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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  I loved my TLX - 2015 Acura TLX
  By Veronnica Kelly - December 27 - 11:59 pm

  Great gas mileage! I drove mostly highways and averaged around 32 mpg. The main cabin is extremely quiet and such a smooth ride.

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  2017 Acura Mdx - 2017 Acura MDX
  By lamtuanhuynh - December 27 - 10:59 pm

  Im own 2014 mdx and trade for 2017 Mdx. This 2017 Mdx look/ride and more smooth better than 2014. With the technology pack. love it more for the money been drive a week and still love it and I think this car gonna last for awhile for me

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  Acura TL - Auto with Nav - Wow!! - 2004 Acura TL
  By MikeNerren - December 26 - 10:00 am

  I have owned the new TL for one day so far and I just cant wait to have to go somewhere so I can drive it. It has to be the most technically advanced car that I have ever owned. The performance is awesome and the refinement is incrediable.

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  GARYS REPORT - 2004 Acura TL
  By BOTER - December 26 - 10:00 am

  THIS CAR IS THE BEST VALUE IN ITS CLASS.IT OFFERS LUXURY AND SPORTINESS AT A REALLY GOOD PRICE.

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  Its worth the money! - 2005 Acura RSX
  By Kamster888 - December 24 - 1:31 pm

  I just bought my car 12/18/2004 and it was worth the wait and money. The overall design and layout of the car is just so intuitive. Sure there are things lacking such as navigation, HID headlights, and an armrest, but Im just so pleased with the overall vehicle I can overlook the shortcommings. The performance is good enough for me with the 5 speed auto although I havent got on it because Im still breaking it in. Im surprised how smooth the car rides and its fairly quiet. I have an 2001 Acura CL Type S and to me the only difference is in the power and the interior quality, rich and soft materials for the headliner, dash, door, and other surfaces. Overall, its worth the money!

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  Test drive thoroughly... - 2002 Acura RSX
  By ftms86 - December 24 - 10:00 am

  Pay particular attention to the feel of the gear box before buying this car. Prior to purchasing, I had read reviews that mentioned "gear grinding" between first and second. During my test drive, I felt confident that I did not notice this symptom. Now, with about 2000 miles on the car, I can consistently feel and hear the "grind" I read about. Acura says this is normal, but we (a number of type-s owners) have our doubts. My advice is to know what you are getting into. If you dont mind a notch or two while shifting, go for it (I did!). All things considered, this is one of the best cars I have ever owned: Truly a joy to drive.

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  I Love This Car! - 2009 Acura TSX
  By Face - December 23 - 6:56 pm

  If you look outside of Edmunds there are so many negative reviews on this car, but honestly I have no idea what these people are talking about. You get so much technology and bells in whistles for the price compared to VW, Audi, BMW or even Lexus. I looked at them all and even though all those cars were good in their own right I felt the Acura was the one to get. I am 62, 250 and find the seats very comfortable and the car a pleasure to drive. This car has the perfect blend of great gas mileage without having the usual sacrifice of an under powered engine.

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  My first car - 2005 Acura RSX
  By aaron - December 22 - 6:17 pm

  This is the first car ive bought with my own dinero, and as such u could imagine that a lot of thought went in to it. I was looking at the 2005 Ford Mustang first of all but when I went to the Acura dealership and sat down in the type-s, well i knew then and there that this was the car i wanted. drove it out of the park the same day.

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  My 2nd NSX - 2002 Acura NSX
  By Easygo711 - December 22 - 2:06 am

  The thrill and performance of a Ferrari and the reliability of a Honda. This car can be a daily driver and it wont break the bank. This is my 2nd. NSX. My previous one was a green 1996. I sold it with 62,000 miles and the car was tight with no problems. I bought my 2002 with 11,000 miles. I wanted a red one and wanted the 3.2 and 6 speed. My buddy has a Porsche and he said it costs him more than his ex- wife. I drove Vipers, Corvettes and Porsches. I feel the NSX out did them all. In overall driveability, quality and fun factor. My wife loves to drive it. And you dont see one on every corner. ITS A TRUE EXOTIC.

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  Interesting piece of work - 2004 Acura TSX
  By Black Jedi Knight - December 21 - 10:00 am

  Owned an 03 Accord V-6 prior to the TSX. The TSX looks better and out handles the Accord. I have taken corners in the TSX that I would normally back off of in the Accord. When compared to the BMW 3 series (which always happens) the TSX is a better value. It comes with more standard features and if you pay attention the BMW has a six cylinder engine that puts out 186hp. Definately not worth the extra $5-$7k. For a four cylinder the engine has provided excellent power when going uphill than expected. The manual is the way to go. The power spectrum is very broad from 3000 RPMs to redline. Step on it once in awhile, youll enjoy it.