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:

• 

  Title? ? GARBAGE - 2002 Acura TL
  By Willie Hopkins - November 15 - 7:25 pm

  Do not buy this car, dont even think about it, if you want something sporty and luxurious go for Lexus Honda/Acura will never have my business again, this car is on its 5th transmission and I refuse to get it replaced again the car is known for its transmission problems and recalls the car has been wrecked once due to the cars bad transmission at 75mph it dropped into 1st gear and all the tires locked I spun off the road and had to get towed that was when I was told Id need my 5th transmission 5 thousand miles in and its already sliiping and locking. Save yourself some trouble and never buy an Acura or a Honda this is dangerous and outrageous especially the fact that the company will only replace your transmission with one that has previously failed after usually giving you the run-a-round this is the worst purchase I have ever made and I advise any buyer to do research on this car before you buy it. Its awesome if you want to replace a transmission every 40-40k miles cheap interior,boring styling but to each his own I suppose have fun. You might get more use out of it as a yard ornimant because it probably wont leave your driveway one day!

• 

  great car and inexpensive - 2002 Acura RSX
  By stewart reiman - November 15 - 3:36 pm

  t is a sports car, not a family car

• 

  Love this car! - 2015 Acura TLX
  By Arathena - November 14 - 1:12 pm

  I’ve had my eye on the Acura TL since it first came out years ago. When I finally had an excuse to get a new car, I made sure to test drive it, only this time the newer model is TLX. I test drove a variety of cars - sedans/sporty cars/SUVs, like from Subaru, Mazda, Ford, and finally the Acura ILX and TLX, not really sure which car I wanted, but I did know that I wanted something that combined elegance, sportiness and reliability, bonus for comfort, spaciousness, fuel efficiency, and if it came in crimson. I didn’t get that last one, but I definitely got everything else with the TLX! Pros: — Great bang for the buck! I didn’t set out to buy a luxury car, though Acura touts it as such, and it’s cheaper than their competitors. I just wanted something that has most of the things I mentioned above, and I got a great deal for them. — LOVE the Brake Hold feature. When it’s on, simply tap on the brake pedal, let go, and the car stays stopped. Step on the gas and off you go. Very handy! — It’s QUIET! I love whatever noise cancellation Acura incorporated. Whether talking on the car speaker phone system, listening to music or to silence, you get the most out of it. — Other pluses are the soft leathers, wood-like paneling on the door handles, a dim light that laminates the door handle so you can easily see it in the dark. The lights on auto adjust depending on how light or dark it is outside, so if I’m in a dark garage building, it’ll go brighter. The windshield wipers on auto can be adjusted depending on how wet it is. The trunk cargo - you can lift up the bottom flap and find extra cubby holes. — AWS rocks! Great handling, steering is stable and braking is responsive. I’ve driven it in light and heavy rain and had no problems. — Though 2.4L doesn’t have turbo, it’s still quite nimble and zippy. — Love the 8-speed Dual Clutch Transmission. It comes with 4 modes: Econ, Normal, Sport, Sport+ (this uses the paddle shifters). In traffic I switch to Economy, but by default I use Sport mode for the higher revs and faster acceleration. The paddle shifters can only be fun for so long, and not so fun when you’re trying to turn the wheel so you can’t easily paddle-shift up or down. Sport/Sport+ mode gives me the feeling of manual shifting, only smoother and without the stick. If they came out with a stick shift version, I would really love it more, but for an automatic, I think it’s pretty awesome! — Fuel economy - my daily commute involves a lot of stop-and-go freeway traffic, but so far I’m getting 25.4 mpg. — Suspension - this is such a comfortable ride! It’s rigid enough to be sporty, but you hardly feel the bumps on the road. Best of both worlds to me. — Infotainment: Generally easy to use. It’s strange at first that there are 2 screens. The upper one can display navigation or music playlist (easier to look at for line of sight, the lower one is a touch screen to control things like settings, climate, music (closer to access by hand). — Except for the front (see cons), I love the look. It’s classy, sleek, sporty. Fantastic wheels even at base model. I get a lot of compliments from my coworkers when they see me driving in. — I opted out of the tech package since I didn’t want to spend an extra $4K, nor an extra $10K for AWD and V6 engine, but if you can afford either, go for it. Very nice to have. Cons: — Infotainment: Slow response for bluetooth and could be more intuitive. It takes longer for the system to detect my device phone or tablet. When I skip a song or go back one, there’s a few seconds delay. It’s annoying, but I can live with it. What does annoy me quite a bit, though thankfully I don’t do much of, is that while driving and trying to switch to my phone that I just connected via bluetooth, if the mode is not already on bluetooth (like it’s on XM), instead of the Infotainment switching automatically to bluetooth and displaying my music from my phone, I have to tap on the bluetooth button. This is an unnecessary extra step. — Sporty, but not that fun on windy roads. This is probably due to the AWS, which keeps the car VERY stable, which means you don’t get the sensation of possibly slipping or tipping over, ha. — Front is a little conservative (it’s growing on me, though). I prefer the sportier look on the front of ILX, but over all I think I got more bang for my buck with TLX, so I don’t mind so much. — Not a gripe, but you should expect this in case you plan to have 4 other people ride with you on a more regular basis: the 4th person who will be sitting in the middle of the back seat will not be so comfortable, I’m told. Definitely not for a tall person, that seat. Make sure when you test drive that you have someone try out that seat.

• 

  Smooth Operator - 2015 Acura TLX
  By CKW101 - November 11 - 8:58 am

  Reading some of the negative reviews on edmunds, I was very surprised. My 6-cyl TLX with Tech package is one of the smoothest cars I have ever owned. This is my third Acura (05 RL, 12 TL with SH-AWD) and it is by far the best. Didnt need the SH-AWD in this vehicle, and Ive really enjoyed the precision steering - I dont miss the SH-AWD at all (and my dad has the SH-AWD with Advance Package - also a great car, but more than what I needed). The size is comfortable, the transmission is much much smoother than the 2012 TL I owned, and the interior quality rivals any other Japanese luxury standard. If you are surprised that there is no gearshift, or that the badge doesnt have three letters in it, well seriously: why are you surprised or disappointed? You should know what you are buying: a comfortable and engaging sedan, with plenty of room, and excellent mileage (around 27 mpg in a mixed traffic for me) and the rock-solid reliability that keeps me from considering German competitors. I didnt buy this car to impress anyone I bought it for me - and its been a great choice so far. Changing the selection from Economy to Sport to Sport + is like changing cars. Its all there, with tightened suspension and a completely different feel. I looked at Lexus, and I drive everything in the rental car fleet, but this car is on par with the smoothness and comfort of Lexus sedans (and I really appreciate the luxury feel in the TLX - much much better than the jerky, muscle-car-wannabe transmission in the 12 TL). Yet this car manages to still inspire with engaging driving dynamics and all-around dimensions that add up to a perfect fit for me. Dont expect this car to be another brand, drive it for what it is: a whole lot of car for the money.

• 

  A German car born in Japan - 2008 Acura TSX
  By Andy - November 10 - 10:25 pm

  What a Car! One of Hondas best!! I purchased a used 08 TSX with over 100k as a daily. Drives better much much then my brand new 2015 Honda accord. This TSX is made in Japan and the new Accord in Ohio, just goes to show the difference in quality. Excellent handling and performance. Its a real drivers car, quality interior not cheap plastics like the new accord. You feel you have the power of a V6 with that Vtec 4 cylinder. I have owned a BMW 3 series, A4, A6 and a C300. But this car is on par with all the other german rivals if not much better definitely then the 3 series e90 I had before the TSX. It handles like a dream and corners just great, even though it is not RWD. It is very very tight on corners! I have driven this up the mountains and on bends and handles perfectly. The reliability is just great as it is a Honda. This engine is bullet proof, one of Hondas best engines. I have seen 250K on these cars and they still drive great. Great Sound system, HID lights and Very comfortable seats! This car is a hidden gem. You hardly see any on the roads, most people dont know about this brand and model that Honda has produced for its europe market but rebranded as Acura for the USA. If you can get a low mileage (100k) with service history BUY IT!! you wont be disappointed as they will go past 250k flawlessly . They Look great and modern and I got a lot of compliments too even though it was a 2008.

• 

  Acura TL 2008 - 2008 Acura TL
  By Guillermo Ortiz - November 10 - 3:20 pm

  Is An Excellent car cant complain about anything

• 

  Dont believe what the dealer tells you - 2003 Acura TL
  By Larry Krause - November 5 - 8:45 pm

  Purchased this vehicle used (106K) to replace my aging 99 TL. Dealer told me that the timing belt had recently been changed. At 123K it failed and l had to replace the engine. Vehicle has been great ever since. Replaced shocks and struts last year and it drives like a new car. Giving the car to my son and replacing it with my 5th Acura. A 2016 RDX.

• 

  A hidden gem. - 2005 Acura RL
  By D del - November 5 - 2:58 pm

  I traded an 05 Lexus GS300 for this car. I found the GS extremely comfortable, quiet, and with solid build quality. But I wouldnt go back to that because it was just a bore to drive. Now to the RL. I could care less that this looks or is often mistaken for a Honda Accord. Ill readily admit Acura doesnt have the prestige factor of a Lexus or Audi, both of which Ive owned. Its not why I buy cars. The RL is really a hidden gem, a sleeper of sorts. It might not look special, it might not be the fastest, most luxurious nor the best driving car. It ccomplishes what I both need and desire in a car - AWD (sh-awd is no gimic, this system should be the AWD standard. Ive owned a few Audis and while Quattro is great in its own right especially in snow, Honda has something great in SH-AWD), reliability, sportier driving dynamics, luxury features, decent style in/out (nothing flashy, not overstyled, something that will age well, which conservative styling typically achieves) And honestly, I think its a great looking car. There are a couple things Id change which I know Acura has in newer models. The 5 speed tranny is slow to shift in manual mode. It also seems more geared toward fuel economy over sport, which Id get but the fuel economy isnt the greatest. There are bigger cars with V8s that get better mileage. I dont like that I have to switch to a different menu to control the climate. The voice commands are helpful but not always practical (like if a passenger is trying to sleep)

• 

  The best car ever - 2003 Acura TL
  By Sandra G - November 5 - 2:58 am

  I purchased the 03 Acura TL S in 08. I paid $7,500. Worth every cent. I have had a Nissan Maxima / Mitsubishi Galant / Honda Accord/ Chevy Blazer/ Toyota Celica/ Ford Explorer just to name a few. This is by far the best car I have ever had. It had 70,000 miles when I purchased it. It now has 180,000 miles on it and still going strong. I keep up with the oil changes and tune ups. Just regular mantaince and it is as smooth as glass to drive. The acceleration smooth speed awesome just a fun & comfortable car to drive. My son is now driving it and loves it over the new 2014 Nissan Rogue.

• 

  Overall, great car but it does have some problems - 2014 Acura RLX
  By SS - November 2 - 8:50 pm

  Im very happy with the performance, handling, ergonomics and fuel efficiency. The only major complaint I have is with the battery going dead when the car sits for more than 2 days. I suspect its a parasitic draw, possibly from the HFL module. Taking it back to the dealer and plan to leave it with them until they fix it. Apparently this is a problem with Acuras and I will not recommend buying this model, or any of the other ones, until they address it.