Acura RDX

The Acura RDX is an odd duck: not only is it the single Honda/Acura vehicle to use a turbocharged engine, it’s also the only luxury crossover with four-cylinder power. This is a class of vehicle where the number of cylinders seems to be perceived as a selling point: if it doesn’t have six or eight of them under the hood, then it must be somehow inadequate.

The 2.3-litre turbo motor, which is unique to the RDX, makes 240 horsepower and 260 lb-ft of torque, the same numbers it sported at the RDX’s introduction in 2007. In 2010, that put it near the back of the pack, specs-wise, against competition like the Audi Q5, Mercedes GLK 350 and Infiniti EX, whose base models all have horsepower ratings ranging from 268 to nearly 300. More competitive is the RDX’s standard use of Acura’s Super Handling All-Wheel Drive system, a capable setup that can not only split power between the front and rear axles, but also between the left and right rear wheels, in order to enhance the car’s high-speed handling. Notable is the availability of a front-drive RDX in the U.S. for 2010, but we don’t get that model here.