2009 Acura RDX – Is Really An All-weather Sports Wagon With A Tall Body

By Chris Jackson, www.car-data.com

Another new SUV? Isn’t the sport-utility market collapsing as buyers turn away from gas-guzzlingsport-utes? What’s Acura’s gambit with the all-new RDX?

It’s pretty simple, actually. The luxury SUV market had grown and diversified to the point that there’s room for a much greater variety of vehicles. That, and it’s more fashionable to field a compact SUV than a station wagon. Only Audi and Volvo seem to be able to pull off luxury sportwagons consistently. Case in point: BMW 3 Series and Mercedes C-Class wagons are rare as the proverbial hens’ teeth, and does anybody remember the Lexus IS 300 Sportcross? Anyone? If Acura wanted to add a small cargo-hauler to the lineup, a TSX wagon wasn’t going to cut it. We’re not complaining; the RDX is just cool enough that we suspect Acura just couldn’t resist building it.

It may be counted with the SUVs, but what this really is, is an all-weather sports wagon with atall body. The RDX has a look that’s not too different from the rest of the Acura family. Up frontthere’s a handsome, compact stacked grille with an argent surround. Unseen to the casual onlookeris an internal hood scoop, designed to feed air to the turbocharger and intercooler without anunsightly hole in the hood. The long nose and stubby tail give the RDX a tall-wagon look that won’tturn off SUV-phobic car buyers. One glance and it’s obvious that the RDX was never intended to gooff-road, with its dual exhaust and big 18″ wheels. Mirror-mounted turn signals are an upscaletouch. The oversized wheels reduce the visual size, so it manages to look svelte. There aren’t anybrush bars or skid plates, but a plastic tailgate panel is ding-resistant. Plastic lower panelsalso ring the car to absorb suburban mishaps.

Further evidence of the RDX’s desire to be a sport wagon can be found on the inside, in the formof racer-style paddle shifters. The cockpit is more sport than utility, with comfortable leatherseating for four and soft-touch surfaces that don’t invite dirty clothes or cargo. That’s not tosay the RDX can’t do any proper work; Acura takes full advantage of this tall wagon’s increasedinterior room, offering a laptop-swallowing center console and a cargo area that will hold mountainbikes with ease. The RDX will be happier aiding and abetting its owners on an active-sports weekendgetaway than hauling bags of dirt, however. Side-curtain airbags, high-intensity dischargeheadlamps and a six-CD changer are standard. The optional “Technology” package gets a slew of coolstuff, including a ten-speaker surround sound system, a Bluetooth-enabled hands-free phone system,XM satellite radio, and a navigation system with Acura’s real-time traffic navigation.

Under the hood, there’s a 2.3 liter iVTEC turbo four-cylinder engine. It’s the first turbo forAcura, and the first US-built turbocharger for Honda.

It’s an intercooled variable-flow turbocharger that helps the RDX to produce 240 horsepower. The2.3′s basic construction is shared with the Acura TSX sedan, with a stronger block and connectingrods to handle the extra power.

The turbo provides variable boost throughout the engine’s range, improving the turbo’s typicallyweak low-speed engine response. Other manufacturers have attacked this problem with twinturbochargers; the RDX’s setup is simpler, using an inlet valve to regulate exhaust flow and theturbocharger’s speed. The turbo isn’t a subtle one, and power is preceded by a distinct whoosh, butthe RDX’s power output is comparable to that of a six-cylinder sedan. The turbo powertrain meansthat towing is limited to a modest 1500 pounds, and a five-speed automatic transmission is the onlygearbox offered.

Acura’s Super-Handling All-Wheel Drive is standard, and provides optimal torque distribution.Power is split not only to keep the power going to the ground, but also to affect the car’sattitude. The RDX’s SH-AWD is a more compact system than the one found in the RL sedan. On the road, the suspension is taut enough to satisfy sports sedan buyers, though the RDX’s height results insome uncomfortable head-toss. MacPherson struts are used up front, with an independent rear.Floating rear subframe bushings help to isolate the cabin from the drivetrain. It’s reasonably funto drive, with sharper handling than other crossovers like the Nissan Murano or Toyota Highlander.We wouldn’t quite call it a TSX wagon; the RDX still feels taller than a standard sports wagon,because it is. When the handling gets wobbly around the knees, the Vehicle Stability Assist (VSA)stability control and standard anti-lock brakes are there to step in.

The newest member of the Acura family is a nice package that’s a little rough around the edges,but still worth considering as an alternative to the BMW X3 or Lexus RX 350. Drivers who dislikethe feel of SUVs are unlikely to find joy behind the wheel of the RDX either – but Volvo builds theXC70 Cross Country for them. It doesn’t quite ride like a car, but the RDX will do many of thethings an XC70 will for almost ten grand less, and that’s something. Acura RDX pricing isreasonable considering the long list of standard equipment. The RDX starts at $32,995, and goes upto $36,495 for the Tech package.