Base 4dr All-Wheel Drive
2016 Acura RDX

Acura is deeply confused as a brand. Is it sporty or luxurious? Conservative or avant garde? Truly premium, or just premium for Honda? At its heart, there is a simple truth: despite confused characters, Acura vehicles are usually very competent. The new TLX, for example, is a smart, comfortable, near-premium sedan. The new ILX, meanwhile, is a huge improvement over its predecessor, and finally feels like the entry-level, premium four-door stepping stone Acura needs. Then there's the RDX. Placed in a very hot segment, the Honda CR-V-based crossover never quite caught on. For its first six years on the market, it couldn't even break 25,000 annual sales. The more mainstream redesign in 2013 made some waves, nearly doubling sales, but Acura still fell way behind the competition. In 2014, the Lexus RX outsold the RDX nearly three to one. For 2016, the RDX gets a substantial refresh. The biggest visual update comes from Acura's polarizing, JewelEye LED headlights, which are standard. These aren't the best looking headlights on the market, but the many 'eyes' are better executed on the RDX than any other Acura. The LED daytime running lights round out a nice face during light hours, too. More subtle tweaks are given to the bumpers, with larger intakes in front and bigger reflector housings around back. #fivemin-widget-blogsmith-image-660794{display:none;} .cke_show_borders #fivemin-widget-blogsmith-image-660794, #postcontentcontainer #fivemin-widget-blogsmith-image-660794{width:100%;display:block;} The seats are broad, flat, and comfortable. The big change in the cabin cannot, sadly, be called an improvement. It's the addition of the Honda/Acura dual-screen system, and while it gives the interior a techy vibe, the user experience is convoluted and unintuitive. The rest of the cabin's design, however, is easy to like. Material quality is adequate for the segment. Plastics are abundant, but are soft to the touch, while fit is impressive and typically Honda throughout. The steering wheel is a parts shelf item and feels just a bit too large for a crossover of this size. The seats are broad, flat, and comfortable, and backseat passengers are treated quite well. Even with the driver's seat set for your six-foot, one-inch author, there's plenty of space in back, especially for long-legged folks. #fivemin-widget-blogsmith-image-660794{display:none;} .cke_show_borders #fivemin-widget-blogsmith-image-660794, #postcontentcontainer #fivemin-widget-blogsmith-image-660794{width:100%;display:block;} Small changes are found under the RDX's hood, where the 3.5-liter i-VTEC V6 gains six horsepower and one pound-foot of torque. Small changes are found under the RDX's hood, where the 3.5-liter i-VTEC V6 gains six horsepower and one pound-foot of torque. What hasn't changed, however, is this engine's general character. This V6, while not a member of Honda's excellent Earth Dreams family, is a smooth, refined operator. Its muted note is luxurious, but at the same time, it's very easy to access the engine's linear powerband. New front and rear engine mounts bolster this engine's already impressive noise, vibration, and harshness characteristics. But the RDX doesn't feel powerful. The 279 horsepower and 252 pound-feet of torque are tasked with hauling nearly 4,000 pounds of Japanese crossover. Sure, the RDX is lighter than a lot of competitors, but it …
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