Photo: Simon Hill, Canadian Auto Press |
From the moment you climb aboard the RDX, it’s easy to see the appeal: The doors close with a muted thud, and the interior is a hushed, cocooning space. The standard-equipment AWD system and extra ground clearance compared to a sedan make tackling winter roads easy and relaxed. The decent-sized luggage area and split-folding rear seats make carrying cargo a snap, aided by an intelligently-designed power tailgate that lets you easily override it for quick manual operation, and convenient seatback release levers in the cargo area.
On
Photo: Simon Hill, Canadian Auto Press |
Under the 2015 RDX’s hood, Acura eschews direct injection, turbochargers and even dual overhead cams, instead sticking to a simple, tried-and-true one-engine formula, fitting all RDXs with a 3.5-litre 24-valve SOHC V6 that cranks out an ample 273-horsepower and 251 lb-ft of torque. The engine is hooked up to a six-speed automatic transmission driving all four wheels, with power distribution monitored
Photo: Simon Hill, Canadian Auto Press |
From behind the wheel the V6 has a deep, mellifluous exhaust note and a pleasantly willing nature, and it’ll haul the 1,749-kilo (3,855-lb) RDX from 0 to 100 km/h in just under seven seconds. The six-speed automatic transmission shifts crisply and smoothly, with Drive mode favouring higher gears for better economy and Sport mode offering more aggressive shift timing. There are also paddle shifters for when you want to take more active control. The transmission is sporty enough during manually-initiated downshifts (it makes nice rev-matched gear changes), but it auto upshifts from first to second whether you want to or not,
Photo: Simon Hill, Canadian Auto Press |
Thanks to the Intelligent AWD system and Acura’s Variable Cylinder Management (which can shut down three of the engine’s cylinders during low load operation to conserve fuel), fuel economy is reasonably good, with the 2015 RDX rated at 12.1 / 8.7 L/100km in city/highway driving using the new five-cycle test process. I averaged somewhat worse than the rated city number, using 13.5 L/100km in purely city driving, but I should point out that this was mostly in the cold and rain while often stuck in stop-and-go traffic. Colleagues of mine have reported getting much better mixed fuel economy averages of around 9 or 10 L/100km under more reasonable circumstances. I should also mention that you really don’t notice the Variable Cylinder Management
Photo: Simon Hill, Canadian Auto Press |
The suspension (MacPherson strut up front and multilink in the rear) provides a ride that’s taut but not harsh, with decent handling for this segment. Helping in this regard is the RDX’s low centre of gravity compared to most crossovers, and its Amplitude Reactive Dampers. These feature two piston valves per shock absorber rather than just one, with the primary piston absorbing minor road irregularities and the stiffer secondary piston reigning in larger suspension motion. So you get a soft response if the wheel encounters a small, sharp bump, and a firmer, more controlled response if the wheel is moving through a larger range of motion such as when negotiating an undulating corner.
Inside, there’s soft touch materials on every surface you might expect, including the
Photo: Simon Hill, Canadian Auto Press |
Trim choices are limited to the base RDX (starting at $43,385 including the $1,995 destination fee) or the RDX Tech (starting at $45,385 destination in), which is a good few thousand dollars below the Mercedes-Benz GLK (which starts at $50,675 delivered with the diesel engine) and a little less than the Audi Q5 (which starts at $43,895 with destination, provided you’re okay with black or white paint, and $890 more if you want a metallic colour).
Standard features with the base RDX include dual-zone automatic climate control, a power sunroof, power locks with proximity entry and pushbutton start, power windows,
Photo: Simon Hill, Canadian Auto Press |
The Tech package adds the previously noted upgraded 10-speaker audio system with 8-inch display, navigation with voice recognition, plus the GPS-linked solar-sensing climate control system, and power tailgate.
Missing from the features and options lists are things like blind spot detection and lane
Photo: Simon Hill, Canadian Auto Press |
I appreciated the RDX’s comfortable seating and abundance of onboard features, although I did find that operating some of said features took a little getting used to (possibly because I was trying to learn while driving in the dark during a monsoon-like rainstorm). The centre stack controls are reasonably well laid out, but there’s a lot of information to take in and the controls and display are mounted fairly low, with the result being that I initially struggled to find the heater mode switch, for example.
I
Photo: Simon Hill, Canadian Auto Press |
Other nitpicks include the somewhat restricted rearward visibility (no surprise there as the RDX is hardly unique among crossovers in this regard), the lack of retained accessory power when you shut off the engine (unless you remember to shift into neutral before shutting down), the lack of a cargo cover, and the pedal-actuated park brake (in this segment it really ought to be either a leather-wrapped handbrake or an electronically actuated setup). Last but not least, I was unable
Photo: Simon Hill, Canadian Auto Press |
In most other regards the RDX really serves up exactly what most small luxury crossover shoppers are looking for, with a good balance of features and value. It’s a straightforward and solidly built design that’s undemanding yet reasonably responsive to drive, and it has all the features and comfort most really need without unnecessary complexity and resultant added cost. For those seeking practical yet luxurious daily transportation, the RDX delivers with its comfortably serene cabin and a versatile 739-litre cargo-carrying capacity (2,178 with the seats folded), all for an attractively competitive price. And that makes it well worth a look.
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