Acura’s RDX A-Spec is the smart choice among sporty compact crossovers

Beach Wheels

Conveying a sculpted yet athletic look rarely seen on the road these days, Acura’s RDX A-Spec is a compact crossover sport utility vehicle that will definitely catch your eye.

During a week with my “Apex Blue Pearl” painted tester, I found the vehicle, with its big blacked out grill visually striking. You can tell the engineers and designers at Acura spent a lot of time thinking about both this SUV’s aesthetics and functionality. 

They didn’t scrimp on the fun factor, either.

Under the hood of my RDX was a 2.0-liter turbocharged four-cylinder engine capable of generating 272 horsepower and 280 lb-ft of torque. Connected to that power plant was a smooth-shifting 10-speed automatic transmission.

The A-Spec badging tells you that Acura has worked to separate this model visually and (to a lesser degree) mechanically from the rest of the fold. In the sea of SUVs now out on the road, there is just something unique about the RDX that stands out.

The onboard all-wheel-drive system means you can dive into curves and turns with little body roll or diving. In wet weather, the AWD, and its torque-vectoring, gives the driver an extra edge of grippy confidence. I found its electric steering system light but precise and its overall ride quality was firm but not bone-jarring.

(While there was a variety of driving modes, I kept my tester in Sport + most of the time which seemed to improve throttle response but, yes, firm up the suspension.)

From a dead stop, my tester could sprint to 60 mph in just about seven seconds.

Driving an A-Spec trim-level tester meant that I got to sit on comfortable, supportive, ventilated 12-way power front bucket seats that came dressed in a brilliant, fun red leather with Ultrasuede inserts. (Black is also available for those with more conservative tastes.)

The RDX’s cabin also featured a 10.2 inch touchscreen operated by what Acura calls its “True Touchpad Interface” system.

The touchpad, while an improvement over others found in competing makes, still can be a tad frustrating to use and can force you to briefly take your eyes off the road to operate. The system works in such a day so that where you touch the pad is where you “touch” the screen. I found that I became more comfortable with the system after a few days. I suspect you’ll do the same.

Apple CarPlay is standard in the RDX but Android Auto, sadly, is not presently available.

Other amenities in the RDX, refreshed by Acura in 2019, include chrome-plated paddle shifters, electric power steering, and a panoramic moonroof that both tilts and slides, ambient cabin lighting and dual climate controls and LED headlights, taillights, daytime running lights and foglights. My tester came sitting on beautiful blacked-out 20-inch steel alloy wheels,

The A-Spec trim level also adds special, cool-looking fender and bumper badges and a 16-speaker ELS Studio 3D premium sound system.

Onboard safety equipment includes blind-spot and rear cross-traffic warnings, lane-keeping assist, forward collision warning and more. My tester offered 19.2 cubic feet of cargo space and had 8.2 inches of ground clearance.

Mileage on my A-Spec was good — 23 miles per gallon overall, 21 mpg in the city and 26 out on the highway. 

The manufacturer’s suggested retail price for my tester, as optioned, came to $47,195.

Final thoughts: I think that the RDX A-Spec is a crossover that is nearly perfectly suited for the multiple demands of modern American daily life. Buy and enjoy with confidence.

Editor’s note: Acura informs Beach Wheels that Android Auto is now available for the 2020 RDX A-Spec via a free, over-the-air software update.

Jeff Mitchell is a Los Angeles-based automotive journalist and reviewer. Contact him at j.edward.mitchell@gmail.com

Comments:

comments so far. Comments posted to EasyReaderNews.com may be reprinted in the Easy Reader print edition, which is published each Thursday.