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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  smooth ride - 2004 Acura MDX
  By alibclan - August 11 - 2:00 am

  this vehicle handles great. at 80 mph it feels like it is travelling 55. tight around corners for an suv. it is also very comfortable inside, has lots of room and a very good sound system.

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  more car for the money!!! - 2003 Acura TL
  By acuratlpower - August 11 - 2:00 am

  This car is fun to drive and is comfortable. THe engine is very quiet. Sometimes i forget that its on when im heating the car up. I once was about to turn the car on again because it didnt feel like it was on. Good quality car. i love it..

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  TL Review - 2004 Acura TL
  By Harry032 - August 11 - 2:00 am

  Recently purchased, drives great, handles great, is very comfortable, roomy, and stylist. So far a great purchase. Havent had it long enough to evaluate fuel ecomony.

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  2 Week Status Report of my 04 TL w/ Navi - 2004 Acura TL
  By Poe - August 11 - 2:00 am

  It has been two weeks since I picked up my Black/Ebony 04 TL w/Navigation. This is by far the most fun to drive vehicle I have ever owned. I am the former owner of a 2002 BMW 330i, and I must say the TL has proven to be a pleasant surprise. The power is quite adequate, and the handling is impressive. I really enjoy the styling of this car, and have received far more positive comments from strangers than I ever did driving my Bimmer. The interior quality is outstanding, and the sound system is the best stock system I have ever heard. Best all- around package under $40K!

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  Great Car! - 2002 Acura RSX
  By jdaclown - August 11 - 1:53 am

  I absolutely love this car... half a year and still counting, no problems with it whatsoever!

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  Quality and Image - 2005 Acura TL
  By Courtney - August 10 - 6:40 pm

  Having my vehicle for only two months this car makes me feel safe knowing all the safety features, but it is also sporty. This VTech engine gives this vehicle a lot of horsepower, while maintaining luxury and comfort that a car should include. I love my TL, and searched around for a year before making my final decision on this purchase. I couldnt have made a better one.

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  2007 Acura TL Type-S - 2007 Acura TL
  By Loglendin - August 9 - 1:26 am

  Test drove the Lexus IS 350, BMW 335i and Type-S. Type-S best deal for the $. Not the fastest car but great for everyday use.

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  Sports car in SUV shell - 2009 Acura RDX
  By Tim - August 6 - 5:30 pm

  The sportiest of a batch of SUVs available that year: BMW X3, Volvo XC60, and Audi Q5. Excellent mechanical reliability, although a couple electronics issues with the side-view mirror.

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  Great Pick - 2006 Acura TSX
  By DJS31982 - August 6 - 4:30 pm

  I have had this car a little over a week. I waited for the 06 because of the bluetooth addition. I am also very glad I opted for the navi system...it rocks. I am happy with the power, however it could use more torque. I went from an 04 Jetta 1.8T with 5 speed to this car. The Jetta was much faster in the take off, which is also because the TSX is automatic. The car drives and rides great, grips the road very well. The seats are very supportive and comfortable. There are more electronic goodies on this car, than you can imagine. I drove an Audi A4, Mercedes C-class and BMW 3-series. This by far was the winner, in my opinion. You get so much for the money, too.

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  Love my type-S!!! - 2007 Acura TL
  By levende - August 4 - 5:43 am

  Absolutely love my Acura TL Type-S. After test driving nearly every car in its class - BMW 330, Infinity G35 (2006), Mercedes C280, Lexus ES 350, etc.- this car stood out as the best option for me. It is comfortable, had solid performance, large back seat. My only 2 complaintsare that it gets just okay gas mileage, and the front end could be better styled. Overall love it!