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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  Happy MDX owner - 2003 Acura MDX
  By SUVX XX - July 14 - 7:00 am

  I have researched a few other SUVs (Lexus, BMW, Mercedes, Infinity) before making the decision and I dont regret buying the MDX. It has been very fun to drive, comfortable, powerful and dependable. It handles very nice in the snow and it has plenty of power when you need it. It is also very smooth and quiet.

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  The definition of a sports car - 2005 Acura RSX
  By Jack - July 13 - 6:45 pm

  I love driving this car! I was first I little skeptical about purchasing this car since this would be my first manual transmission. I learned to drive stick in this car with ease. The handling is impeccible and there is plenty of power to boot. The best part about this car is the backing of the aftermarket. There are tons of parts out there to customize the car to your liking. The car is very sporty, but also looks very elegant. This car has the most standard features compared to it competitors including auto climate control and an in-dash 6CD changer. In all this is a great car, just watch out for misshifts, its very easy to misshift the car especially from 5 to 4 and ending up in 2nd.

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  everthing i thought it would be - 2003 Acura TL
  By oldguy22 - July 13 - 2:00 am

  fun to drive, easy to keep and reliable

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  New Acura MDX purchase - 2005 Acura MDX
  By apj9319 - July 13 - 1:28 am

  Bought it for my wife after testdriving and researching ML350 (2006), X5 3.0, RX330 and LR3 V8. Best value for money in the segment. Although the interior quality, fit/finish and "status factor" is obviously inferior to others in the class and so also is the ride quality, its a compromise worth making in the light of better acceleration (especially in the passing range) than the others, initial cost for comparably equipped models, projected 5 year cost of ownership, reliability and versatility.

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  Well worth the money! - 2005 Acura RSX
  By James - July 12 - 8:17 pm

  I guess I really have no room for comparison, but this car is great. I went from a 1994 Jeep Grand Cherokee to a 2005 RSX and it really has exceeded my expectations. The drive is so smooth. I have an automatic with the sports shifter. The sports shifter is the best thing ever. I can treat the car like a stick, but if I get tired of it, I can go back to auto. Also when on the highway when trying to pass cars, I can switch to manual and drop it into 3rd and zip past everyone. Very good performance. Great exterior. I dont see how they can say itÂ’s forgettable itÂ’s by far one of the most memorable cars in my mind, thatÂ’s why I bought one! Inside is sleek and clean. Never been happier!

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  Wish Acura Still Made Them...! - 1994 Acura Legend
  By cecurr - July 12 - 12:56 pm

  I bought my 1994 LS Sedan used in 1999 from Acura dealer with 52,000 miles. This is by far the most reliable and best built car Ive ever owned or driven. The exterior design is timeless. The body and interior components are fitted superbly. The paint is as good as it gets. I have 101,000 mile on it now and it is as quiet and tight as the day i bought it. Ive had to replace the master cylinder, but only routine maintenance aside from that. Great looks and great gas mileage (19 city / 24 highway). Everthing about this car is excellent and reliable. I see why it was named "Legend". I dont understand why Acura dropped it. Every time I drive it, someone asks if I want to see it.

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  very fun and sporty car to drive - 2005 Acura RSX
  By David - July 11 - 11:52 pm

  The car revs nice. Drives fast on freeway. Very good gas milage. Handles great for stock suspension.

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  Original Owner - 1993 Acura Vigor
  By J.B. - July 11 - 3:29 pm

  Bought this Acura Vigor new in Feb 93. It is the light aqua green color with the "gold" package, moonroof, factory gold trim wheels, spoiler, and many other extras. Have thus far enjoyed driving it most everyday for 158,000 miles. Honestly, looking forward to many more years of enjoyment, as it would otherwise be like losing a family member. We have had zero problems with the vehicle over this thirteen year period, as it still has its original power and drivability. A gorgeous car that still turns heads!!

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  Great girls car - 2005 Acura RSX
  By A Dad - July 10 - 11:02 pm

  Bought the 05 RSX in Jade Metallic for my daughters 17th birthday, her first car. She was not disappointed and neither am I. Easy to handle great to drive and very dependable. Price was not bad either. The S type would have been great for me but as a first car the 2.0 auto with sport shifting is just what the doctor ordered for a young inexperienced teenage girl driver

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  Great car but needs minor improvements - 2005 Acura RSX
  By Gerard - July 10 - 3:52 pm

  I had an 04 that creaked and groaned with body flex and some other problems as well so the dealer bought it back from me and sold me this one. Much improved structure, smoother ride (with bigger wheels), infinitely more comfortable seats, the boy racer rear wing is finally gone, and the exhaust note is better. This is one fun car to drive and knowing its a Honda, itll last. 0-60 time cut from 6.3 to 6.2? awesome! Build quality has been improved and its look isnt so animated. Still very irked that there is no center armrest, no XM option, cant play MP3s, and no express up/down on passenger side.