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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  Great Car - 2004 Acura TL
  By bigtimeitpro - October 1 - 2:00 am

  All I can say is this car is absolutely amazing. If you consider yourself a "driver" then you have to get the 6 speed. It adds to the overall driving experience.

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  THis car is awesome - 2005 Acura NSX
  By stephanie s - September 30 - 2:00 am

  I wish i could keep this car forever. Or on the other hand that it would last for ever. Its the best car i have ever had and could ever ask for

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  Fun Sedan - 2002 Acura TL
  By vineviz - September 30 - 2:00 am

  I love the TL-S. Quality is bulletproof, and the car is quite fun to drive: it handles very well, accelerates smartly, and is very comfortable on my commute. There is plenty of space in the back for two child safety seats, and the front seats are comfortable and well- bolstered.

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  Great Car - 2002 Acura RSX
  By mrbrett - September 29 - 9:56 pm

  This is a great car, it has a great balance of performance and luxury.

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  Love my RSX - 2002 Acura RSX
  By Age - September 29 - 10:00 am

  I leased a 99 Integra w/auto and i felt that it was sluggash at best with the acceleration, However, the RSX jst wants to go and go fast. GREAT CAR

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  Perfect Car!! - 2002 Acura RSX
  By Ferny - September 29 - 10:00 am

  Everything about the car is perfect. The cars small so the 160 HP is definately enough. It accelerates fast so you wont have any problems getting into Highways, etc. It handles perfectly and the small steering wheel makes it even easier to handle. The Red Dashboard Lights look really nice but guess thats a matter of an opinion. The engine has a really nice sound (not too loud or soft). I find the seats comfortable and I received compliments from many people on its looks. I definately reccomend this car.

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  Amazing car - 2002 Acura RSX
  By MichiganMan - September 29 - 10:00 am

  Amazing car for the price. Great handling, the best shifter, responsive brakes, broad torque band, and tons of features included automatically. I am having loads of fun driving it, and I am not even out of the break-in period yet! The seats (firm) take a little getting used to. The styling is a bit bland admittedly, but I am already getting over that. Complaints about the stereo system are unfounded in my opinion, unless you like to really blast the music.

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  Overall - Happy - 2003 Acura TL
  By KWR - September 29 - 10:00 am

  Compared to higher priced comps (Audi A4, BMW 330, Passat V6), best all around value. Engine rocks, styling not overly exciting, but timeless

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  But why? - 2003 Acura TL
  By ibuyer - September 29 - 10:00 am

  As a value buyer I always shunned luxury vehicles. When it struck me that my new pal in town is the neighbourhood car mechanic I realised it was time for a new car. As always I started for an economy car. But at the insistence of a friend I agreed to test drive a TL. Thought what the heck, it is free to have a test drive. I am glad that I bough a TL. It is an unbelievable value for the quality, ride and standard features it provides. Of course one can buy a comparable Lexus for a meagre $9000 more or an Infinity I30, or an Audi A4, or a Jaguar, or a BMW 325 or a Volvo etc etc ....but why?

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  ACURA RSX - 2004 Acura RSX
  By steph D - September 29 - 2:00 am

  Ive had my RSX for almost four months, it is a gorgoeus car and not too expensive. I would urge anyone that is looking in the RSX price range to test drive one.. you will most likely buy one, it has amazing handling. The RSX may seem small, but I managed to move furniture, boxes and clothes with out a problem.