It feels like Acura’s primary mission in life is to Type S all the things. Feels like every A-badged ride from the “it better have one” Integra to the GM-built ZDX gets a sporty red squiggle. Well, everything except for the RDX, that is.
On one hand, I’m baffled as to why there’s no such thing as an RDX Type S. I mean, not only is the RDX Acura’s second-most popular vehicle by sales—it’s sized in that CUV Goldilocks zone of being not too large, nor too small. It’s kind of the perfect size, similar to vehicles like the Honda CR-V or Toyota RAV4. Perhaps you’ve heard of them.
On the other hand, though, I’m not sure that the RDX actually needs a Type S variant. It’s surprisingly fun as it is—I dare say sportier than the MDX Type S. And let’s be honest: do we really need a crossover built to hang with an Integra Type S on the track? To find out, I asked Acura to let me borrow a new RDX A-Spec Advance for a spell, and much to my surprise and delight, they agreed.
Acura made a gray crossover look good
It seems like most of the press cars that come my way are gray, which makes me long for the vibrancy of hues like silver or white. And while I wish that Acura hooked me up with something sprayed in either Apex Blue Pearl or Performance Red Pearl, I gotta admit that the Urban Gray Pearl of my tester looks pretty good.
Where Acura’s scalloped design language once looked too busy to my eyes, I’m now finding that the brand’s love of curved surfaces brings a nice amount of flare to an otherwise conservative segment. I’m also finding that the brand’s product line needs to equipped with, at minimum, the A-spec package in order for the vehicles’ design to feel right. What can I say? I’m a fan of things like blacked-out exterior trim, more aggressive wheel fitment and beefy dual exhaust tips. All told, the A-Spec package does a good job of telling the performance story Acura is trying to build, and feels credible while doing so.
Does it have a sporty red interior? You bet it does.
But more importantly than that, this RDX has a cabin that just feels nice to be in. From the way the steering wheel feels in hand to the satisfyingly solid feel of something as simple as a turn signal stalk, it’s clear that a lot of thought and care has gone into ensuring that each and every touchpoint feels rewarding to the touch. This isn’t a cabin that shouts luxury, but rather reveals its sense of craftsmanship each time you get inside.
Despite their vibrant red hue, the leather-trimmed seats aren’t the sportiest, but they’re comfy and are heated and ventilated. The driving position is excellent, letting you feel as engaged or relaxed as you want to be. Rear seat space is a bit tight, but as a driver, I’m looking for a car that rewards me, not whoever is riding in back.
Feels like there’s a big “but” coming…
And here it is: the other controls can be challenging to use. I love the fact that the RDX has plenty of physical buttons, but they’re small, hard to see and require a fair bit of time to learn to get muscle memory to kick in. The push-button shifter is fine until you need to make a tricky parking maneuver while holding up a line of impatient cars. And the infotainment screen forgets every input you tried to make the millisecond you lift your finger from its trackpad control.
(Though, in fairness, this trackpad issue does not exist when using something like Apple CarPlay. So the trackpad can work well, it’s just Acura’s refusal to make it do so is frustrating. Not that it matters: every other Acura ditched the trackpad, so I wouldn’t be surprised to see it go away on the MY26 RDX too.)
A solid drive makes all those other problems go away
I have published works across the past couple of decades where I proclaim myself to be a Honda fanboy, and it’s not just because driving one allows me to should “VTEC just kicked in, yo” every time I merge onto a freeway. Honda, and by extension Acura, makes cars that just feel great to drive, and this RDX is no exception.
What Honda and Acura do exceptionally well is create cars that nail feedback and response. So while its 272-horsepower turbocharged 2.0-liter four-banger may not sound impressive on paper, in practice it feels perfect. Credit the 10-speed automatic transmission for helping to ensure this powerplant feels lively and ready for whatever my right foot may demand. The steering is also exceptional, feeling perfectly weighted and communicative. And given that this particular RDX A-spec is equipped with the Advance Package, which includes SH-AWD (Super Handling All-Wheel Drive) and adaptive shocks as standard equipment, it’s more than happy to reward you for taking the fun way home.
Final thoughts
While my dream car is a DC2 Integra Type R, and my more attainable aspirational car is a current Integra Type S, I’m of the mind that a crossover should never try to pass itself off as a sportscar, so I’m thankful that Acura just lets the RDX be the RDX. Yes, it’s fun to drive, but it’s also comfortable just chilling in traffic so you can chill in its heated and ventilated seats and enjoy the killer ELS audio system.
At a listed $56,400, the Acura RDX A-Spec Advance is far from cheap, and way too rich for my blood, but is priced similarly (if not a bit less) than competitive vehicles like the BMW X3 30 xDrive or Lexus RX 350 Premium+. In my mind the Acura is prettier than the Bimmer and more of a “driver’s car” than the Lexus, making this premium crossover worthy of anyone’s consideration—even if it doesn’t have a squiggly red S on its hindquarters.
