Vehicle Overview The Acura RDX is a compact luxury SUV that competes with other small luxury SUVs, such as the BMW X3 and Land Rover’s LR2. It’s still fairly new to the market — it was introduced in 2007— and receives very few changes for the 2009 model year. It comes with many features standard, and the only option package available is the Technology Package. The RDX seats five.
New for 2009 There are no significant changes for 2009.
Exterior At 180.7 inches long and 73.6 inches wide, the RDX is 10 inches shorter and 4.9 inches narrower than the MDX. It’s also incrementally larger than the X3. Overall, it looks like a scaled-down MDX.
Other exterior features include:
Dual exhaust pipes
A liftgate spoiler
High-intensity-discharge headlights
Side mirrors include redundant turn signals
Eighteen-inch wheels are standard
Four new colors for 2009
Interior Two front bucket seats and a 60/40-split folding rear bench seat provide seating for up to five people. The driver faces a three-pod instrument cluster that has a center-mounted speedometer.
The optional Technology Package includes a 10-speaker, 410-watt sound system, Acura’s navigation system with real-time traffic, a rearview camera, a six-disc audio system, XM Satellite Radio and an auxiliary jack for connecting MP3 players. The navigation system also features voice-recognition technology.
Passenger volume measures 101 cubic feet, while maximum cargo volume with the rear seats folded is 60.6 cubic feet. In contrast, the X3 offers less passenger volume (90 cubic feet) but more maximum cargo space (71 cubic feet).
Standard features include:
Leather upholstery
Dual-zone automatic climate control
Heated front seats
Power moonroof
Under the Hood The RDX has what Acura calls Super Handling All-Wheel Drive, which can manage torque distribution to the front and rear wheels and between the left and right rear wheels. The system is designed to improve the RDX’s handling response.
Other standard features include:
240-horsepower, turbocharged 2.3-liter four-cylinder engine that generates 260 pounds-feet of torque
Variable valve timing with Acura’s Variable Flow Turbo to reduce turbo lag
Five-speed automatic with paddle shifters behind steering wheel
Safety The RDX has a litany of safety features, including:
