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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  2001 mdx - 2002 Acura MDX
  By GN - May 4 - 10:00 am

  Has drivability problems: Engine hesitates slightly when first started, engine cold, going approx. 20 MPH When engine is at full temp., and parked for approx. a half an hour, it will not start. It takes 3 to 4 tries and then starts and runs w/o a hitch. This has happened twice within 5 months. 11,000 miles on it. Acura dealer cannot help. Also DVD does not have all eastern cities in detail such as Naples, FL

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  2001 Acura MDX - 2002 Acura MDX
  By Rufus - May 4 - 10:00 am

  As a family of four, plus a dog, we have found the MDX to be satisfactory in meeting everyones requirements. The towing ability more than handles our ski boat. When we need extra room for long trips, we use a roof mounted carrier. The car handles just as well with the carrier on top. The only performance drawback is the uneven accelaration up hills. It seems to downshift frequently when faced with any grade of more than a minor degree.

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  Not so great - 2005 Acura TSX
  By Bizzenn - May 1 - 2:56 pm

  Ok, the pros: Looks nice inside and out but quite conservative, very comfortable for front driver and passenger. pretty smooth engine for a 4Cyl. Awesome tranny. The cons: All 4 detention rods in the doors went bad, brakes had to be replaced 2 times in 8000 miles, was told next time I would have to pay. Creaks and rattles in the doors. Paint oxidizing and scratches easily. Bad on gas and no torque.

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  Not as good as past TLs - 2004 Acura TL
  By Chasgreenberg - April 30 - 10:00 am

  The car handles well in city driving. On the highway the car can wander if careful attention isnt paid. The site lines are not good and the seats are not as comfortable as the 2003 TL. The Navigation system is outstanding. The sound system is good and the brakes are excellent.

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  acura suv fun to drive - 2003 Acura MDX
  By Maria Santos - April 27 - 2:00 am

  this is one of the best svus I ever drove

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  Great Attributes But - 2004 Acura TL
  By RWDJR - April 25 - 10:00 am

  Sharp interior and exterior design. The car really gets the looks. I had many people ask what kind of car I was driving. Even the BMW folks where commenting on how neat the car looked.

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  Awesome wheels! - 2004 Acura TL
  By bioteacher1 - April 25 - 10:00 am

  You get a lot of car for the money. It is a true sport/luxury car with much pep.

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  Tell a friend - 2004 Acura TL
  By ernie1 - April 25 - 10:00 am

  This car is a joy to drive. When pressed, the car can avoid problems with its quick response

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  Love my Ac-Rite - 2002 Acura TL
  By James C - April 23 - 12:18 am

  This Acura TL is what put Acuras ability to make luxurious sporty mid sized sedans on the front burner of every car review outlet. I mean, the 3.2 VTEC V6 that comes standard is LITERALLY bullet proof. Check the internet for em, wait..dont. Because no one needs em. Why? This thing was mechanical engineering genius. The car is stupid smooth and quiet on the inside. Helluva travel car. Have taken it all across the west coast and for good reason. The technology is what one would expect for an 02, but man does she shine when you ride. I get compliments almost everyday for how it drives and purs...and she is up to the 174k MILE MARK! On stock engine, STOCK TRANSMISSION, and up till a few thousand miles ago stock radiator. This car is my first car that my parents gave me and even though she takes a beating, I cant trade her in. Why? Because it can take turns at 40+ like Miata, accelerates with the current muscle cars (seriously), and rolls past Lexus owners and laugh. The stock sound system is BOSE and straight bumps, as a teenager this is huge! I love my Ac-Rite. People dont understand; treat any car with regular oil changes, fluid flushes (INCLUDING TRANNY FLUID), and constant monitoring...anything will take you far. But we bought this with about 30k on the dash, and at first we didnt care for it. But once I got it, I drove it constantly in manual (speed stick, speed slot), keep it below 6k revs, and gave SYNTHETIC oil changes every 4,000 or so and itll run. Why? Because ACURAs are Hondas and they are built fantastically.

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  Great Car Bad Stereo - 2003 Acura RSX
  By rob217 - April 22 - 2:00 am

  Love the car. Its quick, fun to drive & the six speed is the best Ive ever driven next to the NSX. Gas milage is fantastic for a car with this amout of power & performance. Its hard to find more bang for your buck in this price range. Driving this car gives me a zen type felling that I havent had since I sold my Corvette.