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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  Good Value but not a Luxury SUV - 2014 Acura RDX
  By tramm - November 30 - 4:45 pm

  I traded-in a 2011Q5 for this vehicle. This is an okay car but so far I am not in love with it it sounds and rides like a slightly upgraded Honda. Pluses: About $4000 less than comparably equipped Q5-good standard features and value priced Comfortable drivers seat Good back seat leg room Good cargo layout - space not wasted Quiet engine with good power and pickup Good storage in front cabin Minuses: Q5 feels more solid and is more fun to drive RDX has choppy rear suspension Interior materials are okay but not what you might expect in a luxury vehicle Noticeable road noise, especially on uneven pavement

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  Great midsized SUV - 2014 Acura MDX
  By gra_jr - November 24 - 8:58 am

  Had the MDX SH-awd Tech for a little over a month now. Third Acura but first Acura SUV. Coming from the 12 TL SH-awd Advanced it is taking a little getting used to. The TL had much more "spunk" but it was a luxury sports car if you will. Overall it is a great car. Ride is silky smooth. We do get a little noise from the Direct Injection from the outside but cant hear it all in the cab. Strongly considered the RLX but couldnt justify the $6K cost since this is virtually the same interior dash layout, engine, and Tech features as the RLX tech. Also considered resale value. As popular as the MDXs are compared to bad reviews of the RLX it was a no brainer.... Go for the MDX!

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  Great car, lousy Nav/Ent/Voice System - 2014 Acura MDX
  By danrhiggins - November 16 - 9:50 pm

  I have had my 14 MDX (white Advance) since June and now have over 13K miles. I love the way the car drives. But the Nav, voice command and entertainment software is sub-par and of poor quality. Poor support for Apple products. Poor voice command (fewer commands then other vehicles, some commands dont work, etc.), very poor Nav display (not clear, doesnt work with polarized glasses.) Again, for a vehicle of this size it handles well and is fun to drive. Good use of interior space. Comfortable enough though the driver seat could use some more adjustment options. LKAS, AAC, CAS, BSI pretty cool. Nav/Voice/Entertainment very disappointing.

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  Tech package not worth it - 2013 Acura RDX
  By vjd2211 - October 29 - 7:43 pm

  Nice, elegant car but looks like suffering from cost-cutting. At 3k miles battery went (luxury car with low cost battery) - the GPS needs redesign, it looks and feels obsolete and the voice recognition does not work well - Bluetooth low voice quality. Ride excellent - engine, tranny ok after 8k miles.

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  Not great for a petite woman! - 2011 Acura RDX
  By sylvanpt - September 22 - 4:14 pm

  When I test drove the car, it seemed perfect for my height--5. It is not. Since buying the car and driving it, Im having difficulty parking it. I can see over the hood, but something about the front end--length?-- causes me parking problems. Seat height limited--needs another 1-2". Seat belt doesnt lower where attached and cuts me across the throat. Passenger seat does not go up and down husband needs a high seat to enter the car due to back problems and now has a difficult time getting in. Would not have bought the car had I been aware. No push button to lower rear door--have to stand on tip-toe to grasp the handle. Looks more like a station wagon, not SUV. Want my RAV 4 back!

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  Not bad, but needs improvements - 2012 Acura TL
  By 71peters - September 17 - 9:27 pm

  I have had my 2012 TL for a year now. I bought it as a CPO for $28K...4K miles on it. I traded in a BMW 328I. Ok, it is a nice car with a lot of options. The interior is nice and very modern. Been on a few long trips and it is very comfortable. Where I have issues is with its performance. Two things right off the bat, 1) The transmission, second gear to be exact seems sluggish on take off. It really drags the the engine down and makes for a jerky ride. Granted, coming from a BMW...the Acuras performance is not even close. But it makes up for it in other areas. 2) The steering is not sport-tuned and you will feel torque-steer if you get in the gas. Feels like a Buick at times.

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  Great with a few flaws - 2013 Acura RDX
  By dbnutmeg - September 16 - 9:56 pm

  After ten months and 22k miles I love this vehicle. Its super comfortable, quiet and has a stable ride on all kinds of roadways. On extended interstate trips I get over 30 mpg. The back-up camera is fantastic. Theres excellent space in front, back and cargo area. All the basics are well done: its a great value. So, whats not to like. The onboard navigation system is effectively useless. Too dated and too many basic destinations not in the database--or not findable. Voice recognition just doesnt stack up even if you can remember the hundreds of commands and proper syntax. And you cant make adjustments to the route while driving. I now use my old Garmin portable GPS.

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  Excellet Commuter Car - 2013 Acura ILX
  By bybchucky - September 13 - 6:04 pm

  I recently purchased a 2013 ILX with the Tech pkg, and I am very pleased with it. I had a 2008 Acura TL prior to purchasing this car, and I thought I would miss the V6 acceleration, but I honestly dont. A lot of the reviews say the 150 hp is underpowered, but I find the car to be adequate. In fact, it picks up quite nicely on the highway and I dont have trouble passing cars. The interior is nice, well built, and feels a lot wider than what the outside appearance would make you believe. The rear leg room is also excellent considering this is a compact car. As stated above, this is an excellent commuter car.

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  Bitter Sweet - 2009 Acura TSX
  By bstern92 - September 10 - 3:39 pm

  The exterior design is very sporty and clean. The chunky 5 spoke rims are hideous. The drivers seat is very comfortable and I love the lumbar adjustment, but I dont get why they dont have it on the passenger seat. The passenger seat is almost unbearable to sit in, compared to the drivers seat. The rear seats have absolutely no leg room and your foot gets caught under the front seat, when getting out of the car. Leather is cheap. The drivers seat is already cracking. The steering wheel has a very cozy feel to it. The cars steering is responsive and the 2.4l provides adequate power. The car is amazing on the highway. I would probably not get another. Im considering a 2013 nissan Maxima

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  Great except..... - 2014 Acura MDX
  By bohlson - September 4 - 10:41 am

  After driving a Chevy Suburban for 18 years I am loving the smaller car with its handling and better gas mileage. I purchased the MDX over the competitors because of the reputation for reliability and because I found it more comfortable than the other cross overs. My one complaint though is that when I open the sunroof I get the smell of burnt rubber or something that immediately comes in the car. At first I thought it was sucking in exhaust but I think the smell is coming up the windshield and into the car. The dealership said it is the smell of the new engine and that after 4-5K miles it will go away but I am not sure. 2k miles and it still does it. Anyone else experiencing this smell???