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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  power, comfort and reliability - 2003 Acura CL
  By ronald G - February 17 - 5:23 pm

  I bought the S version (autoamtic shift) of this car because it was far sportier than other cars in its class. The standard equipment is extensive. The interior is far more elgant than other cars in its class, unless you buy add-ons to the other cars. Very supportive seats. excellent stereo.

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  Great Left Brain Car!!! - 1997 Acura RL
  By Joe - February 17 - 2:09 am

  This car is very Reliable,comfortable,roomy,and did I mention reliable, but that is pretty much it.The window regulator in the rear driver window went out and some bulbs in the dash, but thats it!The car is built well enough and is Reliable!NO soul stirring emotion though.You could take it home to meet mom but is a lousy date!!!This has got to be the most boring car I have ever owned.The engine is slow off the line and it corners like a hearse,but its reliable!I recommend it for the reliability but thats it.It screams HONDA and is not worth the original sticker.Good thing I bought it used and only for business.It is a passionless yet reliable car!!!

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  Excellent car!! Total Package - 2005 Acura TL
  By Ray - February 16 - 7:33 pm

  This vehicle is amazing. I test drove one and feel in love with all the features this vehicle has to offer. The technology alone is amazing, but the handling and the sound system is precise and clear. The ride comfort is right on point. Very nice car!!!

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  RL full of electrical gremlins - 2006 Acura RL
  By NewRL - February 16 - 4:19 pm

  My RL has proven to be a myriad of gadget glitches. No doubt the RL is a quality constructed vehicle, however this does not extend to the electronic gizmos of Acura’s flagship. The voice recognition does not work properly it is a cumbersome and time consuming system, frequented by voice interpretation errors. The 300hp VTEC is sluggish, and has a very annoying 2- 3 second mid-range acceleration lag. Dealer service says “they all do that.” It is sluggish and lacks torque. Self adjusting headlights cause some serious safety concerns. Acura missed the target here, and RL sales are showing it. Look to the Infinity M for a true sports-luxury car.

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  Great little suv - 2006 Acura MDX
  By John Read - February 15 - 1:57 pm

  More road noise than you would expect. Still a great little suv. Still more road noise than I like.

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  2004 my 3rd TL . Will not buy another. - 2004 Acura TL
  By hwolf - February 14 - 12:28 pm

  This was our 3rd (and last). The first two never had a warranty issue. The 2004 is a mess. Have had all kind of problems with the 2004 TL. Acura was using defective Firestone EL42 and ended up replacing all 4 tires. The car could hardly be driven over 35 mph for about a month after delivery. It had some engine problems. Was 4 days at the shop. Recently the passenger window would no go up. Another day at the shop. We contacted Acura after delivery regards the tire issue. I was never contacted by their local rep. Took Acura to arbitration. Dont bother as the process favors the manufacturer. In short, we got stuck with a lemon and Acura was arrogant in its response to our complaints.

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  Almost Perfect - 2006 Acura RL
  By RL man - February 14 - 12:34 am

  The Acura is a great car. The SH-AWD is a great addition and makes going fast around turns very easy. The car understeers too much unless truly pushed and if you want any performance over 109 MPH (3rd gear at rev-limiter) then look elsewhere. If the car was geared differently it would be much faster and would actually pull to the 134 MPH governor. Great gas mileage, beautiful interior, and very easy to use. Overall very happy with the car and as long as you do not need something incredibly fast this is a great car for you.

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  Best Integra Ever - 2003 Acura RSX
  By RSXGURU - February 13 - 10:00 am

  Ive had my RSX for more than a week now. Its got leather a 160 hp motor backed by a smooth shifting 5 speed tranny and a curb weight of just under 2 and a half tons. This is a GREAT car to drive. Would have bought the type S but the insurance companies basically asked me to bend over...

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  Sweet 7-seater SUV with premium quality - 2003 Acura MDX
  By dekang - February 13 - 10:00 am

  Five times better than a Ford and better resale value than a BMW. Overall, very satisfying.

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  acura mdx 2002 - 2003 Acura MDX
  By papale - February 13 - 10:00 am

  A very comfortable interior with lots of stretching room. Nice navigation system and stereo. 3rd row is comfortable for adults or kids. lots of cargo room when 3rd row is filded down. Im considering buying another one for the wife.