The Acura RDX — the brand’s compact luxury crossover — turned out to be a bit of a surprise hit for me.
After I was spoiled with some larger, ultra-luxury SUVs in recent weeks, I thought the baby (for now) Acura would inevitably be a letdown, by no fault of its own. Instead, I really enjoyed the size of the RDX after navigating parking lots in those other big tanks.
This one was easy to maneuver, while also comfortably (and luxuriously) holding my two small kids in the back. Better yet, it packed plenty of zip.
The turbocharged, four-cylinder engine paired perfectly with the 10-speed automatic transmission. It ripped off shift after crisp shift when I put the pedal to the metal.
Also, it gave off a beautiful exhaust note in the process — one that I did not expect from a small crossover.
Difficulties included getting the touch pad infotainment controller to do what I wanted when it came to things like managing the stereo. And my old nemesis was back: A tricky push-button gear selector.
This RDX was the A-Spec with Advance Package version, which included some blacked-out exterior features and bigger wheels. This one also had all-wheel drive, or Super Handling All-Wheel Drive as Acura calls it.
The A-Spec with Advance Package features full-leather upholstery as well.
The EPA estimates a combined 23 miles per gallon. My dashboard said 19.
The RDX A-Spec with Advance Package and all-wheel drive option comes in at $55,800, after shipping. A base RDX starts at $46,050, shipped.
The RDX gets nothing but top scores from the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety in crash tests. Reliability depends on who you ask. Consumer Reports puts Acura as the fifth-best brand in terms of predicted reliability, while the J.D. Power Vehicle Dependability Study puts Acura in the bottom half of brands.
I found no spare tire, though other trim levels may have one.
This is my second somewhat-recent Acura — following the TLX Type S sedan I got last year — which I also liked a lot. That one also had an eye-burning red leather interior, but you can still color me impressed.
