The Acura RDX is designated by the marketing wizards as a luxury urban sports utility vehicle. Powered with a 240 HP turbocharged inline 4-cylinder engine and a 6-speed automatic transmission, this energizer bunny is targeted squarely at the BMW X3, Land Rover LR2 and the soon-to-be-released Infiniti EX35.

I bounded around the neighborhood a few times before passing the keys over to John. Needless to say, it was hard giving up the RDX for a few days while John put the sport-ute through its paces. Until the full review gets published, I can tell you that RDX is fun to drive, can hold its own drag racing a 330i from zero to 80, and feels utlra-stable carving up the turns on the curvy, mountain roads to Santa Cruz.

Whatever reasons that were behind the decision to turbocharge and intercool a DOHC 4-cyclinder engine (weight savings, fuel economy, or just because they can) , the Honda engineers chose well. Especially, when the engine gets into the upper RPM range and the i-VTEC really kicks in. Turbo-lag is barely noticeable with the variable flow waste gate. This compact SUV was such fun to drive, I almost traded in my RSX for this amazing sport compact disguised as an SUV.

Derek

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>> Nov 5, 2007 - click on the link below for John’s full review of the RDX

2008 Acura RDX Review - The Ballad of Mr. Sensible vs. That Guy

>> More photos of the Acura RDX in the photo gallery