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:

• 

  TL owner moving down but not by much... - 2012 Acura TSX
  By dadoftwogirls - February 13 - 7:21 pm

  I was tired of getting 17.5 mpg on premium gas around town with my 2009 Acura TL. I looked at BMW, Mercedes and Audi. However, I just couldnt justify the extra money. Everything cost EXTRA. I went back to Acura and they had a Milano Red Limited Edition loaded TSX on the showroom floor. I immediately fell in love with the looks and bought it on the spot. To me it is the most agressive looking Acura with the body kit. It just looks sexy and strong. Although I am giving up a lot of power vs. the TL, I am also getting about 6 miles a gallon farther down the road. In addition, I hardly ever found a time when I could drive the TL agressively. At this point, I am not missing it much.

• 

  60K, so far, so good - 2008 Acura RDX
  By ducky79 - February 13 - 6:34 pm

  2008 RDX, 60K mileage, no problem so far. I would say this is a very reliable car. Pro: reliable, great handling, decent power Con: rough ride, bad gas mileage I believe it can run 3-5 more years.

• 

  Great car, with some issues - 2009 Acura TSX
  By yitz1 - February 13 - 9:46 am

  When shopping for a new car in 08, I test drove a bunch of different cars in this class. Though I liked the Lexus IS a little better, it was much more expensive. Overall, Ive enjoyed this car. Recently, though, Ive been having some issues. The bluetooth doesnt pick up the call until I redial, and they havent been able to figure it out. The tires and rims seem really fragile and are very expensive to replace. Ive been getting vibration in the steering wheel and have been told that all my rims are bent! A little black plastic piece surrounding the mirror broke. I thought it good just be popped out and replaced for about $25 surprise, I had to replace the whole mirror at a cost of $350!

• 

  rdx with tech package - 2011 Acura RDX
  By thinkbig - February 11 - 10:08 pm

  I wanted a small SUV for more utility, ability to go through flooded streets and for a change of lifestyle. Was in a Camry for many years but hated not having no power and feeling like a old man. Printed a bunch of pictures of SUVs and showed it to my girlfriend. She Pick the Acura and I went down and got it. I think it was good decision as it is upscale and I needed to treat myself to something more than another Toyota. Reliable, safe, fun to drive, and that Turbo 4 is nice change of pace. Fuel economy is about what I expected around 18-19 range city. It uses premium fuel. When new the fuel economy was down to 16-17.

• 

  Love my TSX - 2012 Acura TSX
  By mharris335 - February 8 - 4:55 pm

  I got this car in November and it is the best thing I have ever driven. It gets good gas mileage and its plenty fast enough. I love the feel of the interior and the seats are very comfortable. I had been driving a Honda Accord for the past 10 years, so this car was a big step up for me. What sold me on the TSX was the cost. For a loaded Accord it would have been $28,500 and I paid $29,500 for my TSX. The new Accord felt like a toy, but the TSX feels like more like a sports car/luxury car. I would buy another one in a heartbeat.

• 

  Very good but not deserving the TLC status - 2012 Acura TL
  By bogdan2 - February 6 - 7:26 pm

  I own the TL 2012 Technology package for more than a month now. The car is sporty indeed while comfortable and quiet. However my expectations were much higher from a car that claims to be a Total Luxury Car. 1. While driving you cant rest your left hand by sitting your elbow on the door handle. And even if you can it wont be at the same level as you right hand elbow. 2. If you remove your foot off the gas pedal quickly it will hit the frame with a "clunk" type of noise very bothering. 3. The worst probably is the navigation system that doesnt show your current speed, the speed limit of the road and most of the street names you driving by.

• 

  Best Car Ever!!! - 2000 Acura RL
  By mike1997 - February 5 - 8:26 pm

  It is the great reliable luxury car. Has all the of the creature comforts like Automatic Air Conditioning and a Navigation System. They 8 speaker BOSE sound system sounds great! The 210 HP V6 puts out great power for everyday driving.

• 

  Huge bang for the buck - 2011 Acura RDX
  By tpf1979 - February 3 - 1:36 pm

  With BMW, Audi, and Mercedes getting all the attention in the luxury crossover market, the RDX is too often overlooked. I have owned my 2011 RDX base (front wheel drive) for 8 months and love it. You get a lot for your $30,000. Stellar acceleration and handling, all the creature comforts, and a premium feel (though not quite as "premium" as the German competitors). If you want to save a few thousand dollars and still get an excellent vehicle- give the RDX a long, hard look before jumping into that BMW. If you do not live in Alaska or extreme north east, consider front wheel drive for even a better value. I live in NJ and am getting through the winter just fine with my front wheel drive RDX.

• 

  Excellent Vehicle - 2012 Acura TL
  By ken117 - February 3 - 6:29 am

  Recently purchased a 2012 TL with Tech. For the price I paid the TL presented the best overall value. Yes, I did consider all the other players in this market. I did not want to pay extra for a European badge such as MB or BMW and I have concerns with their reliability . Audis spotty reliability was a killer. Couldnt justify the price of the Lexus which I find a bit sedate. Liked the Infiniti but find the styling a bit outdated. Certainly, the other vehicles I considered may better the TL in some areas and the TL may better them in other areas. I do know, having driven the TL for a couple of months, my appreciation of the TL continues to grow.

• 

  2012 Acura MDX w/ tech package at 2,000 miles - 2012 Acura MDX
  By bill2219 - January 31 - 5:24 pm

  I never thought I would own a "gas guzzling SUV” until taking a long test drive in an MDX. I had planned to buy a smaller 4x4 such as the Acura RDX or Honda CRV, but the MDX has the road manners of a smaller, sporty vehicle along with every convenience and safety feature I wanted. Gas mileage was a concern until it returned over 21 mpg on 1,000 mile round trip while fully loaded that mostly exceeded legal Interstate speeds. I expect better when it is broken in. The ability to control so many vehicle functions by voice is amazing and the Acura navigation system (reputedly the best on the planet) even knows its way around the back woods of South Carolina!