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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  A gem - 1990 Acura Legend
  By Larry Gorman - February 1 - 11:40 am

  Got a 90 Legend for our younger son in 2000 with 122K, one owner car. Now we own it and it has 171K. We LOVE this car. Not the fastest or best handling, but that engine still sings and it does not want to run less than 80 on the interstate - she will still do 100 in a snap. Ride, comfort and balance are excellent, and it is so LOW - the lowest 4 door sedan I have seen in a long time. We are looking UP at other people all the time - I like it. Will be a sad day indeed when it comes time to let go of her which is fast approaching. That second timing belt/water pump change is hard to justify for such an old car. The 2.7 liter first series Legend, is one of the best cars ever made, IMHO.

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  Great Car!!! - 1998 Acura CL
  By easydental - February 1 - 1:21 am

  I bought this 98 car new in 3/99. Now I have 140,000 miles on it. Car is trouble-free, very reliable, and a great performer. Apart from usual maintenance, this car is very inexpensive to own and operate. Still solid after all this time.

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  I LOVE this car!!!!!! - 2000 Acura TL
  By Gfaze - January 31 - 2:14 am

  I bought this car in October of 2006 after literally years of research. Every time I weighed the choices, the TL always came out on top! The sportshift works great, no transmission issues (knock on wood) and no complaints. Bought it in flawless, mint condition from a local, reliable used car dealer. Its fun to drive, looks sweet (silver), and performs like a champ. I bought it to replace my aging but reliable, 94 Ford Thunderbird LX (V8). It had a lot of overdue maintenance needs and a dying transmission which would have cost more than it was worth. I still miss that 4.6L V8 roar though.

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  Type-S = Satisfaction - 2003 Acura RSX
  By Speeder Ty - January 31 - 2:00 am

  Perfect for highway buzzing and a touch stiff in town on poor roads, (I just choose better routes). With only 6000K its just broken in but the power comes quicker than it did! We enjoy the sound system, dispite other reviews for sound , you can crank the volume over the engine noise. This one is a keeper.Keep the revs up for maximum pleasure.

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  RDX Rocket! - 2007 Acura RDX
  By AJ22Flight - January 30 - 10:00 pm

  I have owned this for a week now and I could not be more impressed with this car. I traded my 2002 TL and cant believe how much better the RDX handles. Acceleration is great for a two ton auto. The fit and finish of the interior is second-to-none with a smartly designed cockpit and great seats. I got the tech package and the ELS sound system rocks! Nav is easy to use, handsfree bluetooth works like a charm. I have read many reviews from others complaining about the gas mileage. I am averaging 17.5 after 600 miles of mixed driving. If you are constantly stomping on the gas (and jamming on your brakes) youll get 12 mpg. You only need to feather the gas pedal and the turbo will move you!

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  Nice Car, Good Package - 2006 Acura TL
  By David Frankenberg - January 29 - 7:26 pm

  Ive had my Acura TL w/NAV a few weeks now. It drives extremly quiet and smooth like a Cadillac. I genuinly dont want to get out of the car! I am a bit dissapointed with the fuel economy (thus far). I am getting around 20mpg city, 28 highway per the TL computer. However, I am just below a half tank now with 150 miles. Something doesnt compute?? I use premium unleaded 93 octane. I dont drive on the highway to work only city roads, this may be why? but I would have liked better. The Nav system is the best! I like that it turns off automatically if I dont need it. Other than the poor fuel economy, the fit & finish, ride, the luxurious features for what I got, everything about the car I love!

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  Integra 59 - 1996 Acura Integra
  By mechanic - January 29 - 2:29 pm

  Ive owned the Integra for 8 1/2 years. It has about 108,000 miles on it. Its fun to drive, has very little maintenance cost, and responds very quickly. The seat belts respond too quickly, pinning me to the seat when I move rapidly. The only mechanical problem that I find to be a weakness is that I had to replace the radiator after 84,000 miles.

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  Happy Buyer - 2005 Acura TL
  By Sue - January 28 - 6:26 am

  The TL is a great looking car and it delivers on promises. Two days after purchase I was on a 2200 mile car. Everytime I opened the drivers door it was a pleasure to get back in. I also enjoyed the compliments of strangers on my great-looking car. The car feels solid and well-built and hugs the road nicely.

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  I could drive this car forever, literally! - 2004 Acura TL
  By Derrick Wesley - January 28 - 5:13 am

  My 2004 Acura TL is by far my favorite car I ever owned. I bought this car with over 100k on it while in college and I am still in love with it. 12 years later this car still gets complemented and random people feel the need to try and race me. Unfortunately a few days ago I totaled my car (not racing). Its completely destroyed but I walked away with just a few bruises. I absolutely love this car due to its power, style, and now the safety of the car. As replacement Ill be getting another TL only newer. Buy Acura, Love Acura!

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  Pretty much perfect - 2001 Acura MDX
  By Paul - January 27 - 6:01 pm

  I wish I could be more constructive, but it is hard to think of anything wrong with this vehicle. We were faced with the decision of buying a new, midscale SUV, or a used, upscale one like an MDX. Boy, are we glad we bought the MDX. If we didnt know, wed think it was brand new. Do the homework, and youll find that the MDX offers the most interior room (including a 3rd row seat) in a package that is still midsized. If you want the ability to haul kids all around town in a safe, AWD SUV, but dont want a Yukon or Expedition, then this is the rig for you. There is no comparison to the RX 300, which is tiny compared this this (on the inside).