2010 Acura RDX Road Test Review

2010 Acura RDX
2010 Acura RDX

2010 Acura RDX

The Acura RDX engine doesn't look particularly impressive on paper: a turbocharged inline-4 mated to a smooth five-speed automatic transmission, good for an unremarkable 240 horsepower and 260 pound-feet of torque. After all, this is a segment in which V6 brawn is the norm; you'll find more grunt in rivals like the Audi Q5 (270 hp) and the Infiniti EX35 (297 hp).

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In practice, though, the 2010 Acura RDX moves with a quickness that will leave you questioning its paltry horsepower numbers — it's never less than energetic around town. It's also fleet-footed at the track, hustling from zero to 60 mph in just 6.9 seconds. This is a shade behind the EX35's 6.6 seconds, but ahead of the 7.2 seconds logged by both the Q5 and the GLK350.

The crossover's bantam-weight physique no doubt plays a huge part in its stellar acceleration. With our test model tipping the scales at just 3,723 pounds, the FWD RDX is one of the lightest choices in the luxury compact crossover segment.

Braking is merely so-so. The Acura RDX decelerates from 60 mph in 125 feet; the GLK350 makes the same stop in just 119 feet. Handling is more the RDX's forte. The spry little crossover whips round the slalom cones at 64.6 mph, besting both the GLK350 (61.3 mph) and the Q5 (64.3 mph). In city driving, the RDX carries itself just as nimbly as these numbers suggest; it feels smaller on the road than many others in the compact-ute segment. Steering is on the light side, but is reassuringly precise.

Fuel-efficiency in the FWD RDX is obviously better than that of its AWD counterpart, and is reasonably good for this category. EPA estimates are 19 mpg city/24 mpg highway and 21 mpg combined — on par with the Q5 (20 combined) and ahead of the GLK350 (18). We averaged 19.5 mpg in mostly city driving.