The difference in handling is most apparent as you reach the limit. But hopping into the X3 exposes the nuance Acura’s missing: whiffs of road texture under harder driving, a gradual, intuitive buildup in effort as you smear in steering angle. Its hypersharpness gives the illusion of connectivity. Scything into tight turns, the RDX’s steering feels quick and immediate, yet also heavy, particularly in Sport Plus mode. It nearly matches the Benz’s refinement but is more planted around curves. So equipped, the RDX irons out rutted mountain roads with aplomb. In its top-level Advance trim, the RDX receives adaptive suspension dampers that work wonders for road manners. It’s not emotive, but which of these turbo fours is? Compared with its rivals, the RDX’s engine feels the burliest. The RDX’s turbo 2.0-liter four-banger is gruff and flexible, delivering 280 lb-ft of torque from 1600 rpm and 272 hp at 6500 rpm. The move is unusual and speaks volumes of Acura’s faith in what it has achieved. To show the RDX is prepared to scrap with elite company, Acura brought an array of competitors-the Audi Q5, BMW X3, Mercedes-Benz GLC, and Volvo XC60-to its press program for back-to-back, unsupervised driving impressions. It didn’t feel faster or easier to manipulate than a traditional touchscreen, but works well with practice and doesn’t require you to take your eyes off the road. Acura execs admit it takes some getting used to, but they think the system hits a sweet spot between the predictability of hard controls and the adaptability of a touchscreen. Rather than work like a trackpad on a laptop, where your finger controls a cursor, any touch on the pad translates to the exact location on the screen.Need navigation? Simply press the upper-right corner of the pad. Sport is the default setting-a statement in and of itself-with Comfort, Snow, and Sport Plus as options.Ī newfangled touchpad interface controls an impressively wide display. Or the doorknob-sized dial on the center stack that controls drive modes. The interior reveals further sporting intent. An A-Spec package blacks out the exterior trim and headlights, ups wheel size from 19 to 20 inches, and adds LED fog lights. To that end: a plunging roofline, wide stance, and low overhangs. The RDX announces Acura’s renewed commitment to sportiness. Even the handsome Volvo XC60 looks uneventful by comparison. It’s not self-consciously restrained like rivals from the Continent. Prismatic, angular, and sleek, the RDX is a handsome, sometimes striking SUV-tidy like a Nakamichi receiver and as Japanese as a Gundam robot. For 2013, Acura blunted the second generation so severely, it became comfortable but bland, both in design and driving dynamics.īehold the exterior. production vehicle with a turbocharged engine and had a stiff ride. The first generation, which debuted in 2007, was eccentric. It’s a complex, increasingly critical job- one that the Acura RDX in particular has never mastered. They must blend handling chops with usability, at a price that balances sales goals with premium clout. COMPACT LUXURY SUVS are 4000 pounds of contradiction.
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