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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  Not bad - 2002 Acura RSX
  By R_L - September 2 - 10:00 am

  Bumpy ride, interior space is tight, hugh blind spot, otherwise good car for the price.

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  For My Money-Unbeatable - 2001 Acura CL
  By Paul - September 2 - 2:01 am

  Acura may not have won over the hardcore luxury sports car owners, but this car is amazing for the price. Youre given a standard 3.2 liter with 225 horsepower and I get about 24 mpg average. On the highway it can reach 30 mpg. The car is already loaded (no options): 6 disc CD changer, heated seats, dual power seats, TCS, 4 wheel ABS disc brakes, auto-manual 5 speed trans., auto climate control, power sunroof. All this for under $33k. The 225 horsepower engine delivers a brilliant tone and is pretty quick. The styling is a large improvement from the older model as well. The interior is so easy to navigate too. The seats are comfortable and leather clad.

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  2008 Acura RDX - 2008 Acura RDX
  By aust_lr - August 28 - 10:34 am

  The RDX is a great small SUV. It is fun to drive, handles well, and looks great. It is a little pricey for a car that competes with the Honda CR-V and the Toyota RAV 4 but it is better than them in performance and build quality.

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  Puts a smile on my face when I drive - 2008 Acura RDX
  By ray f - August 25 - 10:36 pm

  Just bought an RDX Tech package. This is primarily a commuter vehicle and a second car, so I was debating about getting a sedan for the gas mileage. I really like SUVs though, and this one is spot on the money -- fun to drive, higher ride height, good performance, decent space. I had a BMW x3 and 3 series sedan, and I like this better than either of those cars. Each time I drive it, I get a smile on my face (hearing the turbo whoosh is a blast). I just wish it got a bit better mileage. Previous cars also include an MDX (previous body style). This is way better than that car in tightness, comfort, luxury, and technology.

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  Luxury sporty sedan - 2007 Acura TL
  By PeteD - August 24 - 4:28 pm

  Having happily owned Hondas (including Civics, Accords, Passports,CR-Vs and S2000s) since 1985, I really was eager to enter the luxury sport sedan market. What a treat this car has been. It moves like its on rails, accelerates quickly, moves accurately, wherever you point it. On lengthy trips, my wife is able to nap, leaving me to enjoy the driving experience. No problems, no complaints with the exception of the premium gas requirement which I was aware of from the beginning. "If youre gonna play, ya gotta pay."

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  Nice Ride - 2015 Acura TLX
  By Carressa Hutchinson - August 23 - 9:46 pm

  Quiet riding vehicle. Real smooth ride in city or on the highway.

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  A Little Overrated - 2005 Acura MDX
  By VW - August 21 - 9:16 pm

  I find the MDX to be more hefty and top heavy in driving dynamics than I expected. Its pretty thirsty at 15 MPG city. Engine seems rock solid and smooth. Ride suspension is tuned nicely -- not too firm, not too mushy. Should have HID and lane change signal without having to clicking on the signal arm. Stereo is pretty good quality. XM is nice. Navi and Handsfree link are a little awkward to use.

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  Nice Car - Good Value - 2009 Acura TL
  By Jimbo - August 17 - 4:10 am

  I just bought this car and really have enjoyed it. I got the tech package with my vehicle and it is taking me some time to get accustomed to all the features the car has to offer. I really like the hard drive and USB feature on the car. It does ride very smoothly and handles very well on the road. It is well worth the $$. I test drove the BMW 328 and 335 series and liked the Acura TL much better.

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  First 100k OK - 2001 Acura MDX
  By craigo - August 12 - 7:18 pm

  Have had this MDX for 7 years. Great car. The tranny has been slipping under load (hill) for a while and the dealer can not find the problem. Going in for a timing belt this week and I hope they find the tranny issue this time. Love to buy another but the $$$ is crazy.

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  Still great after all these years - 2004 Acura RL
  By Ralph - August 12 - 7:10 am

  Since 2004 this has been "steady eddie" for me. I am going to buy it off of lease because it has served me well for four years and I expect it to for many more.