The 2007 RDX | Photo: Auto123
A Compact SUV For The Sports Car Driver
Acura's new compact crossover is a punchy little sled. How so? For starters, it's mobilized by a turbocharged mill capable of squeezing out some potent
juice. How potent? With its back against the wall, the brawny little four-banger can muster 240 horsepower @ 6,000 rpm and an impressive, 260 foot-pounds of torque @ 4,500 rpm.
By hanging a sophisticated, variable flow turbo unit onto the RDX's 2.3 litre i-VTEC powerplant, Acura has entered the world of turbocharging. The variable flow turbo design in use increases low rpm effectiveness over more conventional turbo units while eliminating, or at least reducing, turbo lag.
Pump the broad output through a five-speed autobox and Acura's latest SUV takes off like a startled jackrabbit, hitting 96 kph (60 mph) in only 6.87 seconds.
Acura is not new to the SUV crossover market. Their luxurious MDX was a benchmark setter in the mid-size, V6-powered premium class when it emerged in 2001. For 2007, Acura has added the RDX to their SUV lineup, however the RDX is quite distinct from the much larger MDX.
Although the RDX fits the definition of a premium-level compact SUV, it's anything but a sloppy luxo-cruiser. Acura set out to build a sporty, agile SUV capable of imparting the driving dynamics of a sports sedan rather than a tippy SUV, and they achieved their goal but not without penalty. Forfeiture is in the form of ride comfort.
If you're expecting the RDX to mimic the ride quality of a Lexus RX350 or the new Lincoln MKX, you're suffering an acute delusional disorder; compare the RDX's stiff ride to that of the BMW X3 with their Sport Suspension package and you've got yourself grounded in reality. You've also got yourself a pair of extremely good handling vehicles.
Which example would win a one-on-one shootout around the cones- I wouldn't hazard a guess because Acura's SH (Super Handling) all-wheel-drive (AWD) technology is pretty amazing.
I tossed this week's tester into some extremely demanding cornering situations and was very impressed with its ability to stay the course without much more than a slight auditory protest from its 18-inch rubber. The vehicle remained flat during weight transfers while exhibiting zero of the front-end plow often associated with such vehicles.
The unique feature of Acura's SH AWD is the system's ability to shift up to 100 percent of rear wheel torque to the outside rear wheel when the vehicle is engaged in cornering. Given that outside wheels must spin faster than their inside mates, the extra propulsion directed to the outer rear wheel helps push the car around a corner. It's all about physics, which is to say it's all Greek to me but it works.
Acura's new compact crossover is a punchy little sled. How so? For starters, it's mobilized by a turbocharged mill capable of squeezing out some potent
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| 2007 Acura RDX (Photo: Rob Rothwell, Auto123.com) |
By hanging a sophisticated, variable flow turbo unit onto the RDX's 2.3 litre i-VTEC powerplant, Acura has entered the world of turbocharging. The variable flow turbo design in use increases low rpm effectiveness over more conventional turbo units while eliminating, or at least reducing, turbo lag.
Pump the broad output through a five-speed autobox and Acura's latest SUV takes off like a startled jackrabbit, hitting 96 kph (60 mph) in only 6.87 seconds.
Acura is not new to the SUV crossover market. Their luxurious MDX was a benchmark setter in the mid-size, V6-powered premium class when it emerged in 2001. For 2007, Acura has added the RDX to their SUV lineup, however the RDX is quite distinct from the much larger MDX.
 |
| 2007 Acura RDX (Photo: Rob Rothwell, Auto123.com) |
If you're expecting the RDX to mimic the ride quality of a Lexus RX350 or the new Lincoln MKX, you're suffering an acute delusional disorder; compare the RDX's stiff ride to that of the BMW X3 with their Sport Suspension package and you've got yourself grounded in reality. You've also got yourself a pair of extremely good handling vehicles.
Which example would win a one-on-one shootout around the cones- I wouldn't hazard a guess because Acura's SH (Super Handling) all-wheel-drive (AWD) technology is pretty amazing.
I tossed this week's tester into some extremely demanding cornering situations and was very impressed with its ability to stay the course without much more than a slight auditory protest from its 18-inch rubber. The vehicle remained flat during weight transfers while exhibiting zero of the front-end plow often associated with such vehicles.
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| 2007 Acura RDX (Photo: Rob Rothwell, Auto123.com) |