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 SUV - 1998 Acura SLX
  By Chris S - August 7 - 2:00 am

  This thing is great. 4 wheel drives works well, and holds plenty of gear in the back. It does not handle like a BMW but no SUV does.

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  OVERALL PERFORMANCE - 2001 Acura TL
  By jUDY PRIES - August 6 - 2:00 am

  OVERALL PERFORMANCE IS OK, BUT HAVE HAD PROBLEM WITH THE BRAKES,CRUISE CONTROL,WINDSHILED,SINCE TAKING DELIVERY OF THE CAR BRAND NEW, THE FIRST YEAR THE CAR WAS IN THE SHOP CONSTANTLY. I AM SO DISAPPOINTED IN THIS CAR, I AM TRADING IT FOR ANOTHER BRAND AND MODEL

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  Perfect car for young single guy - 2002 Acura RSX
  By AcuraGuy - August 5 - 10:00 am

  I researched several vehicles before looking at the RSX but fell in love with it when I test drove it. Bought it a week later and havent regretted my decision. Ive now had my Acura for a month and put nearly 3,000 miles on the car already. Absolutely no problems other than an alignment issue that the dealership immediately took care of. Great power, superb handling, and fantastic styling are tradmarks of car. I have had several strangers come up and tell me they love my car. Not that I crave attention but being 25 and having girls come up and strike up conversation about my car is a plus. Get a spoiler...its worth the couple hundred dollars.

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  MDXcellant - 2001 Acura MDX
  By dec - August 5 - 2:00 am

  I have owned my MDX for 30,0000 miles and 23 months. I am completely satisfied with my decision to purchase it. I disagree with Pete, above. I think the interior is simple and elegant. There is nothing "cheap" about it. The workmanship is equal the Lexus and better than the German competition.

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  No one close at this price point! - 2006 Acura TL
  By JC - August 4 - 11:06 pm

  Easy to own/maintain Acura/Honda quality product. Drive significant miles (30-40K/yr)and have driven a new vehicle every 18 mos for the last 10 years. This one is by far the best and most fun. Moves past and/or around any situation on the highways, fun in on off ramps. Avg. 28 MPG overall! At $3+/gallon.......thats nice! Perfect blend of Luxury/Sport/Economy. Smart car to buy.

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  Just Awesome - 2008 Acura TL
  By NJ - August 4 - 2:46 am

  The best in its class. Cant be beat in quality, options, ride, and value for price point. Way to go Acura!!

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  car - 1997 Acura Integra
  By mEeh - August 4 - 2:00 am

  ive had my integra for a while and it still isnt boring 2 drive

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  Fun car to drive - 1995 Acura Integra
  By Vtec - August 4 - 2:00 am

  This is a fun car to drive. great quality and reliability from Acura. I have the car for seven years now and do not have any big problem with it. The only thing broke down was the retracable antenna. I enjoy driving the car, specially it could easily take on any cars in its class.

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  Siggy - 2001 Acura TL
  By Siggy Martin - August 4 - 2:00 am

  Wifes car, but steal it whenever shes not looking and make her drive my truck. Wonderful vehicle. Classy, sleak, peppy, stylish. Makes you "feel good" when driving it. Zips down the interstate at 90 with ease. 27 to 28 MPG is great for this fiesty V-6.

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  Pretty good car - 1999 Acura Integra
  By riverrun - August 3 - 2:00 am

  I bought this used with 18,500 miles. It is a very reliable car - so reliable it is the third one that have I pur- chased. It is very small for carrying passengers, but with the convenience of its hatchback,it is great for hauling things around. The drivers seat could be more comfortable with more padding. Interior is not as plush as earlier models. Lots of road noise.