ACURA RDX 2020

Body, cabin and cargo space

The low-slung, sleek outline of the redesigned Acura RDX keeps the few extra centimetres added to its length and width well hidden. Strangely, the automaker's figures show a reduction in legroom and hiproom. Headroom, however, is up, despite an overall reduction in height of 1 cm.

All the same, the general impression is that the cabin is well‑suited to a typical family, even those with children still using bulky child car seats. The flat rear floor makes it easier for an occasional third passenger to fit in.

The doors open quite wide and beneath the power liftgate is a generous amount of cargo space for the segment. That being said, the Honda CR-V manages to get more space, despite being smaller than the RDX overall. Folding down the rear seatbacks gives you a completely flat surface, and lifting the rear floor reveals very roomy bins.

The front seats provide a nice combination of comfort and support, but the extra adjustment options (like cushion and armrest length) standard on some of its rivals are here restricted to the most expensive top-of-the-line Platinum Elite trim. A good driving position is nonetheless easy and the centre console—for once not too wide—doesn’t get in the way. Below it the storage space is quite generous thanks to a pushbutton gear selector that takes less space than a lever—but unfortunately is far less intuitive to use.

The ergonomics of the RDX are in fact one of its most irritating characteristics. As an example, the undersized writing on the trip computer and its steering-wheel controls truly require some getting used to. The big chrome knob set in the middle of the centre stack is only for controlling the driving mode—most owners never go near it. On the other hand, for an everyday task like adjusting the audio volume, all you get is a tiny dial.

And how about the touchpad for the multimedia screen? Getting the cursor to go where you want is no small trick, and if your finger breaks contact before you confirm your command, tough luck: you have to start over. It’s hard to believe such a frustrating and dangerous device got through all the approval stages on the way to production.

Other highlights

Convenience features: standard panoramic sunroof, power liftgate, and remote start. Heads-up display with Platinum Elite trim only. No genuine leather or heated steering wheel with base model and Tech package.

Storage: large open compartment under the central stack, with hard‑to‑reach charging ports. Good-sized compartment with a USB data-transfer port beside the front cup holders, which are deep but lack retention tabs. A retractable cover keeps valuables out of sight.

Safety features

• Antilock brakes with electronic brake-force distribution and brake assist
• Stability and traction control
• Hill start assist
• Front airbags
• Front knee airbags
• Front side airbags
• Side curtain airbags
• Five adjustable head restraints
• Rearview camera (with lens-washer in Platinum Elite)
• Surround camera system (standard with Platinum Elite, not available with other versions)
• Front and rear parking sensors
• Tire pressure monitor
• Forward collision alert with automatic emergency braking, lane departure alert, lane keep assist, driver attention warning, automatic high beams, and adaptive cruise control
• Blind-spot monitoring with rear-cross traffic alert (standard with Tech, A-Spec, Elite, and Platinum Elite; not available on base model)

Crash test results

National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA)
Overall score: 5 / 5
Frontal impact: 4 / 5
Side impact: 5 / 5
Rollover resistance: 4 / 5

Insurance Institute For Highway Safety (IIHS)
Moderate overlap frontal impact: 4 / 4
Small overlap frontal impact:
- driver side: 4 / 4
- passenger side: 4 / 4
Side impact: 4 / 4
Rear impact: 4 / 4
Roof strength: 4 / 4

IIHS Top Safety Pick+

Visibility

Fine to the front, but the wide B- and C-pillars make lane changes difficult. Blind-spot monitoring helps a lot—it makes no sense to leave it off the base model at this price. Fortunately, all RDXs have the same large side-view mirrors.

Headlights: The Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS) gave its highest rating (4/4) to the LED headlights that come standard on all models. They light a long way ahead under most circumstances, and the automatic high beams are helpful. However the IIHS did find that the low beams may blind other drivers.

Mechanical overview

The former generations of the Acura RDX were derived from the Honda CR-V, but the redesign breaks the mould with a platform that is more than 50 percent high-strength steel—an Acura exclusive (at least for now). In case you were wondering, high-strength steel increases structural stiffness despite being lighter than ordinary steel. So the new RDX weighs only 50 kg more than its predecessors despite the increase in size and additional equipment.

Acura also claims to have reworked a number of driving‑related elements, such as the electric-assist power steering and five-link independent rear suspension. The Platinum Elite trim gets active dampers, while the A-Spec is notable for its 20-inch rims. All the other RDXs now have 19-inch wheels, an inch more than in 2018.

Four-cylinder, two-litre, direct injection turbo: if you’re in the market for a compact luxury SUV, you’ll find the same type of engine in every automaker’s catalogue—bar none. The Acura RDX was one of the last to fall in line: the V6 on the second generation (2013–2018) was switched out last year for the four-cylinder engine—a close cousin of the one powering the Honda Accord and the spectacular Civic Type R.

The new engine loses a mere seven horses to the V6, but supplies an extra 28 foot-pounds of torque, for a total of 280. What’s more, that maximum torque is available at 1,600 rpm instead of the 4,900 rpm necessary with the V6.

The automatic transmission steps into the present for 2019, going from six to ten speeds. That puts Acura ahead of the competition, most of which offer either eight or nine speeds. The system first appeared in the 2018 Honda Accord and Odyssey and is an original design by the automaker itself—not by a supplier like Aisin or ZF—and of course includes a manual mode operated using paddle shifters behind the steering wheel.

To cap off this major mechanical overhaul, Acura brought its Super-Handling All-Wheel Drive (SH-AWD) back to the RDX last year. It’s a big step up from the 2013 to 2018 cycle: the system can relay up to 70 percent of the power to the rear end as well as distributing it to the wheels according to the traction of each.

Other highlights

Fuel economy: In our fall test, three-quarters of which was conducted on highways and secondary roads, the Acura RDX racked up an average fuel economy of 10.3 L/100 km. That’s exactly the same as the combined city/highway rating given by Natural Resources Canada for the A-Spec version. Although the official fuel consumption of the old V6 model was higher (10.7 L/100 km), the vehicle actually used 0.2 L/100 km less fuel on our test under very similar conditions. The outcome of the 2019 mechanical update appears to be tie, as far as fuel economy is concerned.

Driving impressions

The new vintage Acura RDX feels much quicker and more connected to the asphalt than its predecessor. First off, the engine response is much livelier at low engine speeds than the V6, which helps in day-to-day driving and makes passing easier outside the city. It’s not as powerful at high rpms as the former engine but, for a contemporary turbo, it’s in no hurry to run out of steam.

Unfortunately, Acura came up with the grotesque idea of saddling the engine with an artificial soundtrack to beef up the vehicle’s muscle‑car bona fides. The result strikes a wildly false note, as if the engine were working overdrive just to go around the block. It’s a real departure from the harmonious engine sounds normally associated with Honda.

It’s even worse in Sport mode and mountainous terrain, where the noise becomes truly annoying. We quickly came to miss the smoothness of the former V6, despite all the fine qualities of the new four-cylinder turbo.

As for the transmission, the jerky advance through the lower gears shows a certain lack of refinement. Fortunately it improves from there on in, displaying flawless shifts as you accelerate and a consistently rapid response.

The steering is precise, well-weighted, and distinctly more tactile than previously—bearing out the RDX’s renewed interest in its sporty side for 2019. The suspension strictly controls body lean on curves and motion on damaged road surfaces for a very stable, European-style ride.

The solidity of the new structure definitely makes it more agile, as do the big 20-inch wheels on the A-Spec model. The tires’ very low sidewalls however exacerbate the stiffness of the rear suspension. Jolts from cracks, expansion joints, and potholes in the cabin are a bit excessive.

Other highlights

Braking: More than powerful enough, but pedal difficult to modulate.

Driver assistance: Forward collision alert much too sensitive, inclined to false alarms. Adaptive cruise control often slow to resume speed; driver can select a traditional cruise control if so desired.

Soundproofing: Road and wind noise well muffled, even around the sunroof. Engine reasonably discreet at cruising speed, but artificially (and pointlessly) noisy on acceleration.