Something luxurious for everyone
Once a long period of time has elapsed since the introduction of one particular vehicle like the Corvette or a pair like Bentley and Rolls Royce goes unchallenged, it is usually foolish to try and compete against them. Think of Maybach in the case of the luxury cars; Mercedes has been unable to hoist itself up to the level of the Flying Lady. Up until now, BMW's SAV, the X3, was alone in the compact luxury SUV segment. In a World market where the trend is clearly small and midsize luxury, Honda-Acura saw an opportunity to establish some footing.
The arrival of the all-new RDX coincides with the ground-up renewal of the Honda CR-V, its fraternal twin. Both compacts share the same platform as well as a number of other mechanical and electrical components. As for the remainder, neither vehicle share body panels or interior trim. The RDX looks larger and it is. The wheelbase is 30 mm longer, the width is 50 mm greater however the RDX is dwarfed by 25 mm compare to the CR-V's overall height.
What is Acura?
In typical Acura fashion, since 2004 anyhow, the RDX is subtle in styling but still catches the eye. It begins with a prominent grill and the now well recognized chiselled fluid lines that adorn all new Acuras. Clearly, the RDX was designed to be seen but not to stand out. The classic 5-spoke alloy wheels measure 18" in diameter but you would never guess it. The rear of the SUV is treated to the now mandatory dual-exhaust tips and a rear spoiler. The rear taillights vaguely remind me of an Audi A4, same for the MDX which will be reviewed shortly. All in all, the handsome RDX lacks the panache of the BMW X3 but can proudly stand on its own four tires.
Aboard is where it really works for me.
The RDX's cabin, dash specifically, is largely inspired by that of the RL. Where it is most obvious is in the design of the center-stack: it is narrow and busy. Two parallel pillars hold the navigation screen and audio controls in place while a flowing portion of the dash wraps itself around the pillars in the middle. All together, the styling is original and functional. The center floor console features a large storage capable of swallowing a laptop or a multitude of items by way of multiple interior adjustments. As always, I could not a find a fault with the quality of the plastic nor with the way they come together in the near BMW-like interior.
The front buckets have all of the desired virtues; they are firm yet comfortable and supportive. A correct driving position is easily achieved thanks to the 8-way power adjustments. Oddly, for $45,000, the passenger has to do all the fine-tuning manually. The gauges are large and legible as is the navigation screen which is as user-friendly as ever. The rear can be occupied by three persons although two will be more at ease. The trunk is spacious and also well assembled.
Honda's first production Turbo
The output of the turbocharged DOHC i-VTEC 4-cylinder is rated at 240 hp and 260 lb/ft of torque. Surely these numbers were voluntarily limited; under full boost, it seems to me that the 2.3L has wings to spare. My guess is that this was done to create a sizeable gap between the RDX and MDX; that is until Honda builds a rumoured V8 for the MDX, Pilot and Ridgeline. I can see it now: a 290 hp RDX Type-S. One can dream...
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| The RDX is Honda CR-V's luxurious twin. |
The arrival of the all-new RDX coincides with the ground-up renewal of the Honda CR-V, its fraternal twin. Both compacts share the same platform as well as a number of other mechanical and electrical components. As for the remainder, neither vehicle share body panels or interior trim. The RDX looks larger and it is. The wheelbase is 30 mm longer, the width is 50 mm greater however the RDX is dwarfed by 25 mm compare to the CR-V's overall height.
What is Acura?
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| Acura's new small SUV is pleasant to look at. |
Aboard is where it really works for me.
The RDX's cabin, dash specifically, is largely inspired by that of the RL. Where it is most obvious is in the design of the center-stack: it is narrow and busy. Two parallel pillars hold the navigation screen and audio controls in place while a flowing portion of the dash wraps itself around the pillars in the middle. All together, the styling is original and functional. The center floor console features a large storage capable of swallowing a laptop or a multitude of items by way of multiple interior adjustments. As always, I could not a find a fault with the quality of the plastic nor with the way they come together in the near BMW-like interior.
The front buckets have all of the desired virtues; they are firm yet comfortable and supportive. A correct driving position is easily achieved thanks to the 8-way power adjustments. Oddly, for $45,000, the passenger has to do all the fine-tuning manually. The gauges are large and legible as is the navigation screen which is as user-friendly as ever. The rear can be occupied by three persons although two will be more at ease. The trunk is spacious and also well assembled.
Honda's first production Turbo
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| It is a first for Honda, a turbocharger in a production model. |