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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  One Year Anniversary - 2004 Acura TL
  By WIFESTL - October 12 - 2:00 am

  Weve had our TL for 1 year now. For anyone out there, dont ever buy the first model year of a car. This car has had numerous shop visits to fix the seat memory loss, the transmission mod/repair, replace interior parts that didnt fit right and rattled, replaced CD/Radio that wouldnt return the CD, tires are still stiff and harsh, complained about uncomfortable seats (but I cant sit in Honda seats anyway without getting a back ache) due to poor support, and numerous other picky items that shouldnt exist (ie. missing interior pieces). Other than that the car continues to run great. We like the styling, handling, and power.

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  Best choice in mid-size luxury SUVs - 2005 Acura MDX
  By outuvtime - October 12 - 2:00 am

  Great ride; rides like a comfy car and handles well also. Gas mileage is lower than expected but that will hopefully get better as the engine break-in period elapses.

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  Cant stop smiling - 2003 Acura RSX
  By JAV - October 10 - 2:00 am

  This car is so much fun. When the iVTEC kicks in, the power and sound are wonderful. It is so much fun to run through the gears that I actually dont mind stopping at traffic lights. I have found a new route home from work that incorporates the most curves. My wife and two teenage boys love it too.

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  2002 TL-S in Georgia - 2002 Acura TL
  By Crawdad - October 10 - 2:00 am

  I purchased the car in December 2002. As of March 13, 2003 is has 12400 miles. The car is quick and quiet. Comfort on long trips is very good. The CD changer is nice on long and short trips. The exterior should be made to look more sporty. I think the BMW 3-Series looks better. Gas mileage has been around 22 MPG average for the first year.

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  Love the SUV - 2003 Acura MDX
  By David M. Weber - October 10 - 2:00 am

  Ive never driven a Suv such as this that has the ride and handling of a luxury automobile. The changes made from 2002 to 2003 shows how concerned Acura is with regard to reacting to the concerns of its clients.

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  CarFan - 2006 Acura TL
  By TruCarFan - October 6 - 4:56 pm

  The Acura TL has got to be one of the premiere vehicles to drive for under $35,000. The interior is comfortable and excellently designed. The gauges, radio, and navigation are easy to read and use. I get outstanding gas mileage (from 26-33 mpg highway). The handling is crisp and the acceleration is perfect. The AC takes a while to get the car cool.

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  i love my car - 2003 Acura RSX
  By pinchee - October 5 - 10:00 am

  this is the best car i have ever driven. fast, fun, my dream car.

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  mdx - 2003 Acura MDX
  By rccccc - October 5 - 10:00 am

  MDX is extremly fun to drive with a great engine. Safety is excellent for large family. Most other suvs dont offer the 7 seats. The integrated dvd is very sharp and fits the interior without looking like it was a add on. We got it for $1500 under MSRP without any haggleing. Dealership is the best in Atlanta. Break in MPG is a little low, but expect it to get better. Wish the seats were 100% leather, but expect the vinyl to last longer.

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  Nick - 2003 Acura MDX
  By ALTOBELLI - October 5 - 10:00 am

  If you think a Honda product was soilid the Acura MDX is even better. It feels as if you are driving a car not an suv. It is just the right size, not like the yacht sized suvs nor like the micro suvs. The ride hight is perfect, my wife has no problem getting in and out.

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  Great New Car - 2006 Acura TL
  By Mark Walker - October 5 - 12:53 am

  I bought my new Acura TL in late June of 06 and already have 3200 miles on it only after a few sweet months of driving. I love this car and the way it performs. This is the first new car I have ever bought without any problems. Drives like a dream and GREAT gas mileage...