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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  Traded down to Trade up! - 2012 Acura MDX
  By wayne91 - January 29 - 10:17 pm

  I traded my 2011 QX56 for the 2012 MDX. Why? Well, I am looking to downsize my life while not giving up everything. Then MDX offers all I need and what I want. Versatility, sportiness, comfort, performance, and better MPG. Thought about LEXUS, MERCEDES, and found the pricing too high. The Range Rover does not provide the reliability and resale of ACURA.

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  An Amazing Sports Sedan!!! - 2009 Acura TL
  By shaymasdaddy06 - January 29 - 6:54 pm

  After 1 month and 2000 miles, this is now my favorite car of all time. Yes the ride is firm with the 19s and it is a tad bit thirsty on gas, but the total package is worth it. I found a 09 CPO TL Tech SH-AWD with 41K miles and it is rock solid. The handling is unbelieveable. I may not be able to toss it in a corner like a BMW, but the handling is rewarding on its own merit. The interior is amazing and the seats wrap around you like a glove. I cant wait to drive it each day!!

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  First time Acura buyer - 2012 Acura TL
  By kiloputty - January 28 - 11:21 pm

  Just got a TL Advance this week with 8 miles on it. Currenlty have 108 miles. I test drove the AWD and loved the way it handled, but decided on the FWD for the softer suspension. The AWD defies physics in a way that would tempt me too much. It begs you to take turns at high speeds. The FWD felt faster in a straight line. When I mentioned this to the sales guy, he said that the FWD was in fact faster in a straight line, but Acura marketing didnt want that advertised, no idea if theres any truth there. AWD comes with tighter side lumbar support and stiffer suspension. Suffice to say you owe it to yourself to test drive both to decide which is right for you.

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  Wonderful Car! - 2011 Acura RL
  By lnesbit - January 26 - 8:27 pm

  After researching and driving the Lexus ES350, Hyundai Genesis, Toyota Avalon, and Buick Lacrosse CSX, the Acura RL won out due to ride comfort, reliability factor and quality reputation. While other competitors may offer more updated staying and better navigation system, the 2011 RL is an overall great car for the long haul. Even though Acura sells very few of these vehicles, its still an Acura with luxury features not available on the TL.

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  My 2001 Acura CL-S - 2001 Acura CL
  By smileyhollow - January 24 - 1:56 pm

  In 2000, I bought a 2001 Acura CL-S brand new and I love it. It has 49,000 miles and the only things I have ever had done to it is have the oil changed and the scheduled maintenance. The only thing bad I have to say about this car is that it didnt hold its value as I thought it would. Even though I have 4 people standing in line to buy it, I am keeping it and maybe sell it later. It is a blast to drive and now that there are not many on the road, it gets the looks. I think it is a beautiful and a fun car. So if you ever see a shiny, bright red 2001 CL-S in perfect condition passing you, wave, it will probably be me.

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  one of the best - 1991 Acura Legend
  By rochkram - January 18 - 8:17 am

  i think this legand is the greatest built smooth ride good on gas and fast i drove this acura to florida from ny a 24 hour ride according to mapquest.com did it in 16 hours thats stoping for gas and pizza hut so figure you figure out how fast we were going,as only one issue was the fuel lines rusted out i fixed myself dealer fix 1200.00 if you have problems in the snow put your car in 2nd gear at the stop lights you will be amazed how much easier it is to take off , you will stay right with the 4 wheel drive trucks 225,000mile and still looks great one small rust spot behind back tire about the size of a quarter 22 years old check you toyota for rust lol

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  The Best small upscale SUV, hands down - 2010 Acura RDX
  By klrsmile - January 16 - 4:27 pm

  Having test driven a variety of its competitors, including some SUVs up-market as well as down (GLK, X3, Q5, Highlander) as well as being a former MDX owner, my wife and I were equally impressed with the RDX, albeit for very different reasons. He: Love the performance, 0-60 in about 6 seconds - very impressive, and surprisingly nimble, a very fun car to drive. The stereo is equally impressive, sounds great and free 12 months subscription to satellite insures something for everyone to listen to. She: The cargo space handles weekend shopping and family upkeep with ease. Crash test ratings help keep the kids safe

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  Rattles, rattles, and Rattles! - 2010 Acura TL
  By aa21 - January 15 - 7:20 pm

  I bought a 2010 Acura TL w/Tech brand new and only 100 miles into it, the pillar by the driver side begins to rattle/crack! The car was given back to the dealer 7 times and it was never fixed. Acura sent out one of their "experts" who was nothing but a disrespectful, arrogant liar to help fix the issue. He ignored the issue and even told Autowest Acura located Santa Clara, CA to not look into it. Horrible experience! Customer service definitely does not exist in Acura from corporate to dealership apparently.. I wish I would have purchased the BMW 3 series or the Infinite G. The main problem is the quality of this car and Acuras client service. Horrible, stay away!

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  Keeps on going - 2003 Acura MDX
  By rquigley1 - January 14 - 1:31 pm

  I was the 2nd owner. Bought in 4 years ago with 100k on the odometer. Super reliable. Changed timing belt at 140k and follow the service recommendations. I do all my own work from fluids to plugs etc. Read some posts about a tranny shift problem and noticed a little hesitation around 170k. I did a triple flush of the AT fluid and care is running just fine. I expect to get it to 200k and then buy the current body style acura. Only real problem is a hum in the stereo and loud whine in the rear dvd system after about an hour of operation. For the money- a super car.

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  Buy it! You wont be disappointed! - 2006 Acura TSX
  By coraline - January 13 - 5:33 pm

  We bought this car used the summer of 2010. It had about 43K on it. It was totaled last week with 84 K on it. We never had a problem with the car. We did the standard maintenance and never had to think about it. The car wrecked well. I was rear ended by a large truck traveling at a high speed. I walked away from the wreck with a broken nose saying that I wanted another Acura. The impact shifted the car off the frame so badly that the plastic components on the inside popped off however, the passenger compartment stayed intact. It doesnt matter how a car looks or even if it has a good repair history--what matters is will you walk away from a high-impact wreck.