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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  Robys Review - 2002 Acura RSX
  By mroby - July 15 - 6:50 am

  Great car

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  Love it except... - 2009 Acura TSX
  By sail6382 - July 12 - 7:03 am

  The car is gorgeous. I have gotten so many compliments on its appearance and luxury features. I didnt do the performance package because it wasnt worth the extra $3000.00 when I can use my handheld Garmin instead. The steering is very sensitive at highway speeds and needs a gentle touch. Im only getting about 24 mpg with a combination of around town and highway. I was between the TSX, the Honda Accord & Audi A4. I am very happy with my decision. There is plenty of leg room both front and back. I had a friend who was 64" comfortably in the back. Plenty of headroom and a huge step up from the Honda Accord in performance, comfort and appearance. Well worth a few extra dollars.

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  From Bottom of My List...to my Driveway! - 2010 Acura TL
  By NewAcuraFan - July 11 - 10:20 am

  Drove the 2010 SH-AWD w/Tech and when I hit the accelerator it took my breath away. I havent had a reaction like that to a car since driving a 1996 300ZX Twin Turbo. The car is stunning in person (ignore the editors that think its ugly). The pics dont do it justice. You have to see it, feel it, to understand this car. Just go drive one...but leave your checkbook at home unless you are ready to buy!

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  A great car to drive and looks good too! - 2003 Acura MDX
  By cmh - July 11 - 10:00 am

  This is the best vehicle I have ever purchased. It drives like a car and handles the road great. For the first time I was not afraid to drive in the snow. I could feel the 4 wheel drive kick in just when needed. The kids love the flexibility of sitting in the middle seat or all the way in the back for some private time. Our only regret was not getting the DVD system.

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  24 MPG on the HWY - 2007 Acura RDX
  By Bryan - July 7 - 9:23 am

  I have made 2 round trip between Baton Rouge and New Orleans driving on Interstate 10. The trip computer said that I was getting 24.1 MPG @ 65 MPH. I didnt notice any turbo lag when I punched it while driving around town. Steering pulls to the right somewhat. Dont know if it is an alignment problem or not.

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  Great car - 2005 Acura TL
  By rob leonard - July 6 - 4:30 pm

  Upper end sedan loaded with fun for less than a BMW or Mercedes. A must look for any buyer in this category.

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  A+ - 2003 Acura MDX
  By matthewjoshua - July 5 - 10:00 am

  The MDX is excellent and fun to drive -- - very roomy and lots of cargo space. It is quiet and surely drives like a car. Has lots of power and real easy to drive. It is also fuel economy. I love its 2003 overall look. I am so glad that I bought the MDX. Its worth the money. Thank you.

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  Great Car - 2003 Acura TL
  By bobbennett1 - July 5 - 10:00 am

  Absolutely not a hitch in 9000 miles, except the dealer wanting $100+ for tire rotation and oil change.

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  love it! - 2005 Acura MDX
  By rsl82472 - July 4 - 5:06 am

  I love this car and I think everyone who has one does! I love how custumizable they are, you rarely see two the same, unless they are base models with-out accessories. When people personalize their MDX generally youll they often com up with their own combinations to creat a unique look. But surprisingly Acura doesnt offer any rim choices.

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  Great car - 2006 Acura RL
  By Skip Richards - June 30 - 2:25 am

  $300 in total repairs with 145,000 miles on car