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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  Great SUV - 2005 Acura MDX
  By Chaos - January 24 - 8:10 am

  Just got this car and drove it up to Tahoe in time for 9 feet of snow. Handling was flawless. Didnt think I would like the XM radio and backup camera (both included) but have decided that they are good to have as well. I test drove virtually all other SUVs in this price range +/- $20k. Handling of the MDX was among the best, acceleration was adequate even at 65mph, height above the road was good.

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  Downsized for mileage but not so good... - 2005 Acura MDX
  By Paul Marsteller - January 24 - 6:01 am

  Maybe I am not a mid-size SUV kind of person, having driven something much bigger for years. To save on guess I talked myself into this car, liking it better than the competition. After 4 months I continue to be underwhelmed and am thinking of trading for a Seqioa. I dont recommend this to anyone used to a bigger SUV who is just downsizing for the better mileage. Im getting about 17-19 mpg(70/30 hwy/city). Pluses: Good navigation system. Cons: Where to begin? Clunky and noisy over little bumps lackluster hwy acceleration inside windshield steams up ALL the time (never had this problem before and I live in San Diego!) Sun seems to shine in too much stiff to shift.. tra

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  I am in love - 2009 Acura TSX
  By Heather - January 23 - 8:56 pm

  I have had this car for a little over a week now. I am totally giddy! Went in to get a TL and came out with the TSX. Test drove the TL and the TSX is so much more fun! I got the manual and it is a chore for me to do the speed limit now. The ride is so smooth. I love the exterior, the sound system is also amazing. The interior in my opinion is simply gorgeous! Beautiful leather and dash. No wood grain for me thank you.

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  Quality Ride - 2002 Acura TL
  By Adam - January 23 - 7:00 pm

  I purchased the car from the dealerships pre-owned certified program which gives you one more year to the base warranty and 12,000 extra miles. Good program. The car had 12,800 miles upon delivery. It has been very reliable and enjoyable to drive. I have not experienced any of the transmission problems that other drivers have experienced, maybe they should try servicing the transmission every 35,000 miles like I do to avoid potential problems. Lubricatiuon is everything! I had one recall issue to deal with which was minor, transmission needed a second gear jet kit that the dealer installed to avoid any potential overheating. I had never even experienced a problem but installed the kit anyway

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  Love the 05 RL - 2005 Acura RL
  By mebanedog - January 22 - 2:16 am

  Have now owned new Acura RL for one week. LOVE this car. The V6 is quicker than I thought it would be - it really flies, albeit not as pulse- raising as a BMW or Audi. LOVE the tiptronic - can really zoom in low gear. Have averaged 22.5 mpg in mixed suburban/highway driving. The ergonomics are spectacular. Absolutely the best overall VALUE in its class, no question.

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  Under Rated - 2017 Acura TLX
  By Jimmy - January 21 - 2:56 pm

  THe 2017 TLX V6 is definitely a great car. Driven other cars in the same class and no other car comes close to the performance. Out performs the 3 series and C300. Drives smooth on the fwy, anyone from South California that has driven on the 710 knows how bumpy the drive can be but TLX handles the fwy with no problem. I got the TLX V6 with the Tech package. If youre looking for a great deal and near West Covina go see Jessica Rosas at Thomas Acura

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  2004 acura mdx - 2004 Acura MDX
  By fred - January 21 - 12:41 pm

  The MDX is exactly what it purports to be, an extremely reliable, attractive, solid SUV with a well laid out, good looking interior and exterior, good handling, a wonderful driving feel, a first rate navigation system and mediocre gas mileage (but its an SUV so what did you expect!) Id buy another, although Im particularly interested in the new, smaller Acura SUV promised for later this year - so long as its not too small. Typical Honda quality.

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  As good as I hoped... - 2004 Acura TL
  By flordebob - January 21 - 10:00 am

  I traded in my 2003 TL Type-S for the 2004 TL and couldnt be more pleased. As much as I loved my Type S, this car has it beat in every way. The excessive tire noise is gone and the generic-Honda styling has been replaced by a sexy European-looking design. The car has gobs of power and torque and sticks like glue even with the standard tires. Try the competition - this car gives you high- quality materials and a quality driving experience at a terrific price. And forget about the car magazines complaining about torque steer, its no big deal.

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  So Far So Good - 2003 Acura TL
  By Derek - January 20 - 5:54 pm

  Let me start by saying I went from a 93 Honda Accord that was in bad shape so that might have an impact of my review. I have only had this car for 3 weeks now, but I can say that I am happy with it. I am worried about the tranny, but not too much considering the warranty. I bought it with just under 30,000 miles so there is some wear and tear, but just little items and they are covered by the warranty. I like the smooth acceleration and the interior. The paint does seem to be a problem as there is clear coat issues on the strips between the doors/windows. I will write a new review in a couple of months when I have more of a sample to pull from, but so far Im a happy buyer.

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  This shouldnt be sold as an Acura - 2006 Acura TSX
  By THEGOLFFIXER - January 20 - 3:56 pm

  Is this the best Acura can do to have a sedan under $30,000. Sure it still has Honda quality written all over it, but why would you take a car designed for Europe, as an Accord, an expect it to be suitable for our combined style of driving here. The engine fit, is the worst Ive ever expeienced in a Honda product. Absolutely torqueless and screaming the rpms to take advantage of the 200hp Honda claims it has, doesnt work for normal use. The car really doesnt even ride as well as the Accord with the 4cyl, let alone the 6cyl.The Integra was 10x more fun to drive.