2009 Acura RDX Image
2009 Acura RDX Image
In the search for fuel efficiency, Americans today are scrutinizing even smaller sport utility vehicles that have four-cylinder engines.
So it's no wonder that Acura adds a two-wheel drive version of its RDX compact SUV for 2010. The move shaves some 190 pounds from the previously all-wheel drive only RDX and helps account for 2 more miles per gallon in both city and highway driving for a combined 21 mpg government mileage rating in slow- and high-speed travel.
Even better, the front-wheel drive 2010 RDX — which also includes subtle styling updates and new standard features that are on all RDX models — has a lower starting retail price than the base 2009 RDX.
Specifically, the starting manufacturer's suggested retail price, including destination charge, for a 2010 RDX with two-wheel drive is $33,330. This is less than the $34,705 starting retail price for a base 2009 RDX and compares with the $35,330 starting price for a 2010 RDX with all-wheel drive.
The 2010 prices include standard automatic transmission, leather-trimmed seats, power front seats that are heated, 360-watt Acura audio system, power moonroof and dual-zone climate control, among other things. All safety equipment, including six air bags, electronic stability control, traction control and whiplash-reducing front head restraints, is standard, too.
Acura said the new pricing on the Consumer Reports-recommended RDX stems from customers in warm weather areas saying they didn't want to have to pay for all-wheel drive if they didn't need it.
But the new model also means the base RDX has a noticeable price differential compared with major competitors.
For example, starting retail price for a 2009 BMW X3 with manual transmission and all-wheel drive is $40,525, while the 2009 Infiniti EX35 with two-wheel drive and automatic transmission starts at $34,665. Additionally, the 2010 Audi Q5 starts at $38,175 and has automatic transmission and all-wheel drive.
The competitors above have six-cylinder engines so you'd expect them to have more power. They do, in terms of horsepower, but Acura's RDX has impressive get up and go so you might think you have a six cylinder under the hood.
The reason? The RDX has Acura's first production turbocharged engine, and though it's just a 2.3-liter four cylinder, its output is 240 horses and a six-cylinder-like 260 foot-pounds of torque at 4,500 rpm.
This compares with the Q5 V-6's 270 horses and 243 foot-pound at 3,000 rpm and the 260 horsepower and 225 foot-pounds of torque at 2,750 rpm generated by the six cylinder in the 2009 BMW X3.
The test RDX with two-wheel drive accelerated smoothly, with nary any turbo lag. I didn't notice shift points as I drove, either, unless I was doing the shifting manually and aggressively via the SportShift five-speed automatic transmission. Acura includes paddle shifters at the steering wheel so drivers don't have to take their hands off the wheel when shifting and so drivers experience a sporty feel in the RDX.
This 15.2-foot-long SUV bounded up hills easily and felt lighter than its 3,752 pounds. The two-wheel drive vehicle is also 250 pounds lighter than its six-cylinder competitors.
Best of all, the RDX's new government fuel economy ratings — 19 mpg in the city and 24 mpg on the highway — are better than the 16/23-mpg rating for the 2009 X3 and the 17/24-mpg rating for the 2009 Infiniti EX35.
In fact, according to the government's fuel economy Web site, the RDX with two-wheel drive has the highest gasoline mileage of any luxury-branded, non-hybrid SUV so far in the 2010 model year. Its rating is the same as a 2010 Subaru Forester.
However, the recommended fuel for the RDX is premium, which adds some cost at the gas pump.
Buyers will have to get used to a firm ride in the two or all-wheel drive. Passengers feel most road bumps, and there is road noise from the 18-inch all-season tires.
But I didn't hear wind noise, and the sounds of the stereo were crystal clear and pleasing.
Acura officials said they worked to quiet the interior by, among other things, changing the radiator fan so there's less underhood noise.
Brakes are improved in both performance and feel, thanks to a new brake pedal ratio, booster and servo, which works to intensify the force of the driver's foot on the brake pedal. Brakes worked well in the test SUV.
New standard features include a compass because so many customers seem to want it, and a rearview camera whose display pops up in the rearview mirror as a driver backs up.
The RDX already was well-equipped, but customers had noted the lack of automatic headlights and the need for more interior light. So these items are remedied for 2010 as well.
Steering in the tester was responsive without being twitchy, and the steering wheel seems smaller in diameter than in many other SUVs, which I appreciated.
The RDX interior is well laid out and easy to understand. Buttons and knobs aren't gimmicky, and the display screen atop the center of the dashboard is decent sized. I liked that there wasn't an overpowering leather smell to the interior.
The back seat is comfortable for adults, with 37.7 inches of legroom and 38.3 inches of headroom.
Cargo space behind the rear seats in the RDX totals a competitive 27.8 cubic feet and expands to 60.6 cubic feet if the rear seats are folded down.
Best of all, techies can load up the RDX with lots of new technology, including new real-time weather that makes it seem like you have your own weathercaster on board, and a note function to help you remember the artist and song you just heard on the XM satellite radio.
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