2008 Acura RDX

Review

The first automotive article I published was a beginner's guide to

crossover

SUVs (or CUVs as they're now called). It was a pretty good

research and learning experience as I had no real experience with

vehicles of this type myself, so getting into the mindset of the

prospective buyer was pretty helpful, especially when looking into

design features and practicality.

Those

days in the past, now I can add driving impressions to my research.

Most recently I spent a week in Acura's entry-level (for Acura, at

least—my test car still stickers at $36,695) CUV, the RDX. While it's

similar in dimension to Honda's CR-V, it's actually built on a

completely separate platform. It's body structure is 100-percent

monocoque, which is the easiest way for me to define a CUV as opposed

to a full-blown SUV; the latter often based on a truck's chassis,

whereby the body is mounted separately onto the frame, or at the very

least incorporates a frame wrapped within a monocoque-like structure,

like Land Rover's LR3 and Range Rover Sport.

As

far as first impressions go regarding ergonomics, the biggest plus for

me is that the RDX's sporty, compact styling is actually not indicative

of the

interior. From the inside, the RDX feels much bigger than it is.

This is great for me, as I'm certainly not the smallest guy on the road

test team. Another thing that immediately came to attention is that the

gauges are not grouped under a single hood like most vehicles, but

rather the speedometer, odometer and fuel/temperature dials each have

there own individual hood, which not only looks sharp but makes the

field of vision that much greater. Coupled with a vast dash that got

its start on the new Civic and is becoming commonplace on Honda and

Acura models, outward visibility is good, and the front windshield is

treated to an aggressive rake that hints at its sporting intentions.

Other hints can be found garnishing the exterior; round fog lamps on

the front bumper, turn signals integrated into the wing mirrors, twin

chrome-tipped tailpipes, and chrome accents on everything from the

upper grille surround to the door handles. Personally, I found my test

car's Alabaster Silver (isn't alabaster a metonym for “white”?) paint a

little tame and monochromatic as the aforementioned chrome accents seem

lost in the bodywork — Nighthawk Black or Royal Blue Pearl would be

much better. My car also featured 18-inch alloy wheels, but the

gunmetal split-spoke 19-inch options are much more pleasing to the eye,

and bear a close resemblance to the razor-sharp rims found on the RDX

prototype. Now, if only there wasn't a near-$3,500 price tag attached

to them...

Of course, this being an Acura,

interior materials and ergonomics are top-notch, rivaling and even

surpassing the top luxury brands from Europe and North America. The

seats are the focal point, dressed in soft, perforated leather that

screams “luxury” and keeps driver and passengers comfortable — the

front seats, of course, can be heated at two levels. Headroom, even

with the power moonroof, is ample even for my 6'3” frame, and rear

legroom, while not up to full-size SUV levels, of course, is still on

par with the best in the compact CUV class at 37.4

inches. However, the ample legroom has to be made up for somewhere,

and it's in the rear cargo area that we see space sacrificed. A family

of four geared up for a weekend road trip would be hard-pressed to fit

everything in the hatch

without some fairly creative packing, requiring

the use of a roof rack (whose mounting rails are available as an option

for a hair over $400). More frustrating still is the fact that the

cargo cover lid in the rear compartment is not removable, and the hatch

cannot be shut unless the cover falls into its fully-closed position,

so any duffel bag that pops even a bit above Acura's allowed maximum

height will prevent the hatch from closing. Then again, the rear window

is not huge, so at least drivers won't be tempted to overstuff and

compromise rearward vision. Still, when a car features tinted rear

windows for privacy and security; why not at least make the security

cover removable? At least the lockable center console features a

compartment big enough for not only CDs and roadmaps, but travel guides

and snacks for the road. In fact, the thing is so deep that Acura has

installed fold-down flaps to make the compartment shallower so small

items like coins, pens and wallets don't get lost in the abyss.

On

the electronic whiz-bang front, my particular example was

fitted with

Acura's Technology Package, which packs the vehicle so full of

electronic goodies you wonder how they got it all in there. Along with

basic features like Bluetooth connectivity and dual-zone climate

control, it adds a handy rear-view camera to aid with parking (not that

the fairly compact RDX really needs it), satnav and XM satellite

radio. Curiously, Acura doesn't add audible distance sensors to aid

with parking, but the rear-view camera provides a fishbowl effect that

handily keeps the rear bumper in view, so placing the little ute within

its spot during even the tightest of parallels isn't a problem. As far

as I'm concerned, it's a fair trade-off as I tend to find the

repetitive beeping of often overly sensitive audible sensors annoying

anyway. All the instrumentation is controlled by supremely solid

buttons and dials, whose quality befits vehicles of a much higher price

bracket.

Another highlight is Acura's

ELS multimedia system that features a prominent dial right in the

middle of the center console. After a brief orientation session, I

found the system to be fairly easy to, ahem, get a

grip on, and

perusing the various menus became a breeze, the control dial acting as

both joystick and scroll wheel when navigating through the menus. The

unit also controls the heavy-hitting 410-watt sound system included

with the tech package, which features 10-speakers, CD (6 can be loaded

into the dash), DVD and MP3 playability as well as Dolby ProLogic II,

with an auxiliary jack if you absolutely must have access to the 5,000+

songs on your MP3 player.

My only

complaint regarding cabin accoutrements is that while the driver gets

an 8-way power adjustable seat with lumbar support, front passengers

only get a manual option. This, however, is no big deal as every other

aspect of the cabin, from the easily adjustable dual-climate control to

the soft headliner and armrests coddle the occupants. A nice touch

adding another layer of luxury is my car's ambient lighting, which

helped me feel relaxed at the wheel, and happy to crawl into the cozy

confines of the RDX while the typical city-in-spring weather

rained on us for days at a time. Did I mention the RDX's rain-sensing

wipers?

With all of the comfort and soft

edges, it's easy to forget that you're sitting behind quite a peppy

little motor as well. The 2.3L i-VTEC and turbo-equipped four-cylinder

makes a healthy 240 horsepower and 260 lb-ft of torque. The

turbocharger doesn't hide itself, as it comes alive at just over 3,000

rpm with a turbo whistle that does justice to what I think is one of

the best sounds in the automotive world today. The turbo itself is not

huge, so the power surge when activated is not heart-stopping, but just

enough to ensure good high-speed passing dynamics as well as a strong

performance on steep mountain passes. Or if you need to get to the next

light before the guy beside you in a Civic Si. Whatever.

My

one complaint with regards to the RDX's power delivery is that, like

that aforementioned Civic Si, it takes a bit of spinning before the

engine falls into VTEC mode and power is delivered at a swifter rate. I

wish VTEC would have activated a little sooner, as this can lead to a

bit of a sensation that maybe the RDX is a little underpowered.

However, I'm sure that wouldn't do anything for fuel economy numbers,

which are important because the turbo

engine asks to be filled with

premium unleaded. And incidentally, the RDX is rated at 17 mpg

in the city and 22 on the highway, which is pretty decent but not

overly thrifty in this class. Also upping the “fun factor” are the tiny

paddles peeking out from behind the steering wheel. Like the rest of

the controls, these are quality little numbers finished with a sporty

rubberized texture that I loved. Right is for shifting up, left for

down through the sequential 5-speed automatic transmission, and I spent

a lot of time with sport mode activated (this is done by either tugging

on the ‘+' paddle or slipping the console-mounted shifter into the

bottom of the gate). Now, I was a little worried that this was the final dagger in the heart of the traditional stick-and-clutch based transmission system when paddle shifters started to appear on more than just Ferraris, but so far that fear has gone largely unfounded, as

we continue to see manual trannys on everything from hot hatches to

people movers, and also because those paddle shift transmissions are

actually pretty fun to use. Despite the paddles, the gearbox used in

the RDX is not a true sequential-manual like in some Audis, BMWs, VWs

and numerous exotic sports cars, or the

continuously-variable type

(CVT) as found in some Mitsubishis, Nissans and even some Jeeps, but

rather a standard automatic. The option to control the gears without

having to be constantly reaching for the shifter is great, though, and

while upshifts are never going to be quite as snappy as those from a

sequential-manual or even some CVTs, let alone a manual, a dimension of

sportiness not found on many competitive compact crossovers is still

added. Better yet, the ability for the driver to monitor the revs

further reduces fuel consumption.

While

the engine dynamics are good, I was actually more impressed with the

handling of the vehicle, thanks mainly to Honda's SH-AWD (I must

expand this great acronym — Super Handling All Wheel Drive). It builds

on the concept that was first seen in the Prelude type-SH, back in

1997, but since this time the technology has been applied to an all

wheel drive system. The RDX features three clutch packages, including

one at each rear-wheel and one moved further up the driveshaft to

eliminate the need for a center differential. Both the RDX and its

bigger sibling, the MDX, feature a default 90/10-percent front/rear

torque distribution, but when needed the torque can be actively split

between the two rear wheels, such as to the outer right wheel on a

sharp left hand corner. This reduces understeer and translates into

more confidence on greasy roads, and this increases the RDX's fun

factor

during spirited drives. Steering is a communicative

power-assisted rack and pinion setup anchored by a perfectly sized and

grippy steering wheel, while MacPherson struts up front, double

wishbones at the rear and two stabilizer bars keep the ride tight

without compromising comfort levels. In the end, I am not ashamed to

admit that this CUV is actually a fairly willing dance partner when it

comes time for a little backroad jaunt, while the big four-wheel disc

brakes and ABS do the job of a worthy chaperone when the action gets a

little too hot n' heavy.

But am I a

CUV convert? Not entirely. You still sit more “on-top” of the RDX as

opposed to inside it (like I said, the seats are near armchair-soft),

and nothing beats the sensation of stepping up and out of the close

confines of a car as opposed to stepping down out of the airy cockpit

of the RDX (unless you've got back problems). Personally, I think I

would still try my best to get my hands on a good sport wagon. But,

those are simply not occupying the automotive market in the same way

that CUVs are, and many would argue that you're paying more for a wagon

than what you should be paying for a little more space and maybe a

little less performance. With examples like the RDX becoming more

prevalent from manufacturers like BMW and, pretty soon, Mercedes-Benz,

Audi and Volvo, I would definitely have to consider a CUV if I was

looking to find the ultimate combination of “sport” and “utility”. The

RDX is certainly a good example of getting most things right in this

genre, and worthy of your attention. As for me, if an RDX Type-S was to

surface, I might have to reconsider.