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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  So Good Makes You Wanna Slap Your Momma - 2004 Acura TSX
  By Ari - November 23 - 9:36 am

  Bought my 04 TSX 6spd man in June 15 with 60,000 miles and it still feels like new. All of the cars controls have a responsive, precise feel to them. Lateral cornering grip is fantastic and the car goes exactly where you point it with minimal understeer. The steering is precise and the manual transmission feels like it came out of a sports car, with very short throws and a buttery snick snick feel to it. Its not a very fast or sexy sounding powertrain, but the power is sufficient. The interior is beautiful with quality expensive looking materials. Styling is very handsome inside and out and has aged extremely gracefully over the last 10 years. Tinting the windows and installing a lip spoiler completed the exterior, and ipod aux cable is a quick install. This cars practicality, reliability and fun to drive characteristics are unmatched in this price range.

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  Second TL, dont know why i ever left - 2009 Acura TL
  By Joe Simmons - November 23 - 9:35 am

  I find it funny to see how many BMW drivers have switched to this vehicle. I thought I was the only one. this is my 2nd TL and I really dont know why I ever got rid of the first one. I recently traded in my 3 series BMW for this and needless to say I am not disappointed. The TL has a great features ( even on the base model ) that BMW does not offer. the acceleration is phenomenal and the ride is quiet and smooth. it is very easy to set up the electronics in the vehicle as well. the one thing I am missing from the Beamer is the how tight the steering is. in the Acura it is a lot easier to just push the wheel from side to side. also, the leather could be a little better quality. other than that, I think the car is amazing and would recommend it to anyone. as for the design... I think it is a very attractive car. the grill is aggressive looking while the rest of the car just looks luxurious. all in all I am pleased with the trade.

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  Nice ride - 2015 Acura RDX
  By ML - November 22 - 9:26 pm

  Reliability of a Honda, better interior, really a great ride. The reliability of the Audi and Volvo scared me away. The move to the 4 cylinder engines have poor performance and depending on where you live, are not that safe to drive. The twin turbo/supercharged engines will obviously have thier issues in time, so this feels like the right choice. However, the BMW, cruises on the open road a bit nicer. This starts pushing the rpms at about 75, while the bmw will cruise up to 100 without breaking a sweat. There are minor advantages to each. Overall, I went with the reliability of the Honda brand. At 13K miles, it has been a great decision.

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  BEST SUV IN THE CALSS - 2013 Acura MDX
  By AmithW - November 22 - 7:12 pm

  I always buy less than 2 yr old cars. Due to high mileage driving(25K/yr) I cannot lease. I compared the BMW X5, MDX, Lexus RX 350, and Benz GL class. After loads of research and test driving it was easy to zero in on the final 2 of RX 350 and MDX. MDX won due to following. Exceptional road handling over RX 350. Killer looks to match the Road handling. Excellent acceleration combined with the growl from under the hood makes you feel like a F1 race driver. And finally I only saw 5 star user reviews for MDX. I have now clocked 45000 miles in 2 years. (No major repairs only maintenance so far) Still feel like a kid getting into it every morning. Feels good to drive it knowing it will not fail me and give me the best driving experience. I just returned from the 2016 LA Auto show and realized my MDX is still so very good. I do get 17.5mpg combined. Highly, highly recommend this car. I wish Acura continued with the same or higher powered engines for the 2016 and up models. I strongly feel when ones willing to pocket out $60K price tag 2 or 3 mpg shouldnt be an issue. I shall have mine for 2 more years and hopefully by then Acura will come up with a higher hp MDX...

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  Just Dumped it - 2014 Acura MDX
  By Smokejumper - November 22 - 5:22 pm

  This was our third MDX, and the last. Unfortunately, they got progressively worse. We had a 2004 that was great for nearly 10 years. We bought a second in 2007 which was different, but fine. An accident with the 2007 left it with electrical issues that the Acura dealership couldnt fix after a dozen trips in so we got rid of it. I immediately bought a 2014 without really looking around - what a mistake. -The transmission and breaking are horrible. -The navigation system performs less reliably than my iPhone maps app. -The voice command system is completely worthless. -The seats are among the least comfortable Ive been in. Overall, the 2014 MDX would be a disappointment at a price point 10K under what it sells for. I dumped it after 20K miles. Goodbye, Acura.

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  Outdated tech package makes the TLX a near miss - 2015 Acura TLX
  By William - November 22 - 10:53 am

  There are many things that I expect from a mid-level luxury car and the TLX is a miss on half of them. The climate control system when set to auto seems to set the fan speed on the higher settings which are extremely noisy and doesnt seem to hold temperature very well. The lane keeping system is a dangerous miss it disengages often and for no apparent reason with an almost inaudible chirp, and sometimes doesnt indicate that it has disengaged at all. The navigation system is awful The trip planning doesnt take into account traffic when calculating route times and therefore you will often get the worst routes. There is no option to send route information or addresses from your phone/online to your cars nav. The transmission is smooth in normal mode but the economy mode is a little herky-jerky. Shifting from park into reverse on a slight incline (think driveway) results in a gut-wrenching noise. The sport mode and sport+ modes are fun in winding mountain roads, but the lack of any acceleration limits their fun factor. Braking is mushy. The seating is spacious and comfortable in both back and front. The seating controls are intuitive and easy to reach. The two driver settings are tied to the keys which is a nice touch. The trunk is also large and easy to access. If the lane keeping system and nav performed as expected this would be the perfect touring car , but like I said its a near miss

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  Acura RDX Rules !!!!! - 2015 Acura RDX
  By Stephen Bahsler - November 21 - 8:23 am

  I purchased a 2015 RDX, AWD Technology Package in May 2015. As time goes by I love the car even more. It has a smooth, quiet ride, great handling, excellent performance and great fuel economy (23.5 mpg avg). It also has an excellent sound system. The neighbors must wonder why I dont always get out of the car right away when I get home (because I am still listening to the stereo).

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  great car...very quick - 2012 Acura TL
  By Chris B - November 18 - 5:22 pm

  I love my 2012 acura tl

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  Awesome city to hwy - 1998 Acura Integra
  By Tiana tt - November 18 - 11:35 am

  Freatest Gas Mileage Ever!!!!! A/C is not gas guzzler. Sunroof is perfect on road trips or fresh air and stargazing $20 tank is full! 25city 33hwy Steering and handling very nice and easy Sm size gives agility to freeways and traffic merging, u turns, parking lots and parallel parking. Safe and sturdy in storms and rain. Maintenance and parts easy to order on line at most part stores and Honda compatible . Light v tech engine does not bog down and smooth shifting . Power and torque is solid , more so than 6cl sedans or manual 5 sod. Easier acceleration shifts and on grades, able to pass up American muscle cars and sports cars as trans shift smooth and solid in 3 and 4th gear without losing power on grades, traffic, lanes changes and stop n go traffic. Always a compliment at gas stations or out in public and at mechanic shops and offer ups from all . Very well maintained and experts have same diagnoses, drive train and engine good for at least to 350,000 miles. Plastic and rubber parts did not like desert arid and harsh sun along w extreme element changes . Most newly replaced in last 30,000miles/ 2 yrs 200,900 mile complete overhaul and tune up . Smooth quiet engine and tire noise. The year 1998 is Aluminum V tech w Norwegian and Japanese top technology and ingenuity !!!! Automatic w manual technology and power is a collector s classic treasure as in 1998 most cars were 2DSD or 4 DSD and basic R series . GSR manual and LS automatic hatchback coupes are the unique rounded and light body styles that outlast outwit outplay all the best and easily show up top in race! My favorite commute game to work? Live GTA 5 . When that bumped up V8 revs and downshifts to show off and yet as the easy shifts w Acura 1998 LS 3dr automatic there is no downshift as you cruise into acceleration while that V8 you quietly pass and gain in 3rd to 4th to 5th and best of all , you have a full tank of gas not lost to down and upshifting and car weight of large fuel tank and large trunk to length or square angled shape or heavy ride interior heavy engine . Interior fans and A/C keep aluminum v tech engine cool as that is key to this car. Heat on interior fans does overwork engine coolant system . This car is perfect for modern seasonal weather that is above freezing temps and below triple digit heat summer heat waves. to hold acceleration in hwy traffic, lane changes, curves, and hills or grades . This car is my friend and family member. Letting go of Esmerelda is difficult to make a better choice for a expert that has skills and talents and able to troubleshoot and think out of the box and gets the Japanese and Norwegian blend and transition from trusted Honda innovation to all Acura innovation. The best of all Acura years and series and models !!!!!! If you have the passion for a lifetime of a great car and ability and knowledge and mechanical skills to restore and reinvent a perfect combo of daily commute, weekend road trips, and Friday and Saturday nights at track winning the prize money that Acura would pay for itself and bring profit and noteriaty and put underground import racing above American fuel guzzling show offs in their place and maybe start a wave of new Norwegian and Japanese ingenuity to save gas oil pollution without having to power w emectruty as well ( electricity more use and demand is not saving the global warming or the economic drain to society from private owned profit monopolies electric co. INTEGRITY is the best key word of Acura LS 1998 3dr automatic ! No tricks, no gimmicks , no strings No fossil footprint left behind No ego European Anerixan Asian crossover of the best of the best and the best 1998 Classic edition of R series hatchback coupe rounded body style 2 dr and auto has ability to match GSR and step up with the winners club!

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  Like a old pair of worn out boots - 2001 Acura CL
  By B.C - November 16 - 11:09 am

  2001 CL type-S Aesthetically it is terrible. The clear coat is really thin so the paints fades in spots and on the edges. The fake "wood" trim peels off everywhere in the interior. The interior hardware is really sturdy other than the trim and the cover for the front cup holders. The tranny had issues with the torque converter which was a recall but Honda took care of that. The trainsmission slipped rarely for a few years after that but works ok 7 years later. The Engine is a diamond. It wont die on me even though I wanted it too so the wife would let me get a new car. I really dont treat the engine the respect it deserves. The O2 sensors quit on me 8 years ago and I use nothing but regular gas. Oil change 3 to 4 times a year with regular oil. The car runs rich due to my negligence but passes emissions every time. I get between 16.8 and 17.2 mpg city driving. My assessment...the car is like a pair of old work boots that gets uglier in time but wont wear out. Its dependable