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 Complete Package - 2006 Acura RL
  By jmp - July 6 - 12:37 pm

  Very happy with the RL. Controls are sensibly placed. Im tall but confortable (in the front). Very quiet ride, smooth shifting, good voice recognition and bluetooth. Keyless works good with adjusting mirrors and steering wheel. Its been a pleasure so far.

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  Transmission negates the V6 - 2016 Acura TLX
  By indio82 - July 5 - 10:33 pm

  I currently have an 06 TSX. It is still in great shape and handles great, but it is 10 years old and Im looking for something with a little more power. So Ive been eager for the TLX to come out. So I was severely disappointed when I test drove the V6 AWD version. The transmission completely neuters to V6 - seriously, it feels like a really under powered 4 cylinder. It has no power when you put the pedal down. It shifts just just when you think you are going to get in the power curve. My 4 cyl TSX feels more powerful than this V6. There is NO WAY I would want this driving in rush hour traffic, when you need the car to quickly react when trying pass or merge into highway traffic. The steering was...weird. Ive test driven the Lexus IS 350 (V6) and the Volvo S60 (5 Cylinder turbo). They both had better throttle response and steering. The Volvo has less HP than the TLX per the numbers, but you wouldnt know it due to the TLX transmission. The cabin controls are overly complicated. Just because you can put everything on a touch screen, doesnt mean you should. I shouldnt have to sit with the "IT specialist" to learn how to adjust the cabin temp. The push button shifter was...odd. I guess you get used to it, but it would take a while - and I shouldnt have to put up with that learning curve. In summary: the transmission ruins the car, but the button shifter, steering, and overly complicated cabin/nav/radio controls dont lend itself to liking the car either. I rejected this car from my list.

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  Solid Commuting Car - 2016 Acura ILX
  By barry - July 4 - 10:12 am

  I use this car almost exclusively for commuting, about 20 miles each way. Its a good solid car with great value. Acceleration is more than adequate and the extra tech you get with the tech plus package is great. I did have a problem with my car upon delivery. About a week after I got the car I noticed a vibration, especially in reverse. I brought it in to the dealer and they found that the engine mounts werent aligned. They fixed it and I was on my way. About a month later the vibrations came back. I brought it back to the dealer and they replaced the engine mounts (covered under warranty). I havent had a problem since. Pros: Great value for what you spend. Braking is excellent, gives a real secure feeling. I know a lot of pundits complain about the dual screen system but once you get used to it theres no issue. Cons: Transmission at highway speed is very smooth. At low speeds, particularly stop and go traffic, the transmission can be very choppy and downright uncomfortable. After about a month of driving I became more attuned to this and am able to avoid a lot of the choppiness. It can still be a minor annoyance. My other complaint would be a lack of lumbar support. Any car that claims to be luxury must have it.

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  Fun but hate the service dept - 2004 Acura TL
  By rhtorr - July 4 - 10:00 am

  Great car all the way around but had to have a minor service and service dept claims I scrapped a rim on thier loaner and threatened to sue me if I didnt pay for it. Even after the GM told me they wouldnt sue he still made me feel like a liar. I guess they have a odd way of treating there customers so that they will buy cars from them in the future.

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  MDX Rocks - 2006 Acura MDX
  By Brad - July 4 - 12:00 am

  We love our new MDX. Fun to drive, extremly comfortable, and as reliable as any SUV on the market. Engine is very impressive.

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  Great car, great value! - 2003 Acura TL
  By ScottsTL - July 3 - 6:52 pm

  No doubt the best car Ive ever owned! Purchased at end of my lease, as I could not find a better combination of performance, features and comfort. Strong, smooth acceleration, ride & handling rock steady at high speed. Averaged 23- 24MPG overall, 30MPG at 75+ cruising.

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  Best Sedan under $30K - 2006 Acura TSX
  By arlingtonian - July 3 - 1:21 pm

  Have had the car just over 1 month and I love it! It is fun to drive, has many cool features, and the gas mileage is very good. Cant believe that I hesitated to take a TSX for a test drive, but was not super impressed with the exterior styling... However, the looks have grown on me. Was looking for a sedan or small wagon under $30K and I think I found the best thing out there for the money. Try it, youll like it-- and probably buy it!

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  Quick midsize SUV - 2007 Acura RDX
  By black satin - July 2 - 2:53 am

  I purchased the black satin looks great in that color. Quality compares to no other. Tech pkg. is the best out there.

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  Disappointment Reigns Supreme - 2005 Acura TSX
  By jrene - July 2 - 2:10 am

  Ive had my TSX for 1 yr,(my first luxury car) and Im extremely dissatisfied. I initially loved the car, but about 5 months after purchasing it, it started to have loud, obnoxious squeaks and rattles-- from the windows, the sunroof, and god knows where else. It struggles to get up I-70 in the CO mtns and struggles to go when at a stoplight or an on ramp. Accords and Civics are blowing past me. No one knows what the prob is. My windshield washers never work. I wont ever buy another TSX. Plus, it doesnt seem to be holding its value like I thought it would.

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  great vaue solid reliability - 2002 Acura TL
  By east end - July 2 - 2:00 am

  The TL is a great value ,but lacks the handling and style of competiters .My wife picked out the TL based on our prior ownership of Acuras.