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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  Acura RSX - 2005 Acura RSX
  By Michelle Stanley - April 11 - 4:54 pm

  This is a fine car for the price. It is fun to drive and the sportshift feature is a fun feature.

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  Harrys 2.3 CL - 1998 Acura CL
  By Harry - April 10 - 10:34 pm

  Ive usually driven coupes, including two top-of-the-line BMWs. There isnt a better combination of elegance, looks, economy and comfort (Im 62") around for twice the price. I get 31-34 mpg on the interstate and 22-24 in LA traffic. It is quiet with great ergonomics and despite its 4-cylinder engine, its fast and responsive enough for all but the most egregious showoffs.

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  Needs improvements to get me back! - 2001 Acura MDX
  By Nancy - April 8 - 6:39 pm

  Vehicle receives side door dents even with the lightest of touch from other vehicles. Misc. accessories (cap cover for wheel, various interior lights,always needing to be replaced. Material used in interior does not wear well. Spring is trying to protrude through seat back. Poor transmission (been replaced once and may need another). As much as this car costs, interior should hold up better. This is my second Acura--may be my last.

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  One of the best SUV on the market - 2003 Acura MDX
  By Alexander Kopitko - April 8 - 10:00 am

  We bought this car last week after testing Murano. Its bigger, more powerfull, more comfortable.

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  Very disappointed... - 2004 Acura RSX
  By prettyboon - April 6 - 5:13 pm

  I am very disappointed in this car. I used to be a big Honda fan, but I think ive changed my mind. The transmission sucks, which is a common complaint. Fuel economy is bad. The interior is missing alot of luxuries for the price. Heated leather seats should be standard, along with lighted vanity mirrors. The interior is very plain looking. The stock tires are bordering on dangerous for being on the car. After less than a year of having the car there were already rattles in the dash. Im trading this car in very soon. This car is no Integra. I dont know what Honda was thinking.

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  Excellent for its price & quality - 2016 Acura ILX
  By Gagan - April 5 - 11:16 pm

  Have own the fully loaded Tech plus A-SPEC ILX with the bigger 18" wheels, GPS and all. First what it lacks: 1. A HUD, which I feel is a must for all luxury cars 2. Lack of lumbar support 3. Poor entertainment system. Other brands offer a Bose or a bang and olufsen system. This cars audio is WEAK! It is sort of OK at its highest settings. 4. Complicated command system. The voice command is OK, but messes up most of the time. Rerouting the GPS is a pain. Not very intuitive at all. 5. The car takes a good half-one second to catch up if you suddenly floor the gas pedal - then it is sheer pleasure, with the engine roar and sudden burst of speed! The Good parts: 1. The interiors dont feel cheap, very well done. A true luxury car! 2. Low center of gravity, and very good handling. Very smooth start due to the 8 speed gear box. 3. The looks ! With the 5 LED headlights, to the complicated body lines! This car is a looker, and people keep staring at it. 4. Cost & maintenance. I also own an Audi A4. The windshield wipers on an Audi are $250 Bosch. They are $18 on the Acura!!! You can drive into a honda dealership and get parts, servicing, tune-ups. The german cars will bleed you dry, these wont! The german cars are quieter inside. But they cost $15,000 more to own, and are horribly expensive to maintain. Ive started to spend about a $1000 annually on my Audi - the other germans are very similar. 5. The seats are quite alright. I am about 6, Ive tested the BMW 3 series and the Merc C-300s. The head room is the same, maybe slightly better on the ILX. The problems Ive faced with mine: 1. The cars dont come with a spare tire. BIG PROBLEM. I blew mine in one month, ended up buying a donut. The boot wont fit a full sized spare. Not ideal, but I can live with that. 2. The lane correction system on all these cars is a pain in the neck. I now drive with it turned off. 3. A problem with the transmission handle shifting to gear mode without the release /safety button being pressed. Has happened once. Will have it checked out at the next servicing. And oh, the servicing, including oil change, carwash & tire rotation was $100 only !!!!! I would love for Honda / Acura to improve the negatives that ive listed, and this will be a really 5 star worth car!

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  What Problems?! - 1997 Acura CL
  By Satisfied CL Owner - April 4 - 4:07 pm

  Purchased my 2.2 CL brand new in 1997. 125k miles later, its still running wonderfully. Ive performed the required maintenance every 7500 miles and its never had any problem other than replacement of worn parts like brakes, tires, headlights...etc.This car gets the highest rating in reliability. Im not sure if the other reviewers just got lemons, but driving style, weather, road conditions, and quality of your mechanic do influence how well the car holds up.

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  Awesome - 2007 Acura MDX
  By Jed - April 4 - 7:46 am

  Beats every expectation. Fast, nimble, great turning radius, and full seating for 7 when necessary.

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  Awesome - 2005 Acura RSX
  By Freddy - April 4 - 12:51 am

  I like my newly purchased RSX because it is extremely fun to drive and quite fast. I have fun driving anywhere I go. The car itself makes most of my friends jealous. Great gas economy and reliable.

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  Better than... - 2005 Acura TL
  By RKent - April 3 - 10:43 pm

  We bought the TL as a family car, but it generally logs only 5miles/day. Currently at 2400 miles after 4 months. Recently took it to New England (from NJ) and loved it. FWD, yes, but unless you make sharp, accelerating turns youre OK. Plenty of rear leg room for teens and normal adults, and firm, comfortable seats made the 235 trip easy for everyone. 80mph is a quiet and safe as 60, and while you could feel the bumps of the Cross Bronx Expy, the car steered straight and there were no surprizes.