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:

• 

  Whats wrong with me? - 2004 Acura TL
  By wardy - July 5 - 7:33 pm

  So many people like this car. I purchased new based on short test drive & Consumer Reports review. This car looks great, particularly the exterior (I rated 10). However the suspension is very harsh, nothing luxurious about it. The car plows on turns due to the heavy front end (front wheel drive). It even hydroplanes more than most. Maybe Im too old for this ride @ 44 but my take is pretty package, lousy car. I traded after only 1 year

• 

  Great car - 2008 Acura MDX
  By Owen - July 3 - 5:27 pm

  Only con is that its a gas guzzler. Otherwise I love this car

• 

  The good and the bad. - 2007 Acura RDX
  By johnnymauler - July 1 - 11:30 pm

  After owning this vehicle for a year I am already tired of the non responsive automatic transmission. I have driven manual transmissions for most of my life, but I wanted to have a SUV for the snow and portability. I have to say I love everything else about this vehicle. The handling is great, comfortable, roomy, tech package kicks, even the turbo 4 isnt so bad. But the paddle shifters and transmission are sub par. Shifts are slow and sloppy. This vehicle should have made with a 6 spd manual. Also the GPS is outdated.

• 

  Love this car - 2006 Acura TL
  By larpine - June 29 - 1:11 pm

  Just bought this 06 with ten thousand miles. Great car, ample power, a little too fun to drive, (hard to get where you are going when you never want to get out of the car), sleek design. After researching I found that this car holds its value better than ANYTHING in its class, beats Mercedes and BMW, and offers so much more with Honda reliability. Rear visibility is not good, thinking the back up sensors may be worth the money considering what bumpers cost. People complain of the back end design of the car so I added a spoiler, looks great. Got it for my 45th birthday, great investment for the young at heart.

• 

  Little motor that could - 2008 Acura TSX
  By TCC0247 - June 29 - 9:11 am

  The TSX is a study in less being more. It may only have 205-hp and a 4-cylinder, but the power delivery is so smooth and the revs come so quickly that it feels quick none the less. Itll never win you pink slips, but it will certainly move you on the back roads. Its not RWD, but it still feels supple and balanced. Steering is too heavy for the Camry crowd, but enthusiasts will appreciate the extra weight and feel. The 6-speed and clutch are so slick and easy to use that the car is easy to wring out when the desire arises (or every time you drive it). The interior build quality is excellent, though the sound system is flat. Never liked Hondas before the TSXs Euro-breeding fixed that

• 

  Very Good Value Luxury Car - 2008 Acura TL
  By bychucky - June 27 - 2:27 pm

  After 3 months 10,000+ miles, I am very pleased to say that the Acura TL is a very solid, reliable, and overall good car to purchase. The ride is quiet and smooth, with no problems merging on the highway. Plenty of comfortable interior space, and controls and well laid out and easy to understand. Fit and finish in the interior is excellent. Very good sound system. A lot more standard features for the money compared to other cars in its class. I was surprisingly pleased with the gas mileage for a V6 engine--city and highway averages about 25 MPG.

• 

  Well priced - 2007 Acura TL
  By turbomzi - June 26 - 2:31 pm

  This is more of a performance car than luxury. If you are looking for something that is quiet and very comfortable, you should go for the RL from Acura or BMW 5 series or any car in that range. The suspension on this car is more towards handling than comfort so its a little tougher than what you expect from a luxury car. Dont get me wrong the car is brilliant, with the wide tires, it has a lot more grip, which increases stability and handling. Overall, a great performance car!

• 

  Its my baby! 96 Integra LS - 1996 Acura Integra
  By Integra <3 - June 23 - 4:14 pm

  I got this car as an intended project car and its coming along great! Like stated, after 100k miles the car starts to show its wear. Ive bought an intake system, a full header back system and thats just the beginning. With some performance mods this car can haul! It is a tuner car and should be treated as such :) Outstanding car but should only be owned by tuners in my opinion.

• 

  Acura TL 2004 "the new sleeper" - 2004 Acura TL
  By jyraccord - June 22 - 10:00 am

  You must test drive the new TL. 270hp 0- 60in 6seconds. The car is loaded for $33,ooo Heated front seats and outside mirrors. Great XM radio,8speakers surround sound,17inch rims to many to list.Iv had it for 3weeks and I loved it.

• 

  Shouldve bought the CX-9 - 2008 Acura MDX
  By Disappointed - June 22 - 9:06 am

  Was shopping for a replacement vehicle for my Honda Pilot late last year and was looking at the Mazda Cx-9, Toyota Highlander and the Acura MDX. Narrowed it down between the Cx-9 and the MDX and chose the MDX based upon the Acura reliability history. Now looking back I wish I would have selected the CX-9 as my MDX has numerous issues that should not accompany an Acura. My radio randomly resets all the preset settings. No one can understand anyone in the car using the Bluetooth. When the moonroof is open you cannot read anything displayed on the radio. Rattle coming from back cargo area, etc. At this pricepoint, you get much more with the Cx-9.