none that can put up with the Legend. around 69000 miles, throttle response= amazing, and now just adding stuff that can repesent on who i am. a biggie it has, its that its never been under roof, so all the paint is faded, and the tod rear back seats are burned, but really dont matter. braking very smooth and right when you need it, and going up hill, you feel the power of the engine, its just amazing!

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  Good to Be Back - 2007 Acura TL
  By carpark - October 16 - 11:58 pm

  Bought a new 2005 TL and sold it after 3-years and 50,000 miles to try a hybrid. I know, totally different type of vehicle. Anyway I missed the TL so recently purchased a used 2007 and fell in love again. Have owned four Acuras, a Lexus and Volvo but keep coming back to Acura. My experience with Honda products has been excellent and the TL provides a solid, fun to drive and reliable driving experience. Admittedly not as blisteringly fast and tight in the corners as my brothers 540 BMW, but at less than half the price I still get a great car for in town, the highway and back roads.

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  Just bought a low-mileage 95 LS for $1800!!! - 1995 Acura Legend
  By blackdynamite1 - October 13 - 8:45 pm

  This is a car you can take pride in! Only 105K. Dark green, looks very elegant. The seats look and feel great. Bose sound still thumps. Wasnt expecting the power tilt & telescoping wheel (Totally Pimp!). Drove with the windows down and stepped on the gas. All I heard was SMOOTH! Didnt even hear the smooth! It has an engine, right? Need 100k service at Acura, and a brake and alignment job, but after $500-600, will be like new. Dont hate me because Im a Legend (Owner)!

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  Great Care w/ a Few Problems - 2004 Acura TL
  By mke_driver - October 6 - 2:22 pm

  I bought my 2004 TL used with approximately 72K miles on it. Ive had it for a little over 2 years now and have noticed some issues arise. After looking at other TLs it seems that discoloration in the side mirrors is pretty common with this model. I have also had to replace my O2 sensor after failing an emissions test. Just recently my passenger side headlight went out. I have no idea why they built the car like they did but in order to replace either of the headlights(not fog lights), you need to take the bumper off the car making it close to a $400 job ($200 for the headlight & $200 in labor). Its still a great car but can be a little costly to fix at times! Will check in again!

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  Great choice for nexus of features / function / value - 2011 Acura MDX
  By mmr183 - October 2 - 3:38 pm

  Delighted with driving performance and comfort in our MDX. Owner profile can help, so share we are 55-plus couple and retired. Key factors for us in vehicle purchase are safety, comfort, cargo space, driving ease and reliability. Considered Volvo XC90. Lexus Rx & GX, BMW x3 & x5. Nutshell version is we didnÂ’t think any measured up against MDX for nexus of features / function / value. Small snafu in our MDX has been the voice recognition system doesnt always translate some female voice commands correctly. We like the seemingly controversial grille / front end design. Looks sleek to us. Beauty in the eye of the beholder we guess. Love the look of the Bronze / Parchment combo.

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  Heated Seats - 2011 Acura MDX
  By janetrich - September 28 - 8:02 am

  I purchased the 2011 MDX in August and simply love the SUV. I have always owned a Honda and wanted to own the luxury line of Acura. I love the car but since I drove it out of the dealership I have had problems with the drivers side heated seat (back rest). It feels like it is always on. I have taken it back to the dealers and they ran tests on it but insist that it is fine. But my back always sweats. They will not do anything about it but have told me that other people have brought in their MDX saying the same thing, that the back of the seat feels like it is always heated. Does anyone else have this problem? Maybe if enough people complain they will issue a recall.

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  3rd timies a charm. - 2008 Acura TL
  By jimrobertson - September 27 - 2:56 pm

  Third TL in 12 years. 1st a 2000, loved it, got crushed by a semi. 2nd a 04, got crushed by a F-350, and a teenage driver. Both times the passengers exited without a scratch. Both times, we purchased something else, Lexus RX330, junk-ola, crap mpg, BMW 330Ci, great fun, even while draining the wallet, VW new Beetle, huge inside but no power. Back in a 2008 TL and it is by far the best of the best. Could use a little more power, but super smooth and great mpg for a roomy sedan that I drive way too fast. I hope I can keep this one forever.

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  I miss my Grand Prixs smooth transmission... - 2007 Acura TL
  By whiterabbit79 - September 22 - 12:56 am

  I shopped around quite a bit before finally choosing the TL. I was looking for a reliable, sporty sedan that wouldnt put me in the poor house. It turns out there arent very many options that fit this bill. Almost none, actually. I had originally been shopping for a new car, but I started to consider certified used cars when I ran out of options and started looking to luxury brands for possibilities. I bought my TL 1.5 years ago, and while I do have some complaints, overall Im very happy with my choice.