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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  4 Wheeled Vette - 2011 Acura RDX
  By thumper16 - April 11 - 12:55 pm

  Havent had this thing long, but what a step up from an underpowerd Honda CRV. Handling, power, fit and finish, all first class. Dont buy it if your looking for smooth. It is sportscar all the way. Drove the Infinity, Benz, and Lexus, all 10 grand or more expensive. Im 62" and have plenty of room. Acually bought it for my wife and we arm wrestle for the key. If they could make this thing get 30mpgs it would be just about perfect.

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  Great_Car - 1998 Acura Integra
  By integra_driver - April 10 - 5:34 pm

  I bought my integra with 132,000 miles on it. I did a little maintence to it fluid flushes, tune up, etc.. and Ive had zero problems with it. Ive got an aftermarket header, catback exhaust and stickier tires on it. It isnt the quickest thing out there, but for a 1.8 four it goes pretty well. The tires really help in the corners, and its by far the best front-wheel-drive car Ive ever driven. I also love the gas mileage. The worst mileage Ive ever gotten was 30.5. My best is 38.3. The only negative that I can think of is the ride. This isnt my dads buick, but if you were expecting that then go buy a buick. I cant wait for the next 100,000 miles to fly by.

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  MDX with Tech Package - 2011 Acura MDX
  By swedenva - April 8 - 8:51 am

  I purchased 2011 MDX from Pohanka Acura, largest dealer in U.S. Got the best deal from all dealers in DC area. Others not even close. Pro: Fit and finish ride and tech package Con: gas mileage, third row seats for adults cramped visors cheap premium gasoline not enough cup holders Overall, very satisfied and expect to keep 5+ years. Still a much better value then the BMW X5 Mercedes GL/M Class Infiniti QX56 Cadillac Escalade and Lexus GX460.

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  Nice ride, but------------- - 2011 Acura MDX
  By thomas642 - April 7 - 5:49 am

  Living in central Florida but bought in IL. have seen a vast variety of driving situations. Handles excellent on snow and ice and does well with side gusts of wind. Considered Enclave but build quality of Acura far superior. MDX built like a vault. Would like to see better gas mileage and wonder why the need for premium fuel and no cyl. deactivation as in my past Honda van. Mileage as advertised though. Only problem so far is occasional cruise control issues as it will cancel and car has to be shut off to get it to work. No help from Acura on this. Best radio Ive ever had by far and Ive had some good ones. In black with optional chrome wheels, its a beauty I love to drive.

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  Great blend of touring comfort and performance in a mid priced coupe - 2003 Acura CL
  By jimmbbo - April 2 - 9:10 pm

  Bought the car new after having had Honda Acuras and Preludes for a decade, and I wanted to move up. Was struck immediately by its spirited performance, good handling and comfort for long drives. The styling is refined and understated, but clearly not head turning. Interior is well finished, and mechanically the car has been excellent. Straight line acceleration is faster than it feels, and its a blast to drive in the curves. The manual six speed is smooth, and perfectly matched to the engine and car... RECOMMENDED!

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  Refreshed Styling sold me - 2012 Acura TL
  By al_donofrio - March 30 - 12:34 pm

  I was considering a buyout of the lease on my 2008 base TL. It was an excellent car, one of the best Ive ever owned. I did however, wish that Id gotten the nav package, and was considering trying to "trade up". Acura is offering excellent discounts and financing on 2011 TLs. We drove the 2011 TL, loved the ride and features, but the exterior styling on it just turned me off. The dealer had just received two 2012 cars, and the improvements in the front and rear styling immediately caught my attention. After a test drive we made a great deal on the 2012, with a loyalty discount and reduced rate financing - it is great.

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  My first Acura - 2011 Acura TL
  By kimas - March 16 - 6:53 pm

  My first weekend of ownership, I drove it from Northern California to Los Angeles. The seats are very comfortable for a long drive. I tried all its features during the drive, ie, nav, bluetooth, different audio sources, HFL, etc. Everything worked well. I dont mind the seemingly numerous dash buttons and the exterior. In fact I love them. It took me 30-45 minutes to familiarize myself with the buttons. I have owned a Lexus IS250, ES 300, Volvo S60 and so far, this is the one I love most. My wife currently drives a Lexus ES350 and she cant help but admire my TL.

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  BMW-Honda-BMW-Honda-BMW-Acura - 2006 Acura TL
  By dem3nted - March 12 - 10:23 am

  Ive almost always have had a BMW or Honda product in my automotive stable. Most recently, I had a 1995 BMW M3. Loved the power and handling but hated the maintenance. I also leased a 2006 Honda Accord SE-V6 and owned a 2003 Accord EX-V6 with navigation. Both were very reliable and quick but handling was crappy and interior was blase. Sheet metal seemed like aluminum foil. BMWs always seemed more solid. Recently, I purchased a 2006 Acura TL with navigation with high mileage for a paltry sum of money. I must say that it is in an entirely different league than the Honda. Quieter and better built than Honda. Really gives the BMW a great run for the money.

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  Great family SUV. - 2011 Acura MDX
  By tmh1 - March 10 - 1:08 pm

  I have owned my MDX for 6 months and am very happy with the choice. I looked at the Mercedes M-class, the Audi Q5, a Subuaru Outback, and a Jeep Grand Cherokee Overland. I chose the MDX because it had the best overall package for my needs: nice interior for work, rear leg room, navigation system and electronics, and good handling. The navigation system and voice commands are the best - recognizes the voice easily. However, it is not optimized for all Blackberry phones, so keep that in mind. This SUV drives like a car and is a breeze to park. Kids dont complain in back seat and I have teenagers. Great family car.

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  I like my new Acura RL - 2011 Acura RL
  By rfw3 - March 9 - 10:53 am

  Our 4th Acura. We usually keep them 3 to 4 years. Hold their value. Never had a problem. Great dealer service. Acura includes many features that are extra cost on competitive vehicles. A great car without being pretentious like a Mercedes or Lexus.