Acura Rdx
2010 Acura RDX Turbo 2WD
Audi, Infiniti, Mercedes-Benz, Lexus, BMW, and Volvo. Are we missing someone? Oh yeah, Acura. While on the subject of me having to have driven the Mercedes-Benz GLK 350, Infiniti EX35, and the Lexus RX 350, I thought I would steer clear of those guys for a while, and head on down a different path. The Acura RDX has a front end similar to both the TSX and the TL, since all three of those cars are based on a car-like subframe. The rear hatch is easy to get access to, but is there really enough cargo room even if you were to put three additional passengers in the back seat? Headroom is also adequate, but the legroom in the rear may seem a bit cramped for people over 5 ½ inches tall, and the middle “seat” is not really that ample, since it is mostly used for a pass-through for a couple of surfboards or golf bags.
I really had a blast driving the RDX Turbo with the 2WD. The 2.4 liter engine had a built-in Honda i-VTEC system which was used in Honda’s most popular Civic Si’s, only you would not have to worry about the requirements of a manual-only car. Even with 240 bhp under the hood, I had experienced a little bit of turbo lag when I put my foot down all the way to the floor; acceleration is therefore somewhat peppy, but it does not have the grunt or as enough torque as the Mercedes-Benz GLK. The time from 0-60 came up in 6.5 seconds on my stopwatch, which was okay, for a crossover SUV, even while I was manually shifting with the paddle-shifters, and putting the transmission to “Sport” mode. Handling through the corners and passing by cars on the highway is a plus for a car which gets descent gas mileage of about 22 miles per gallon average on both highway and city driving. One of the downsides to this car though, is that since this car comes with a turbocharged engine, 91 octane is required for optimum performance and efficiency.
I have always been in love with the TECH package when it comes to the newer Acura products, and the instrumentation cluster on the dash panel is very easy to use. It is even easier since 99% of the time drivers might use the voice-activation feature on the steering wheel for Bluetooth, navigation, stereo, and climate controls. The Tech package also comes with a backup camera which can be seen on the center navigation screen, and an upgraded ELS 5.1 Surround sound system. It is just a shame that I cannot find all of these stupendous technology features on the lower end Hondas such as the CR-V, which only comes with a navigation system based on a DVD and no Real-Time traffic. The Real-Time traffic on the RDX Tech is complimentary for 90 days from XM Radio along with XM Weather.
The warranty is even better on the Acura too, with a 4 year/50,000 mile bumper-to-bumper warranty and a 6-year/70,000 mile warranty for the powertrain and transmission, just like the Lexus RX 350. Can you get this same warranty with the Germans? I think not. Of course, BMW’s X3 comes with the complimentary maintenance for 4 years or 50,000 miles, but will Acura or even Lexus fall for that “marketing gimmick” as people have been calling it?
