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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  Enjoyable car - 2005 Acura TSX
  By John - March 31 - 5:16 am

  First thing I have to mention is that the dealership I purchased from was willing to negotiate price. The safety features drew me to the TSX along with the horsepower. In researching out other cars in this category I was amazed at the features that came standard on the TSX. Its a fun car to drive and looks good but the back seats are the right size for children, adults will have a tough time getting in and out. Another surprise is that the car is not supposed to have a total load of over 850 pounds in it which means four adults can ride in it and no more but that is good considering how the back is so small. I like the tan interior but it is difficult to keep clean.

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  My First Acura Vehicle - 2007 Acura MDX
  By JayT. - March 30 - 5:33 pm

  This is my first Acura vehicle, I previously owned a BMW coupe & am a current owner of an Odyssey. I primarily got this vehicle because of the value that was packed into this model. Comparing it with a BMW X5 (07- 3.0), this was a much lighter vehicle, lower cost & easier to handle. The ride was also quiet and the seats are comfortable. The third row seats leg/shoulder room is better than the competition. Middle row seats are very comfy for the two outer most, however the middle one is not good for long travel. The driver seat is excellent in holding the driver and power seats have lumbar support. The sound system rocks! Navigation is easy to use & voice commands are very convenient.

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  Happy MDX Owner - 2003 Acura MDX
  By Happy MDX Owner - March 30 - 9:11 am

  This has been an extremely reliable and dependable vehicle to own and to drive. I would recommend highly as either a new and/or used purchase.

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  Awesome Crossover ! - 2007 Acura RDX
  By John K. - March 29 - 7:40 pm

  This Crossover SUV is a blast to drive. I think its the best value in its class. This was designed to compete with BMWs X3 and does so quite nicely. Similarly equipped you would have to spend about $8,000 more if you opted for the BMW. The Acura has a well crafted interior that is is full of luxury. The handling is extremely sporty, it drives a lot like a sedan with all the great features of having a SUV. I have noticed some negative reviews regarding gas mileage, feeling bumps etc... It seems to me those people dont have common sense. If you want a crossover with sports car like handling and performance, you will give up some gas mileage and cushyness on the road.

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  Worth every penny!! - 2004 Acura TL
  By bossylady - March 29 - 10:00 am

  Although I bought the car for myself, my husband LOVES this car. It is truly a luxury sports car. I believe that it would be difficult to find a car with as many options as the 04 TL for the price.

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  Great Car - 2004 Acura TL
  By RFW - March 29 - 10:00 am

  Perfect Car: Excetion of Bridgestone tires. Had the car two weeks and felt vibration at 45 to 60 MPH. Took it back to the dealer and to make a long story short, they put on new Bridgestones. This did not solve the problem of the vibration. I decided on my own to take the car to a tire dealer. I have since changed the tires to a different make and all I can say is WOW!!! what a difference, love the ride and great handling!

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  Fun to drive, high revving car. - 2003 Acura RSX
  By bpayne - March 28 - 11:45 am

  Another great car I have owned. This car has a sporty look to it with the optional A-spec package offered by the acura dealership which includes spoiler, lip kit and upgraded suspension rims and tires.

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  Super car and an amazing value - 2007 Acura RL
  By Dave S - March 28 - 4:22 am

  The RL is a magnificent machine, and far and away the best value in its class. It is cram packed with cool technology and the AWD delivers amazing handling in all kinds of weather. Fit and finish are supurb. This car puts a smile on my face every day on the way to work each morning and tempts me to take the "long way" home each night. Highly recommended.

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  type s - 2002 Acura RSX
  By lschmieg - March 27 - 10:00 am

  The car is everything we thought it would be. good performance, nice looks, good fuel econmy(avg. 25 mpg in mixed driving). The negatives are not huge but are annoying, doors do not lock automatically, seat belt is always in the way when closing the door and bangs against door pillar when you take it off. Needs power seat to make it easier getting in after my wife drives it and has the seat all the way forward,

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  Still going strong - 2001 Acura TL
  By Jimmy Mac - March 26 - 10:12 am

  Bought new 9/2000. First 30K was commuting back and forth to Cleveland from home (420 miles one way). This car is coming up on 95K, still runs great, looks good and I plan on keeping it. Best car (value) I have ever owned.