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:

• 

  A little quirks.. But No car is perfect - 2003 Acura TL
  By LuvinDTL-S - July 3 - 10:00 am

  This car is fun to drive. You feel totally at one with the road, the handling is great For a Front Wheel Drive vehicle. It has Power & Prestige. The interior is truly that of a luxury sedan. With a Long list of Standard Features... It is definately the best value in its class

• 

  TL is the way to go! - 2005 Acura TL
  By mikerogs - July 3 - 9:56 am

  I have only had my TL a week and I am impressed and happy with my choice. I considered a Lexus GS 330, Infiniti G35 and the TL blows it away. The car comes with a ton of standard features for the price and has a kicking sound system with XM satellite radio. The seats are comfortable and the ride is smooth. The only 2 drawbacks are the CD player is a little difficult to manage and there is no fold down rear seat.. Its a car that you will be happy with for years.

• 

  The Legend Continues - 1994 Acura Legend
  By Nick - July 1 - 3:31 pm

  Great car! Dont know why they stopped making them. Runs smooth. Car feels like it glides on the rode

• 

  Best import you can get today - 2005 Acura RSX
  By D Lankford - July 1 - 11:57 am

  What can I say that hasnt been said already? Most amazing 4 cylinder engine ever built (105 hp per liter), near indestructible 6 speed, effortless clutch, excellent brakes with pratically zero fade after heavy braking, recaro designed leather seats, extremely compitent suspension that exhibits both incredible stablilty when driving agressive and maintains a civilized ride on long road trips and still manages high 20s mpg on the interstate. Dont gripe about creature comforts. This car was not built for that. If you want fancy interior and power everything, buy a TSX or TL. The K20 engine responds VERY well to mods. An intake, header and ECU tune will have you outrunning domestic V8s.

• 

  Say no to BMW 3, say yes to TSX - 2005 Acura TSX
  By Hgood - June 30 - 12:23 pm

  To get all that you get with a TSX with navigation, youd have to pay at least 10-12 grand more for the same on the BMW 3 series, which is a less reliable car, with costlier repairs. The TSX has buttery smooth handling, an interior that feels more luxurious than the 3 series, and it has ACURA bulletproof reliability. So if youre willing to overpay, have more repairs just so you can show of your little BMW badge, go waste more than ten grand more and get the 3 series. The navi on the BMW is inferior to that on the TSX to boot. THE TSX IS REALLY FUN TO RIDE, IS REAL ZIPPY, and is a class car with an engine just about the same size as the 3 series. Smart people buy the TSX not the BMW.

• 

  Best bang for the buck! - 2002 Acura RSX
  By blue_rsx - June 29 - 6:18 pm

  For $22K, this is a great car. It has enough pep to make it a fun car to drive, and it is a great looking car too--inside and out!

• 

  Love returning to my MDX after a flight. - 2001 Acura MDX
  By herzjb - June 29 - 6:09 pm

  Love this car. I have 60,000 miles on it now. Dealer has fixed second gear under warranty via recall. Ride and performs like a car. Sturdy interior. Plenty of cargo space, cup holders and power outlets. Good entry level sound system.

• 

  None like it in the market... - 2005 Acura MDX
  By Harrisburg, PA - June 29 - 4:56 pm

  There isnt another Lux SUV on the market that has the blend of size and utility with comfort and safety like the MDX. Seating for 7 with safety features like Onstar and all the airbags you could ever want. The review states that the interior is bland, but I would call it understated elegance. Everything is where it should be and the materials (dash seats etc.) are all top quality. The only things I wish it had are daytime running lights and automatic locking when placed in drive. Overall the wife loves it (even the nav system I had to have) and the kids like being able to have their friends all in one car. NOTE: The MDX is due for a redesign in 2007.

• 

  Happy New Owner - 2005 Acura MDX
  By Brenda - June 29 - 3:55 pm

  Have researched SUVs for about 4 years and always came back to the Acura MDX as the top choice. Purchased in 2005 and so far we have really enjoyed our MDX experience

• 

  Gods gift to the sport compact scene - 2005 Acura RSX
  By 05 Black Type S - June 27 - 7:07 pm

  This car is an absolute dream. I picked my 05 Black Type S up for invoice price! The Type S has what feels like an endless supply of power. I drove from Chicago to Indianapolis right after I bought it, and had problems keeping it under 90mph, it just wants to get up and run. I love the attention this car brings... Im a single 23 year old male, and I dont mind the looks I get from girls who see/hear the Type S. Its fast, and looks classy... almost like a baby Ferarri.