Entered CNET Catalog: 08/16/2006
SKU: 100773236
Manufacturer: Acura
Product summary
The good: The 2007 Acura RDX is a very fun car to drive, with a peppy engine and excellent handling. It has one of the best-sounding stereo systems we've heard, as part of its Technology package, which also includes voice-command Bluetooth integration and navigation. The navigation system has live traffic reporting.
The bad: With all the included cabin technology, Acura should have worked on a more integrated interface.
The bottom line: The 2007 Acura RDX is a good value, with practical interior space and very good drivability. Techies will delight in its cabin systems, but luddites will be overwhelmed by the many buttons and voice commands.
Editors' review
- Editors' Choice: No
- Reviewed on: 11/09/2006
2007 Acura RDX
The RDX is smaller than other crossovers we've tested recently, such as the Ford Edge. It feels quicker and more agile. The interior isn't particularly roomy, although seating position is higher than in a sedan. The driver's seat gets 10-way power adjustment, but the front passenger seat has manual controls. We also discovered that front legroom is minimal, with one of our 6-foot-plus review staff brushing the dashboard with his knees--even with the seat all the way back. As a nice touch, the center console hatch is very wide and deep, with room enough for a couple of laptops.
All the tech that fits
Acura chose to make the RDX a tech powerhouse, including a similar Technology package to the one available on the Acura RL, a previous winner of our Tech Car of the Year award. The Technology package includes Bluetooth cell phone integration, voice recognition, and navigation with live traffic information. But the RDX takes it a step further by adding an excellent stereo system. While we like all of this technology, Acura didn't do a good job of making the interface very usable, mounting buttons wherever they fit around the dashboard and steering wheel.
The main interface for the RDX is a LCD screen mounted at the top of the stack, with function buttons and a joystick/dial right below it. The joystick/dial is big enough that it's easy to use, even while driving. But the software interface isn't so good, as it's difficult to determine from what's on the screen whether the dial should be turned or the joystick moved to make a menu selection. A CD changer sits at the bottom of the stack, and has some duplicative controls to those displayed on the LCD screen. Unfortunately, the lower stereo controls don't mirror the look of the screen controls at all. Further complicating things, there are no Bluetooth phone controls on the screen, as they're relegated to a voice command system.
Beyond this profusion of buttons, we've always liked the voice command systems offered in Acuras and Hondas. It's fairly intuitive and does a great job of recognizing spoken words. When we said, "Show restaurants," the system added restaurant icons to a displayed map, and when we asked, "What time is it," it told us the current time. The phone system works well, too. We paired it with a Motorola V551 cell phone, and found it simple to make calls by pressing the voice command button (the top one on the steering wheel) and telling the system to dial a number. We didn't find any straightforward way to access our phone's address book or recent calls log, however.
As in other Acuras we've seen, the navigation system is top-notch. It's easy to enter destinations, and its points-of-interest database goes beyond restaurants, gas stations, and ATMs to include all sorts of retail stores. It's like having a yellow pages in the car. The navigation system also does a good job with route guidance, showing a split screen with a graphic to indicate upcoming turns. Best of all, the RDX has the same live traffic reporting found on the RL. The system shows icons for traffic incidents, such as construction or crashes, as well as traffic speed on freeways and major roadways. The traffic information is a service from XM satellite radio; owners will need to maintain a subscription which costs $12.95 a month, after a three-month free service period.
But the stereo does sound good--really, really good. The system uses a 6-channel, 410-watt amplifier, pumping music through 10 speakers, including one center fill and a subwoofer. The Surround effect works very well, making it hard to pinpoint a sound source. Highs are extraordinarily crisp, the mid-range is excellent, but lows get just a little muddy at high volumes. It's a rich and clear sound, making every instrument stand out in a track. With our most bass-heavy music, we found the subwoofer tame enough not to shake the car.
Fast and sure-footed
Driving the RDX is fun--much more fun than we would expect from a pseudo-SUV. The fun comes from the car's responsiveness. It jumps forward with the throttle down, and Acura's Super Handling all-wheel-drive system makes it extremely maneuverable. The RDX's peppiness comes from its 240-horsepower, 2.3-liter, turbocharged 4-cylinder engine, a good amount of power for the size of this car. The engine is pretty advanced, with variable timing and valve lift, an intercooler, and a uniquely designed variable-flow turbocharger, which is supposed to reduce lag. In our driving, we didn't feel lag when accelerating from stop, but the car did show some turbo weirdness of slight power surges when we tried to hold a steady speed.
The engine's 260 pounds per foot of torque comes in at 4,500rpm, which helped the car keep strong acceleration up to freeway speeds when we held the throttle down. The 5-speed automatic works well, though a lot of the competition has gone to six gears. We found the Sport mode worked well for city and mountain driving, maintaining power for coming out of turns or cutting through traffic. We didn't get much use out of the paddle shifters behind the steering wheel, which control the transmission's manual gear selection. The paddles came in handy while going down a long, steep hill, but we didn't find them that great for sport driving.
Acura's Super Handling all-wheel-drive system inspires confidence while cornering. The system gives the car neutral handling, making it go where we pointed it. The system distributes power between the front and back axles, and between the left and right rear wheels. An informational real-time diagram on the instrument cluster shows the power distribution. It's kind of fascinating, but dangerous to look at when the car is put into maneuvers that make the all-wheel-drive system work.
The EPA rates the RDX at 19mpg in the city and 23mpg on the highway. In our mixed freeway and city driving we observed 16.4mpg, lower than the EPA tests but not unexpected due to the turbo. The California Air Resources Board rates emissions for the RDX at ULEV II, a good score.
The RDX protects its occupants with front and side air bags for both front seats, and curtain air bags along both sides of the cabin. It also has side-impact door beams. The car gets five stars in front and side-impact crash tests, and four stars for roll-over. Road holding is helped by the Super Handling all-wheel-drive system, along with 4-wheel anti-lock brakes with electronic brakeforce distribution. The RDX also includes a vehicle stability program.
Although it has a back-up camera, there are no distance or path indicators overlaid on the display. A tire pressure monitoring system is standard. Acura's warranty on the RDX is four years or 50,000 miles. In addition, Acura gives the powertrain a six year or 70,000-mile warranty.
Acura makes pricing on the RDX simple, selling it for a base price of $32,995, or, with the Technology package, $36,495. Our review car was the latter, with no other options. Notable tech options are Acura MusicLink ($189), an iPod adaptor, and an auto-dimming, rear-view mirror ($225).
We like the 2007 Acura RDX for its sporty, quick handling and its excellent stereo. All of its other tech toys are fun, and few other cars have live traffic integrated with navigation control. We can learn to live with its mixed-up interface. Its price is pretty reasonable considering all it has to offer. It would be a hard choice between the Mazda CX-7 and the Acura RDX, but the RDX has superior features that would make us lean toward it.
User opinions
Select a User Opinion to view: 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21out of 21 user reviews
looooveee this car
Pros: im in love with this car - its not the best looking car, however once you are sitting in it, you never wanna leave it. its so fast, once you step on the gas, the turbo opens and you jump a couple miles aead without even knowing what just happened.
Cons: i really cant find anything bad with this car!!!
out of 21 user reviews
Awesome SUV
Pros: Excellent acceleration/handling, AWD comfortable,safety rating , tech package
Cons: Gas mileage
out of 21 user reviews
Best ever Crossover and comfort just like sedan but roomy and techno toy...
Pros: Very good handling over black-ice. Nice sound system. Compact with SUV and sporty utility
Cons: nothing particular
out of 21 user reviews
Fun, high tech and great value
Pros: Amazing stereo, good navigation, comfortable, well built, drives great, fits bikes in the back
Cons: Controls complex, fuel economy only OK
out of 21 user reviews
Good but very pricey
Pros: Decent gas mileage, some tech goodies, great Honda reputation!
Cons: Price range is into the much larger and more powerful Tahoe and Expedition territory
out of 21 user reviews
Best value for gadget lovers!
Pros: Superb Audio System, Voice activated Navigation, Bluetooth Handsfreelink and Live Traffic Updates
Cons: Not impressive gas mileage (14 to 20 mpg), 91 octane premium gas only and no power passenger seat
I love the tech gadgets on my 2008 RDX, but I am quite disappointed with the gas mileage on my RDX. I thought crossover cars should get better gas mileage than regular SUV, but it turns out to be minimal differences.
Pros:
Driving experience is quite impressive with SH-AWD feature especially driving on the curvy roads.
I just love the ELS surround DVD-Audio sound system. If you care about the car audio system, it is totally worth while to pay little more extra to get a tech package option in order to enjoy 10-speaker 410 watts sound. Tech package provide you lots of other goodies such as live traffic updates (XM satelite subscription required after 3 month free trial period) and voice controlled navigation system. If you are looking for similar options in Lexus, Benz, BMW or any other luxury cars, you will end up paying at least $10,000 more than what Acura tech package can offer.
Cons:
The Gas Mileage is not that impressive even if it HONDA vehicles generally have really good gas mileage. (14 to 16 mpg on local and 20 to 22 mpg on highway so far I have driven 1,000 miles)The first turbo-charged engine in Acura worked out well in terms of bringing out lots of power and torque, but the Acura RDX 4 cylinder turbo-charged engine can't satisfy gas mileage conscious customers. Also, the engine requires only premium gas (91 octane value).
On 2008 model, Acura added an auto-dimming rear view mirror and a memory seat for the driver, but the passenger seat still comes with manual, which is quite surprising and disappointing for the money you pay. At least, a power passenger seat will make lots of people happy who believe what a luxury car should have as a standard option. Hopefully, Acura will add this option for later year RDX.
out of 21 user reviews
15 miles per gallon
Pros: looks cute
Cons: 15 miles per gallon
out of 21 user reviews
Great CUV, whats up with service costs?
Pros: everything
Cons: dealer service
Brought it in for first oil change and although it was free, service rep states it will be $100 each in the future. Mentions it only uses synthetic oil and that's the price.
Being a new car I'd like to bring it for service to the dealer, but am I crazy to think that price is outrageous, or am I just not caught up with the times!?
out of 21 user reviews
Close to perfect.
Pros: Tech Package, Power, Agility, Comfort.
Cons: Lack of automatic headlights, average gas mileage, average exterior styling.
On the down-side, I think Acura missed a big opportunity to make the exterior more visually exciting (like the Mazda CX7 or the Infiniti FX45)... and wasn't this car originally slated to be a hybrid? Big miss on that front. If they had made it a hybrid and a bit more stylish exterior, then I would imagine this would be the hottest car on the road. And, oddly, even thought this car has so much amazing technology... it is notably missing automatic headlights and driver memory/passenger power seats. But, you can't have everything...
If you are looking for a family friendly SUV with a smooth ride and plenty of room for the kids... look somewhere else. But, if you are looking for a fast, techno, sport-minded SUV that takes driving and technology seriously, then get the RDX!
out of 21 user reviews
A SUV " Sports Car "
Pros: Handleing,Seats,Navagation,Sou nd System
Cons: Cost, fuel economy
I love the RDX but wish fuel economy were better.
out of 21 user reviews
3 weeks plus with my rdx - wow
Pros: fun to drive and stereo rocks!
Cons: milage per typical honda 4 cyl
sporty drive
great sound system
quiet chassis and ride
great GPS
Got TECH PKG and love Blue-tooth enabled phone
XM Radio is going to be a must for me (O&A a surprising morning fun)
Drove Toyota, Honda and Mazda.. My 36k went to Acura RDX
out of 21 user reviews
peppy mini-SUV full of fun, hi-tech surprises
Pros: fresh mix of edgy style, reliability and hot new tech - with state-of-art navigation, sound, handling.
Cons: TOO much road feel, new engine design (twin turbo 4-cyl) averages 19mpg, needs premium gas and costly synthetic oil
out of 21 user reviews
great cuv. best we drove in this class
Pros: fit and finish. base model well loaded. fun to drive
Cons: a couple of options should have been included without tech pkg
out of 21 user reviews
Lots of great features
Pros: power, technology, lots of standards, lots of leg room
Cons: suspension, engine fan
Here's the low-down:
1. I purchased the fully loaded with tech package for $1.00 over factory invoice. Dealerships have back end rebates so there's no reason why you can't ask to pay dealer cost for the car. I paid $34,720.00 when it's MSRP is $37,750.00.
2. The leg room is better than my BMW 530I series from 2005. The horse power is also better than my BMW.
3. Although the RDX is a 4 Cylinder, it comes with a powerful TURBO with 240 horses. This RDX has some serious power. It also handles great!
4. The RDX might not be glamourous on the outside but when you get in it, from the inside I'd almost rather be driving it over my 5 series.
5. Loading space is great. I made a stop to Home Depot over the weekend and loaded up some wood for shelving. I was able to fit 62 inch would shelfs in the back. The seats fold down perfectly! Even with the seats in position, there's plenty of room in the back when you pop trunk area. My wife is prego and will be having our first child in August! The back area is easily suitable for a stroller and can also be used for diaper changing area. This might in fact be the perfect car for a young mother.
6. The guy factor! Although I love driving this car and I love the everything about it...the vehicle only comes Female EGO emissions. The EGO emissions for a guy are about a 2 out of 10. The Female EGO emissions is a perfect 10. My wife has become a stuck up B%$tch driving this car. I would also not encourage men to be in the passenger seat while your wife is driving this car. My wife plays with the dash gadgets during the whole drive. Last night we drove 15 miles to a place for dinner and I doubt she looked at the road for more than 20 seconds during the whole drive there. It's best you not know what your wife is doing while driving this car.
Drawbacks:
1. The suspension is what you'd expect for a small SUV. The suspension is rock solid. In other words, you feel bumps and bruises while driving the car. But it's not that big of a deal.
2. The fan seems to kick on a lot...since it's a turbo and needs to cool.
3. Only Premium unleaded gas. It's a V-Tech Turbo engine. You must be good to this car. It also doesn't get good MPG. I think it must avg about 20 MPG.
Overall this car is the ultimate chick driving machine. I'd give this car a perfect 10!
out of 21 user reviews
Techies Rejoice!! The BEST!!!!!!!
Pros: Technology, Nav, XM, Drive, Ride, Looks, & Leather Fit
Cons: No Driver Memory seats
out of 21 user reviews
Sweet 4 cyl. TURBO
Pros: Loads of Tech, for low price; Value
Cons: No push button start or memory seats
The Cnet video is all screwed up. They keep showing the 2007 Acura MDX and then show the inside of the RDX.
out of 21 user reviews
Sports car-like SUV
Pros: Excellent fit and finish, nimble handling.
Cons: Takes a college degree to learn the dashboard
out of 21 user reviews
Almost Perfect.
Pros: Loaded standard features, with or without the Tech Package; Soft comfortable seats; great stereo sound; great driving experience
Cons: Lack of passenger-side power seats, seat memory, rear-view mirror auto-dimming not standard.
out of 21 user reviews
too small for the $$
Pros: the radio sounds good for $3,500 more
Cons: expensive for value
My first opinion said that this is way overpriced for such a tight and small vehicle.
Aside from the indulgences missing, such as the manual passenger seat, and the tight accomodations, and the styling similar to what Subaru used to do, this is another Honda, but a gas hog Honda at 16.4 mpg!
Asking $3,500 for Tech Packg to get Bluetooth is smart for Honda and dumb for those who pay.
($250 gets a MOT Bluetooth system in any car from most sharp auto sound dealers)
She did not buy it...
out of 21 user reviews
The height of technology, but missing a few essentials.
Pros: Voice-controlled navigation system, 10-speaker sound system, peppy turbocharged engine
Cons: Manual controled passenger seat, no "memory" for 2nd driver's seats, bluetooth only available with tech package
First, this "car" is awesome. It handles like it wants to be a sports sedan, but it has the luxury and utility to make it one of the best crossovers we test drove.
The peppy turbocharger makes it jump off the mark, and the "super handling all wheel drive" really improves the cornering. Watch out for the AWD status display on the dash: you should have your eyes on the road whenever you actually need the torque to be redistributed!
The technology package is awesome, but the only reason we shelled out for it was to get bluetooth connectivity. In my TSX, this comes standard (even without the navigation display). What's up with that?
Another thing my TSX has is the "memory" seats. Depending on which set of keys remotely open the car, the driver seat will revert to the pre-programed position (useful for car washes or valet parking where they mess up your seats). With all it's vaunted "technology", this is absent on the RDX.
Another glaring omission is the manual controlled passenger seat. I don't care about this so much except when I'm trying to show off the car to a friend & they fumble around for the (absent) electrical controls. The shame! This is yet another thing standard on the TSX. The driver-side seat, on the other hand, is 8-way powered, AND has a powered lumbar adjustment (which, unlike the TSX, offers significant support). The dichotomy between the adjustment of the two seats is night and day. What's going on with that, Acura?
About the sound system, now. I speak only for the 10-speaker deal included with the tech package. What an AWESOME system. The in-dash 6-disc changer will gobble up any audio format I could think of (including my extensive MP3 disc collection I had made for my old car; something unfortunately absent on the TSX). The sound quality will blow you away. It has crisp highs, and earthy robust lows (that, thankfully, don't seem to shake the car apart).
The navigation system is pretty smart and can recognize mumbled commands. But if you tell it something it doesn't recognize, it will just perform its best guess. This is a problem if you don't know how to phrase the command (eg, "cancel route" doesn't work; it needs to be, "cancel navigation"). It is annoying when it does something random instead of asking you to repeat the command. The live traffic seems to work fine; just make sure your city supports it. The reverse camera is fun to show off to friends. I guess it would actually have a purpose if you have kids and they like to run behind cars going in reverse.
All-in-all, I am pleased with this purchase. For the price, though, they really need to put in at LEAST powered passanger seats and seat memory (I barely drive it anymore because of all the changes I need to make to the seat).
out of 21 user reviews
Great SUV w/ tech package
Pros: Power and agility
Cons: Tires could be stickier
