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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  This car is seriously underrated - 2018 Acura TLX
  By Jimbo - February 7 - 9:59 pm

  Just leased the 2018 TLX 2.4 with tech package. No money down sign and drive $420.00 per mos. The base engine provides great acceleration in the lower gears and not so great in the higher gears but still plenty of oomph for me. Seats are better than my previous car which was a Volvo. Handling is good but the best part about how this car rides is the tight chassis. Cabin is very quiet only if I am not blasting the ELS sound system which is fantastic. I went to Honda to lease a 2018 Accord and they wanted $550 a mos. For a Honda! I challenge anybody to find another car that will give you a luxury brand for this price and quality.

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  Low quality control - 2005 Acura MDX
  By moxnix1 - February 7 - 9:26 pm

  Fun to drive, very responsive handling. Fuel economy is disappointing. Nav system and touch screen controls locked up when car was only a few weeks old. Temp control on heater has never worked properly and seatbelt sensor for passenger seat doesnt work. Other than that I love the car.

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  Great New SUV - 2003 Acura MDX
  By rixmax - February 7 - 10:00 am

  Some friends of ours have an MDX that is a few years old and they loved theirs s we thought wed look into them. Wow! What a great vehichle that looks great, tons of bells and whistles, great safety features... we could go on and on!

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  Below the Radar - 2003 Acura TL
  By platinum - February 7 - 10:00 am

  The TLS is just plain fun to drive and is the best deal for a car of its quality. I also like it because its not too flashy yet the performance (Boy does it MOVE!) is there when you want/need it. This is my second TL- the first was a 96 which I put nearly 100K miles on with NO trouble. Get the S type if you like performance over comfort as the regular TL does ride and steer more like a Caddy and less like BMW. One last thing: you wont pass 15 of them on your commute- pretty unique car.

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  Exceptional Value - 2003 Acura TL
  By toomuchfun - February 7 - 10:00 am

  Value... Value... Value! With the redesigned 04 coming out the 03s can be had for less than wholesale. Name one other car for $28,000 with these features! Comparably equipped the g35 approaches $40,000 and the bimmers... lets not even go there. It corners like its on rails and is so fun to drive.

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  I like it, but.... - 2003 Acura TL
  By Christian W - February 7 - 10:00 am

  Acceleration, handling, great sound system, and comfortable seats are all very compelling reasons to own one. I compared against several cars with the closest competition for me being the Infiniti G35 and/or I30. I owned an Accord for 10 years prior, so I decided on the TL. My most concerning problems are the transmission and exterior paint. The trans has moments where it can’t decide which gear to be in. As a result, it feels like it goes neutral. The paint on the front hood pealed - been repainted twice. Other problems include brakes, moonroof, driver seat, and exterior. Trim around windows is actually decal strips. Mine started bubbling.

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  Rays TL - 2004 Acura TL
  By Ray - February 7 - 1:32 am

  I am thoroughly pleased with my Acura TL. The car has standard features that are optional on higher priced vehicles. Fit and finish is excellent as is handling and engine performance. The automatic transmission shifts quickly and I enjoy the sequential manual feature.

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  2007 Acura MDX Tech/Ent - 2007 Acura MDX
  By nick@night - February 6 - 10:33 pm

  Car drives very nice and is quiet compared to other Honda vehicles using the same platform. Features (tech and entertainment pkg) are well thought-out and appeal to those who can appreciate new technology. I only have 1k miles on the clock so its still too early to tell how the MDX will hold up. Michelin tires are very quiet and handle well.

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  Acura RL 1996 - 1996 Acura RL
  By cf - February 6 - 2:09 am

  Bought new 1996. Minor problems ie: one headlamp out-not working. Both fixed under warranty 1966. Aside from regular unavoidable replacements ie: tires, timing belt, battery, etc. i have had NO problems. Best car i have ever owned.

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  I love my MDX! - 2005 Acura MDX
  By Nv - February 6 - 1:27 am

  I enjoy the smooth ride and the technology advanced features. I got all Navi and RES on my MDX because I didnt want buyers remorse. And, I must say its worth it. Ive had mine since Aug 05 and love it. Navi has been reliable when I input addresses, but not as reliable with directory assistance.