Acura RDX Ride and Drive

 

The quick video below is from the RDX Ride and Drive I just attended in San Francisco. I'm literally writing this on a few hours of sleep and will add to this with my thoughts and comments later. It's kinda funny, I can edit a "rough cut" video faster than I can write a full review! My running commentary while I was driving were my honest first impressions from behind the wheel and it wasn't exactly a "Sunday Drive". It may sound like I'm criticizing the car, but in reality, I wasn't driving a CAR.... I was driving a 4000 lbs. SUV! It was remarkably easy to forget this, and perhaps my comments were unfairly comparing it to my S2000......?



I've had some time to organize my thoughts and I wanted to share some impressions of the RDX Ride and Drive.

Exterior RDX Impressions:

Overall the proportions are just right. The rear overhang is very small but the front overhang shows that this is a FWD based chassis (new CR-V) as the engine sits behind the front wheel centerline. However, the use of the lightweight aluminum 4 cylinder engine helps to keep the weight distribution a respectable 57/43 (f/r).

In the rear of the RDX, the tailgate closes almost flush with the bumper for a smooth refined look. The lower part of the tailgate is a dent resistant urethane material and should bounce back from minor "love taps" to the bumper.

Up front, the lower two grill openings feed the radiator, and the upper opening feeds the air to air intercooler for the new Turbo engine. The housings for the standard HID lights are steeply raked following the contours of the bumper and hood, daytime running lights are standard.

Interior RDX Impressions:

The interior of the RDX will be a great place to spend some time. The seats are comfortable and supportive, and the perforated leather is glove soft and cool. As on our other cars, the gauges are backlit electro luminescent but they are housed in three driver oriented "pods." Between the seats, there is a huge lockable center console that is large enough for a laptop computer or (my favorite) the custom fitted, insulated waterproof cooler!

The center stack houses the Navigation (fully functional in Hawaii) screen with back up camera. A 6-disc changer is standard but if you want DVD-Audio, you'll need to step up to the Tech Package. This also adds Bluetooth cellular integration and more programmable functions in the Multi Information Display and we haven't had a chance to see the Non-Navi dashboard yet.

Front seat head and leg room are very generous, and it seemed to me like there is a bit more fore and aft seat travel than in our other cars like the TL. The front seats incorporate an Acura first: Active Head Restraints. In a rear end collision, the front head restraints move up and forward in an effort to minimize whiplash type injuries. The rear seat cushions flip and rotate forward to allow the 60/40 seatback to fold nearly flat (much more flush than the MDX). You don't need to remove the headrests, only insure that they are fully retracted. Also notice the flat floor, this will make it more comfortable for that middle passenger!

Driving Impressions:

This is really the key isn't it? We can talk about the features and equipment, but the driving feel is what it's all about! If you've had a chance to watch the video, you'll notice that I talk about two things: Turbo lag and Understeer and let's examine each in turn.

Turbo lag: Turbo lag happens because the exhaust gas needs to move at a certain velocity to turn the impeller to compress the air to make more power. At low RPM, there is little exhaust gas pressure so there is little boost. The new Variable-Flow Turbocharger is designed to reduce this effect by narrowing the opening that the exhaust gas flows through to increase the velocity. It's like putting your thumb over a garden hose, the water comes out under greater pressure.

In most turbocharged cars, there is a distinct "flat" spot as you get on the throttle, followed by a dramatic surge in power as the car gets turbo boost. As I accelerated away from the start line, I mentioned some slight lag, but I didn't mention that there was no distinct "kick" as the turbo spooled up. In fact, to me, the power delivery was very linear, it just kept getting stronger and stronger. As I look back, it is likely that I was feeling a combination of three things: the Drive-By-Wire throttle, our i-VTEC engine getting up "on the cam" and a small amount of turbo lag.

Understeer: Understeer is a racing term that describes a particular handling trait that happens when you turn the wheel and the car wants to go straight or "Under Steer" All modern cars are designed with this characteristic because in this situation, if you let off the gas in a corner, the weight will transfer to the front wheels and provide more steering control.

Racers know that the key to fast times is "Slow in and Fast out". This means that you need to get all the braking done in a straight line then slowly apply the throttle as you accelerate through the corner. With Super Handling All-wheel Drive, this is even more important. When you're on the throttle, your SH-AWD system can power the outside rear wheel to help the car negotiate the turn. If you're off the throttle, you will lose this benefit and is precisely what happened when I went into one of the corners too fast. IMO, this is driver error on my part.

Through the slalom, the RDX changes direction quickly, VERY quickly! It’s easy to forget that you’re driving a 4000 lbs. Sport Utility Vehicle. The steering ratio is a quick 2.8 turns lock to lock. I was easily able to establish a good rhythm and the car danced through the cones with little drama. Compared to the X3, the rear was significantly more stable. The X3 has slower steering response, but better steering feel and more weight in the steering wheel. In a nutshell, the RDX has more confident handling, with superior ride quality and quicker steering response. What more can you ask for? How about a lower comparably equipped price?