Performance, style, and technology | 2022 Acura RDX Review

The Acura RDX is everywhere if you are shopping for a compact luxury SUV, it is one of the most popular models for sale because Acura offers a lot of

performance

style

and

technology

at a relatively affordable price, this one costs just under four thousand dollars completely loaded and this is a completely new version for

2022

, a spec p

review

, there are many other minor updates for

2022

, I will explain them all and if you subscribe you can see me compare this rdx to the infiniti qx55, that's the magic of the new channel from cargurus youtube. The cars keep showing up, they come straight to your screen every week.

Acura went on a rampage with the 2019 rdx. That was when this car was brand new and showcased Acura's clean design theme. It was a big departure from the old Acuras and the rdx has inspired everyone. model since tlx mdx even the nsx we

review

the rdx every year since it came out you should watch those videos and review I'm here to bring you to 2022 here are the changes to the front grill diamond pentagon that's what Acura calls it no idea really why It's a different shape than a diamond or pentagon I've seen, but the grill surround is thinner, the whole grill is a little wider, the air inlets are now vertical, they're a little thinner here, the fog lights are a little redesigned too, I say a little because you really have to look closely to see the differences, including these 15 spoke wheels, they are on the advanced A-spec version, it's a completely new package, that's what es, it's the top trim now for 2022.

Overall it looks a lot sportier than many other competitors, there's really no body cladding, that's there on purpose, it's

performance

first, utility second, I like those Large oval tips suggesting a noisy engine, well, they're bigger than they look. Actually, we're not like that, so if you're into car paint, Acura has a really nerdy option: it's called the pmc edition, which stands for performance manufacturing center, it's where the nsx supercar is hand built and painted. Actually they will send a bare rdx case. That factory in Ohio and I painted it this brighter blue than this one and it's a limited edition car.

There are very few available, but you can order it that way. It's pretty interesting for most people, they won't know the difference. You can get Apex Blue. pearl here on almost any rdx looks great the only thing i really don't love is this over inflated logo but a lot of cars are putting giant badges on the front and let's face it inflation is here people are asking for this orchid leather interior . It's white, it's black, it's leather, it's suede, this is a new color for the spec preview that combines two trims in one, the spec usually has a more sporty and precise look, while the preview is more on the luxury side , who wouldn't want them together like this?

It's a pretty aggressive cabin, it's got all these drop angles going all the way to the center console, which feels like a central command bridge, you could say, and underneath there's actually some storage space, It has power outlets, a wireless charging pad, I think. It will age a little faster than other more traditional interiors, but right now it looks pretty unique. I like these analog gauges with the red type. You can't get a fully digital dashboard, but these gauges won't go out of

style

and the rdx. it's all about performance, the driving mode dial is front and center, the steering wheel has depth and detail like it's in a sports car, all the materials are very high quality in this model, you get all the nice micro suede on the dashboard and doors.

Real aluminum trim with this nice texture that includes this slide cover over the bracelet holders. It's nice that the gear selector is here, all these tabs and buttons. I still don't like it, but you get used to it. The main screen is controlled via a touch panel and it is not always easy. For navigation, I'll show you that front or back, this is a good place to be, but this is the best seat in the whole house. Acura is part of Honda and Honda makes some of the best 4 cylinder engines of the period and the RDX is no exception here 2 liter turbo 4 272 horsepower 280 lb-ft of torque essentially this is a detuned version of what you will find in the civic type r that engine is phenomenal everything honda has done has been phenomenal with four cylinder engines really the only ones Another company that would be compared to it is BMW in terms of noise, vibration and harshness.

They are all short. Honda engines are simply excellent in that regard. They are really efficient. They accelerate everything from the S600 roadster of the early '60s to the S2000. roadster to this day really the only thing you would really want more of is a turbo 6, but in this size of car this works and, combined with the 10 speed automatic transmission, you are always in the right gear and it responds very well, that's what really Like now for 2022, they have readjusted the driving modes so the sport is now sportier. Comfort is more comfortable. These are little electronic things that you might not notice right away, but it's definitely more responsive than the first one I drove in the 2019 model year, they also retuned the adaptive dampers, those are only on the Advance and the new A-spec Advance I'm driving and that makes a difference, it really is good to have a better response so when you pass on rougher surfaces you're not bouncing, it's a great example of what happens with good chassis tuning and good suspension in a way that says that A cheaper Mazda CX-5 I was reviewing doesn't have the same balance with these adaptive shocks and this suspension, that's what you're paying for with an SUV like this, if you like driving the RDX you won't be disappointed, you don't have to get the ones either.

Better finishes, each version of the RDX has everything prepared for you because the chassis starts out very rigid. "It's strong, you get good steering, you feel good suspension, good road holding, it's just a perfect compromise and this specification step up, although it's the sportier model, is not excessive, so you will never feel fragile, never You'll feel like you're yourself." The suspension slams you into the seat, the transmission never, you know, move your head back and forth, that's not what it's about, now I'd like that somehow, I'd like the type s in the tlx we tested, I would love to.

That engine in this car, I really think if they charged maybe 5 to 10 thousand dollars more, it would really be a success. I'd love to see what it could do, but as it stands with this turbo 4 and the way it's equipped, you're just not there. You will be disappointed, in fact, happy when you drive it. Front-wheel drive is standard. All-wheel drive with super handling is optional. It's also standard on what I'm driving now. The A-Spec Advance and the Regular. advance, so what does that give you? A rear axle with mechanical torque vectoring. Acura has done it for years.

What it does is shift torque from left to right preemptively, so that before you need it, the system knows where to drive the wheels to get the maximum. The traction coming out of a corner is really incredible and you don't notice it in everyday driving like this, just driving around the neighborhood like I do now, but if you take a tight corner and accelerate it, it really tightens your line, it's really incredible. and many other all-wheel drive systems don't do that, so you should order the rdx this way, you just have to one of the most notable changes of the 2022 rdx which is a little quieter

acura

, included in a double pane with more insulation . glass some other things, I can say no, but it is silent.

You really have to have a sound level meter on board with the decibels to really compare the levels, but I believe them when they say that because when they add insulation, that means we're adding weight and adding cost, so it's a good cost to have a car like this because well, who wants to listen to the outside world? This is a luxury. Fuel economy is fine, 21 city, 26 highway and 23 combined. The front-wheel drive models get a little bit higher, but yeah, you know okay, this is a high-performance four-cylinder engine, a higher-riding crossover, these are things you're going to have to put up with and I don't really care because in the luxury space you want. performance you should at least do it, otherwise why are you spending this top tier money? 40 50k that's a lot to ask of the mercedes glc that two liter four isn't really that exciting it doesn't drive with the same kind of dynamics either the volvo xc60 the lincoln corsair comes close but again in terms of overall refinement getting everything balanced and tuned to perfection, Acura does that and you might not believe it when you see

acura

s everywhere you might think it's pretty common but what you don't realize is that from a driving perspective they are much better than many of the German and even Swedish and other Japanese competitors.

The infotainment is the only issue I have about the RDX's interior. I'm torn between liking this UI and not liking the controls there. without a cursor, you touch the panel where you want to select on the screen and you have to keep your finger there to do it, it becomes easier and you can slide the menus with one or two fingers, but at the same time it is not as intuitive as a touch screen alone to change the stereo controls, which I'm trying to figure out, yeah, it's like going through physical therapy. It sounds like you eventually have to remember and relearn how to perform basic tasks, but that makes Apple Carplay and Android wireless.

The car is also a little more difficult, here are the good parts: the 16-speaker stereo with speakers in the roof that you can control separately. Check it. You don't see that in most cars there is a detailed head-up display for changing audio sources. phone contacts and much more that help offset the use of infotainment controls and there is an Acura clock that comes standard on every rdx, it is a full suite of safety and driver assistance features and has an automatic steering system on marked roads , the Acura rlx remembers That was eight years ago, it was one of the first cars I drove with a system that truly self-centered the steering.

It was pretty amazing then and it's much better now. The 2022 rdx starts at 40,100 and tops out like my test car at 53,645 with destination and extra charge paint between the bmw x3 audi q5 and mercedes glc its a tremendous value vs the volvo xc60 lexus nx or infiniti qx50 it stacks up well and drives better than all of them the genesis gb70 is the only car that outperforms the rdx by a larger extent especially since it has the bigger v6 engine and all that fancy styling it's hard to choose but if you choose the rdx You get a solid value and a well equipped car at the same time, the

technology

is impressive and the powertrain and chassis are perfect in my opinion, the only things I really want that are missing are a touch screen and the Acura turbo V6.

I know that would raise the price a bit but I would really like to see it as an option I still like this car now as I did when it came out so what do you think of this car? Any number of other luxury compact SUVs keep watching, subscribe, go to cargo.com because we have many more videos, many more reviews, many more car listings for you guys to explore. See you next time.