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:

• 

  Jules 92 - 1992 Acura Integra
  By Jules - March 4 - 3:57 pm

  Love my car. It has been the most reliable of all owned. The dealership is great, also.

• 

  Bulletproof - 2001 Acura Integra
  By Gawain - March 4 - 5:29 am

  I have a 2000 GS-R Sedan. The only thing I do religiously is change the oil every 3000 miles. Theres been nary a problem with this car and the longevity of its design is a testament to its outstanding quality. This car is a blast to drive. I love rowing the gears and the engine loves being revved to the limit (of course, as I do this so often, I rarely get more than 24MPG, but hwy can exceed 30MPG for long treks). Large gauges, sweet engines, easy control use. Honda built a great car!

• 

  1990 Acura Integra RS - 1990 Acura Integra
  By Jason A. - March 3 - 1:24 am

  A fun, reliable, quick little car. Im the type that likes to go fast without paying outrageous insurance rates, stopping frequently at the gas station, or spending a fortune. This car is perfect for anyone with these likes.

• 

  Happy owner - 2002 Acura CL
  By scl23 - March 2 - 10:03 pm

  Im very happy with my purchase. Its a great compromise between luxury, performance, and reliability. Im a happy Acura owner and wouldnt change a thing.

• 

  ONE GREAT CAR-BUT - 2002 Acura CL
  By Buba - March 2 - 6:30 pm

  For the money this car cant be beat. However the paint quality is very poor. The only time my blue cl looks good is after it is detailed. The car is full of scratches, and it has never been to a car wash. I love the car but look out for the paint

• 

  One Texans Opinion - 1996 Acura RL
  By Mike Russell - March 1 - 9:36 pm

  I purchased this 1996 3.5RL off a 39-month lease. Buy pre-owned and drive luxury at a reduced cost. Built for comfort - performance seekers look elsewhere. Dependability and reliability is second to none. Power window regulator only problem between 68K and 98K miles. Time now to look for the same model in a pre-owned 1998 or 1999. Best car Ive ever owned.

• 

  my ride - 2002 Acura CL
  By jabobs acura - March 1 - 3:19 pm

  The cl type s is a fine vehicle. I would recommend spending the extra money for the type s the extra 35 horses is worth it. The car is a lot of fun to drive and I like that not many people own one I feel like Im driving a unique car. The car does guzzle gas, but its a 6 cylinder with a type s engine so I shouldnt complain.

• 

  Cannot lose with Legend - 1995 Acura Legend
  By Trav - February 28 - 7:52 pm

  The Acura Legend is still a desirable car even after 7 years. Build quality is immaculate, reliability top-notch, and performance of the GS is still competitive. A total joy to drive at high speed.

• 

  Great Value but needs to improve handlin - 2002 Acura CL
  By Moby1234 - February 28 - 2:44 pm

  great value

• 

  Reliability and Quality - 1998 Acura CL
  By S Sexton - February 28 - 2:43 pm

  I love Honda products. This is my 5th Acura.