Turbo RDX Crossover Makes Mom’s Day

2009 Acura RDX RDX Technology

model as tested $37,755

Test Drove 10/21/08 – 11/4/08
reviewed by Lori Hindman

One of the more surprising things about motherhood is how two beings, sprung from the same font, can be so entirely different. They might look alike, but that’s as far as the resemblance goes. This is also true for Acura’s crossover siblings. The 2009 Acura RDX is the little brother to the more familiar MDX. It pretty much looks like a smaller version of the seven-passenger MDX, but don’t let that fool you. The RDX is its own man…er…car.  The Acura RDX is a small crossover that’s designed for performance, of all things. Who knew, right? Apparently crossovers can kick butt, too, and the RDX does just that. Its all-wheel-drive system is built for serious driving, and I’m not talking about the offroad kind. All its gearing and suspension stuff is about going fast, handling curves and getting me into trouble. While this turbo engine doesn’t quite leap off the starting line, it accelerates fast enough to make this speedy mama nervous.  You see, I step on the gas, and the RDX obliges, and then, before I can take a breath, the turbo kicks in and there’s this whole other launch that’s frankly, uh, surprising. I never got used to that two-part acceleration, and I found myself going much faster than I’d intended (and I usually intend to go pretty fast).  The RDX is a blast to drive. The ride is balanced somewhere between smooth and rock-hard in a way that lets me forget about my suburban mommy-hood. Corners and freeway onramps beg me to indulge my inner teenager. If I’d had an infant in the backseat, I’d have had considerably less fun in the RDX. I would’ve worried about hitting turns at too-fast speeds or gunning it up hills, but my kids go to school during the day, so I had plenty of time to play on the way to the grocery store. And I played, people.  On the less fun side, my test car had noise issues. I don’t know if they were unique to my car, like a loose something in the door, or if the RDX is just kinda noisy. And there’s definitely a lot of engine noise when the turbo kicks in. The RDX also doesn’t do so well with its mileage. I only got about 12 mpg during my test period, which included a mix of city and highway driving. My low mpgs were probably a result of all that “playtime,” but I have to think that most people won’t drive the RDX with an economical frame of mind, which would help when they have to put that premium 91 octane gas in there.  IT’S THE LITTLE THINGS THAT COUNT Storage Compartments (Puny, Fair, Ample, Galore): Ample Cargo/Trunk Space (Puny, Fair, Ample, Galore): Galore SENSE AND STYLE Family Friendly (Not Really, Fair, Great, Excellent): Great Fun-Factor (None, Some, Good Times, Groove-On): Groove On

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