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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  manual cls - 2003 Acura CL
  By Jayhawk1 - June 13 - 2:00 am

  This is my second CL. The manual transmission with this engine really makes the car. Its very balanced, phenomenally quick and luxurious. It also appeals to a lot of sub-25 year olds which is surpising given the marketing Acura has provided. Too bad they didnt have the 6speed sooner or the car might have caught on to a wider audience. Its a goner this June.

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  Great Value! - 2003 Acura CL
  By van1 - June 13 - 2:00 am

  Just bought the car... so far so good... no complaints yet. the only thing that I havnt gotten used to yet is the driver seat... it feels like its too high.. i have it on the lowest possible level and it still seems high.

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  Much Better than an Accord, BMW, Lexus - 2007 Acura TL
  By Desiree W. - June 12 - 3:46 pm

  This is a great buy for an entry-level luxury car. It has great HP, easy steering, and looks great. I opted for the 19" Acura chrome wheels and chose the red exterior for a more feminine look. It has been called a "sexy" car by many who have seen it and I must agree. However, I think the carbon grey or the black is very handsome! You will love the sound of the exhaust and find yourself wondering if theres a V-8 in there. Also, no more second guessing your reverse-parking skills due to the fancy back up camera.

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  Outstanding car - 1992 Acura Integra
  By B17Vortech - June 12 - 2:00 am

  This car has better performance than most cars currently competing in its market and it was manufactured in 92. Some very cheap upgrades and you have a car that better than anything in its market, even 10 years later.

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  Great car, great deal - 2002 Acura RSX
  By Big D - June 11 - 10:00 am

  A great car that alot of people overlook, due to the name "Acura." People were surprised at the good deal I got. The base RSX was in my price range, and the Celica would have cost me significantly more. I have yet to have any problems, and it truly feels as though Acura used the BMW 3 series as a benchmark. The handling is right on par, and the subtle whine of the incredibly smooth engine also seems familiar. Overall Im glad I didnt overlook this brand. I got a great car that fits like a glove, and makes commuting to work FUN.

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  MY RL - 2005 Acura RL
  By mark esswein - June 11 - 4:33 am

  the vehicle is incredibly a lot of fun to drive, handles well, excellent in all all driving conditions, had alot of fun driving in the snow this winter. it is just a great car to drive,

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  super car love it - 2003 Acura NSX
  By mr nsx - June 11 - 2:00 am

  driving this car is like a dream everyone should be lucky enough to have the chance.

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  An Incredible Coupe! - 2003 Acura CL
  By Gidget - June 11 - 2:00 am

  I purchased my 2003 Acura CL Type-S in Anthracite Metallic the day the model was released. I have been thrilled with this car. With the VSA and tighter suspension, you almost feel like youre driving a sports car. The handling is great, the interior is rich, the body is solid and the engine is quick. I do not believe there is a more luxurious, better performing car out there for the money (the ONLY option on this car is the navigation system).

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  I Love My CL-S - 2001 Acura CL
  By Jersey Girl - June 11 - 2:00 am

  25,000 miles and not a single mechanical problem here. The car is a blast to drive and my bright red CL- Type S still gets envious looks! Its fast and smooth. Its easy to do 85 mph on the highway before you even realize it. The only complaints I have are a thin paint job...it seems to scratch and chip easily and noise from the moonroof if I leave the cover open. Other than that, I am an extremely satisfied customer. I would buy another Acura in a heartbeat!

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  No Wonder its the 2007 SUV of the year - 2007 Acura MDX
  By Acuraman3 - June 11 - 12:20 am

  Having owned two Toyota 4Runners, a Lexus RX 300 and a 330, and having test driven the 2007 Lexus GX 470 and the BMW X5, I can say without a doubt that the 2007 Acura MDX - my very first Acura - is the best SUV Ive ever driven and much more fun than driving a car.The SH-AWD system alone is worth the price of ownership. The first big snow will make you smile because youll feel safe and secure, knowing youll get wherever you want to go. Actually, the SUV handles beautifully any time of year and Acura reliability means it wont be in the shop every month. The interior is classy and elegant. Comfortable and intuitive, its the best SUV Ive ever driven.