Wow! We have enjoyed driving many different vehicles for test drives. Some have impressed, some have made us realize it wasn’t right for us. Each time we’ve gotten back into the vehicle we own and been content to be back driving it. Not this time. This was the first time that we drove a vehicle and did not want to give it back! That is how much we like the 2020 Acura RDX.
My husband has already said that if there was some way, this would instantly be at the top of his list if we were getting a new car today. While it may not be in the budget for us right now, he can definitely keep it on the wish list. Our experience driving the Acura RDX left me wondering “How do you know when a vehicle is the right one for you?”.
A LUXURY SUV
We got to drive the Acura RDX A-SPEC for two weeks. It gave us plenty of time to test it out, plus we drove it through all sorts of weather conditions; sun, rain, and snow. It has the perfect mix of being a great everyday vehicle, but also one that grabs the attention of others. Might be something to do with the bright red seats inside of it?
The styling of the whole vehicle is spot on. Everything just flows perfectly. You’ve got a sporty, edgy look with the exterior, and comfort that stands out on the inside. The material of the seats is extremely soft, and the seats themselves are very comfortable. The seats are also ventilated and you can either have the heat seated or cooled. Bring on the summer weather without fear of sticking to your seat and the winter months when you want a warm seat because it’s cold outside. My husband and I always appreciate when a vehicle allows you to save drive 1 and drive 2 settings because we both have different preferences for where we want the seat when driving.
What can we say about a vehicle that comes with a dual-screen and a touchpad for controlling it? There is just the right amount of tech inside the Acura RDX. Nothing felt like it was lagging when we were trying to use a map, or change the music. We really appreciated being able to view the map both in the larger portion of the screen and in the smaller section if we didn’t need directions. The touchpad may take a little getting used to, but give it a day and you will find that you don’t need to look down at it.
One thing my husband and I both liked is that there are still tactile buttons on the dash. While we know this isn’t for everyone, it is a huge preference for us. We like having buttons for controlling heat settings and whether we are trying to defog the windows, or warm up the vehicle. We would like to see a wireless charging pad in it. There are, however, plenty of places to plug a charging cable in if you need to.
FEELING SAFE NO MATTER THE WEATHER
While test driving the 2020 Acura RDX we went on a little road trip up to Whistler. We wanted to see snow and this day did not disappoint. It also gave the opportunity to see how this vehicle can handle the elements. Every RDX trim level has four different driving modes if you need them: comfort, snow, sport, and sport +. We really appreciated having the snow mode because, on our drive home, the snow started dumping. Snow mode helps to deliver more traction while driving. We saw vehicles in the ditch, but never worried. There are so many safety features within the Acura RDX that it helped us feel better in the winter driving conditions.
WHAT’S UNDER THE HOOD?
The RDX has a turbocharged 2.0-liter 4-cylinder engine that produces 272 horsepower. Now, I will be honest, none of that really makes much sense to me, but it’s information my husband pays attention too. The previous version was a V6 but it didn’t produce as much power as this version does. It is more fuel-efficient because of the new engine in it.
When you put the vehicle into sport mode, it’s nice being able to select what gear you want to be in by using the 10-speed automatic paddle shifters. Sport mode also helps to delay any upshifts. Something my husband appreciated in the RDX. We were surprised to learn though that roar of the engine you hear is actually artificial and comes into the cabin thanks to the audio system’s speakers. Why Acura? Why? Can we make this be the real sound of the vehicle instead?
FUEL ECONOMY
Why do all luxury vehicles need premium gas? Is there an unwritten code somewhere that says this is a must? With the cost of gas, I would love to see this changed to make this vehicle more appealing for others. While the specs online say the vehicle averages 11.3 in the city, 9.1 on the highway, and 10.3 combined, we found the RDX was around 11 combined. This gives us no improvement going to a newer vehicle from the 2009 Honda CRV we are currently driving. Fuel economy is something that buyers are looking at and want improvements in. This is something we’d love to see Acura improve, but would it be a deal-breaker for us? Probably not because we are already averaging that. The RDX is both heavy, coming in at over 4,000lbs and its also turbocharged, both factors that can make the fuel economy falter in a vehicle. So Acura, please find a way to make this better!
WHAT EXACTLY DO WE LOVE ABOUT THE RDX?
While there are some things that could be improved on, overall we loved driving the Acura RDX. What exactly got our attention beyond power and safety? Everything just felt right.
Our whole family had enough legroom. We were even able to fit my sister in the back with our two kids and she did not feel squished considering my husband and I both had our chairs back to give us legroom. It also wasn’t a battle to be able to fit a highback booster seat and a five-point car seat into the RDX. Plus, thanks to the dashboard being symmetrical it feels like the driver and front passenger have their own personal space. The floating console gives you a spot to put small items like sunglasses so that they are easily accessible and not sliding around. The whole interior has a more sporty feel to it, which we prefer.
The back of the RDX has lots of storage space. I love how there are different compartments. This makes grocery shopping a little easier and prevents my fear of things moving around too much in the back. I can’t forget about the hands-free tailgate access. Getting all my Christmas groceries into the back was so easy. I had my hands full and was able to open the back when I got the car without pulling the keys out of my pocket.
One thing we all loved was the massive, panoramic moonroof. As soon as you open that, it makes the vehicle feel huge inside and brightens it all up during the day. Our kids love this feature in vehicles as they love looking outside through the roof.
SO… WHAT MAKES YOU KNOW A VEHICLE IS RIGHT FOR YOU?
