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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  110,000 miles and still going strong - 2003 Acura MDX
  By extremus669 - October 21 - 2:10 pm

  I bought my MDX in 2005 with ~62K miles on it. It was a certified pre-owned vehicle. Ive put almost 50K additional miles on it since and the past four years have been trouble-free. Maintenance includes the occasional fluid changes (oil, VTM, transmission fluids, etc.). The timing belt was also replaced at ~107K per the maintenance schedule. Rides and handles great for a vehicle its size (and age).

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  Legend Lover - 1995 Acura Legend
  By 95legnd - October 20 - 8:23 pm

  Luxury performance power. I bought mine used @ 174,000. Always dreamed of owning one since I worked at acura dealer when they first came out but they were 40,000+ and I just worked in the parts dept.

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  Surprisingly Economical - 2003 Acura TL
  By george255 - October 20 - 10:40 am

  I bought this car used with 61000 miles on it about 9 mos. ago. I have to say, what surprised me the most was the fuel economy. All around driving I have seen approx 24 MPG. On the highway on a long trip - I saw 33-34 mpg! For an intermediate size car - that is amazing. My son has an Acura RSX and that is about what he see on his compact 4 cyl car. So far, I have had no problems with the car. Comfortable and handles reasonably well. Acceleration isnt all that great. Interior is very comfortable - audio system is good. What bugs me - is on a luxury car - you would think it would have sensors to turn the headlights on at dusk! Even my old Malibu had that!

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  Fun to Drive but Noisy - 2010 Acura TSX
  By Martin - October 18 - 5:41 pm

  Vehicle is fun to drive and the fuel economy is awesome. Averaged 26 miles in stop and go traffic, and about 31 on the hwy. First three fill-ups averaged 550 miles. Last fill-up averaged 600 miles on a full tank of gas. Having some problems with a rattling noise coming from the steering column. Noise goes away when you downward or upward pressure on the steering wheel.

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  lOVE THAT CAR - 2003 Acura MDX
  By MOM MOBILE - October 16 - 10:00 am

  I absolutely love the car. Coming from a minivan it is a welcome relief. the only thing I do not like about the car is the small gas tank size. I am constantly filling up with gas. I like the navigational system and use it frequently. I also like the camera that shows what is behind me when I am backing up.

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  Genos MDX - 2003 Acura MDX
  By geneo212 - October 16 - 10:00 am

  The MDX is a comfortable and versatile vehicle. The beauty of an Acura is that you get so much as standard equipment. I compared the MDX with the BMW X5. There was no way to keep the price point anywhere close to the MDX with the same trim options. The X5 is a great driving vehicle, but the MDX is just fit the bill more overall.

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  Acura for a family - 2003 Acura MDX
  By me plus 3 - October 16 - 10:00 am

  I chose the MDX after trying out just about every mid-size SUV available. The MDX has the most interior room (almost as much as some of the large SUVs) and fared well in crash tests. Overall, I am very happy with it. My husband and I are both tall and we have 2 babies, double stroller, etc, 2 car seats, but still roomy. It rides well, is okay with gas for an SUV. I love the option of the 2 back seats (although not the most comfortable) The only area that needs attention is the interior (which does not both me) - It is plain, very simple features, not much on the dashboard as far as extras.

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  Some costly repairs - 2004 Acura TL
  By bassdocta - October 14 - 3:49 pm

  Still love driving this car even after a few years. Like others I am on my second set of tires (Continental conti pros, I think). I had a CPU failure from a stopped up drain that was VERY expensive but covered under warranty. I also had an AC compressor failure which cost me $1200 to fix. Not experiencing the rattles that so many others report, though. Only 60K miles. Lots of torque steer. Everything still works. Mileage is good.

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  TL Funny to drive...some quirks! - 2005 Acura TL
  By RL22 - October 12 - 3:17 pm

  I bought this car used...A lease turn-in. I have loved this car from the get go. I am in my mid-late 30s and it fits me like a "T". Fast, stylist and has all the amenities that I would use (wish but dont have nav). I think the car is quiet but I would agree about the some rattles. I have tried to find most and put an end to them which I have except for a couple which would entail a lot of work. I had to put new brakes on it (because it was a lease turn-in with 36M miles)and I have put about 15000 on it in 7 months. Have done nothing else with it...I owned a 2004 Accord that I put 140M on. Honda/Acura make great cars...I am looking into a used MDX for the wife.

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  Recall the Transmission - 1999 Acura TL
  By Angela - October 10 - 10:38 am

  I feel the transmission should have been recalled. The manufacturer is more than aware that the transmission in this car was poorly made, and I am quite upset that I am having to replace it. I have always driven a Honda or Acura and this is the first time Ive had major problems. I am told that the issue has been resolved mechanically, but that does little to help my out of pocket fee.