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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  Nice car, inconsiderate customer treatment - 2007 Acura TL
  By glenviewjeff - June 7 - 11:08 am

  This is now my second TL I should have learned my lesson from my first experience. On my first TL, I bought the extended warranty from the Acura dealer who promised it was a "bumper to bumper" warranty. Acura would not stand behind the interior trim that was falling off the door handle when the car was about four years old. This time around, I had a problem with the air conditioner that likely occurred while the warranty was in effect, but was not detectable until the first warm day, which occurred about 30 days after the warranty expired, when I brought it to the dealer. I wont be buying Acura refused to consider honoring the warranty until I paid the dealer a $100 diagnostic.

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  Not really good for the money - 2010 Acura RDX
  By dahaad3925 - June 4 - 2:28 pm

  The RDX was really convenient for the extra cargo space, but it lacked two things that really bugged me. 1.) storage space in the cabin. There was absolutely no where to put anything out of sight in the cargo compartment. I wish they had put more little cubbies to store stuff in. 2.) The cabin noise when you drive down the street. I could hear everything and it drove me nuts! I am a luxury car owner. Before the RDX I owned a BMW, and in comparison I wanted my BMW back everyday. Overall, I dont think the RDX was worth the almost 40K I paid for it brand new. Im not going to lie, the surround sound and technology was nice, but its practicality is why it gets a partial substandard review.

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  Mostly Up - 2011 Acura RDX
  By farrellg - June 3 - 11:34 pm

  Mostly a good experience, but small cargo capacity, small place for drivers stuff. Backup camera not good in bright sunlight. Nice drive with turbo and shifting, but poor mileage + uses high price gas. With Honda/Acura reliability, it should be very good. Would make changes in seating. Hard ride for all. Guess the MDX might have been a better choice. Should get better mileage.

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  dont expect to carry anything heavy - 2010 Acura MDX
  By saturnoutlook - June 1 - 12:05 pm

  Love this car, but unlike other SUVs Ive owned this one is more car than truck. On several occasions I have hauled cargo that the car should have been able to easily handle, approximately 300 - 400 lbs. However, that was not the case, both times the car wondered all over the road, behaving like it was overaloded, definately not what I expected.

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  This is a sedan??? - 2011 Acura TL
  By becca00 - May 26 - 1:21 pm

  Ok, Im posting this VERY late (had TL for a year, but just bought an MDX in Nov.). I wish I could have both, but not enough garage space. Ive had several sedans in the past. This sedan doesnt feel like a sedan, its a LUXURY SPORTS CAR!!! Handling is fantastic (and I didnt even get the SHAWD). Acceleration is wonderful. All of the tech stuff (nav, ipod hookup, stereo, bluetooth) are perfect. Gas mileage is good. The interior design is far superior to all other sedans I looked at and test drove. I have to say, the exterior is SO nice! Ive had more compliments on the look of this car than any other Ive had. The exterior look is actually what made me want it in the first place.

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  Great car! - 2003 Acura MDX
  By gardner3 - May 22 - 12:00 pm

  This car overall is great! Its roomy, comfortable, smooth to drive, has power and looks good. The sound system is nice, heated seats work well, seats fold, and I generally had no problems in long drives.

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  Abyss Blue Pearl 6 Speed Manual TL - 2005 Acura TL
  By blacsteel1 - May 19 - 1:09 pm

  I purchased my 05 TL used in 2007 w/just over 24K miles. The car looked sharp, had a nice ride and was loaded w/everything (Navi, Hands Free Phone, Voice activation, moonroof etc.) The transmission operated smoothly and the car had great performance and handling esp. considering its a front wheel drive vehicle. One thing I did notice after a few months was that under brisk acceleration (not jack rabbit starts mind you) the car seemed to hesitate as if traction control had been activated. I ended up ditching the Michelin Pilot MXMV... and getting Bridgestone RE 960AS (stayed w/ 17") and the car has handled like a dream ever since.

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  Why did Acura Stop Making This? - 1994 Acura Legend
  By alexgutfleish - May 17 - 7:42 pm

  I recently inherited my grandmothers 1994 Acura Legend, which only has 42,300 on the odometer. Overall the car is great, I love the handling, the acceleration, and the rear visibility is fantastic for a sedan of that size. The only things I dislike are the automatic transmission, which bucks when going from first to second. Also, the car does not get the best fuel economy and requires premium fuel, which isnt the best when gas is $4.20-4.50 a gallon. Finally, in terms of technology its "outdated" (It has a cassette player and no GPS). Other than that I love it. Great car!

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  A value leader in its class - 2011 Acura TSX
  By marcus216 - May 17 - 2:25 pm

  Just purchased 2011 TSX 4 cyl automatic. I Wanted more of a personal sedan than a family sedan and the TSX fits the bill. I love the way the car handles both curves and pot holes. It is a nice compromise in handling and smooth ride. The engine pulls nicely and it reasonably quiet. It is not going to throw your head back when bearing down on the accelerator, but it is peppy enough for almost any situation. And the gas mileage is quite good. Close to mid 30s highway. The interior is a winner, better than my neighbors IS 250. Super comfortable seats and a great stereo. And decent room in the back seat.

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  14 Months, 25K - Little Better - 2010 Acura TL
  By jimmyt_2 - May 11 - 8:26 pm

  This is my 3rd post here on this car. The big change since the last post is that the dealer was able to find the source of the "squeal". They replaced a piece of the drive shaft and all is well now. At 25K no other issues have developed. The car is holding up well and I am finally really enjoying it.