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Acura RDX News & Reviews

   2010 Acura RDX SH-AWD Tech Road Test Review

The Acura RDX and I go back, way back. And even though it's been quite some time since I last drove one, it feels like just yesterday

A great little SUV, the RDX gets some subtle sheet metal updates and the addition of the new corporate grille. (Photo: Canadian Auto Press)

that I was loading one up with my husband and going on a road trip to Vancouver Island.  That was about three years ago. 

This sudden rush of nostalgia hit me as I hopped into the latest version of Acura's Crossover Utility Vehicle (CUV).  All the good times, the good drives and more came back and reminded me of what a great vehicle it was and how much I liked it.  Needless to say, the 2010 version of the RDX looks better, drives better and is better all around, and has created some new impressions in my mind that I'm sure will continue to last. 

There are quite a few upgrades for the 2010 model year.  The most notable is the exterior with new front and rear bumper fascias, revised headlights and taillights, new exhaust tips and redesigned 18" aluminum-alloy wheels, which come standard with P235/55R18 all-season tires.  <Read More>

   2010 Acura RDX Technology Road Test Review

Have you ever noticed that when you get a new car, the moment you climb in and start driving you start seeing people driving the

Acura has upgraded its RDX with its new corporate "shield" grille, which cleans up the design substantially. (Photo: Canadian Auto Press)

same model more often than ever before? That happens to me every week, and this week I certainly saw a lot of Acura RDX crossovers on the road. Actually, after my first few minutes with it I was prepared to start my review with something like, "This is a great little CUV! Why aren't more people buying it?" but I didn't need to. Rather, I'm saying, "This is a great little SUV and I understand why it's caught on!"

First and foremost, Honda, Acura's parent company, sells many more compact CR-V crossovers than most manufacturers do in the same segment, and where does a CR-V owner go when he or she starts making more money? Certainly they can go large and buy a Pilot or even an MDX, but those Honda buyers who like the size, agility and fuel economy of a compact vehicle yet can now afford something with a little more prestige and features look to the RDX.

The RDX <Read More>

   2009 Acura RDX Road Test Review

Lately Acura has been heavily associating itself with golf in its advertising and promotional material. Acura is a luxury brand,

The RDX was the first model in the Acura lineup to show bolder styling. (Photo: Canadian Auto Press)

and golf is a luxury sport. If you disagree with that last statement, compare hockey or soccer where the goal is still to shoot an object into some sort of receptacle, to golf where you drive around in an electric cart, drink beer and at worst, run the risk of suffering a blister injury. I rest my case.

Just because I think golf is merely an expensive way to take a good walk, does that mean I am going to think the Acura RDX is simply a hoity-toity version of the Honda CR-V, allowing entry to the clubhouse where collared shirts are as "mandatory" as the little plaque on the wall says?

No, not at all.  At $41,400 the RDX is a competent comfortable little SUV that can really handle itself. My tester had the Technology package, adding a navigation system, a rear backup camera and a very good premium audio system, bringing the as-tested price to $45,100. <Read More>

   2010 Acura RDX Looks Promising

As popular as the compact luxury crossover segment is supposed to be, it's not affecting Acura RDX sales. For reasons

Has Acura figured out the premium compact crossover formula with the new 2010 RDX? (Photo: Acura)

that potential customers and professional pundits have let the Japanese brand know loudly, it just doesn't cut the mustard in the premium segment.

Some tout the four-cylinder engine as being a downer in a class ruled by powerful sixes, although moving into a new low-emissions, fuel-friendly era it might be seen that Acura's premium compact crossover was way ahead of its time. Others say it doesn't come with enough of the features expected in this class, even when loaded up. There was no power passenger seat until the 2009 model year, for instance, and there still isn't any memory buttons for the driver's seat, plus there are no active turning headlamps or even automatic headlights for that matter. There's no proximity sensing keyfob either, or push-button start, now standard on base model Suzukis and available from a multitude of entry-level brands, and if you want to play an iPod you've got to get your dealer to install a special connection for hundreds of dollars, or plug it into an auxiliary jack and lose some functionality.

Other <Read More>

   Acura teases with 2012 TL rump shot

Acura has polarized luxury car buyers with its edgy new design language, and while it's difficult to say whether a drop in TL sales

The new 2012 TL looks like the outgoing 2011 TL from the rear. (Photo: Acura)

has been directly related to styling or just the weak economy, Honda's luxury brand isn't about to head into an expected auto sector rebound without making sure it's most popular sedan isn't ready to claim its market share.

A teaser photo is all the company is prepared to debut right now, however, just ahead of the entire car being unveiled at the Chicago auto show later this week. And that photo only shows the middle, bottom portion of the car's hindquarters, the least criticized design element, which appears to remain mostly unchanged. Even the taillights, visible through the folds of material, appear the same in size and shape as the outgoing car, so this tease is more of an official announcement that the revised 2012 TL is about to be revealed.

The <Read More>

   2011 Acura CSX iTech Road Test Review

Five years after its introduction, the Acura CSX still can't seem to get any respect. Sure, Canadian automotive journalists gloat

A better looking Civic, the Acura CSX offers a premium badge, some luxury fittings and a little more performance for a nominal price increase. (Photo: Simon Hill, Canadian Auto Press)

that the CSX is an exclusive model developed in Canada for Canadians, and not available in the U.S. They boast about how the styling was so well liked in Japan that Honda based their domestic-market Civic on the CSX rather than on design used in North America. But then these same journalists invariably complain that the CSX isn't exclusive or up-market enough to justify its extra cost compared to a similarly equipped Civic, and conclude that given the choice they'd take a loaded Civic instead, thanks.

But that was then. Evidently Acura Canada got the message, because since 2009 they've been tweaking the model lineup (bye-bye, Type-S) and trimming the price so that now, in the last year of its current model run (a redesign is expected in 2012), the CSX is suddenly worthy of second look, and perhaps a little respect.

First, let's be clear <Read More>

   2011 Acura MDX Road Test Review

What is luxury? Some would say leather embellishments, wood grain adornments, plush carpeting, top-drawer technologies, superb

Acura's MDX delivers quality, luxury and reliability in a stylish 7-seat package. (Photo: Trevor Hofmann, Canadian Auto Press)

workmanship and thrilling performance would fit the bill in the automotive world, but what about the peace of mind that comes with driving a vehicle from a brand with the fewest initial defects in its class. At least, it has the best initial quality if you can't afford a Porsche.

And the sad reality is most of us can't afford that Cayenne if it's loaded up with anywhere near the MDX's level of standard features. In reality, even when totally loaded with everything Acura has to throw at it the MDX is only a few thousand more than the comparatively barebones Cayenne. If your needs happen to include seven seats that eliminates the Porsche altogether and narrows the field of potential competitors to fewer than you can count on one hand – well, as many if you include Hyundai's Veracruz which is extremely good but hardly from a brand with premium status, although that sentiment <Read More>

   2010 Acura ZDX Technology Road Test Review

There are some things in life that might questionable on paper but befitting in reality. For example, buttered popcorn flavoured

A unique design, the new ZDX joins BMW's X6 as a sports car among crossovers. (Photo: Canadian Auto Press)

Jelly Belly jelly beans. Gross, huh? Well, they are, hands down, my favourite flavour. Or wasabi-flavoured ice cream. Ok, that's even more gross but some people really love it. So when Acura introduced their all-new 2010 ZDX 4-door-sedan-slash-crossover-utility-vehicle-meets-sports-coupe, I didn't know how well those multiple mediums would mesh. Then again, BMW did it with their X6 and Infiniti with their FX line so it seems as though the concept is working. It wasn't until I experienced the ZDX firsthand that I could really grasp what Acura was trying to portray, and it wasn't half bad, either.
 
From the signature Acura front grille, to its chiseled shoulders, to its wide-hipped rear end, the engineers and designers at Acura effectively communicated the above elements into the ZDX's styling. The Japanese auto manufacturer has definitely created an eye-catching vehicle thanks to the <Read More>

   2010 Acura TL SH-AWD Road Test Review

For the 2010 model year, Acura has a major trick up its sleeve that makes the TL SH-AWD one very appealing vehicle (well, to

All Acura models now sport the brand's distinctive "shield" nose job, which has come under some controversy by conservative buyers. (Photo: Canadian Auto Press)

me at least!) Yes, it looks good and is well endowed, but it's more than that. Six speeds more than that.

From the outside, the TL is quite remarkable. It was completely redesigned for the 2009 model year making it look a lot more grown up and less like its competition. What's cool about the new styling is that I don't just notice individuals that would fit the profile of a midsized sedan buyer turning their heads for second looks, but a lot of younger people get pretty excited when they see this car driving by. I'm not sure if it's the platinum plated grille or the exclusive 18" aluminum-alloy wheels on P245/R18 all season tires, but this is one eye catching car. 

When it comes to what's under the hood, the TL comes with the choice of two engines. <Read More>

Newsflash… wagons are hot!  In the premium segment, at least.  Longtime wagon traditionalists Audi, BMW, Mercedes-Benz, Saab

Acura joins the premium 5-door segment with a Sport Wagon of its own. (Photo: Acura)

and Volvo were recently joined by Cadillac, which added an all-new CTS Sport Wagon into its lineup for 2010.  Lexus played around in this segment a while back with the previous generation IS 300 SportCross, the only Japanese luxury brand to do so, but now it's Acura's turn with a new configuration for its TSX model. 

The TSX was previously only available as a four-door sedan.  And while sedan sales are expected to continue as dominant within the model's lineup, the new wagon will be sure to lure in buyers wanting a more sport sedan-like experience than a crossover can give them with the added benefit of extra rear cargo space and accessibility. 

"The TSX Sport <Read More>