AUTO ADVISOR
GROUP
BRUCE HUBBARD
DETROIT April 19, 2012
Acura brought
in a team of product managers and PR staff to Detroit I order to introduce the newly improved RDX.
They have just taken any problems of the previous model and made it even
better. Acura states they capture
vibrant couples with the smaller SUV. They come to the RDX Acura states because
of prestige, styling, fuel economy, space and utility plus performance!
The interior
as is shown has new soft surfaces and excellent appointments. The center stack
is easy to use and has everything one needs. New for the RDX is a better camera
system that comes on when backing us. Actually you can zoom out to wide or even
have a top down view. Ideal for trailering or when parking. No auto parking
system as is offered by some of the competition.
The previous
model was one of the first luxury vehicles to offer a turbo charged
four-cylinder engine. No longer offered for they felt the six-cylinder was the
way to go. It has improved fuel economy.
The new engine once on the highway can go down to four or three
cylinders through electronics. The Acura system is called Variable Cylinder
Management that works automatically depending on driving conditions. Funny how all manufacturers seem to be
doing what Acura did a few years ago by using four cylinder and even three
cylinder turbo charged engines. Acura gave us figures showing they get better
fuel economy than the BMW X3 or the Audi Q5.
The new engine
delivers 273-horsepower with 251 foot pounds of toque@5,000 from the 3.5-liter V-6 engine. I noticed that the
engine is very smooth. Fuel economy of the new V-6 picks up as much as 5 mpg
highway over the previous 2012 RDX.
The RDX had
plenty of power on the highway and when I needed to merge quickly it responded
immediately. The new model handles
the bumps of Michigan roads better than the previous 2012 version. The Acura
staff showed us two new pistons used to soften the ride and deliver superb
handling. Excellent system.
The 2013 RDX
has a 6-speed transmission with paddle shifters included for those who love to
manually control shifting. I did
notice some lag with the transmission but then again I only drove the vehicle
for an hour during my “first” drive.
I did not drive the FWD version. I drove the upgraded tech model of the
RDX that included all-wheel-drive.
The AWD system
includes an improved motion adaptive EPS system. Oversteer and understeer are corrected
automatically. Great control on
slippery surfaces, rain, snow or ice.
I asked the
product manager why no trailering package or figures? She stated that they can
only tow small loads. I indicated their “weekend” drives should allow a person
to move more gear with a small trailer. Or even move a small personal
watercraft. I moved behind and XKE a jet-ski. Acura dealers do offer roof racks
for the RDX ideal for carrying gear.
The 2013 RDX rides on the same frame as the 2012. But the sheet metal has been changed to improve looks. Fender wells are more pronounced. The front grill is smaller and the skin has been smoothed out. Acura high-tech style!
Inside the
RDX’s cabin is quiet in part thanks to the low rolling resistance tires.
Seating for driver and front passenger is excellent. The driver gets an 8-way power adjustable seat. Driver and
passenger get heated seats. The steering is better thanks to electrical power
steering gear box. The steering
wheel has a tilt and telescoping
steering column offer adjustability for most heights and body types.
I asked the
team from Acura why they do not offer blind spot monitoring , adaptive cruise
control or even lane departure control? They stated if customers demand it
perhaps in the future it would be available.
The 2013 RDX
AWD TECH model I drove included a great navigation system with voice
recognition and multi-view camera plus a 10-speaker Acura/ELS audio system,
GPS-linked climate control, SMS texting support, and Pandora app
functionality.
Our two row
SUV delivers plenty of cargo space as my photos show. With 26.1 cubic feet of
space behind the rear seats, 61.3 cubic feet with the seats folded flat, and
76.9
cubic feet including under-floor storage.
I liked the
fact that the RDX comes with a full size spare tire.
Acura Smart
Luxury –value that exceeds expectation with advanced technology the PR department kept repeating.
The pricing of
the 2013 RDX AWD Tech model was $39,420 plus $895 destination bringing the MSRP
to $40,315. The FWD version with the Tech package sells for MSRP $38,925. I did not drive the FWD version as
stated previously. When we get the RDX models for a long term drive we will
update impressions including all tech figures.
Photos by
Bruce Hubbard
Auto Advisor
Group
Brucehubbardphotography.IFP3.com
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