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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  Excellent Value - 2004 Acura RL
  By safety - February 5 - 2:00 am

  The Acura RL possesses an excellent trim and an almost perfect exterior finish. The car has been extremly reliable.

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  Best bang for the buck - 2006 Acura TSX
  By Justin - February 4 - 2:03 am

  Looked at A4, A3, Jetta 2.0T and IS250. This is the best one overall and best value. Oh, and yeah, do get the navigation.

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  The Best! - 1999 Acura CL
  By Alenkacz - February 4 - 2:00 am

  The best most reliable car I have ever owned! Went through several domestics, Chryslers, Fords and then tried German VW. Same story in and out of the shop on a monthly basis. Five years and only oil and filter changes. Fun to drive and plenty of power, had it up to 120 and rock solid all the way. I hate to pull up to a stop light and see one or two of "My cars" sitting there, this will not happen in a CL. I live in Charlotte NC a fairly large city and see just a few around but mine is the only Milano Red with a deck spoiler, stands out in a crowd and still turns heads even after five years.

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  A great SUV - 2001 Acura MDX
  By BCroamer - February 4 - 2:00 am

  Weve owned several different makes of high-end SUVs and the MDX is the best. When all aspects of ownership are considered price, size, performance, comfort, resale, etc, the only thing that comes close is the Lexus LX470 and its cost is considerable higher. The NAV system is the best, we travel extensively and wouldnt be without it. Weve had it off-road and while not a true "rock-hopper" it does very well. In the snow & ice it really shines. Were very pleased with our purchase.

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  Nice ride for the money - 2002 Acura RSX
  By Emb21 - February 4 - 2:00 am

  Bought the Type S. Had the car for almost 2 years now, put about 24 thousand miles on it and never had a problem so far(knock on wood). The car has a tight stick, tight steering, and great acceleration. I would recommend this car to anyone who wants an affordable quick coupe with some style but if your looking for something roomier check out the Mazda 6 but its still no Acura. Plenty of room for a single guy or girl.

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  First Import Ever Owned - 2005 Acura TL
  By Bill - February 3 - 12:23 pm

  I purchased my first import ever after driving nothing but G.M for 35 years. The Acura TL has the style and performance that puts G.M to shame. The vehicle is roomy and has outstanding performance.....Good job on the production of this one boys !!!!!!

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  BEST OF JAPAN - 2004 Acura NSX
  By Dan Dude - February 3 - 2:00 am

  i have driven many many super car in my lifetime, and this is by far the easiest to drive. At first i thought 300 bhp wasnt going to be enough, but was i wrong. this car is all about balance.. HONDA really did a good job. Cars i have driven: 2001 corvette, 1998 viper, 2003 M3, 1999 911 turbo.

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  Can hold a candle to Lexus - 2001 Acura TL
  By Woodsy - February 3 - 2:00 am

  After owning a Lexus, I find this Acura is extremely compatable. Ride, handling and maintanence...Perfect. I would consider purchasing another Acura in the future.

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  Great Car! - 1997 Acura Integra
  By BearDog - February 2 - 2:00 am

  I am the original owner of this car and love it. It has been extremely reliable and I have only had to have the standard maintenance checks. It still looks great after 7 years! The service shop at Davis has been great

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  Nice fun car - 1994 Acura Integra
  By bigshow - February 2 - 2:00 am

  Second owner. I bought it at 56k. It has 93k now and drives and rides great. The GSR has all the options. Very reliable bumper to bumper. Everything has held up great (except for the power antenna). Regular maint. keeps car preforming at the top.