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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  rsx - 2002 Acura RSX
  By trung - August 21 - 2:50 pm

  great car, love it, takes up where integra took off

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  05 Acura TSX w/navi - 2005 Acura TSX
  By kim - August 21 - 12:33 pm

  I went from a 99 TL to an 05 TSX. it goes without saying that the TL is a faster car, but the TSX eventually gets there. Its a little sluggish in either manual or automatic mode, but once you build up some momentum, the speed is definitely there. Also, the TSX is a 5 speed automatic, and the 99 TL is a 4 speed, which makes for better downshifting in my opinion. Acura/Honda needs to seriously work on the voice-activated feature on the navi. For the money, there shouldnt be any flaws, but unfortunately, there are plenty. All in all, if you can afford it, IÂ’d suggest it.

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  03 TL-S - 2003 Acura TL
  By ddougcpa - August 21 - 10:00 am

  The only downside to this car is that its too perfect. Ive only owned Fords before. I havent met any Acura mechanics yet.

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  AUDIO SYSTEM IS THE BEST!!! - 2005 Acura TSX
  By Mitch Johannsen - August 20 - 12:28 pm

  I have had this vehicle for a total of four months and all I can say it that this is the most amazing vehicle I have ever owned. The sound system is by far the best out of all the vehicles that I have test driven. The Honda Accord and Civic cannot even compare to this system. I am not sure of the wattage but it sounds incredible. Bose, Harman Kardon... none of them can compare to this system that is in the TSX.

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  Best value on the market! - 2005 Acura TSX
  By Kristen - August 19 - 7:01 pm

  I bought my Acura TSX AT w/ Navi a few months ago after conducting extensive research. It was between the Mini convertible, the new Volvo S40, and the TSX. I definitely made the right choice. The navigation system is GREAT. I can be anywhere and just tell the car to take me home, or I can pull up a list of nearby Chinese restaurants in less than 5 seconds. I disagree with reviews that it is overly complicated. The voice recognition does leave something to be desired, as it is only accurate about 60% of the time, but you wont need it. This is definitely the best "entry level luxury" car on the market for your money. Highly recommended!

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  A good car for a great price!!! - 2002 Acura TL
  By andontimetoo - August 19 - 7:00 pm

  I have enjoyed my 2002 TL. The Honda corporation has a good product at a great price. The standard features are plentiful. As compared to cars in its class, there is no better deal.

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  I love this car! - 2005 Acura RSX
  By Cristina - August 19 - 5:17 pm

  I absolutely love this car! The price was great with all the options! I looked at every car in this class and the Acura was the best. I drive 80 miles every day on the interstate and this car loves to be driven fast!

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  Great Choice! - 2006 Acura TL
  By dap2006 - August 18 - 10:26 pm

  Id had my eye on the TL for several years because of my long experience with several Hondas - I was ready to step up. I researched for several months and ordered the 2006 TL as soon as it was available. So far I have just over 1000 miles on it without the any problems. Id read about some rattles, vibrations, etc... but Ive had none - I think those are exceptions. I do have a couple of chips on the front right fender so Im watching the paint for durability. I love the looks, the power, comfort, outstanding audio system and navigation system. Its fun to drive and a great value!

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  Very Satisfied - 2005 Acura MDX
  By KeithK - August 18 - 10:26 am

  My MDX has been fantastic so far - a great family car. Ive averaged 20 mpg (on mostly highway driving), which is a bit higher than I expected. Acceleration is quite good, and the car is really comfortable. Good cupholders, radio reception (things that are more important than you think).

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  Best Value in the Market - 2005 Acura RL
  By Lamar - August 18 - 9:42 am

  I looked at the Lexus & Infiniti, and by far nothing compared to the RL. The Acura is so loaded with stuff I couldnt ask for anything else! The all-wheel drive is seamless and absolutely incredible around turns. I love the Voice-Activated Nav system, I can say "temperature 57 degrees", its crazy. If you want the best bang for the buck go with the Acura.