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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  2010 RDX - Impressive vehicle - 2010 Acura RDX
  By JR - August 3 - 4:26 pm

  The refreshed 2010 RDX is a significant improvement over the 2007 through 2009 in the following ways: 1) The ride is more compliant (suspension improvement) 2) The ride is quieter (the reduction in road noise was immediately noticeable) 3) The turbo is quieter from inside the RDX as well as engine noise which is more muted than before. I think they even changed some of the materials a little bit to quiet things down 4) The leather is improved (softer, more supple) 5) The navigation screen is a bit larger 6) USB interface has been added 7) The front grill on this one actually looks classy and more luxurious than the previous front end. 8) Etc, etc, etc.

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  Fun to drive - 2004 Acura TL
  By Guy - August 3 - 1:47 pm

  Ive had vehicle since February 2004. DVD hard drive failed within year but covered under warranty. At 60,000 the upholstery started breaking down and developing tears. At 100K I have to replace upholstery. Very poor quality leather used. Other than that, its been a joy to drive.

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  Love this car! - 2004 Acura TL
  By TheCoach - August 3 - 12:37 am

  I recently (a day ago) got rear ended by a 1990s f150 doing about 40 or so MPH (I was stopped at a red light). I got hit into the mini van in front of me. My trunk is bent like tin foil, my back windshield is blown all out, and the car looks like hell. Through all that, I am safe. I have no pain (went to the hospital to check the internals). I thank God, I was hit rather then some family in a Smart car with a kid in there. I loved that car, and will be getting another TL as soon as possible. I am having a hard time explaining how thankful I am that I decided to buy this car.

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  Looks great, built to last - 2003 Acura TL
  By mocozeke - August 1 - 8:28 am

  Bought in 2003, 141,000 miles with no major problems. All parts lasted longer than expected (ex: replaced timing belt at 127,000) and average mileage was better than advertised. This was a car that was close to perfect. I am sad to be giving it up and unfortunately not for another one since Acura has ruined the look at this classic beauty.

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  Best Bang for the Buck! - 2010 Acura RDX
  By Tim - July 31 - 7:53 pm

  Researched for 6+ months. Looked at Hyundai, KIa, Ford, Toyota, Honda, GMC, Chevy, Nissan. Drove their small crossovers. For the money, paid under 30, this by far the best of the bunch. Fit and finish is top notch, super quiet ride, great acceleration, easy handling. Had owned a TL several years ago and found this as well built. Cost is 15% to 20% under Infinity, Audi and Lexus. The front wheel dive is as good as AWD costing 2 grand more. Would recommend to all.

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  Best Kept Secret - 2010 Acura TL
  By kazh - July 30 - 4:45 pm

  Great car packaged with all the options you could possibly need. The handling and overall dynamics of this car is just fantastic. My previous car was an S2000 and I was feeling sad about moving on. However, as a daily commuter car, this is a fantastic combination of comfort, fun and sports. I opted to get the full body-kit and optional 19" diamond cut wheels (not the HPT). The 19" adds to the sports dynamics another notch. This is one of the best kept secrets in the market today. With the current incentives making the TL a hands-down winner and best value sport sedan.

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  Coming back to Acura - 2009 Acura TL
  By Anthony - July 30 - 4:43 pm

  This car is not a sports car. Its a sedan that accelerates fast, comfortable and quiet to ride in. Having driven the 330i, decided its no longer for my taste the BMW demanded my attention at all times. One wrong move and the kidney grills head into the wrong lane. TL is more forgiving for daily driving. It just depends on what you want. My goal with the current purchase was fast, quiet and comfortable, plus solid reliability to boot. Styling is purely subjective, so say what you will about the TL styling, its just an opinion and preference. Build quality is excellent compared to my previous cars, Lexus IS250, BMW 330i and 525i.

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  Third MDX, Best Yet - 2010 Acura MDX
  By Karol Kittelson - July 29 - 6:59 pm

  This is my third MDX -- had a terrific 2004 and the then-new style 2007. However this Advance model has the best Navigation on the market as well as the Adaptive Cruise Control, Blind Spot Indicators and the Collision Warning system. Took a 4,000 mile trip recently, got 23 MPG, and enjoyed effortless interstate driving assisted by the Adaptive Cruise control. In multiple lane Big City traffic, the side radar (Blind Spot Indicators) are priceless from a safety aspect. (Side Note: In late 2009, I was the victim of a intersection T-Bone accident in my 2007 MDX and was saved from extensive personal injuries by the wonderful safety equipment in my Acura MDX).

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  Best car Ive ever owned, hands down. - 2005 Acura TL
  By ScootrNC - July 29 - 4:26 pm

  Purchased used with 19.5 k miles, ULEV rated (were available for sale in CA and upper New England at the time). Ive put about 34 k miles on it and it has performed flawlessly for the 3.5 years Ive had it. No repairs, rattles or anything negative over this period. It IS tire-sensitive. Now Im using Bridgestone Serenity series and the ride is smooth and quiet, havent noticed any significant tire wear for 20+ k miles. Its fast and fun to drive. I am familiar with the BMWs and yes they handle well, but the TL is right up there with them IMHO. TL is a little quieter than many of BMWs (especially wind noise at speed). At 70 mph, gives about 31 mpg but I dont punch it much.

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  This is truly a drivers car - 2010 Acura ZDX
  By Bob - July 28 - 9:30 am

  I love the fact that with SH-AWD the more gas you give it the better it hugs the turns. You really can feel it working and shuffling power around as needed when driving enthusiastically. I spent a few weeks with it in the snow and actually tried to make the tires slip by jumping on the gas. All the electronics went to work and I briskly took off with no drama. The ZDX easily has one of the best interiors of any vehicle in its price range or even above it, and with the advance package you get the adjustable shocks to smooth things out when the wife is in the car. Switching from “Comfort” to “Sport” mode feels like going from a Lexus RX to a BMW X5 but with even better handling.