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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  2005 Acura - 2005 Acura MDX
  By DMP - May 13 - 4:32 pm

  Love this vehicle. Have 77,000 miles on it and no problems whatsoever. Love the touchscreen navigation that can be operated on the go. Bluetooth and Address Book are great too. Leather still looks like new and gas mileage has been great. Averaging over 20 mpg in city and highway driving. Have taken on several long road trips and the seats are great! Best Ive ever sat in.

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  Love my car but not the transmission - 2002 Acura TL
  By Ralph - May 12 - 4:13 pm

  I purchased this car "pre-owned" off a lease, 3 yrs old, 30k miles. I have loved this car. Transmission went out at 104K miles and 7 yr, 9 mos from date of purchase. Transmission was replaced, just under the mandated extended warranty, but told new transmission has no warranty. What? Ive had two problems with windshield wipers. Other than that, it is a great car. My dealership has been great to me (Atl)

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  Im now an Acura Man - 2010 Acura TSX
  By DanB - May 12 - 11:32 am

  My driving experience has been extraordinary. I take it back and forth from downtown Chicago for a 90 mile commute 4 days per week. This car does it all. Plenty of thigh, lumbar, and neck support that makes my commute tolerable. I am extremely pleased with the fit and quality of the assembly. The anti-engine noise waves emitted by the speakers are amazing - the ride is whisper quiet depending on road condition. I have owned the car for 60 days of constant commuting and am averaging 27.5 mpg city/hwy combined. I am extremely pleased with this car and I am glad I didnt pay several thousand more for a comparable Lexus or BMW. Acura truly has an entry level winner here.

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  Mistake to stop producing RSXs! - 2004 Acura RSX
  By ratty - May 11 - 11:30 am

  This has been a great car, very reliable, fun to drive! Dont know why Acura stopped making this model? Would buy another in a flash.

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  One of The Best - 2010 Acura TL
  By train55 - May 11 - 9:01 am

  The Acura SH-AWD TL is one of the best cars I have ever driven. The six speed manual is pure driving enjoyment. This car gives you a great feel of the road without being overly harsh with its ride.

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  Great around town vehicle - 2010 Acura RDX
  By Charles - May 10 - 2:30 pm

  This car is a blast to drive. Im a long time Acura MDX driver and the RDX is a lot more fun in daily highway/city driving. When Im not cranking up the turbo, I seem to average about 23 mpg with the 2-wheel drive.

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  Love it! - 2010 Acura TL
  By allegro - May 9 - 3:11 pm

  My last car was a C70 from Volvo, prior to that a Boxster-S. This drives more like the Boxster, only with room for friends.

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  Sticks To The Road - 2010 Acura TL
  By Anthony - May 8 - 8:56 am

  You know "they" are not kidding when they say Honda makes the best manual transmission stick and clutch. Ive almost intentionally tried to stall, but the stick shift seems to be idiot proof. The hill start assist system takes getting used to and I wish there was a way to turn it off. is there? Im still in my break-in period, but Ive floored the gas pedal of my TL by accident (wink wink) while on the highway and WOW! Ive also cornered hard when driving the twisty roads up here in Philly and the sh-awd and sticky tires really does keep the car on the road. More stable than the Subaru I traded in. Imagine that.

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  Im in love with my Acura TSX - 2008 Acura TSX
  By elleaz - May 7 - 10:27 pm

  This is my first Acura, and it was love at first sight. I built my Acura online, and the metallic cool light blue is the most beautiful color of all. This car is classy. Its pure BS about the engine being underpowered - I accelerate faster than anyone around me 100% of the time. Of course, you have to know how to hit the accelerator, and Ive lived long enough to do that. There are a few minor things that are less than perfect. The location of controls on the steering wheel could be better. The door does not always stay open in the half-open position. My biggest disappointment is the changes to the design in the 2009/10 models. Theyve managed to destroy a beautiful thing.

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  Nice ride, except for the tranny - 2001 Acura CL
  By rs118 - May 7 - 4:44 pm

  Bought it used 5 years ago at 23k in immaculate condition. Driven hard and now at 110k. Only routine maintenance required. EXCEPT FOR the transmission that has been replaced 3 times at the dealer, all under warranty with loaner cars provided. Original slipped at 36k, 2nd was noisy at 91k, 3rd was quiet but slipped at 98k, the 4th is a little noisy but good. The ride is rough on cracked pavement, but the handling is pretty good (its slightly lowered but on original wheels). Its garaged and the paint / interior are still in great condition. Nice stereo but lacks bass an amp and subwoofer cured that. Tires and break pads have lasted well. MPG is marginal, premium required.