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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  Comfortable but boxey - 1996 Acura SLX
  By Steve of Ohio - March 17 - 2:11 pm

  It is a nice vehicle, but its a little sluggish and boxey on the road. Feels and drives like a mini-bus. Gas mileage isnt good, but it does deliver when towing and hauling. Lots of space and pretty reliable. She doesnt quite hug the road, so it needs to be driven like a mini-bus. It also has one of the worst roll-over ratings, so drive carefully. Looks great and runs well.

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  gotta love I-VTEC!!! - 2002 Acura RSX
  By skywalker - March 16 - 9:19 pm

  Always heard about vtec but never experienced it. What a motor!!! Gives you great acceleration with good fuel economy, 31 on long trips. Theres even some room in the back seat, unlike the Integras! The only thing I wish would have carried over was the double wish-bone suspension, other than that, love the design. With only intake and exhaust I beat nicely modded DC2s (Integras) even some type-Rs. Theres a lot to choose from when it comes to aftermarket stuff, so the set ups for this car are almost endless. Just beware of the insurance, its a bit high!

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  great value - 2002 Acura TL
  By terri - March 16 - 11:30 am

  In 3 years, other than routine maintenence I have never had this car in the shop. It has been the most reliable car Ive ever owned, and Ive always owned new cars (not used). What are considered options on most cars are included with the tl. The value is incredible. I have enjoyed every minute of owning and driving this vehicle. My next car will most likely be another acura.

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  TOP OF THE LINE SEDAN - 2004 Acura TL
  By jim5566269 - March 16 - 10:00 am

  You must drive this vehicle.Best in class.Vehicle has a lot of features, bells and whistles

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  Great Used Choice - 2000 Acura TL
  By Labdog Willie - March 16 - 12:55 am

  After suffering through a few Volvos I decided to try the 3.2 TL after reading some articles and Im sure glad I bought this car. Bought a used on to let someone else pay the first years depreciation and Ive been a happy camper ever since. Havent experienced the dreaded Acura tranny problems (knock on wood) and my mechanic loves this car, well....after those Volvos who wouldnt. I consistantly leave the shop smiling because they never find anything wrong with it. Would I buy another....you bet....that 2005 looks pretty good about now!

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  14K miles after - 2004 Acura TSX
  By Happy Gilmore... - March 14 - 7:44 pm

  Ive own the car for over a year (2 winters) and still love to drive it. I waited 6 months delivery and for a while it was the only one on the road. I see more of them now but not as many as Beemers and such. It is elegant but yet suttle, sporty yet functional. It took me a while to learn how to use the tiptronic shift but now I refuse to go back to the old ways (manual shift). The throttle by wire also takes a while to master. The performance between 3000 and 7000 rpm is awesome, however, dont expect great fuel economy. My advice remains: if you are thinking about it, try it and youll love it too, it gets better with time.

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  Great car!!! - 2002 Acura CL
  By Fighter - March 14 - 10:29 am

  I had pontiac GTO 2004 before this car. What a mistake. I love my CL-S. Great engine, seamless interior, classic exterior forms. HID, heated seats. I love this car. I got it for 18K with 20K miles only.

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  good, bad, ugly - 2001 Acura TL
  By john cunninham - March 13 - 9:19 am

  I had difficulty rating the "fun to drive statement" in this review as I dont find driving any vehicle fun. The idea is to get from A to B safely, and, economically, and in this regard the vehicle has done an excellent job. For its size, and, type I think the 29 MPG is very good. I now have 130000 miles on the car, and, aside from routine maintenance, no repairs have been necessary. In saying that the SRS system has not functioned correctly from day 1. First the car dealer told me that my cell phone was triggering the light, then putting parcels on the seat of less than 35 pounds was doing it, etc, etc. Once it went over its warranty mileage the story changed, it was defective.

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  The Type-S Is Worth The Upgrade - 2003 Acura RSX
  By Johnny Thunder - March 13 - 2:00 am

  Ive recently purchased the Acura RSX- S. The car handles like a $40,000 plus vehicle with a much lighter sticker price! For the price, you CAN NOT beat the RSX-S. The six speed manual transmission allows for complete control of your driving experience. With the short throw, the transmission handles like the more expensive European cars. I also like the fact that this vehicle is wholly manufactured in JAPAN. Only the NSX and RSX are actually manufactured in JAPAN. If you are looking for a car that performs like a million bucks but doesnt cost it, than the RSX-S is for you. Be certain to upgrade to the S- Type. For the money, it is well worth it!

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  excellent SUV from Acura! - 2003 Acura MDX
  By frankyy - March 13 - 2:00 am

  I have driven my MDX (03) for 10 days. Its good timing as we have had lots of snow and rain in past 2 weeks. MDX handles the snow and rain very well. Good performance and smooth handling. You dony have to take my words here. But just test drive all suvs in the MDX class (X5/ML320/RX300 etc). You would like the MDX!