Surprisingly they found little to no torque steer and a good review overall. Hope the link works.


http://www.caranddriver.com/reviews/...t_drive_review

 

That was actually a pretty positive review. Most impressive is the lack of torque steer but I also find it interesting that they state what a bargain the RDX is when the price has been 1 of the bigger complaints that I have heard.

 

I just checked Acura's site here, no FWD offered in Canada.

 

Quoted from the article...."although all told, the interior still doesn’t match the sense of occasion presented by the Mercedes-Benz GLK or the Audi Q5."

Hopefully Acura is reading this. They are TRYING to be at the class of BMW, MB, and Audi but they are still falling short in areas that honestly don't cost THAT much to improve dramatically (like the interior)! The price better be a bargain if the materials are not going to match the competition or else why would anyone by the Acura brand...

 

bgillette79 - You make a good point and I don't disagree with you. However I do feel as though the Acura does a good job of pricing the vehicle with what it has compared to the Mercedes, BMW, or Audi. That's why I bought it. After looking at the X3, Rav4 V6, RDX, and LR2 my decision was that the RDX provided the right balance of "gadgets/comfort" for the price it offered. I thought the X3 and LR2 were overpriced didn't offer much for the price and I thought the Rav4 V6 was too basic and didn't provide enough "luxuries". But I do think there can be improvements to the interior but hopefully not with a huge increase in price.

 

I Agree...that is also why I own one.

But even still...for the price point they are at, they could up their quality a bit here and there on some very inexpensive things like trims, sound proofing, plastic under-body molding to improve air flow/road noise/ and increase mpgs.

 

+111111111

 

wow...surprisingly EXTREMELY favorable review from C&D. I expected way worse, the RDX, albeit they were a little hesitant to gloat, wrote up awesome. Great news....honestly tho IF ACURA JUICED UP THE OPTIONS, and gave us a real interior, id be in an RDX no matter what was out there. The performance of the RDX, which still ranks literally at the top of the ladder...if it were matched with options and luxury of its competition, I really think there would be no competition for it, and it would still be less expensive than other offerings. Cmon Acura, give me a reason to buy a new one lol.

 

I have been disappointed with the quality of some interior items. For one, the AC vent pm th eleft side "fell apart" recently. The vanes just started coming apart and fell allover the floor.

 

What did you do to it to make it fall apart?

 

I don't have much beef with interior quality. I'd like the aluminum trim to look more real or be real. My Maxima has some faux aluminum in it looks and feels real. Maybe the plastic surround the gauges or the fakish carbon fiber material.

I sat in a GLK and it was unimpressive to me. Good materials, but not a good design.

Acura could simply add a smart key, rain sensing wipers, LED tails/signals and some wheel options and It would be perfect for me (ok, maybe throw in a V6).

 

I've always felt the center stack looked more honda accord than Acura. It is still a very good interior and I like all the buttons. It seems the RDX does not have that unique Acura center stack you find on the MDX/RL/TL. The TSX center stack looks 90%-95% like an Accord sedan.

I wanted a V-6 for the RDX also (and 6AT along with it). I think the +$5,000 price hike would be just too much. I would be willing to pay about $1200-$1500 for a 3.2L or 3.5L V-6 for the RDX.

 

Honestly a 3.2 in the RDX (I'd take a 3.5), the 3.5 in the TSX and the 3.7 in the TL and MDX would make the most sense to me, and it would help to further standardize the Acura line up, which they seem to be trying to to with the BEAKS!

The RL needs to be stepped up to a 4.0L with HP in the area of 350 if they are going to keep pace with $50k cars!

 

Don't forget about the MDX, it could use some V-8 power as well. I'm thinking a 4.4L or 4.6L would great for the RL/MDX (350-400 hp). I'm willing to bet there would only be a drop of 1 mpg overall compared to the 3.7L.

I like the ideal of the FWD RDX. Living in the southwest, I've never had a need to use AWD. If we get more than 1 inch of snow in ABQ, they shut almost everything down until the sun pops out. The 200lbs weights savings, $2000 cheaper price, and the extra 2 mpgs are a nice bonus. I haven't seen any 0-60 times yet, the FWD RDX should be a little faster and stop a little shorter.

I've read where the new 6AT will eventually end up in the TSX and RDX. That would pretty good to have an FWD RDX with 20city/25hwy and faster 0-60 times down the road.

 

The six speed might help a bit on fuel economy, too, especially on the highway.

 

The RDX by nature will never do great on the HW because of the turbo.

Cruising at 70mph it is nearly impossible to make the TURBO not engage on an incline and still maintain speed. That happening dramatically brings down your average HW MPGs.

I think with a turbo engine 24mpg is all we will ever see on the highway regardless of the number of gears, and I'm happy with that.

I think a 3.2L v6 with 6-speeds could put the RDX in the 27mpg HW range because the v6 would better be able to keep the 70mph speed without having to really dip into the power to do it like the 4-turbo does.

 

MotorTrend: 2010 Acura RDX Review

It’s been almost four years since Acura released its first turbocharged vehicle, the part crossover, part urban wagon RDX. For 2010, Acura brings to the market a facelifted version of the RDX, which sports a fresh new exterior look, a more luxurious interior, and a host of new technological features.

With Acura describing the vehicle as the most competitive priced luxury crossover vehicle in the market, the RDX incorporates dynamic handling with all weather capability even though it isn’t an off-road vehicle. The 2010 Acura RDX also offers a more fuel-efficient front-wheel drive option for the first time, a move that was pre-empted to lower the base price of its lineup, starting at $32,520 and going up to $34,520 for the all-wheel drive version, as well as appealing more to customers who live in warmer climates and those who don't need the safety of all-wheel traction.

One might draw similarities to the Honda CR-V but the 2010 Acura RDX is in a completely different league to its corporate cousin. The sportier ensemble with the new Acura corporate grille and sloping rear gives credence to the styling approach aimed towards a sleeker looking vehicle. The 2010 offering adopts 18-inch wheels, revised front and rear bumpers, and more modern tail lights. Inside, the RDX is a lot more driver oriented with the makeover boasting a more upmarket-tech look that includes new climate controls, ambient lighting, leather seats and a generous use of metallic trim.

The fourth incarnation of the RDX is equipped with a turbocharged 2.3-liter four-cylinder engine incorporating computer-controlled ‘intelligent’ i-VTEC adjustment of the intake and exhaust valve actuation. The end result is an output of 240 horsepower at 6,000 rpm and 260 pound-feet of torque at 4,500 rpm. Teamed with a sequential 5-speed automatic transmission, which allows the transmission to function in a conventional automatic mode or controlled manually via steering-wheel-mounted paddle shifters, the RDX will sprint from 0-60 mph in just under seven seconds.

Turbo lag is noticeable despite the Variable Flow Turbocharger (VFT) that is meant to deliver an unusually broad powerband with virtually no lag in throttle response. The lag kills off-the-line acceleration until about 3,000 rpm when driving in automatic mode. Once it spools, the power surge makes for jerky driving, which you have to compensate for with your foot, especially if the turbo rush hits mid-turn. Having said that, the standard paddle-shifted automatic is actually quite fun if used in sport mode, especially in straight-line acceleration. Taking advantage of the paddle-shifters does alleviate some of the boost lag problems at launch. The turbo system also makes use of a new inlet pipe that is thicker to reduce noise during high boost situations and the RDX incorporates a dual-stage radiator fan to further reduce cabin noise.

Acura claims a city/highway fuel economy rating of 19/24 mpg (RDX FWD) and 17/22 mpg (RDX SH-AWD) but according to our tests these figures are a little optimistic. We achieved 13-15 mpg in normal driving around town and 19-21 mpg on the highway.

Potential RDX buyers will be elated to know that there is no significant loss of the driving feel when comparing the all-wheel drive system to the front-wheel drive alternative. When one compares them to the other options available in this segment of the market, both these models will at the very least satisfy in terms of driving pleasure. The driving experience is further exemplified with light steering and strong brakes, both of which contribute to a sportier feel than that afforded to most SUVs and crossovers.

The interior of the new RDX has been a rather debated love-hate issue. This journalist is one who appreciates the interior for this class segment. It comes with leather trim and the rear seats allow a 60/40 split-fold. When folded down, the cargo volume is increased to a 60.6 cubic feet from 27.8 cubic feet.

In terms of safety, the latest RDX earned a five star rating in the NHTSA (National Highway Traffic Safety Administration) front and side crash tests, a four star rating for rollover risk and is the Top Safety Pick by the IIHS (Insurance Institute for Highway Safety).

All in all, the 2010 Acura RDX has got the right size for urban use as well as achieving an engaging driving experience with the improved dynamics, strong engine performance and powerful brakes. The only complaint worth registering is the far from impressive fuel economy and as for the stiffer ride, it’s fully justified by the sportier driving experience.

 

You are mistaken my friend. Any engine will need to use more fuel on an incline because it is under load. On the highway a turbo actually improves gas mileage, it acts as a ram air, in simplest terms. The problem is that most turbo cars are tuned for wide open throttle and not half throttle which is used on the highway, now RDX owners have an advantage with the type of turbo honda designed for it, but what kills the RDX's gas is the larger injectors needed for a turbo. Only more efficient ecu tuning and gear ratio tuning will make the RDX more efficient, not adding a V6 and a sixth gear. Remember a V6 has two more injectors than a 4 cylinder, and just because a car has an extra gear doesn't mean it is more efficient. My old 2003 Turbocharged Civic SI is a 5 speed and the RSX is a 6 speed and both cars had the same last gear ratio. I contemplated swapping trannys but it wouldn't have been more fuel efficient. Oh and I got 27 MPG on the highway with my civic.

 

2010 Acura RDX

Product summary

3 out of 5 *

The good: A smart all-wheel-drive system makes the 2010 Acura RDX one of the sportiest small SUVs we've driven. Traffic, weather, and Zagat ratings are nice additions to the navigation system, and the excellent-sounding ELS audio system includes iPod integration.

The bad: The engine delivers poor fuel economy and uneven acceleration.

The bottom line: A nice-handling little SUV with useful cabin tech features, the 2010 Acura RDX is plagued by an inefficient power train.

Specifications: Body style: SUV ; Available Engine: Gas See full specs

Price range: $37,620.00 check prices

CNET editors' review

* Reviewed by:
Wayne Cunningham
* Reviewed on: 10/22/2009

As we raced the 2010 Acura RDX along winding mountain roads, feeling out corners carefully so as not to send this small SUV tumbling, we wished the turbocharged engine and all-wheel-drive system were in a completely different car. Throw this running gear into a small coupe, ditch the five speed automatic for a slick six speed manual, and Acura would have an impressive replacement for the discontinued RSX.

But as it is, the 2010 RDX competes in an extremely crowded market, against the likes of the Honda CR-V, the Mitusbishi Outlander, and the Nissan Rogue. Somewhere in Acura headquarters, someone looked at all these other small SUVs, and decided to jump on the bandwagon, going for mass-market popularity as opposed to a niche sports car. But the power train engineers seemed to be building a different car, and were probably surprised to see their engine sitting between the high front wheels of an SUV.

That engine and the all-wheel-drive system, and to some extent the automatic transmission, make the 2010 RDX one of the sportiest drivers amongst small SUVs, but the turbocharged engine doesn't do well with the car's near-2-ton curb weight. A V-6 would have given it smoother acceleration and probably delivered better fuel economy.

Turbo lag
The power train is comprised of a 2.3-liter four-cylinder engine with Honda/Acura's i-VTEC technology, controlling valve timing and lift, a variable flow turbocharger with a peak pressure of 13.5 psi, and a five-speed automatic that includes sport and manual shift modes. The turbocharged engine puts out 240 horsepower at 6,000rpm and 260 pound-feet of torque at 4,500rpm.

Acura's only turbocharged engine might have been better suited to a light sports car.

Although Acura claims its variable-flow turbocharger minimizes lag, we beg to differ. The gas engine gives the RDX adequate push from a stop, and then the turbo kicks in when the engine hits about 2,500rpm. At that moment, a very perceptible power boost hits the RDX, giving it uneven acceleration. During passing maneuvers, attempting acceleration at speed, the turbo's late kick made it difficult to judge safe distances. The turbo lag is not as extreme as with the Subaru WRX STI, but it is definitely there.

In general, a turbo is a good way to increase power without negatively affecting fuel economy as much as more displacement would. But that equation doesn't work out so well in the RDX. EPA fuel economy is 17 mpg city and 22 mpg highway, pretty dismal numbers for a four cylinder engine. In our mixed freeway, mountain highway, and city driving, we achieved an average of just 18.3 mpg. The bigger Lexus RX 350, with its 3.5-liter V-6, got better fuel economy.

The five-speed automatic shifts readily in manual mode.

Of course, that Lexus also has a six-speed transmission, versus the five-speed automatic in the RDX, which will affect fuel economy. We would have preferred an extra gear in the RDX transmission, but we were impressed with its capabilities. In manual mode, it changed gears quickly every time we pulled one of the paddle shifters on the steering wheel, without a lot of the torque converter slushiness that usually comes with automatics. Its sport mode kept the engine speed high, but didn't downshift aggressively as we braked before a corner.

Our RDX came with Acura's Super Handling All Wheel Drive system (SH-AWD); a front wheel drive RDX is also available. This system holds the road incredibly well. As we dashed over wet roads on a drizzly day, we could feel the system work to keep the RDX on the pavement, especially in the corners as we put more and more speed on. Working against it was the car's high center of gravity, hence our wish for a low-slung sports coupe that could really take advantage of this technology. SH-AWD not only transfers torque dynamically from front to rear; it also sends it between the two rear wheels as needed. A neat little torque graphic on the instrument cluster shows second-by-second torque distribution, but you can't really monitor it when performing maneuvers that make it change.

Control issues
The cabin of the 2010 RDX doesn't feel particularly luxurious, although it looks nicer than a typical economy car. There are hard plastics, but Acura finishes them well. The buttonitis affecting many Acura models is kept in check on the stack, but still overwhelms the steering wheel.

This big controller looks awkward, and the onscreen interface isn't all that intuitive.

Acura uses a big joystick/knob, set below the car's LCD, for controlling audio, navigation, and phone functions. It is not the most elegant-looking controller, and it uses a similar paradigm as BMW's iDrive and Mercedes-Benz's COMAND system for alphanumeric inputs. You twist the knob until a letter or number is highlighted on the LCD, then press it to select. Entering long names gets tedious quickly, but Acura speeds the process with predictive text. The main problem with this interface is that it's not always clear when you need to push the joystick up or down, or to either side.

The navigation system isn't up with Acura's latest, the hard drive-based system we saw in the TL SH-AWD. The RDX still relies on a DVD-based system. Map modes are restricted to 2D, but it does feature integrated traffic and weather, delivered through XM satellite radio. The traffic feature alerts you to slow traffic and different kinds of incidents, such as road construction and collisions. Program a destination, and the system dynamically routes around traffic problems.

Route guidance is fairly basic, but practical. The system doesn't do text-to-speech, but its guidance graphics are clear. Acura has included Zagat ratings in its points-of-interest database for a few years now, helping you determine a restaurant's quality instead of blindly choosing by cuisine. Not only are the ratings included, but you can also access the written reviews--a big plus.

Zagat ratings in the navigation system's POI database are very detailed.

As the navigation system is still DVD-based, there is no onboard storage for music, as there is in the TL SH-AWD. But for the 2010 model year, the RDX does gain iPod integration and Bluetooth audio streaming to add to its other audio sources--an auxiliary input, satellite radio, and an MP3- and DVD-audio-compatible six-disc in-dash changer. The interface for iPod integration allows music selection by artist, album, and genre, as we would expect. These audio sources play through 5.1 channel audio, the ELS branded premium system. It uses 10 speakers and produces excellent sound quality. Trying out different tracks with this system, we were impressed by its staging--the capability to precisely place specific instruments around the cabin. With the equalizer settings flat, the audio seems tuned more for good high-frequency reproduction, but tweaking the bass and subwoofer gives music some depth.

The Bluetooth phone system seems to have gotten an update from the previous RDX model year. It now copies over a paired phone's contact list, making it possible to select people by name on the car's LCD. The voice command system says that it will also dial by name, but we could not get that feature to work.

This double bank of buttons controls two separate voice control systems.

In general, the voice command system in the RDX is very good, letting you control a wide number of car functions by voice. Navigation, audio, and climate control are all easy to use by voice, and the car even responds to questions such as "What time is it?" Voice command also works for making calls, to some degree, but this is actually a separate voice command system, with its own set of buttons on the steering wheel. We've pointed out the problem with this double set of voice command buttons on previous Acuras; it hasn't yet been corrected in the RDX.

In sum
Although we like the idea of the turbocharged four cylinder engine in the 2010 Acura RDX, in practice it isn't all that effective. Mileage is poor and acceleration is uneven. But the RDX earns points for its all-wheel-drive system and solid-feeling automatic transmission. The cabin tech earns points for the excellent sounding audio system, and it gets a boost from traffic, weather, and Zagat ratings on the navigation system. But in too many other ways this cabin gear falls behind competitors. The interface design for the cabin tech is about average, suffering from some usability issues. As for the exterior, from many angles the RDX looks like any other small SUV, but Acura does put a distinct grille on it.

Spec box
Model 2010 Acura RDX
Trim SH-AWD with Technology Package
Powertrain Turbocharged 2.3-liter four cylinder
EPA fuel economy 17 mpg city/22 mpg highway
Observed fuel economy 18.3 mpg
Navigation Standard DVD-based system with traffic
Bluetooth phone support Standard
Disc player MP3 compatible CD/DVD changer
MP3 player support n/a
Other digital audio satellite radio, auxiliary input
Audio system ELS 10 speaker 5.1 surround system
Driver aids Rear view camera
Base price $37,620
Price as tested $38,430

 

^^ Wow -- kinda harsh, but we wouldn't want anything less than the truth (as the reviewer sees it anyway). If Acura pays attention to CNET's review, I would expect (hope for) some major changes with full model change in 2-3 years -- V6 / 6AT would be nice. And just when I was drooling over some 2010 RDX pics and was ready to cave on getting one now. Poop! What to do, what to do. Went to the dealer last Sunday when they were closed and finally saw the 2010 in person (Polished Metal Metallic / Ebony). Might go to another dealer tomorrow to compare PMM with Grigio. The 2010 really is beautiful, but given this CNET review (not to mention problems mentioned here re: brakes, tires, navi, etc.), sounds like I should stick to Plan A and wait. I'll probably still go to the other dealer tomorrow though, just to torture myself a little.

 

cnet is utter garbage, and usually the facts they set out are wrong or inconsistent

"the 2010 RDX competes in an extremely crowded market, against the likes of the Honda CR-V, the Mitusbishi Outlander, and the Nissan Rogue" really?

Bash the turbo, performance, tranny and then say:
That engine and the all-wheel-drive system, and to some extent the automatic transmission, make the 2010 RDX one of the sportiest drivers amongst small SUV- either the engine/drive train works or it doesnt...it cant be shit but then be the sportiest in the competition, acura must have gotten something right, no?

pick a position. i wouldnt place 2 cents in cnets reviews, of anything, the only thing they identified was the lack of interior luxury, which is pretty much obvious so they cant get that wrong.

 

Here's a CNET video review -- just posted to YouTube yesterday. The guy might have a point about the navi, but he still seems like a wanker.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iuOUFHeUDnw