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The all-new 2022 Acura RDX goes head-to-caput with the German premium compact SUVs and beats them past at least $7,000 on cost. There'southward a 272-hp 4-cylinder turbo engine, all-wheel-bulldoze, mechanical torque vectoring, a head-upwardly display, a dazzling sixteen-speaker sound system, telematics, decent rider infinite forepart and back, a tranquillity ride, and a new sport version that warrants newfound attention from the BMW true-blue.

The third-generation RDX faces three challenges. A touchpad on the console, called Acura Truthful Touchpad Interface, replaces a center stack knob for controlling infotainment. Acura's dreams of market dominance will rise, or autumn, based on acceptance of TTI. The nuts of selecting an application are like shooting fish in a barrel, just the drill-down features take a learning curve. Also, the rear seat is roomy but the absorber is low, and blind spot detection is not on the entry trim line. Those are the only significant shortcomings of the new RDX.

Step inside the new RDX and you're in a world of softer-touch surfaces, finer materials, comfier seats, audio-visual glass, and active noise cancellation. This is the Acura Precision Interior concept of the 2022-2018 car show circuit brought to life. It'southward a big step up in refinement. So, too, is passenger space front and back. This beingness a meaty SUV, there is no 3rd row seating, notwithstanding the Nissan Rogue.

The 279-hp V6 engine of the second generation is gone in favor of a heavily modified Honda Accord/Borough Blazon R engine, returning the RDX to its outset-generation, 4-cylinder-turbo roots only with better gas mileage. Four cylinders is the norm for the compact-SUV marketplace, four and a turbo on the premium compacts. Producing 280 pound-feet of torque and mated to a Honda-designed ten-speed automated manual, the automobile is quick when you stomp the throttle, about 6-1/2 seconds to 60 mph. Fuel economy for all-wheel-drive RDXs is 21 mpg urban center, 27 mpg highway, 23 mpg combined. For front drive models it'south 22/28/24. The sporty A-spec is one mpg lower on the highway number.

The previous RDX offered all-wheel-drive; this ane has AWD with Super Handling All-Wheel-Drive, or mechanical torque vectoring for the rear wheels. Equally Acura explains:

Acura's SH-AWD uses a rear clutch pack to distribute up to 100 percent of rear axle torque between the left and right wheels creating outstanding control and agility. Additionally, nosotros deploy Agile Handling Assist, a feature which uses the anti-lock brake system to individually brake either the left or correct front wheel to improve corner traceability and remainder.

While the roads outside of Vancouver, BC were dry out for the exam drive, Acura fix an off-route class with loose dirt and gravel to test SH-AWD. With SH-AWD off and most of the stability command curtailed, the RDX fishtailed nether heavy throttle and turning (equally information technology should). Enabled, the car tracked nicely through corners. SH-AWD under throttle sends actress power to the outside cycle in a plow, effectively forcing the automobile into the turn.

On the highway, driving the A-Spec and Advance versions, the RDX was extremely quiet. (Higher end models add more than sound insulation.) The 12- to 16-speaker sound system, developed by the recording engineer and producer Elliot L. Scheiner. It was delightful, with clear separation between the instruments and vocals on several songs. Because ELS Sound comes as function of all merely the entry trim line, you can't directly apportion a toll to it. Just it doesn't appear significant. The thing is low central: a smart guy with a lot of Grammys and a couple associates, quality manufacturing by Panasonic, and virtually no coloration induced to give the sound a different season. The caput unit is Android-based.

RDX inner and outer steel door rings provide rigid load paths for more than stiffness in a vehicle with a big sunroof, allowing Acura to meet or exceed front, side, and rollover crash targets.

Peak-Notch Prophylactic Standard, More on Higher Trim Lines

The condom suite works well. AcuraWatch, standard on all trims, has stop and go prowl control, lane go along help, standoff mitigation (forward emergency) braking, and road difference mitigation (if the machine crosses a solid or dotted line mark the road edge, RDM tries to bring the car back on the road). In 2022, you lot might hope the RDX doesn't just veer dorsum from lane markings but remains centered in the lane (lane centering help) merely that's not what Acura provided; LKA is good plenty, though. Blind spot detection and rear cantankerous traffic alert, using the aforementioned sensor prepare, plus front and rear parking sonar, are included on the Tech model, another reason not to go entry-level. Acura raised the structural integrity of the torso with more than high-forcefulness steel. This is a new body crush, and no longer a variant of the Honda CR-V.

The 2022 incorporates Acura telematics, chosen AcuraLink, using AT&T. The first year is free; then it costs $89 per yr for security services such as crash notification and roadside service. Remote services such equally remote start/stop, door unlock, voice destination download come free for vi months; and then it's $110 a year. The service includes onboard Wi-Fi.

The 2022 Acura RDX eye stack from the acme: ten.2-inch brandish, dedicated HVAC controls, transmission selector, True Touchpad Interface, padded wrist residuum.

True Touchpad: Getting Past the Learning Bend

The older 2022-2018 Acura RDX controller.

With the 2022 RDX, Acura is switching from a control knob on the angled centre stack (inset) to a touchpad that mimics your finger manipulating a bear on screen. The principle is simple: Where your finger strikes on the slightly concave surface of the touchpad will correspond to i of the eight locations on the main window of the 10.ii inch display: four icons in the acme row, four icons in the bottom. The corresponding on-screen icon is highlighted; tap to select (don't hold) and the app loads. That part is drop-dead uncomplicated.

The challenge using True Touchpad comes when you lot want to get beyond the basics. Some commands and gestures you'll know from tablets and smartphones. The abode screen has upwards to 8 pages, and you swipe left to show them ane by one. If you swipe right, rather go the other way through the screens, you bring upwards an all-apps menu. Flick or drag your finger up/down to scroll through long lists. Drag with two fingers, not one, to reposition the map. To see the menu for any app, yous press and hold rather than tap.

Incoming call? You printing the top of the secondary pad to answer; press the lesser to ignore or cease the phone call. On the elevation-line RDX Advance, you tin printing the steering cycle's left roller wheel to the right ("right swipe dat," as in Tinder), to the left to ignore or end the call. Yous press the Home button, swipe right to run into all apps, then press and concord (don't tap) the icon you want on the main screen.

The 2022 Acura RDX's True Touchpad.

For navigation, you can finger-write on the touchpad, or recollect a typewriter keyboard, which ways your finger placement has to be more authentic, and it can be done only when parked. Y'all can also use vocalisation input with conversational speech, and it's quite expert.

A lot will depend on how much instruction the buyer and his or her family unit gets on commitment, and perhaps later on when questions arise. It's all in the 648-page owner's manual and the 91-page navigation manual. Happy reading. At least Acura has fewer of the stupid warnings ("Don't change wiper blades while driving") that take up space.

Analog Instrument Panel, Huge Caput-Up Display

The instrument panel behind the steering wheel is typical of a nice Honda or Toyota: mechanical gauges plus a digital color multi-information brandish between them. An all-LCD configuration is not yet offered.

Head-up display (on Advance trim) creates a large 10.5-inch image, can display speed, speed limit, adaptive cruise speed setting, navigation arrow and turn info, safe-disquisitional alerts.

The head-up brandish of the RDX Accelerate is tremendous. Most HUDs tin exist moved upwardly or downwardly to deal with commuter height. This one can be shifted left and right likewise. Acura measures it as ten.five inches diagonal, and the company gets credit for actually beingness able to communicate what that means: "ten.v inches … is referring to the measurement of projected image at nominal seating position. The image appears about two meters from the commuter's eyepoint."

The steering wheel buttons are nicely sized, and there's a roller or selector bicycle on each side of the steering cycle. The small wheels tin can also exist pushed left or right to make additional choices.

These to-die-for red ability-vented Alcantara seats are unique to the sporty A-Spec trim line. While the A-Spec is the designated sporty model, the top-line RDX Accelerate is the one with adaptive shocks.

Acura RDX Trim Walk

The 2022 RDX has four trim levels, or versions. Unlike most cars, the options and packages are broiled into those trim lines, simplifying the buying process. (At the Acura build-your-own site, they are chosen "Packages.") All-bicycle-drive plus SH-AWD torque vectoring adds $2,000 and costs 1 mpg on metropolis, highway, and combined driving.

RDX, $38,295 including $995 shipping for forepart drive. Features include two USB jacks, heated front seats, xix-inch alloy wheels, a power tailgate, a backup photographic camera, Bluetooth, smart entry and keyless start, and fabric-covered seats. New to the RDX is the AcuraWatch safety system, panoramic sunroof, 19-inch blend wheels, 9-speaker audio, 4G LTE telematics with Wi-Fi onboard, and Apple CarPlay compatibility. Android Auto will follow once Google builds in a touchpad interface. Acura estimates 15 percent of buyers volition go for the base RDX. This a solid car, lacking only blind spot detection, forepart and rear sonar, and rear cross traffic alert.

RDX Tech, $41,495.  The $3,200 jump brings on-board navigation, the missing condom features, two more USB jacks (totaling iv), leather seats, ELS/Panasonic 12-speaker sound, and tongue vocalism command. It volition be xl percent of sales.

A-Spec, $44,495. This is the sporty adjunct of the Tech trim line, with 20-inch alloy wheels, LED fog lamps, ELS Studio 3D sound with xvi speakers, ventilated Ultrasuede seats, and A-Spec styling touches outside and in, such as blacked-out trim and red leather seats. It will be 20 percent of sales.

RDX Advance, $46,395. For a $4,900 bump over the RDX Tech, or $eight,100 over the base of operations RDX, yous go active dampers (shock absorbers), a surround-view camera system, ELS Studio 3D sound, different xix-inch alloys, ventilated front end seats, a heated steering wheel, heated forepart and rear seats, a hands-free power tailgate, auto-dimming side mirrors, and rain-sensing wipers. It will be 25 percent of sales. The max you can pay for an RDX is $48,795 for the all-wheel-bulldoze Advance with premium paint ($400).

Acura RDX sales more doubled since the RDX' outset year. They peaked at 52,361 in 2022, then cruel ane% last year to 51,295.

Should You Buy?

Exit aside Truthful Touchpad for a minute. The 2022 Acura RDX is the clear blindside-for-the-buck selection amongst premium compact SUVs. Acura says that the premium comparison the all-bike-drive RDX Advance with competitors is: Audi Q5, $viii,160; BMW X3, $8,675; Mercedes-Benz GLC, $10,885; and Volvo XC60, $7,300. The 2022 RDX is the nearly serious compact SUV from Asia or the Americas that Europe faces. The BMW is sportier and costs more; it's the best driver'southward car. Audi, Mercedes and Volvo all have cockpits that stand out for tasteful luxury. All offer adaptive shocks and head-up displays. Acura and BMW take 10.ii-inch center stack screens. The others offer engine upgrades if you desire to go faster and pay more than.

The Lexus NX, which edged out the RDX in sales terminal yr, is a fine automobile for around-boondocks and highway cruising in comfort as long every bit you don't want a hyper-sporty vehicle. The Lincoln MKC is currently uncompetitive and the GMC Terrain is more truckish than the others. The Cadillac XT4, arriving in autumn, bears watching. The Infiniti QX50 with variable pinch cylinders is fascinating engineering, but reports on real-world full economy are mixed. Amidst cheaper, mainstream compact SUVs, the one serious competitor is the Mazda CX-v Thousand Touring, $34,000 all in, with a less powerful engine and not quite as tranquillity, merely equally roomy and with plenty of soft-touch cockpit trim.

Acura'due south shortcomings are modest: blind spot detection isn't offered on the entry model (affecting only one in vii buyers, though), rain-sensing wipers are only on the top trim line, trailer towing is limited to ane,500 pounds, a low rear seat cushion (in my opinion), no Android Auto support for now, no Qi wireless charging, and no AC outlet.

As for Truthful Touchpad, a mean solar day of driving isn't enough to declare it a flop or a success. I hope to spend time driving the RDX over the summer and will update the review. If I were to predict the future, my decision most likely would exist: a) once you acquire to apply TTI, it'll be okay and perhaps approaching BMW iDrive (which besides rewards practise) and b) friends who borrow your car will not exist happy because for newcomers nil beats a touch screen and side by side buttons that say Map, Navi, Telephone, Ent. That goes for spouses/partners who don't try to learn.

Super-Handling All-Wheel-Drive indicator in MID.

Should you buy? The 2022 Acura RDX is a big pace beyond the second generation. If you desire sportiness, luxury, and comfort, and if you lot don't need the self-indulgence of a luxury European emblem on the hood and the accompanying costs, the Acura RDX is the best — actually, just — upscale compact SUV that lets you pay in the forties for a loaded model. This is what Acura has been working on for more than than two decades: good stuff, comparatively affordable. Drivers who desire the sportiest model should consider the RDX Advance with its adaptive suspension and HUD over the A-Spec with its 20-inch alloys (pothole allurement) and to-dice-for blood-red leather seats. Anybody should bypass the base model (because of slightly reduced safety content) for the RDX Tech. The Advance has even more comfort features than Tech, but the but rubber gain is the surround vision cameras and pelting-sensing wipers.

What if TTI might non be for you? Ask the dealer if you can bring back the one you bought for a refund, or to test-bulldoze the RDX for a week before you purchase. They'll say "absolutely not." But it'south a reasonable asking if y'all're unsure nearly TTI. This type of commerce isn't happening in 2022, unfortunately.

The 2022 RDX is an Acura breakthrough along with the MDX midsize SUV and the Acura TL sport sedan. The RDX is proof Americans and Japanese can design, engineer, and build a great SUV when they put their minds to information technology: adult in Ohio and California, almost parts (engine included) sourced from across the US, and built in Due east Liberty, Ohio. This is a true world car, created with North American tastes foremost in mind.