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:

• 

  Absolutely LOVE it!!! - 2010 Acura TSX
  By RMS2440 - December 16 - 10:11 pm

  I traded in my old, unreliable, V6 VW Jetta for the new 2010 TSX V6 with Tech Package. A sharp looking car, real fun to drive, comfortable seating and incredible sound system. The Tech Package is an absolute must! (The Blue Tooth Audio function works great with an iPhone!) The power of the V6 is quite an improvement over the 4-cyl. I took both for a test drive, and while the 4-cyl had impressive power, the V6 had a noticeably sportier feel to it. Ive had my TSX for 3 months now, and couldnt be happier.

• 

  Zero maintenance issues - 2009 Acura TSX
  By Love my TSX - December 16 - 2:42 am

  I am comparing the car to a 3 series BMW. And I must now admit I did develop an emotional attachment to the way the BMW drives the TSX just is not as exciting to drive. Here are the little things that do make up for the performance difference - tire pressure monitor, customized lighting settings, customized locking and unlocking of doors, auto reset of trip meter after gasing up, large GPS display, seemless bluetooth integration, nice all around visibility, very comfortable seats (and still sporty), good storage space, better pedal placement than the BMW, Ipod integration, and finally, zero maintenance issues.

• 

  Love it - 2010 Acura TSX
  By gd - December 15 - 10:34 pm

  I traded my old Porsche in for an Acura TSX Tech with the 6 cylinder engine. The front wheel drive took a while to get used to but no problem. The car has plenty of zip and is very comfortable. The stereo is very good and its nice to be able to really hear my music. Bottom line is, while its no Porsche (there is no substitute) it is a fun, sporty car that is quick, corners well and has room for my golf clubs. Love the car.

• 

  Not a Honda, and thats a good thing - 2010 Acura TL
  By Bob - December 15 - 1:08 pm

  Just purchased this vehicle after several test drives. The audio is fantastic--best stock system Ive heard. The AWD platform lacks some of the RWD jazz the G37x does, but youll appreciate that FWD bias in the winter. Also, the Super-Handling is otherworldly. Just try to cause understeer--you cant do it. It out-cornered every other car I drove. I test drove all its competitors, and none of them achieve the balance of value, performance, comfort, features, and reliability that this car does. The torque hits max at c.5k RPM, so this is more of a highway driver than a drag racer. However, in sport mode, you can row the 5AT yourself, and see how fast you hit the power band

• 

  Great Car! - 2006 Acura TL
  By SpeedRacerGabe - December 15 - 11:02 am

  I have owned my TL for about 3.5 yrs now and I still love it as much as I did when new. The most reliable car I have ever owned, great performance and with the 6-speed I just love driving through the mountain roads and winding up the engine. Fuel mileage better than I expected and have seen 38 on the hwy thanks to a couple of performance upgrades.

• 

  1 Week Review - 2005 Acura TL
  By Airmobile - December 15 - 8:50 am

  I was fortunate to be able to purchase my TL thru my sister which works at Honda Corporate so I got a good deal. The car has plenty of power but does not have a plush ride like the Accord due to the sporty suspension and the low profile tires mounted on 17" rims. The seats are wonderful as is the seating position given that I weigh 235 lbs and stand at 6 tall. The leg room in the back is not as good as the Accord and was pretty tight with my 63" sitting in the back. I cant wait to cruise to Vegas! If youre debating between an Accord or the TL, the Accord will appeal to your logical side but the TL will definitely please your senses.

• 

  Go buy it now. - 2003 Acura MDX
  By will4271 - December 15 - 2:00 am

  Test drove the MDX, RX300, Highlander, ML320, X5, 4Runner, Sequioa and other SUV. This is most accomodating for a family. Great power and the stops are short and straight.

• 

  Good value for money - 2009 Acura TSX
  By AcuraCU2 - December 14 - 12:50 pm

  If youre cost conscious, fuel miser, but yet want a sporty, upscale, reliable, practical and techie car, this is the right car for you. I get 31mpg on long trips, Navigation and traffic reports are very useful. Acceleration is pretty smooth up to 100mph (umm...so Ive heard ) Looks nice and modern inside and out, and top notch fit and finish. The car is no slouch, but the car feels faster than it really is when its moving. Overall, great value for money and should last a long time. I came from the 1st gen TSX, and this car feels more upscale.

• 

  acura TL - 2009 - 2009 Acura TL
  By Triple lakes - December 13 - 11:30 am

  This is my 3rd Acura, a 2000 TL, a 2003 TL-S and the 2009 TL. Far and away the 2009 is the best. love the style and the interior is outstanding. Handles great.

• 

  Great Car - 2005 Acura TL
  By Tom - December 12 - 10:44 pm

  Extremely stylish vehicle. Head turner, even at five years old. Abundant whiz-bang features in the cabin -- lots of them linked to the particular drivers key fob. Engine is very powerful -- wonderful sound. Front-wheel drive pulls the car forward nicely on dicey roads. Soft leather seats. Xenon headlights which are tightly focused. XM/Sirius radio. European feel on the road. Great value.