Alizium Auto Blogs: 2007 Acura RDX: First Drive

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While we patiently wait for an extended test of Acura’s all-new RDX compact SUV, we did get plentiful seat-time this week in the rainy Chicago suburbs. Joe Wiesenfelder and David Thomas were generally impressed with the turbocharged, all-wheel-drive RDX — Dave may even buy one.

David: I don’t know if I’m the only one who does this, but the lease on my wife’s SUV is up in June — that’s June 2007 — and I’ve been shopping for a replacement for the past year. Right now only one vehicle has made my shopping list — the Mazda CX-7 — while my wife’s list also includes the BMW 325xi wagon. But I think now I’ll have to add the RDX to the top of the list.

The purchase is for my wife, and the RDX would be great for her, with its commanding view of the road, two cupholders in the center console and one in each door. There's also a sunglasses holder built into the door instead of overhead. She’ll dig that. Most importantly for both of us, though, is that our dog will love the flat floor when the rear seats are folded down. It’s the perfect height for the pup to put her head out the window while still being able to poke her head up front to say hi to us. And it’s low enough for her to easily jump in and out.

Me, I dug the turbo. The RDX is mighty spry for an SUV, and with the shift paddles there's surprisingly accurate gear control on demand. The best part there is that you can always leave the car in regular drive mode and use the paddles when you need to downshift. When you’re done passing that semi in the middle lane, or need to merge on the highway, the automatic transmission takes back over. Easy. Pop the shifter into Sport mode and you get much more control and performance, but I bet most will keep it in plain old D.

One other nifty feature is the huge lockable center storage compartment shown above. I fit my entire laptop bag into it with relative ease. That means a decent-sized purse can also get in there for trips to the gym, etc.

For the price — $32,995 with everything but navigation and a killer surround-sound system — the RDX is the happy medium between the other two contenders on our list. Will it still be there when June rolls around? I’m not sure.

Joe: I generally withhold judgment until I’ve had more time with a vehicle, but I think this one will be a big, big hit. It looks sharp, without the blandness of the previous-generation Acura MDX or the controversial styling elements of the new one. The 18-inch wheels look enormous, adding to the sporty silhouette. I don’t know if the RDX will come across to you as an SUV, but I’m confident you won’t think of it as a wagon (at least in the negative sense so many Americans still have).

The powertrain is great but for a couple quirks: There’s definitely some off-the-line turbo lag. Floor the accelerator, and roughly 15 mph and 3,000 rpm will arrive before the turbo boost gauge hits its summit and the RDX rockets ahead. It’s not anemic at launch, but you’ll definitely notice the delay before things get going.

Overall, the transmission is well-integrated, with an automatic Sport mode in between Drive and full manual that holds onto low gears longer, at the expense of gas mileage. While the paddle shifters are easy to use, they go where the steering wheel goes, which complicates shifting when working your way through curves. Some cars eliminate this problem with a plus-minus gate on the gear selector. The RDX is paddles-only; having both controls is optimal.

EPA numbers of 19/23 mpg (city/highway) are a little lower than I expected. Sure, it’s a turbo, but Honda and Acura usually wring surprising fuel economy out of everything. The automatic BMW X3 rates 16/23 mpg, but a manual version — which Acura doesn’t offer — delivers 17/25 mpg. Additionally, premium gasoline is “required” for this model, not just “recommended.” (That said, Acura assured me that it can run on regular gas without damage – just lowered power and fuel economy.)

I’m also impressed with the interior. As Dave says, the center storage console is cavernous, the kind of thing you’d expect to see in a Suburban, and nothing smaller. The interior dimensions are just about right, and the texture applied to the aluminum-look trim makes it more convincing. This is a car that should appeal to buyers of all ages. Acura won’t comment on such things, but I suspect that aftermarket companies will promptly develop performance engine-control chips that bring power increases more substantial than you could ever expect from a non-turbo car, which of course includes all other Hondas and Acuras.

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