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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  Top Value - 2008 Acura TL
  By Daniel - February 28 - 10:20 pm

  This Car is the best value on the road. From the reliability to the performance. Also, the interior finishes are top notch. Do yourself a favor and sit in this car if you are in the market for a four door sedan... you will by this car

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  Excellent Value, Quality and Performance - 2006 Acura RL
  By Michael - February 25 - 6:05 pm

  Great vehicle, had a Mercedes E320 nice car not as many features. Same 2006 E320 as Acura 10k more. Acura is a great car.

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  Awesome vehicle - 2007 Acura RDX
  By mlb11 - February 25 - 11:56 am

  Ive owned the RDX for a month now and I still cant wait to drive it - I look for excuses. It handles magnificently and the turbo provides impressive power. Interior fit and finish is top notch and the seats are comfortable. When cruising at 80 it feels like youre doing 50 because it is so quiet and refined (the 4-cyl is only taching 2800 at 80mph). Great handling and cornering as well with a ride that makes you feel in control. Driven it in two snowstorms and the SH-AWD & VSA performed excellently, keeping the car straight and in control.

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  Top of the line - 2004 Acura TL
  By Jay Rock - February 25 - 2:00 am

  This car is smooth, powerful, and full of luxury. You cant even feel the corners. The transmission shifting is hardly noticable. This car is solid with every feature you could want as standard options. No other car is like it.

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  The phenomenal new TL!! - 2004 Acura TL
  By Spencer Wallis - February 25 - 2:00 am

  I have to tell you folks that this car is absolutely astounding, especially for the price range it is in. With its features, performance, and "fit and finish", this car should cost at least $12000 more than it is. Drive one and you will certainly agree!

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  Acura TL? Not so sure!! - 2004 Acura TL
  By ullahw - February 25 - 2:00 am

  Its an Acura, so there is no doubt about its reliablity. But when it comes to performance, I would prefer the TL Type-S from 2003 models. Or Rwd Infiniti G35 for that matter. I just dont feel that this vehicle has 270 hp and 238 torque. On the ohter hand, the Type-S models were a lot more fun to drive. I regret I had shopped around a little more.

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  I Love My Techno RDX - 2007 Acura RDX
  By mike - February 25 - 12:00 am

  I researched all the new models extensively before deciding on my purchase of the RDX with Technology package. This is an incredible vehicle for the price. The fit and finish are better than my last Mercedes ML, as is the technology and handling. Ive owned the vehicle for 6 weeks and still look for errands to run just for the fun of driving it.

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  Fantastic Car - 2005 Acura TL
  By S Serkin - February 24 - 8:40 pm

  Ive had this car just over a year and I absolutely love driving it. Getting in every morning still makes me feel like the day I left the dealership. Its performance is just awesome and I cant see myself trading it in for a long, long time.

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  Nice Car, Poor Service - 2006 Acura TL
  By jonathan - February 24 - 3:49 pm

  I had a volvo previously and I liked that car. I bought this car, since the S60 is outdated and this car is definitely the best buy, nice dash layout and the most friendly car Ive had. The navigation system is by far the best available in the market. The car rides fine if handling is not a key factor. At high speed and when taking curves there are some lateral unwanted moves that make you lose control of the car.

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  Evaluation and review of the Acura CL. - 2003 Acura CL
  By dearly155 - February 24 - 10:00 am

  This vehicle surpassed my wildest dreams. It has a very reasonable sticker price, excellent fuel mileage, excellent power and acceleration. The ride and handling qualities are also excellent. This is the best vehicle I have ever owned and without a doubt, the best for the money. It has all the features of a much more expensive Lexus or Infinity. To top it all off, it has not been to the shop for anything!