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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  Fun car to own and drive - 2005 Acura TSX
  By Kim - March 27 - 6:40 am

  The TSX is a very fun car to drive and very comfortable. I have owned SUVs for the last 13 years. The car has a lot of power for a four cylinder, and the handling is excellent. The interior styling is well designed and very user friendly. The exterior is design is very sleek- esp in black.

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  Smooth - 2003 Acura TL
  By Mulligankid - March 26 - 2:00 am

  Very well built, smooth & highly refined auto. Smooth shifting transmission, peppy engine but could be more powerful like in the S type or the 04s.

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  2004 TL Rocks - 2004 Acura TL
  By Driver52 - March 26 - 2:00 am

  Acura is brankd that just keeps getting better. The new TL is powerful, fast, and handles just great. Interior comfort, and luxury appointments hit the mark. The XM- equipped sound system is a dream. The sedan is so much fun to drive, I even take it as a welcome change from my 2001 CL-Type S!

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  Best Car in 25,000 dollar range - 2004 Acura TSX
  By Megan - March 25 - 3:04 pm

  I love this car. Its fun and sporty yet is still luxurious.It could use a little more power, But overall this car is great. The interior of this car is beautiful. The only complaint I have about the interior is the backseat is a little cramped. I looked at the honda accord before buying this vehicle and I found The TSX to be more eye catching and way more for your money.

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  Couldnt of Asked for Anything More - 2002 Acura MDX
  By MDX Owner - March 25 - 10:00 am

  Great SUV! Acura hit a home run with the MDX. It has all the ammenities that you would want (less a DVD entertainment center). Rides and handles like a sports sedan, quick acceleration, NAVI System is the best avail, and passenger/cargo area beats others hands down. I considered BMW X5 (3.0) but when you add up all the ammenities that are found in MDX youre talking $50+K...with less room. A trade off you will have to make! Ask your dealer to chrome your wheels....it will make people snap thier heads.

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  Fun to drive yet practical - 2002 Acura RSX
  By Elias H Sarkis, MD - March 24 - 10:11 pm

  My RSX-S is great to drive both on the interstate and around town. The car is practical and we have used it to move all sorts of stuff as the backseats fold down. Performance is unbelievable!! As the rpms go higher, the power really kicks in and it is a blast. It would be nice to find a curvy road with no cops around!

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  Follow-Up Review (See 7/8/03) - 2003 Acura CL
  By Dr.Citrus - March 24 - 4:16 pm

  I can only echo my previous review. What I will add is that my transmission failed at 45300 miles. The car has been maintained at the dealership, and only the tires have been replaced (at 45K). Still an outstanding car. The transmissions on the 2001-2002 CLs were extended to 7 years/100K miles, but not all 2003 CLs--including this one--have been extended.

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  The Acura Vigor a perfect car - 1994 Acura Vigor
  By Crazyhorse - March 24 - 2:42 pm

  This Vigor is the best car I have ever owned. I plan on spending $3000 and getting the little bit of rust and one rear door replaced. The body does not need to be repainted. I have had to do minor repairs. The mechanics who work on this car always rave about the Acuras. I work for an American car manufacturer and wonder why they continue to purchase the very cheapest componenets on the market. The Japanese auto industry puts together a well designed vehicle with great components thus insuring years of reliability. Cars and trucks are a liability. I plan on purchasing used Japanese vehicles from here on out. Or, until the American car Cos wake up from their delusion.

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  Great car - 2004 Acura RL
  By Arnold Tesh - March 24 - 10:11 am

  This automobile is exactly what you would expect when you talk luxury and comfort. Since I bought this car, I hate to fly--even first class.

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  Smooth Ride - 2001 Acura CL
  By Drew - March 23 - 7:12 pm

  Acura has me sold. My silver on black CL has been everything I expected. And expectations can be a dangerous thingÂ…I purchased it used with 43K miles on it. Got a great deal too. One word: Smooth. I love the sound of the engine when you punch it. I drove the type S as well, but didnt like the harshness of the ride. I much preferred the stock 3.2 CLs ride and if youre stressen over the power drop of from the S, dont, the car scoots. 0-60 in 7.0 seconds is quick to most normal human beings. And once you sit in the seats, your body just melts into the leather and youre lulled to sleep by how smooth and quite the car is. My commute home will never be the same.