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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  Better than my 3 grand cherokees - 2003 Acura MDX
  By george ganem - September 13 - 11:32 pm

  I have always been pleased with owning this vehicle compared to my previous three grand cherokees. There seems to be less driver compartment room than the jeeps, but the ride is much smoother and quieter. Gas economy is better in the acura. Always felt the acura is a step up from most other suvs. Being 64" tall, many other suv models are more crowded in the drivers area.

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  My 2006 TL with Navigation - 2006 Acura TL
  By Michael B - September 13 - 8:42 pm

  I purchased this car on July 19th 2006, and it is by far the best car I have ever owned! I am getting 26-29 mpg all the time. The looks both inside and out make this car look far more expensive than it is. The sound system is INCREDIBLE! I just wish that the DVD- A discs were easier to find in stores and not just on-line!

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  My Golden Chariot - 2005 Acura RL
  By Marjorie Nave - September 13 - 2:32 pm

  I am 82 years of age and I am the one who furnished rides to all my friends day and night. I appreciate the headlight turning feature. I am a golfer and often take three friends on out of town trips so appreciate the size of the trunk. Also the sun screens in the back area are great.

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  WARNING to driving enthusiasts - 2006 Acura TL
  By enthusiast3 - September 12 - 7:00 pm

  I sure wish I had test driven this car more before buying it. I just traded in my 2006 6 speed TL with only 5,900 miles on it. This car is really nice in some ways and I possibly would have kept it if I had bought it with an automatic, but it definitely is not a "drivers" car. I really wanted to like this car, Ive owned two Accords and two Integras, all of which were great cars w/manual transmissions. I went so far as to replace the stock all season tires with summer only tires and I even thought long and hard about buying the A-Spec suspension, which you can find on e-bay now. I was prepared for a little torque steer, but not for the complete lack of involvement.

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  Everyday Driver - 1998 Acura CL
  By snowdogg - September 12 - 2:18 am

  Bought used with 42K miles - hard to believe it is only a 4 banger... really moves out with the 5 speed. Everything still works and I put 65 miles on it daily commuting. Never any problems mechanically. Have replaced the exhaust twice (Vermont winters are hard on a car) and gone through 2 sets of tires in 80K miles. Did the timing belt, etc @100k. Fuel economy runs 32-34 mpg. Needs heated seats, a better climate control system and upgraded stereo. Never understood why a car like this didnt come with foglights (I added aftermarket). I intend on giving this car to my son in another 3 years. All in all one of the most enjoyable cars Ive ever owned... Honda/Acura does build a quality product.

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  Acura RL 2006 - 2006 Acura RL
  By ff100 - September 11 - 4:13 pm

  Has all the gadgets one can imagine, very good quality of materials used.

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  My third new Acura since 1999! - 2005 Acura TL
  By richard d. ross - September 9 - 2:50 pm

  The seats in my 2005 TL are so comfortable and supportive. I love the Navigation system and Stability system, and the voice command phone, nav, audio, and a/c! This is one responsive and handsome car. I like that Honda/Acura sells you a car with most things already included. It is the right size and is easy to park. All my friends and family love this car.

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  Sell by 90k - 2001 Acura MDX
  By Nate - September 9 - 2:48 pm

  We bought the MDX over the BMW X5 only because of the third row seating. We loved the car untill 90k miles. We have replaced two front struts $700, two motor mounts $600, SRS electronic part $520, spark plugs - Acura wanted hundreds to do them so I did the work. Timing belt and 110k service was over $1000. I am tired of the warning lights comming on every time I turn around. Only dealer can turn them off. My miles are 90% highway on the Acura.

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  Comfort, Class, & Honda Reliable - 2006 Acura TL
  By DCE - September 9 - 2:27 pm

  My wife needed to replace her aging Jag so we went looking and she drove a 2 year old Acura TL with 47K that was in dealers lot. It was as sturdy as rock - no squeaks, rattles, or signs of aging. And the very best Nav System on any car Ive seen. After driving the competitors, we returned to the dealer and bought a brand new TL. After 5 months, no problems, no regrets. Im the sportscar type (S2000) but I keep finding reasons to drive the Acura. Just wish it was RWD - on hard acceleration from very low speed I can feel the torque steer. Other than that, no complaints.

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  Love the RL - 2006 Acura RL
  By Art - September 9 - 6:02 am

  The RL is my second Acura. I bought a CL Type-S in 2001, and was very pleased with its performance, reliability and fun-to-drive factor. The RL is awesome. With 3500 miles, everything has worked as advertised. Its roomy, plenty of power, every gadget imaginable... great technology, and it all works.