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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  Two thumbs up - 2005 Acura TL
  By Pain Man - July 1 - 10:06 pm

  I have owned my new 05 Non-nav white diamond pearl TL for one week. This is my fourth Acura and it has lived up to my expectations, especially for the money. The ride is tight with a European feel handling rough pavement well. Power is great launching into traffic with ease. There is some oversteer, however, it is acceptable considering 270 hp are going to a single front tire. Overall craftsmanship is excellent with fit and trim tight. I am 62 and have plenty of head/leg room up front, the rear seats are tight but tolerable for short trips. The Digital Dolby 5.1 surround sound stereo is awsome. I also had the rear deck spoiler installed which enhances the back view. Would buy again.

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  Best Buy - 2003 Acura TL
  By BulldogHater - July 1 - 10:00 am

  This is one of the best buys out there. You get a great looking/operating car for thousands less than its competitors.

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  First rate car - fun to drive - 2005 Acura RL
  By ADLEY CLARKE - July 1 - 3:13 am

  Audio is first class with superior sound. Speed, cornering, braking is excellent. Comfortable seating with ease of locating dials and knobs to operate this vehicle. Hands free phone linking along with a superb GPS system. Overall this is the car of the year. Well done Acura, you guys have exceeded my highest expectations.

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  classic car - 2004 Acura RL
  By Glen Olson - July 1 - 2:00 am

  The car looks great, a classic look. Very comfortable and quiet. Handles very well. The acura dealers make the car buying fun.

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  ill miss it - 1996 Acura Integra
  By Nick A - June 30 - 2:00 am

  I just purchased a new jag and have to let this car go. i bought it new and have never owned a better car. i have owned over 20. fit and finnish is still perfect, and the car is still fun to drive. a starter, battery, tires and oil changes are all i have had to do with this car.

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  Greatest car everq - 1998 Acura CL
  By Big John from PA - June 30 - 2:00 am

  Bought the 1998 2.3 coupe in Jan 1998 and here in June 2004 I have never, ever spent one single cent on a repair bill. Maintenance yes, like tires, oil, air filter, belts, no hoses yet and it has 95500. Does not leak one drop of oil or burn it either. Gets 31mpg hwy.

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  RSX Type S is a great car - 2003 Acura RSX
  By A great car - June 30 - 2:00 am

  this is a great car. I am a previous owner on a VW VR6 and I feel like the RSX type S is worth the money. The VW gave me so much problem that I had to give up on it(good acc. and power but piece of junk things starts to fall apart on the first half of the year). with the rsx type S, I feel the boost without having to waste money of paying for an expensive car. car havent gave me any trouble yet and show no sign what so ever. fun to drive. Great exterior design and handling. overall great car. very happy with the buy.

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  Great Coupe Car - 2004 Acura RSX
  By Jadey - June 30 - 2:00 am

  Its a great car for a great price, knowing it is an acura i feel also safe in it.

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  AWESOME SUV (except for the locks) - 2004 Acura MDX
  By Jevan - June 30 - 2:00 am

  Everything is the best with this suv, except for its door lock switch- it cheapens the vehicle a little.

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  Nice car - 1997 Acura CL
  By ayee - June 29 - 2:00 am

  I bought this car new since 1997. It currently now has 161000. I get around 24 mpg. My only complain is that the electrical system has problems over the years, such as bad starter, alternator, ignitor, to name a few.