Filed under: Crossover, Acura, New Car Reviews, Luxury

The Softening Of A Sharp-Edged CUV



If you had asked us back in 2006 if the then-brand-new Acura RDX would be a success, our answer would have been yes. And why not? The Acura brand was still in demand, buyers were increasingly clamoring for luxury crossovers and the economy appeared to be in solid shape. And don't forget that the RDX was seemingly ahead of its time, pairing together a turbocharger and inline four-cylinder engine before it became de rigueur among engine choices.

If you had asked us that question six years ago, we would've been dead wrong, because the RDX proved to be anything but a sure bet. The compact luxury crossover stumbled along with woeful sales over the past half-decade, with 2007 being its best year with a meager 23,356 units sold. As it turns out, American luxury car buyers weren't ready for a boosted CUV with a stiff ride, limited cargo-hauling capabilities and lousy fuel economy.

While the first RDX was a box office flop, Acura feels like it has an appropriate sequel for the 2013 model year. Gone is that performance-oriented turbo-four that was so out of place. Honda's luxury arm has instead gone with the company's tried and true 3.5-liter V6, placed it in a new larger platform, and added a raft of much-needed refinement.Continue reading 2013 Acura RDX

2013 Acura RDX originally appeared on Autoblog on Thu, 19 Jul 2012 11:57:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.



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