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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  WOW check it out! - 2015 Acura TLX
  By jan jusko - June 28 - 11:32 pm

  Test-drove the 300 and 400 Benz and the 300 and 400 BMW’s and they do not even come close. They were loud, stiff, and felt cheap inside. The TLX is an incredible auto and an incredible value. The MSRP on my TLX was 46,000 for a comparable Benz or BMW the MSRP was 53,000 to 55,000. I do mostly highway driving and it handles great at all speeds and is quiet and well made. Oh by the way, the trade-in value is better than the Benz or BMW. You cannot buy a better car for the price. Test drove the base model and was not impressed but the all- wheel drive advanced package is a home run!

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  Absolutely the best mid SUV available - 2007 Acura MDX
  By Mr. Mike - June 28 - 10:40 am

  Im one of those people who research purchases to the point of exhaustion prior to making a decision. Additionally I test drove all similar vehicles. Nothing, and I mean nothing, compares with this vehicle for the price paid. Everything about this vehicle is top tier, fit and finish, performance, luxury, reliability and safety. I feel as if this vehicle is a bargin even at MSRP! Acura simply has produced a excellent automobile at a great price.

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  RDX exceeding expectations so far - 2007 Acura RDX
  By patentcad - June 27 - 6:20 am

  Its impossible to convey the RDXs overall excellence in a brochure or 10 min test drive. After a week Im THRILLED. More like an AWD TL station wagon. An SUV that out performs many sports sedans and handles like a Porsche 944. Superb passenger comfort. You sacrifice a little in the cargo area dept., but the car is perfectly adequate for our needs. We installed Thule cross bars and attachments to the factory roof rack. Fuel economy? Im getting 17-18 city, 22-23 hwy and about 20 mpg combined. That will improve once the engine breaks in. On the gas guzzler issue - compare the RDX to real world mpg from other AWD wagons/small SUVs and youll find its better than most of them.

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  Acura 2003 RSX - 2003 Acura RSX
  By PRBillie - June 23 - 10:00 am

  Awesome Car, easy to manage. Sticks to the road!

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  Best Car for the money - 2003 Acura RSX
  By Thunderek - June 23 - 10:00 am

  I am so pleased with my rsx. I was never too into cars, but i knew i wanted performance, luxury, advanced features for a great price. It was the first new car i ever bought. The shifter is like butter, speed is great, did great in the winter here in buffalo too. Sound system is great. If i had a quirk with it, id say the seats could use for comfort. But it is a sports car.

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  love it - 2003 Acura MDX
  By samioliver - June 23 - 10:00 am

  Love it, love it, love it, and would buy it again! If you are in the market for a mini van (as I was), then this is another option for you that leaves you with a sporty vehicle - also with 7 seats (the two in the back are GREAT, but for kids only), and with an easy to drive vehicle (that turn radius is simply amazing). I only wished that the entertainment system had been available when I purchsed my MDX, but Im not sure I would have had the extra money to purchase it...

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  Great Car, Great Buy - 2003 Acura TL
  By GreatSmile - June 23 - 10:00 am

  After test driving the TL type S, I just have to get one. I was looking into GS300 and almost took delivery on one. The handling and horsepower on the type S is awsome. Sure the brand new 2004 are coming but the 03 TL type S is still a great performance car and should not be overlooked.

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  Fine Daily Driver - 2009 Acura TSX
  By Frank - June 21 - 7:53 am

  I’ve been driving my 2009 TSX for a little over 4 weeks and have had an opportunity to compare in detail to my 2005 TSX, which I still own. The 2009 TSX is a far superior vehicle in terms of driving comfort, acceleration, handling, cabin noise, low speed maneuverability, turning radius, fuel economy, and overall refinement. I have read the professional reviews and my conclusion is that these people drive the car for a few hours on a test track in situations that are not representative of daily driving conditions for the average buyer of this vehicle. Having said that, I do agree, that 2009 TSX is not a “sports” sedan and probably should not be marketed as one by Acura.

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  Awesome new RL - 2005 Acura RL
  By Exum - June 19 - 5:53 pm

  The new RL is significantly beyond expectation, and the expectations were quite high. Handling is awesome, exceleration outstanding, and the interior features....banging!

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  high country - 2003 Acura MDX
  By hiker - June 18 - 10:00 am

  have driven suvs in the past forget it this is the ticket i do limited off road but plenty of bad curvy mountain roads and this vehicle eats them up i have found it does great in rainy conditios and dirt roads i get about 16mpg in mountains and 13mpg in city