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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  Old Reliable - 2006 Acura RL
  By Don Meadows - October 1 - 5:25 pm

  Very reliable and comfortable car to drive. Has very good head & leg room for front passengers. Quiet ride & handles well. For some odd reason, get a few mpg less in the winter time vs warmer weather.

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  Best price/performer Ive ever driven - 2005 Acura RL
  By Bobthetomato - October 1 - 4:16 pm

  I looked at every equivalent Mercedes, BMW, and Audi before deciding on the RL. While each model had its pluses and minuses, the combination of price, features, and prior experience with the reliability of the RL made it an unbeatable combination. As with the first year of any new model, I certainly was in the break-in phase for much of the electronics. Lots of little glitches with OnStar, Navigation, and XM Radio, but they were all minor annoyances. The performance and handling of the SH4WD is just unbelievable, especially given youre technically driving a near- luxury sedan. Finally, this last winter was a tough one, and there were times when I got stuck in my 4WD F250, but not my RL

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  2nd RSX-S - 2006 Acura RSX
  By Cookinham - October 1 - 11:20 am

  A few weeks ago I turned in my 2003 RSX-S with 40,000 miles for a new 2006 RSX-S. The reason is clear, this is the best and most fun sports car I have ever owned. I want to keep that feeling for as long as I can, so I got a new one. Same color, silver, and everything else is the same. I have owned two Porsches and this is more fun more reliable and a lot cheaper to maintain. If you want a fun car that will not cost you an arm and a leg and that is highly reliable you should get an RSX.

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  Everything I Expected & Then Some - 2005 Acura TSX
  By D W - September 30 - 11:18 pm

  The TSX is an excellent, well-rounded, highly reliable, fun-to-drive sedan. Im seriously thinking about buying a second one for the wife. I thought about Audi (for AWD) & BMW (pure performance), but its hard to justify the $10-15K premium, given how good this car is. Very satisfied thus far.

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  Love it! - 2006 Acura RSX
  By sawjinx - September 30 - 5:27 pm

  Sold the SUV for more fuel efficient car and bought a 2005 RSX. Im averaging 33mpg and not driving in the slow lane, if you know what I mean. Handles tight curves like a champ. A real head turner, too, but not overdone. No complaints. Id buy it again in a heartbeat.

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  Engineered with brains - 1995 Acura NSX
  By TexasAcura - September 30 - 4:00 pm

  People will always love their brand of car. But this Acura NSX surprised me. I wanted a mid engine, reliable car. Difficult to find at any price. My husband checks it out but I drive it!I have never had a problem although I admit this is no longer my everyday car. I hope it becomes a classic. It continues to amaze me that this is a 1995! The technology is still awesome.

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  Ill never give it up! - 1998 Acura CL
  By Tankerkev - September 30 - 4:30 am

  I bought this car over seven years ago, but it seems like yesterday. It still looks great and is very reliable. It has a luxurious cabin and smooth ride that helps me unwind on the way home from work. It has features that you normally have to pay much more for. Ill never sell this car, keeping it in my family until it quits, and I dont ever see that happening!

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  First New Car - 2005 Acura TSX
  By Need for Speed - September 30 - 2:03 am

  This is my first brand new car and I have no regrets. The 6 speed manual is very responsive to my every move, easy to shift and loads of fun to drive. Even with passangers or cargo, it has enough power not to be weighed down.

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  Best in its class - 2005 Acura RL
  By james - September 29 - 1:45 am

  Amazing! I have driven and owned the German competitors and nothing gives you the bang for your buck like this machine.

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  Low Profile But Reliable - 2003 Acura MDX
  By A. B. Garcia - September 28 - 11:18 pm

  Ive only had my Acura MDX for a month but I have enjoyed driving it. When I was first looking for a vehicle, my choice was a certified 2004 Lexus RX 330. My son, however, encouraged me to look at an Acura MDX. Thus, I first test drove the Lexus, but somehow knew what to expect because I have a 1995 ES 300. I, then humored my son and test drove an Acura. Well, you guess what my choice was. The Acura won hands down. The exterior of the Acura will not catch your attention right away. It has that low profile image. But underneath that is the build quality, excellent appointments of the instruments on the dashboard,and of course, its reliability.