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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  A True Gem at a Charcoal Price - 2004 Acura TSX
  By Paddy O - August 14 - 10:00 am

  I upgraded from a 95 Honda Accord V6 since I appreciate the reliability of Honda/ Acura. After driving the TL, the Accord, the 330, then the TSX. This is the perfect car except for the premium fuel. I paid $25,200 from Santa Monica Acura with 2.9% financing.

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  Sweet! - 2005 Acura TL
  By abirvalg - August 14 - 9:33 am

  Amazing car for the money. Very happy with everything but a few quality issues with the interior. Love the looks inside and out. Fun to drive! Looked at ES, IS, A4, TSX, Camry, Accord. TL has it all and more. Dont buy a ~33K car without looking at this one.

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  Nu hotness still in effect - 1991 Acura Legend
  By Kevin_Gthype - August 14 - 2:00 am

  Ive been fascinated with Acura Legends since 1994. Even though I have a 91, it still performs like a later model. The car is 13 years old but it drives like brand new. I got a deal with it. In fact the night before. It was broken into, but they werent even able to steel it due to the coded radio and alarm. Mercedes, Bmw , Audi ,and all those other luxury cars cant touch this car. It lives up to its name. With performance and style its truly a legend. My suggestion get one and feel the power.

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  Pretty Nice - 2004 Acura MDX
  By lovin it - August 14 - 2:00 am

  After driving the car for over 800 mi, Ive finally come to really appreciate the MDX.I did have a major pain in the butt experience (literally) after sitting in the traffic in LA for an 1 1/2 hrs. Every rear end is different, so this is a personal experience & u might not experience the same displeasure. Luckily, for my glut, it has been broken in and the ride is less painful and the drive more pleasurable. Now, I couldve bought the XC90 & been whistling Dixie, but the 10k extra, the week engine and lack of off road ablities...didnt sit well.

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  New TL-S - 2008 Acura TL
  By Yohann - August 13 - 10:50 pm

  I have had my new CBP TL-S with 6M for just over a week now and I am totally in love with it. My old car is a 1998 Maxima 5M and on my daily driving routine (of about 13 miles freeway and 10 miles side streets), I have been averaging 22 mpg. Possibly because I tend to accelerate hard and partly because I typically cruise at 77-80 mph on the interstate (depending on traffic). On my first tank with the TL-S (including 20 minutes idling at the dealer), I averaged about 24 MPG and so far on the second tank my average is between 25-26. Thats pretty impressive considering that the TL is 450 lbs heavier and has a 100 hp over the Maxima, and not to mention just over 300 miles on the engine.

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  Pocket Rocket - 2002 Acura RSX
  By Profet - August 13 - 3:50 am

  This is the car to get if you think the new Civic SI looks like a Mini-Mini-Van.

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  Class Ride - 2002 Acura RL
  By RL Fan - August 13 - 2:00 am

  I have owned several Acuras over the last 10 years and this is easily the best of the bunch. Ive had the 02 RL for 3 years now and still LOVE it. It is a very classy car and compares very well to cars costing $10-$15K more. Test drove the BMW 530, Lexus GS 300 and Lincoln LS before buying. After 3 years of ownership, I am very confident I made the best choice by going with the Acura RL. Reliabilty is absolutely first-rate.

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  Very happy - 1999 Acura TL
  By AndHeesen - August 13 - 2:00 am

  Im thrilled with the affordable luxury in the Acura TL.

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  sleeeepppperrrrrr - 2003 Acura CL
  By ae - August 13 - 2:00 am

  awesome ride! handels like its on rails. i love the european look. i also love the fact that i dont see any around. its nice to be original and not have an appliance for a car (accord/camry)LOVE IT!!

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  Awesome Car - 2004 Acura RSX
  By Astrodude2 - August 13 - 2:00 am

  I just bought the RSX type S and I have to say my daily commute just got a lot more fun and exciting. Why would anyone pay more money for the 350Z, because the Acura has a much smoother ride and costs less. Ive owned Acuras before and Ive been asking myself "why did I ever stray?"? I need to take time and read the manual and learn about the car, but who can stop driving it? Id definately suggest this car to anyone. Acuras quality and reliability are legendary.