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Full 2010 Acura RDX Review
What's New for 2010
The 2010 Acura RDX receives a base front-wheel-drive version as well as revised exterior styling, automatic headlights, a tweaked braking system, a back-up camera, Bluetooth streaming audio compatibility, a USB jack and ambient footwell lighting.
Introduction
With so many new small luxury crossovers on the road these days, it's easy to lose sight of the Acura RDX, now entering its fourth year of production. It would be a mistake for crossover shoppers to do so, however, because the 2010 RDX is one of the most entertaining compact luxury crossovers on the market. Dimensionally similar to the Honda CR-V, the RDX features available all-wheel drive, a long list of standard amenities, trendy interior styling and a unique feature in this segment -- a turbocharged four-cylinder engine. This is one CUV that doesn't deserve to get lost in the shuffle.
That turbo-4 is an interesting story. Acura's engineers considered using the naturally aspirated 2.4-liter four-cylinder engine from the TSX sedan, but they decided (wisely, we'd say) that the RDX's extra mass called for more torque. Acura's stable of V6s provided additional candidates, but curb weight played a decisive role here, too -- a V6 would add pounds relative to a four, and that's the last thing the RDX needed. So the RDX ended up with a turbocharged 2.3-liter version of the TSX's four. With 240 horsepower and 260 pound-feet of torque, this engine isn't the brawniest on the block, but its turbocharged nature could be an additional draw for people living at higher elevations as it helps compensate for horsepower loss.
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