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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  Great littlehot rod - 2003 Acura RSX
  By Mike M - January 21 - 2:00 am

  We did extensive reserch,Driving Wrx,Jetta,Solara, Accord And others But the one ,in that price range, $25,000 range the RSX-S won hands down. If You havn,t driven one.Do. Very smooth through the power band. Quieter than the others And much nicer interior.And to Falconis Acura in Vegas CUDOS good Job!

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  For the money - its on the money! - 2003 Acura TL
  By shane31270 - January 21 - 2:00 am

  My folks have a 2002 TL, and always loved driving it when they come visit me. Had a beat up Nissan I need to get rid of, and went to look at the TLs. Couldnt believe what you got for the money - leather (heated, none the less), 6 cd in-dash bose system, moonroof, Xeon headlights, etc....for under 30K is amazing. There are people paying that for a stinkin Camry without these options. Im very pleased with this Acura...killer blue color.

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  Fun car with lots of extra - 2007 Acura RDX
  By gomboy60 - January 20 - 7:33 am

  Just got it the other day and I am very happy with the car. There are some complaints about the mpg but if one does not step on the accelerator all the time, (as any other car) the number should be very good. The ride is a bit bouncy at times but handling is superb. There is so much kick in the engine you wont even know it is I4. If you are not sure exactly what you want but in the market, take a test drive and you will be sold, esp with tech package. It provides everything and more at 12-14K less than that European "thing". Ext looks appears to be small but once inside, there is plenty of room. Happy motoring...

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  Fun to drive - 2003 Acura MDX
  By mji - January 16 - 10:00 am

  I just purchased the 2003 MDX with the entertaintment system . The drive is so great that my wife has taken the MDX over the 2002 Mercedes CLK 320( which was essentially for her in the beginning). I think the Bose stereo system in the Acura is better than the Merc.

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  So far I am very impressed - 2009 Acura TSX
  By New to Acura - January 15 - 1:00 am

  Go drive it for yourself. Fits anyone (adjustable console, telescoping wheel, etc.) As a taller person (62", 225) who has never owned a "car" I was surprised with the size and comfort of the TSX. My much smaller fiancee also feels as if the car fits her perfectly. In my opinon, Acuras luxury, reliability, and performance rivals all others at similar price points. The new body style of the TSX is very attractive. Interior is better overall than the TL. Only wish is that we had gotten the navi and that there were some woodgrain in the interior.

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  I regret buying this car. - 2007 Acura MDX
  By Simon - January 14 - 5:53 am

  I have owned the car for only 6 weeks, and I have experienced the following problems. The right front door started to rattle the next day after delivery. After the door was fixed, the sunroof and the front passenger seat started to rattle. After these were fixed, the dashboard started to rattle. The AC compressor makes a loud thump when it starts, and it can repeat the start-and- stop cycle several times when you wait for the green light. The transmission makes knocking noises when both speed and rpm are low as if it were a 10,000- mile-old transmission. The back of the car produces a click sound when any of the doors is shut closed. The last two problems also occurred in the loaner MDX I got.

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  Will keep it for ever! - 2008 Acura TL
  By Guilmer Hernandez - January 12 - 11:16 pm

  Its a great car overall. I love speed and this car has it! Takes off great! Its a manual transmission, not auto. Ive taken it for road trips and its comfortable. Great handles and the reaction is just great. Trunk space is good enough. I have a 2 yr old and the stroller fits well along with camping tents and sleeping bags plus 3 personal bags.

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  2007 Acura MDX Base Model - 2007 Acura MDX
  By Todd - January 12 - 11:26 am

  Ive had my MDX for about a month now; traded in my 2000 Grand Cherokee. While I dont think this has the off-road capabilities of the Jeep, how often are you really "off-road"? (Once in 7 years for me). The front seats are extremely comfortable and the ride is one of the smoothest Ive ever had. Had a big snowstorm recently and I would classify the performance as "decent, but not great." I considered the Q7, XC90 and 4Runner as well. For the price, you cannot beat the standards in the MDX anywhere. Thought about upgrade to to Tech pkg, but expensive and will probably just get aftermarket Nav at some point for way cheaper.

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  Last Acura for Me - 2016 Acura TLX
  By Former Acura Lover - January 11 - 3:57 pm

  First of all, I had little choice in leasing a new TLX as i was not allowed to purchase my 2013 TL. Because of the Takata airbag recall, and the lack of supply of airbags, I wasnt allowed to purchase the TL at the end of the lease. The only way out was to lease a new TLX. Anyways, this call is anything but exciting to drive. From a dead start it is clear that there is too much HP for a front end drive. The driving of the car is anything less than thrilling. I love the interior, and the stereo system. Excellent sound. The interior is very nice as well. No complaints. There is an issue, however, when starting the call and placing it into drive (or sport mode, etc), upon pressing the gas pedal the car literally does not move for a few seconds...almost as if there is no gas getting to the engine. I discussed this with my local Acura dealer (where I purchased the car) and they are aware of these complaints. There is nothing they can do as it is said to be a computer flaw. All in all, this will definitely be my last Acura. This is my 3rd Acura. Loved my 2004 TL. 2013 TL was OK. This car, never again. Im moving onto Lexus. Sad, but Acura has really done everything in their power to destroy their brand. They know, and everyone else knows it. Just read about it online.

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  Worst car I ever owned - 2018 Acura TLX
  By Bert Distelburger - January 10 - 5:58 pm

  This car is not worth the money. It is very hard to get in and out. I used to own the Accura TLs and they were a great car. This car is nothing like that. The ride is very hard. There is no give to the seat, tires, or suspension. It is painful to go over bumps and my back hurt constantly. I traded it in after owning for 4 months. The heat blasted out hot air on your foot so you had to turn the heat off. The radio is poor for what they claim is an upscale car. Only one speaker in the center. Save your money and buy another car.