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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  Whats not to like??? - 2005 Acura TSX
  By Walt - July 21 - 7:36 am

  I just traded my 2001 Acura 3.2 CL in for a TSX. The TSX has a smaller engine, but is almost as peppy as the V-6 powered CL. I took a model with the unwanted Navigation system because it was on the lot and was the color I wanted. After two lengthy trips in the car Ive been converted - the nav system is indeed useful. To recycle an old quote, the car tracks like "a cannonball dropped down a chimney" - very responsive to steering and pedal input. It has a nice controlled ride without being harsh. The interior is quite comfortable and all of the cars controls and switches are easily reachable and ergonomically well thought out. Styling is a matter of personal opinion, but I like it.

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  GSR get one!! - 1999 Acura Integra
  By Neptuneda - July 21 - 2:00 am

  Bought this this preowned and been a reliable and great economy on the Gas. The insurance is another story. This a popular car for tuners as well. Basic bolt-ons yield big results. This is my 4th integra. Will buy another Acura!!

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  TSX Praise - 2005 Acura TSX
  By Dean Lester - July 20 - 11:33 am

  After driving a 1989 Acura Integra for 187000 miles, I figured there wasnt any problem of choice for a new car. The TSX is the rebirth of why I bought my first Acura ... style, handling, which is a top priority of mine as I used to rally a 1965 Ford Cortina. The TSX is a lot more refined then my Integra was. Quieter, faster, smoother ride, good acceleration when needed and a lot more creature comforts starting with the comfortable heated seats, the lumbar support, more headroom, more legroom and a host of standard items that are optional on other makes.I am a professional photographer and being able to put the rear seats down gives me plenty of space for equipment.

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  Aside from the rattly suspension..... - 2005 Acura RL
  By Raja Bhat - July 19 - 11:40 pm

  Sporty luxury sedan. Somewhat rough, choppy ride which perhaps is what it costs to get a tight, precise handling. Worrisome rattle from the suspension going over ruts and bumps, clearly audible at low speed. I have not heard of this problem from anyone else on this forum, however. Hope they can find the problem. Incredible array of electronic gadgetry; Onstars phone system wont accept incoming calls, yet to be fixed. Sound system is superb, but XM satellite radio suddenly loses its memory of its presets. Would I buy this car again...yes, but if they can fix the rattle in the suspension. It is not becoming of a $50K Acura flagship car! Id say this: always test drive car with radio off!

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  Buyers remorse - whats that? - 2005 Acura TSX
  By JoeShmoe - July 18 - 9:26 am

  I wanted a nicely equipped, fun to drive car that wouldnt break 35 grand level. I had a closer look and test drove A4 1.8T, 325i and TSX. Audi and BMW are of course very nice cars but once you start throwing in options (leather seats, premium stereo, xenon lights, etc) it is very difficult to stay beyond the price level I wanted. The TSX is a whole different story - it drives as nice as the other cars, it comes fully loaded and what really sold me is reliability - being a very busy professional I have no time to waste at repair shops. I never double guessed my decision - the car looks great, drives like a dream and is a real head turner. Get one, you wont regret.

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  Great Car - 1991 Acura Legend
  By baja2211 - July 18 - 2:00 am

  This car is amazing, it rides quieter than my moms Crysler 300M. This car has got plenty of go for a 14 year old car. The car is very comfordable it has got some really cool features. Most cars even today dont come stock with 200 horsepower adn 210 pound-feet of torque.

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  The most for the Money - 2004 Acura MDX
  By MDXLVR - July 18 - 2:00 am

  I love the MDX, It blows away the Lexus for the money, the Volvo has a good looking interior, but doesnt have any of the features that are available in the Acura. The Nav system & the entertainment system are very user friendly & are worth the price. Its the best luxury vehicle for the money.

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  Test drive - 2017 Acura MDX
  By Oklahoma driver - July 17 - 2:06 am

  I have liked the look of the MDX for over 15 years. The MDX was in the final 2 of my selection process but in the end the technology wasnt as smooth and sleek in presentation as the vehicle I purchased. The MDX also drives like a truck and I selected a SUV that has a more sporty drive. I have teens that are now driving themselves and I dont need a third row however the middle row captain chairs make the MDX functionally a 4 person vehicle which was a negative to me. Finally, the price is high compared to the new sporty Mercedes GLC 300 which was my final selection.

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  The Perfect Car - 1991 Acura Integra
  By teguru - July 17 - 2:00 am

  This is just an all-around great car. For my second car i couldnt be much happier. The only problems you will have with the Generation 2 Integras are the camseals.

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  Theres nothing like a Honda product - 2001 Acura TL
  By Russell2372 - July 17 - 2:00 am

  While Acuras in general do not rate well with critics due to their conservative styling, a quick sample of user opinions will give you ample reasons to purchase one. They are a Honda product and are unmatched in quality and reliability. This is my second Acura over the last 12 years as I previously owned a Vigor. In that span I have had no mechanical problems other than routine maintainence. It also helps that I have had very favorable experiences with my local dealership. The service has matched the quality of the vehicle.