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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  Best in class - 2009 Acura MDX
  By Buster - July 29 - 10:23 am

  Driven my Sport/Ent MDX for 12000 miles now. The drive-ability of this SUV is impeccable. As in other reviews, Im not sure it has 300HP, but it is enough. The smooth and quiet ride is why I bought it. Stereo is good, but not earth shattering. Nav is good, but has too many warning prompts. Can program on the fly, unlike others. I really like driving at night and the headlights are great. Have had one problem with compliance bushings, but dealership is very accommodating with loaners. I dont like the key fob and think this league auto should have keyless options. Not sure about the transmission, which is designed to help you brake, is all that comfortable, but it is sporty and smooth.

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  Disappointment! - 2009 Acura MDX
  By Marisol Wesson - July 28 - 4:42 pm

  I am a complete Acura fan. I have owned 3 Acura cars (all TLs) and now my great MDX. I fell in love with the MDX, its performance and reliability.. Feel safe and excited driving the MDX. However, for some reason, and for the first time, Ive had several electrical issues. First, the CD player got stuck and it had to be replaced. Now, the electronics on the seats do not work, the memory is gone. The Bluetooth for my phone sometimes works but most of the time, I have to take my calls from the cell phone directly as the calls do not get through. After paying so much money for this MDX, it is disappointing to be having so many problems. Yes, Acura dealer will correct all these problems.

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  Great car - 2008 Acura MDX
  By De - July 27 - 3:45 pm

  I researched this car for over a year. My work paid off. The dealership is great and the automobile is fantastic. The only negative is I feel the paint is a little thin. It nicks very easily. I love the drive, the reliability, and handling. Is it fun to drive??? Really, it is an SUV not a Porsche!

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  I love my car - 1999 Acura TL
  By I.luv.acura - July 27 - 1:41 pm

  I love my car! I bought it used with 189,00 miles. The previous owner treated it badly, so I have to replace fans and radiator, the relay system had to be changed, routers changed and a long overdue filter change. I also had to replace the struts and front wheel bearings. This didnt bother me too bad because all of these things were original parts from 10 years ago. All I do now is routine maintenance and she drives like a dream.

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  Change transmissions every 50,000 miles - 1999 Acura TL
  By frances - July 25 - 12:47 am

  Overall, I love the car... but it is now on its fourth transmission with 150,000 miles. Since no one I told my situation to wanted to offer any compensation, I doubt Ill purchase another Acura. Obviously the problem is common, so it seems Acura should step up to the plate!

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  Solid SUV - 2009 Acura MDX
  By Dmitriy - July 23 - 8:45 pm

  This is a very well-built SUV. Great interior, audio, engine, transmission. Exterior design will be updated, no doubt. Fuel-economy is a really big down side. Otherwise, better-priced then BMW and Audi. Way better, than Mazda and American-made SUVs.

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  One flaw in this great luxury car - 2009 Acura TSX
  By valuehunter07 - July 23 - 5:23 pm

  Ok Im going to slam this car a little, because the voice activation system has major flaws, and this prevents you from being able to operate your hands free phone link. For whatever reason, there is no option to dial your calls out, without using the voice activation system (which means the car has to hear and understand your VERBAL commands). This means that when you cant get your verbal command through to the car, that youre basically not able to call out. For a luxury car, this is absolutely unacceptable. I understand this is new technology, but they could easily have allowed for a way to dial out calls without using the very flawed voice activation.

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  Nice SUV, Could Be Better - 2009 Acura MDX
  By Ralph - July 21 - 3:50 pm

  I am very impressed with the handling and many electronic features of the MDX, but I am somewhat disappointed in some of the interior fit & finish, harshness/loudness of the engine, audio quality, complexity of the navigation system, and the dealer add-ons that should be standard in a $40K+ vehicle.

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  Not pretty, not bad, just ok - 2008 Acura TL
  By jfinley - July 21 - 1:18 pm

  Not bad is as good as this car gets. I love the ride and features for the money. The gas mileage is great. Unfortunately, I have an electrical problem that seems to be undiagnosable and continues to plague my car. The torque steering is an issue with this car, but overcome with a little driving skill. I would prefer folding rear seats and better tires form the manufacturer, but pretty average overall. However, the value compared to its competition, was amazing. Many features for the money.

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  Great for fun and the long run. - 2000 Acura TL
  By HotRodder - July 15 - 3:01 pm

  This has been an extremely reliable car. I have only needed to do routine maintenance. The engine still runs smooth as ever, has plenty of punch, and does not burn any oil. The so-called German luxury car makers should take lessons from Honda on how to make dependable cars.