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:

• 

  Tops No Doubt - 2007 Acura MDX
  By Tops No Doubt - August 22 - 8:53 pm

  Resisted at first but since it was the vehicle that my wife would be driving then it was pretty much her decision. And her decision was just that. Lets go buy the MDX. Now I am a convinced owner of all the quality and comfort Acura has to offer (which if you let my wife tell the story she already knew). It is by far the most superior vehicle we have owned.

• 

  Outstanding automobile - 2005 Acura RL
  By steven - August 21 - 6:43 am

  This is one outstanding car; must be DRIVEN to be appreciated. I love the attention that was paid to the technology in the car--very impressive and enjoyable.

• 

  2004 Acura auto/nav - 2004 Acura TL
  By Don McMeen - August 21 - 3:50 am

  One year and 20,000 miles of ownership have been totally trouble free. Engine flexibility, driveability and power are excellent. Throttle tip-in is flawless. Shift quality is excellent, in terms of down- and upshifting response, smoothness and proper gear selection. Gear transitions are very quick, smooth and transient-free. Ride is noticeably stiffer than my 2001 ES 300 over rough or broken surfaces, but very smooth at freeway speeds. Mileage has been a surprise, average for the 20,000+ miles is slightly over 25, with 30+ mpg highway the norm (calibrated odometer).

• 

  TL is #1 - 2006 Acura TL
  By dru2034 - August 19 - 7:03 pm

  This is a quality luxury car. No need to get nickled and dimed by BMW or Mercedes. Everything is included in this Honda made vechile. Great framework and fun to play with.

• 

  2009 Acura TSX - 2009 Acura TSX
  By unsichtbaremann - August 18 - 8:16 am

  I just bought this car a week ago and Im beyond thrilled! Being my first new car purchase out of graduate school, I knew I wanted the reliability of Acura (read Honda) and practical, while still sporty. This fits the bill perfectly. Sure, the grille looks a little odd (or Mazda/Saturn-like), but thats about the only gripe for me. The i-VTEC engine is a great blend of spunk, fuel efficiency and environmental friendliness (even though Im not on the "save the planet boat," its still impressive to see a ULEV vehicle that can still perform). The six-speed transmission and the tech package are the way to go!

• 

  Best value in Luxury Sedan - 2005 Acura RL
  By Richard Winstead - August 17 - 7:00 pm

  This Acura is the fourth Acura in a row that I have owned or leased. When you compare the RL with the Lexus 430 the Acura beats it hands down in price and the quality is just as good if not better. The RL comes only one way, loaded and if you want all of these extras on a Lexus, the price just continues to climb. Did someone tell me the Lexus now has rear wheel drive? How antiquated! Give me the RL anyday!

• 

  Best car Ive had - 2005 Acura TSX
  By ASenna88 - August 17 - 2:06 am

  This is by far the best car Ive owned its my 10th Honda made car and the best. I love the HID lights and XM radio, although another 20hp or so would be nice its still a fantastic car and the best buy for the money anywhere. Do yourself a favor and put this car at the top of your shopping list.

• 

  The most Luxury good looking SUV - 2007 Acura MDX
  By Fernando - August 16 - 5:26 pm

  Wow, what can I say. Far most better than the competitors, wow. I do have to say that Acura has created the best in the SUV luxury class. The 07 MDX does drive so smooth and very fast that you feel like you are in an airplane, its unbelievable, its incredible. Buy it, you will keep it forever.

• 

  My new Best friend - 2003 Acura MDX
  By Lord of the house - August 16 - 2:00 am

  Buying the 2003 MDX with the Rear entertainment system was not a total suprise for me. What was a suprise is the pleasure I get from it. It has more of everything I want. More room, more power and a great ride.

• 

  Honda engineering = Peace of mind! - 2009 Acura TL
  By japruss paddington - August 15 - 8:20 pm

  A few weeks ago I purchased this 2009 Acura TL and absolutely love it! This Acura TL is super quiet, super smooth super fast and super solid. It tracks like a locomotive and never loses its composer. I traded a 2008 Lexus ES350 for this Acura and I am very proud of my decision. The Lexus felt cheap and sloppy when compared to this Acura TL. This is the best choice I made!