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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  great car - 2006 Acura TL
  By johnny - November 30 - 2:00 am

  I have not been let down with this car fun to drive good on gass, looks great would by another one.

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  All good - 2011 Acura MDX
  By Mike - November 30 - 2:00 am

  After not even considering this SUV, all I have to say is awesome. Performance, feel, and value, what a shocker. Please go drive all the others, then drive this one. You will be happy to write a review after you buy it!!!!. Great product.

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  All Around Well Built - 2008 Acura RDX
  By Erik B. - November 28 - 2:00 am

  This is the first car in the luxury category that I considered buying. I own all Honda products. Pros: comfortable drivers seat, thrill to drive, rock solid reliability, Maintenance Minder system, sports car handling Cons: cheap aluminum accents, turbo lag, slightly cramped back seat, navigation should be touchscreen (selector knob is cumbersome, stock tires wear quickly Overall, I do like this car. It was a dealership loaner with 17,000 miles on it. It lacks the refinement of the other cars in this class (BMW X3, LandRover LR3, etc.) but for the price you get all the options you could ever need. I will most likely opt for another Acura when purchasing my next vehicle.

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  6 years and counting - 2005 Acura TL
  By Naval Air - November 28 - 2:00 am

  As a retired Naval Aviator, I have a sincere appreciation for performance, reliability and “fit”. I purchased my 2005 TL new with the assumptions that it would provide years of performance and have the road manors to handle long trips without rattling my old bones. Actually, the car has surpassed those expectations and is categorically the best car I’ve ever owned. It has some inherit limitations involving wet or snowy road conditions that may challenge even an experienced driver, but overall it’s a keeper.

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  Awesome Ride - 2005 Acura TL
  By sjd94975 - November 28 - 2:00 am

  I bought my TL new and after doing a bit of specializing, had the stock rims dipped in black chrome, drove off the lot & only return when its time for regular maintenance. I love this car, its sophisticated styling inside & out still make it a head turner 5 years in. It handles great and is very responsive when you need to get going. The large screen Navi is great, XM feature w/ awesome 6 speaker stereo sound, voice command features incl bluetooth cellular...this car has it all. I think my 2005 looks is better than the 2011 I see at the dealership. Never regreted this purchase...ever!

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  All Around Great Car, High Reliability - 2006 Acura TSX
  By HSJIII - November 27 - 2:00 am

  TSX is the best all around value in the entry level luxury segment or maybe in any segment. After 21,000 miles in one year and 49,500 total there is not a squeak or rattle. I average 31-33 mpg highway w/ Mobil 1 synthetic oil. Service cost is low especially if you change filters yourself (simple). Road noise is muted. Super quiet engine. Headlights are very bright with wide illumination. Low insurance costs. This is my second TSX.

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  Nissan Sales Manager Hung Up On the MDX - 2011 Acura MDX
  By Jeff L. - November 27 - 2:00 am

  I have been in the auto industry for 14 years and have owned over 50 vehicles and now with 3 little girls of my own I have come to understand the value of space and reliability and the MDX has all of these on its mind! We traded a 2010 Honda Odyssey in becuase if the overall minivan depression most parents feel when the switch is made and this car not only does it all but easily fits 2 car seats and a booster. The controlls are easy to manage and the MDX drives like a sports car. I am an Acura fan and this car is no disappointment if you have the means do yourself a favotr and get one!

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  Just like new - 2006 Acura TSX
  By RB & PB - November 26 - 2:00 am

  Approaching 100k.Recently had the brakes done and new tires (oem)put on the car,it feels as new as the day it rolled off the dealers lot.The controls still feel like they were dipped in butter.The clean,classic lines and overall styling of this car remains relevant.The car suffers from a lack of low-end torque & poor acceleration from a dead stop. Acura missed a golden opportunity to remedy this by not offering a turbo I4 (like the RDX) and thus maintaining the "agile/light/tossable" personality of this car. Test drove the new TSX and did not like the numb steering & dull interior ,may consider other options like the IS 350 AWD (increase HP, AT dual shift capability,heated/cooled seats,etc.

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  Will miss it - 2008 Acura TL
  By fav920 - November 26 - 2:00 am

  My lease is ending after 3yrs of ownership and I am sorry to see it go. I have considered buying it out, but I will be out of warranty. I have been searching for a CPO with low miles to purchase. I did not have ONE bad experience with this car, and although the new style is growing on me, the 08 is much nicer. Great looking, sporty driving, and 50,000 miles without having to replace brakes and/or tires! Thanks, Acura...

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  1995 SE Acura Integra - 1995 Acura Integra
  By SS - November 24 - 2:00 am

  Im the original owner, and I love, love, love my car. I have 122,950 miles on it, and its running as well as the first day. Its a stick shift, which I think is the best way to drive. Ive always followed the maintenance requirements -and some extra maintenance considering it was stolen - twice! They wanted the leather seats and middle console. Even so, I was so happy to get it back somewhat intact. The last theft was 7 years ago (yes, I moved). I have never had any mechanical problems with this car. Well, thats not exactly true, my antenna has recently gotten stuck in the UP position. They say I need a new motor - $500! Anyway, still a happy owner...15+ years.