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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  False MPG Claim! - 2011 Acura MDX
  By ezboston - December 8 - 7:35 am

  I have a 2010 MDX Tech Package/entertainment since April and my Average MPG is between 11/13 MPG. I have been conservatively driving the car. I do 80% Highway. Horrible car to get if you are are concerned about getting that extra few MPG.

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  Awesome - 2005 Acura TL
  By Anonymous - December 8 - 2:00 am

  Bought the car used with 120k one owner,Ive had for a year now and it drives like its show room condition! The orginal owner never took it in for any problems during warranty. 4 door sedan with good muscle power. Japanese know how to build cars, thats for sure! I love my TL.

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  Second TSX - 2010 Acura TSX
  By him1 - December 7 - 2:00 am

  Already have a 2005 Six speed. Was looking for a second car with Automatic. Done the all possible research and test driving. Nothing beats this Acura- so got another one! Compared to 2005 model it is a different car in all respects (and better). Much better build quality, much more luxury and refinement all over. It is by no means underpowered or less sporty (some critics have said last gen was more sporty). This car also has much better road grip, cornering and braking. It will be difficult to find another car within $4-$5000 that matches the TSX - not even TL.

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  Its just ok - 2008 Acura RDX
  By Anonymous - December 6 - 2:00 am

  I have been driving my RDX for 2 months now. Interior is nice with heated leather seats, moonroof. Not enough room in the back, my tall 9 year old wont be able to sit back there in a few years. Gas mileage is awful. 20 mpg on average. Its a gas guzzler and you must buy premium gas. poor cargo room. My honda crv had double the cargo. Nice pick up with the turbo acceleration. But too much of a gas guzzler, cant wait to get rid of it. Luxury vehicles are way over rated and not practical for the cost. I suggest you shop around before buying a luxury car. Total waste of money just for transportation.

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  My 4th Acura RL - 2007 Acura RL
  By Mike - December 5 - 2:00 am

  This is my 4th RL the exterior design, while well executed, is boring. It is solid but not as reassuring to drive as the previous models. It is surpringly fast when passing. The fit and finish are as expected the metallic paint is beautiful. The voice activation system remains a mystery, but the navigation system is easier to use than before: no need to touch the screen. The front doors are larger than they need to be and are hard to reach to close. In general, getting in and out is not as easy in this model. Steering is lighter than expected road and wind noise can be intrusive, but for the excellent sound system. The trunk floor is not flat.

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  A perfect 10,but maybe not for everyone - 2010 Acura ZDX
  By Hilbily 385 - December 3 - 2:00 am

  I really like this car. Its clearly not for everyone and although its a crossover its capacity is limited so in reality its a hatchback coupe with four doors. We also have a Honda van and an Acura MDX so this is my personal driver. Its comfortable, with a lot of nice features, plenty of power and a fun car to drive. Im now looking for places to drive it I enjoy it so much.

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  A piece of feces wrapped in gold - 2005 Acura MDX
  By JC in DC - December 3 - 2:00 am

  Its bright and shiny on the outside and completely unreliable on the inside. The transmission failed at 71000 miles - dealer wants $4,000 to repair. Paid $45,592 new for the vehicle and $6465 on repairs since 2005. If we pay for the transmission it will be over $10,000 - more than 22% of the original cost. Bluetooth stopped working at 50,000 miles Engine required $3,278 worth of repairs at 60,000 miles. We use this car as our primary family vehicle - nothing strenuous or abusive. I would never buy a Honda product ever again.

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  not for babies with carseats and stuff! - 1993 Acura Integra
  By Chrissie - December 2 - 2:00 am

  i got this car right before i had my baby girl...thought a good gas-mileage hatchback was a smart buy to help with saving money while getting around...i read a post about the head- gasket...well...same here...the babys rear-facing infant seat barely fits in the back...no cupholders...now im looking to sell the car and get a different one...:(

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  never again!!! - 2006 Acura MDX
  By mumbless89 - December 1 - 2:00 am

  comfortable car and roomy but the problems that you get with this $40k car are unreal. Torque converters, transmissions, water leaks, cheap broken plastics, leather seats ripped after 4 years......gaskets around the doors are torn already!! unreal. Never again will i buy another acura product.

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  A Great car! - 1999 Acura RL
  By BostonBob - November 30 - 2:00 am

  This was our 2nd CPO Acura vehicle that I paid $24k for with 58k miles. My first was a 94 Legend with 13k miles (paid $24k) and our most recent is a 2005 RL with 50k - paid $24k. See the theme? This 99 has been nearly bullet-proof. It has been frequently mistaken for an S class MB. I love the classic and timeless look of this body style. It is a fantastic hi-way cruiser that loves to cruise at 75 all day long. Smooth and quiet ride. It is conservative with a touch of elegance.