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:

• 

  2005 rl - 2005 Acura RL
  By russo - December 18 - 5:40 am

  Very well designed and excellent quality. Best factory sound system in the industry

• 

  Lovin It - 2005 Acura TSX
  By From Nissan to Acura - December 17 - 8:07 pm

  I just bought my Acura, it was my fourth car in 3 years. Ive had a 2000 Celica GT-S, 2003 Infiniti G35, a 2003 NIssan 350Z and then my Acura. All manual transmission. I must say that when it comes to performance, I have not been able to beat my 350Z. But isnt that what Nissan is about? BUT when it comes to comfort and reliablity my Acura tops my list! I love it. I feel safer and it uses a LOT less fuel then my last car. LOVE IT TO DEATH. More sensible for New York winters.

• 

  Great Car Overall - 2006 Acura RL
  By Don in VA - December 16 - 9:20 pm

  Smooth ride, great handling, beautiful interior and comes loaded with everything. Nav system is nice & easy to use. Interior is much nicer than my 530i, build quality is about same, but the paint finish is poor. Paint chips easily and is very thin vs BMWs. My wife has commented its much easier to drive than her BMW. RL looks great from the front, but looks too much like a Honda Accord from side view. The Acura rides and handles like a luxury car and the AWD gives you an added sense of security on wet and snowy roads. RL is an excellent value if discounted.

• 

  What did ya expect??? Its coooolio! - 2005 Acura TL
  By calit_tl - December 16 - 5:40 pm

  I underpowered off the line, but more than makes up for it in midrange. Nav with voice command is lots of fun. Its really cool changing the radio station, the climate control, which CD is playing etc. by voice command. Oh, and the "Find nearest..." voice command is really cool. "Find nearest chinese restaurant". Shhhhnazzy! Great car to drive. Very nimble with a very satisfying acceleration jolt when the gas peddle is mashed. The stereo has very good sound quality but is a bit underpowered if you like to rattle your rearview mirror. Be prepared. This is a sports sedan and not a "pillow barge". Therefore it may ride a bit stiff if youre expecting to sit on a cushion of poof.

• 

  All the right stuff - 2008 Acura TL
  By Frank - December 16 - 5:03 am

  This is my second Acura, and I must say I love this car. It has everything youll want and is the best valued sporty, luxury car on the market.

• 

  I am in love - 2006 Acura TSX
  By arielp - December 15 - 2:06 pm

  Get this car. The photos dont do it justice. Take it for a test drive.. It will change your mind. Every one I know loves this car. It is the best value around. Do you really need anymore power? This one does everything well, not just a few great like the BMW and AuDI.Silky smooth six speed buttery soft leather. Every one loves the XM and Voice navigation.

• 

  The Best Car, I have ever owned - 2006 Acura TSX
  By DeLeon Andrews - December 15 - 1:16 pm

  I have owned many 4 cyl cars in the past 33 years. The TSX is a sport sedan that is the fun to drive every day. I have read all the reviews about TSX needing more horsepower, for what reason! My wife (Mich) grew up driving V-8s and V-6s she said the TSX is the fastest car she has ever driven and her first manual shift. Check out the top ten cars on the residual value list. I am happy TSX does not suit everyone taste.

• 

  After 2 years, still lovin it - 2004 Acura RSX
  By Vince - December 15 - 9:08 am

  Overall, I love this car. It blends performance along w/ luxury in a very valuable package. Yes, the gearbox is a little finicky at times, but you just have to row thru the gears prior to driving, especially when cold. Yes, my car has many rattles. Ask any owner of a sport compact w/ a very stiff suspension. Its just the nature of the beast. Used to drive this thing 160 miles everyday for work. Road noise gets tiresome and stiff suspension causes backaches, but gets very good MPG. Compared to other cars, may not have the most luxury or features. Honda owner for life.

• 

  2004 TL - 2005 Acura TL
  By RickRson - December 15 - 9:06 am

  I love this car. It is exciting every time I get in it. Ive had no problems, but have a curious situation. The fuel tank claims to be over 17 gallons, but even when running on empty I have never been able to put more than 13 gallons in without the automatic cut-off kicking in and then I can only get more gas - up to 3 gallons or so - into the tank in short bursts. This is a pain. The dealer finds no problem.

• 

  Nice car - 2002 Acura TL
  By adam - December 14 - 7:08 pm

  This is a very nice car. It is very reliable and has never broken down on me. If I were to buy another car I would have to go with the same car, because it is very fun to drive (goes when you press the gas).