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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  2006 Acura RL with Tech Package - 2006 Acura RL
  By Marc G. - April 3 - 4:55 pm

  OK, so we just bought the RL with the Tech pkg. Leasing was not an option since we were told that the Tech Package is too new to have a calculated residual. Anyway, the financing was sweet at 2.9% for 36 months. It’s only been four days, but soon enough to say this is sweet. We didn’t want a car with high *bling* so we opted for this over the Mercedes E, Infiniti M, or Cadillac. It ultimately came down to this RL, another MDX, or a Range Rover. The Rover was just a nicely appointed Ford truck. The MDX is undergoing re-design in 2007, and it was too big this time around. The RTL is just right – not flashy but humble and understated. Only you, the car, an another RL owner actually k

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  2005 Acura RL - 2005 Acura RL
  By John Ryan - April 3 - 9:11 am

  Just purchased the 2005 RL. What a great car. Had a Lexus GS, looked at the Audi A6, and new Lexus GS. Really no comparison. Liked the no options idea. The others had too many option packages. The car rides great, has great interior and is quick for a V6. This car by far had the best value for what you get. Would recommend it over the others no problem. If youre thinking of buying one, do it!

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  wheres the money - 1996 Acura RL
  By white ghost - April 2 - 7:14 pm

  Simply the best vehicle Ive ever owned. An oil change every thousand miles followed by scheduled maintainece. Never a major problem, but, hes getting old and its time for something alittle newer.

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  Great car - 2006 Acura RL
  By hmseminole - April 2 - 10:45 am

  This is a great car. I looked at the BMW 525 and the Lexus LS430, but with all the options the RL offers, you can not beat the value. The car is a rocket and the handling can not be touched by any other makes. Sound system is the best I have seen in any car. High tech in the car takes a little time to figure it all out, but once you do, you will love it. This is a fun sports car to drive.

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  Great Vehicle! - 2006 Acura MDX
  By DCruz - April 2 - 1:48 am

  I love this vehicle that I even recommended my sister to buy one and she did. The only thing is that I should have gotten the DVD Entertainment System.

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  A great car - 2005 Acura TSX
  By richard - April 1 - 11:11 pm

  I love this car. fast and is only 4 cylinder.

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  My Nicest Car - 2005 Acura TL
  By TL - April 1 - 3:51 pm

  I bought my TL in April 2005 and have been very happy with it. I was initially attracted by the exterior looks, really liking the car the very first time I saw it and still feeling the same way now. The car handles very well and has plenty of power. I have two reservations about the car. It doesnt handle bumps particularly well because of the sport handling. If I had to change anything, Id have a slight more cushioned ride with a different suspension or more forgiving tires. The other slight disappointment is the gas mileage is not as good as I had gotten in my previous car..a Saab 9- 5. Nonetheless, I am very happy with the car and would purchase it again.

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  Almost 1 year with my TL - 2005 Acura TL
  By Ajax Crow - March 31 - 11:54 pm

  Great car. Nav system and associated functions a great joy to have. Sound is AWESOME, especially with DVD audio discs. Only complaint is it could be more nimble in handling,but thats the price you pay for extra space. Interior fit and finish among the best anywhere, even in much more expensive vehicles. There isnt a better value on the market. Could be more sporty in handling, but thats the price for the extra space gained. Very roomy. A joy on road trips. Very intuitive controls. Stopped using voice activiation. Its much faster and more conveniant to just press the button instead of waiting for the system to process the command. Almost impossible to beat!

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  Mixed Expirience - 2005 Acura TSX
  By G Gagnon - March 31 - 12:44 am

  I initially loved my TSX, but regretably the ownership expirience has turned out to be quite frustrating. My copy has an idle vibration unbecoming of a $30K car. It also quickly developed brake issues in first 15K miles. Vehicle also makes high pitched whining sound at speed. Told brake grinding sound and vibration were normal. Dealer blame for whine goes to tires. Dealer no help with regards to any of these issues -- "talk to Michellin". Climate control display shows incorrect temperature (by about 5 degrees). Will trade in on something else within the coming weeks.

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  Love it - 2005 Acura TL
  By Wags - March 30 - 5:33 pm

  I bought my TL 6 months ago and love it. It is fun to drive. Quick off the starting line. Handles curves like a true sports car. Gas mileage is good especially on highway. 30 MPG. Stereo system is awesome. Plenty of clearity and base. Not sure how it will be in snow. GPS system is worth the money. Easy to operate and works very well. I highly recommend the vehicle. I have black metalic and it is very diffucult to keep clean. Would have gotten the white if I had it over again.