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 Ride - Bose Sound System - 1998 Acura RL
  By wabbit - April 29 - 2:00 am

  I bought this car in 1998 and havent been disappointed. I have had absolutely no mechanical or other problems. The Bose system is excellent and the ride smooth. A wonderful car for trips and for simply relaxing behind the wheel. Would recommend to all interested buyers.

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  great car - 1999 Acura CL
  By twinkboy - April 29 - 2:00 am

  great car. reliable transportation. quick acceleration. comfortable seating for 2. great climate controls.

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  Par None - 2002 Acura RL
  By Merrittk - April 28 - 2:00 am

  I enjoy driving the Acura 3.5 RL. It provides the comfortable drive that I have been looking for in a luxury car that doesnt have a luxury price tag. I believe the engine to be the most reliabe i nthe industry. QUALITY par none. The major drwaback in this vehicle that I find is the fuel economy which. The vehice sems to absorb fuel like no other car that Ive owned.

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  Overall a great vehicle - 2005 Acura MDX
  By Michael - April 26 - 2:13 am

  Looked at Pilot, Lexus 330, Volvo X90, BMW X5 and decided on MDX due to Acura reliability, safety, price and engine. Pilot too bland, Lexus not enough storage, Volvo did not like turbo charged engine and price and BMW not enough storage, price and reliabuility. Have 7,500 miles and so far AOK.

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  An autofanatics opinion - 2007 Acura TL
  By autofanatic - April 25 - 5:30 pm

  I work as a technical automotive writer and have written, researched, and driven many different types of vehicles. For me, the TL is the best car in its class. While the G35 and IS 350 are quicker, and the 330is handling dynamics are superior, no other car balances performance, technology, comfort, and value better than the TL. Plus, all of these cars cost quite a bit more comparably equipped.

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  Love this car! - 2005 Acura TSX
  By Deborah - April 25 - 10:50 am

  Bought my TSX in January and Ive been in love ever since. Absolutely beautiful inside and out. Quick, fun to drive. Get lots of positive comments from friends. Very comfortable seating and controls. Im very short so the electric seat adjustments are great. Thumbs up!

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  The best overall near luxury car you buy - 2006 Acura TSX
  By tyluv - April 25 - 10:20 am

  I really wanted a 01-03 BMW 530i, but could not see me paying 30k-35k for a used car! I checked out the vw passat, gti, jetta, audi A3, bmw 3series, ford mustang gt, lexus is250, infiniti g35, nissan maxima, saab 9-3, and the volvo s40. nothing and I mean nothing in this price range will give you the value and features of the TSX!!! Bluetooth, navi w/ voice recognition, memory seats, xm radio (youll never listen to regular radio again), mood lighting, dual exhaust, hid headlights, power heated leather seats, heated mirrors, dual zone climate control, and above all else, Honda/Acura reliabilty. Try all the others, but if you want reliability, value, and standard premium features. Buy TSX!

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  Good Car - 1998 Acura Integra
  By AcuraDriver - April 25 - 2:00 am

  I like the GS Integra, but if I had another choice, I would probably choose a better performance car. 140HP is fine for driving, but going fast (eg. racing), its not what you should be looking for. Look at the 320HP Ford Mustang or the 325HP Chevrolet Camaro. Acura is a good car company and they make great cars, but GS is not fast enough for me personally.

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  Very agile, fun-to-drive car - 2002 Acura CL
  By bruce007 - April 25 - 2:00 am

  This Type-S model is a very agile, fast machine. Handles well on curvy roads. Definitely fun to drive. I cannot believe all the standard equipment, and very high-tech. It is a tremendous bargain in its market group. Excellent sound system. My only issues: I would like the exact car with a telescopic steering wheel and tilt headrests, 1 inch more head room in the front and rear. Please, Acura, come out with a higher-end version.

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  Luxury ride with super GPS navigation - 2002 Acura RL
  By MR - April 25 - 2:00 am

  One of the best luxury car values in its class since just about every option comes standard. I was able to negotiate with the dealer just slightly over the invoice price. Additionaly the less than 1% interest rate or money factor offered by American Honda on the lease at that time lowered the payments. Prior to buying the RL I drove the 3.2 TL-S which had lots of power but lacked refinement. I didnt care for the cheap looking wood, silver instrument panel and poor handling which suprisingly had a worse turning radius than the larger RL whose radius is very good. I Would definitely recommend test driving the RL against the more expensive competition.