Likes - Power of a turbo engine
- Cabin tech
Dislikes - Fuel inefficiency
- Wish for 6-speed transmission
Tech Specs - 2.3-liter supercharged V6
- 240 hp @ 6,000 rpm
- 260 lb.-ft. @ 4,500 rpm
- MPG: 19 city/24 highway
What's Changed - New front-wheel drive
- Bumper fascias
- Revised head and taillights
- Exhaust tips
The Vehix View - The 2010 Acura RDX delivers the utility of an SUV with sports car-like performance.
First Impressions
Tilt your head to the sky and while you're certain the cloud above is in the shape of a rabbit, chances are someone else sees a Rabbi. When it comes to the 2010 Acura RDX (view photos), I see a niche car that is not competitive with the sea of similar crossovers. But I cannot say all auto critics agree with me on that view.
The buzz is between the discrepancy of how the 5-passenger RDX looks and what's going on underneath the hood, which is a 2.3-liter 4-cylinder turbocharged engine usually found under the body of a sportier and slimmer hatchback or coupe rather than a compact SUV. For some drivers, that’s an unexpected combination that may have them second-guessing the utility of this little sport Ute.
Pricing, Trims and Options
The Technology Package – $34,520 with and $32,520 without – is the main feature that distinguishes the Acura RDX.
The interior tech-package highlights include a 10-speaker surround-sound audio system, voice recognized navigation and GPS-linked traffic and weather updates. The "tech" also refers to power and drivetrain benefits like the ability to put the automatic transmission into full manual mode and use paddle shifters to control the ride.
The RDX now comes in front-wheel drive but is also available with the Super Handling All-Wheel Drive (SH-AWD) system, which ups the prices more than $2,000.
Interior Features
Slipping into an Acura is like putting on a custom jacket made from the softest leather imaginable. Good luck fighting the feeling that the two of you belong together. Love at first sit.
Acura's interface controller dial with its many tactile choices (slide up, down or spin around) has always bedazzled me because it's cutting edge, but I'm slowly discovering it is not as intuitive as other maker's devices. Running through the technological maze of choices often ends with a disappointing groan much like a video game. One mistake made through the push of a button or turn of the controller can lose all your hard navigational work (in my case, last-minute driving directions to an interesting restaurant in an unknown neighborhood while a passenger patiently waits).
The power moonroof has a tilt feature. Second-row space is more comfortable than most SUVs in this class, but would be less so with a third passenger. All luxury manufacturers should feel compelled to include a remote automatic liftgate on their SUVs, a feature the RDX doesn't have.
Notable exterior features include larger 18-inch wheels and all-season tires, plus Xenon headlights.
Safety, Quality and Reliability
The RDX is in its third year of production and has better than average reliability records.
The RDX includes large 4-wheel disc brakes with a 4-wheel Anti-lock Braking System (ABS) and Electronic Brake Distribution (EBD) plus Brake Assist. It also features LATCH (Lower Anchors and Tethers for Children), a child-seat mounting system.
Its ACE front body structure makes the RDX compatible with smaller vehicles if a car-to-car frontal collision should occur. And it has a specially engineered hood and other components to reduce the chance of injury in the event of a collision with a pedestrian.
Like all Acura models, the RDX is covered by a comprehensive 4-year/50,000-mile bumper-to-bumper limited warranty and a 6-year/70,000-mile powertrain limited warranty.