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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  Watch out Germany - 2004 Acura TL
  By G35KLR - June 29 - 2:00 am

  This is by far the best car I have owned. Everything about it is outstanding. All I can asy is the big three from Germany better watch out. Acura has stolen your thunder. You will no longer be able to hide behind your nameplate. If you live in Southern Cali. see Bill Haun at Cush Acura of Escondido. He was very professional, and easy to work with. He did everything in his power to provide me with a truely memorable experience.

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  Great Fun To Drive - 2006 Acura TL
  By Greg M. - June 27 - 7:16 am

  Have enjoyed car very much. Was best value for money that I found after comparing Lexus, Cadillac and Infinity. Has a few flaws but overall excellent car that I really enjoy driving. Definately feel it was a good value. Car sells itself in test drive. Interior quality is Great! Love the sound system.

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  RSX-S is the best value on the road. - 2004 Acura RSX
  By Gorodnitzki - June 23 - 2:00 am

  This is my fourth Acura (although last car was Maxima SE) and its easily the best. I feel funny about giving straight 10s, but this car deserves every one. I look forward to driving it every day, whether to work or across country. Fast, fun, comfortable and it is amazing how much stuff you can fit in the hatch. And I get unsolicited compliments on it regularly, too. Synthetic oil helps performance and quiets engine noise. Unbelievable value for $24K. Bravo, Acura!

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  The best! - 2004 Acura RSX
  By Drewpp - June 23 - 2:00 am

  This is the best car Ive ever had! Its so fun to drive!

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  Nothing comes close! - 2004 Acura TL
  By reyken1 - June 23 - 2:00 am

  Purchased Jan 04. Nothing comes close in terms of performace and amenities. And, the attention to detail is impressive - the mirrors even tilt down when backing up so you dont hit the curb. Great acceleration, handling, incredible sound system and loaded with standard features. A similarily equipped BMW 540 is $15k more.

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  BYE BYE BMW - 2004 Acura TL
  By mhewitt - June 23 - 2:00 am

  its unsual to run into a car that has so many things right. Design, power, quality of materials and workmanship, cutting edge toys etc. etc. etc... and all standard and for less than a equally equiped Saab.Plus its so much fun to drive. BMW--forget Lexus-- must be feeling a little uncomfortable right now--or they will soon.

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  Love it from an Acura loyalist! - 2004 Acura TL
  By repeat - June 23 - 2:00 am

  This is my third Acura.I test drove many other cars thinking I wanted to buy something different and came back to the new TL. It is different from my old TL in every way but is the same great quality. The dash is beautiful. The nav system is terrific. I do have to use the cruise control and watch the speed very closely because the 270HP really accelerates before you realize it. Would definitely recommend the car.

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  Not just good value, classy too - 2004 Acura TL
  By SMP2404 - June 23 - 2:00 am

  Owned for 1 mth. Paid $1,400 under MSRP in CA. Extraordinary value. Tested CTS, ES330, Maxima, G35, A4. This car beat them all. Interior/chassis/engine/transmission are all excellent. Sound system to die for. Heated seats are wonderful. Drives likes a dream. Gas mileage not great (19 mpg commuting to LA). Overall though, look forward to driving my TL.

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  RSX TYPES worth every cent. - 2002 Acura RSX
  By terdonal - June 22 - 11:16 pm

  This is a great little sport coupe. It is well made,peppy,economical to drive and most of all fun. It is not race car but and there are other cars that are equally good cars but I love Acura service and have always had the best and will only change if the service declines.

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  Base is a good compromise - 2002 Acura RSX
  By Blue RSX - June 21 - 10:00 am

  Base RSX is quick and nimble & has only options you need. A no-leather Type-S would be perfect. The sound of the stereo is OK, but... You cant switch display between a clock and CD track/radio program - so you never know whats playing. The CD compartment is to small and you can only put the CD sideways. Therefore you cant see CD names. IÂ’d not store CD in a door or glove department - they resonate. Space above cup holder couldve been utilized for this. They could also develop an accessory CD holder for glove department and/or doors. Weird location of the sunroof switch.