Acura RDX test drive since 2012

Honda+

While the Americans learn to make cars decent in the understanding of Europeans, the Japanese landed both. We were convinced of this with the example of the new Acura RDX.
The most important question that is not yet a clear answer: why is the Acura brand still not officially represented on the Russian market? If someone believes that we have not yet recovered before the concept of Luxury Car, then he should get off the furnace and visit the capital with the purpose of cultural and recreational prevention. Over fifteen years of distortion of our consciousness, we have come from purely six -hundred to hybrid Lexus, and the word premium was just as firmly entered our vocabulary, like rebranding. As we recall, Toyota for the rich (Lexus), first produced only for the American market, and then for the rest of the people, is also in a stable growing demand in Russia. Luxury Nissan, known in the same America as Infiniti, is also not averse to feasting the income of our compatriots. But Acura, being a leader in the US market, prefers to sit in the bushes. It's funny, but more recently, the first official dealer Acura in China was opened. In a country where until recently a car was ranked to the clan of evil spirits. The next strong -willed decision of the Acura marketing must be an access to the Indian market, and then Cambodia and the Republic of Chuvashia will follow. But in the Russian representative office of Honda (for those who still lingered on the furnace, I will explain that the Honda luxury unit Acura) about the official expansion of Acura on the Russian market is very careful. Like, preparatory work is underway, but it is too early to report the exact dates. I think that if you adhere to expectant tactics, the target audience will have time to overpowline three times, because we are already familiar with the concept of competition and in a few years it will not be so easy for us to put a brilliant steel ball at the price of a gold ingot. This does not mean that under the brand Acura hides something dubious in the sparkling packaging. Rather, on the contrary, even the most elegant paper is not able to reflect the essence of the gift from Acura. But the Luxury segment has always sinned the additional value for mystical prestige. So, while the people are looking at all overseas shiny with wide open wallets, you need to forge a bright future. After all, the experience of American consumers confirms that in the case of Acura, the external gloss is generously supported by hi technologies and Hi-quality. So what are you waiting for, Honda people?
 
Honda marketing must be cunning. This year, two new Acura models appeared: the representative of the representative class RL and Sav RDX. The second generation of the popular SUV MDX will be debuted soon, and while gray dealers supply the Russian market by overseas news, official dealers monitor the reaction of the people. So, the first -generation MDX, even with unofficial deliveries, has become very popular. The new RL, as an analogue of Honda Legend, is increasingly found on the streets of Moscow. But the RDX is still noticed in a single copy, but it is very likely that it is this model that will be able to pull Acura on the comb of popularity.
Acura RDX turned out to be the rare case when photos are very distorted by the real image of the car. The fact is that in the life of RDX it looks much more interesting. Its silhouette can hardly be called beautiful (in terms of design, the Japanese are still in the search), but it is not without certain attractiveness. And certainly RDX will not leave indifferent anyone who at least once watched the film about brave samurai or tried sushi. The body is covered with embossed muscles, but this is rather reinforced fitness than steroid bodybuilding. The optics are predatory, the side glasses are small, but the wheels are 18-inch. In any angle, RDX is perceived as a 200-meter sprinter. True, the Japanese are not very strong in running, but this one seems to be serious. A turbocharger engine, an intellectual all -wheel drive, an adaptive machine will tell you about this later, but for now let's look at the salon.
 
If the new Civic cross with the new Legend and add a good portion of high -quality materials to the resulting mix, you will get an RDX. The salon panels are really perfect, and the skin seems to remain as dense and tenacious, even when the time comes to disassemble the RDX to tin cans and plastic bags. In terms of ergonomics, RDX also tried to score a maximum of points. Convenient landing, good visibility, easily readable readings of devices in my opinion, I already said this. Well, of course! The main competitor of the RDX BMW X3 is also okay. But in the Acura cabin is not so boring, and, perhaps, they took care of comfort here better. For example, multimedia, first tested at Honda Legend, is easier to manage than Idrive BMW. There are several buttons that are responsible for the main functions, and further communication occurs through a round mobile joystick. In some cases, you have to resort to ingenuity, but in general the system is quite logical, and I hope that its evolution will even simplify communication with numerous functions of a modern car.
 
Unfortunately, like Legend, RDX for some reason was equipped with a large steering wheel. By design and profiled rims, it is very similar to a delicious driver’s helm of the new Civic, but if it was a couple of centimeters smaller in diameter, it would be more pleasant to hold on to it. And most importantly, a small convenient steering wheel would better suit the gambling character of RDX.
 
2.3 I-VTEC Turbo in the context of Honda some abbreviation here is definitely superfluous. Two and three not many for a car the size of a BMW X3. In addition, the RDX crankshaft tossing only four cylinders, while BMW relies on in -line six. I-VTEC? This is a branded chip of Honda engines, a system, thanks to which the engine is confidently pulling at low speeds and vigorously picks up at the top. There are examples when, using I-VTEC, up to 120 hp from 1 liter of volume! But, I'm afraid, even a mystical system for adjusting the phase of gas distribution will not help the 2.3-liter four Honda to compete with the 6-cylinder BMW motors. Therefore, Honda decided on a brave, perhaps even a daring step. For the first time after perennial prayers to highly phoned atmospheres in Honda, they placed a turbo-god. In response, he sent them a harness of 244 horses and 350 Newton meters, which turned out to be useful during acceleration from medium speeds. Under the melodic rumble of turbo-I-VTEC Acura RDX accelerates from place to 100 km/h for 7.4 s. This is quite good, considering that the machine has the ability to think in the year when Lexus presented a 7-speed transmission has only five gears. But in the sleeve of RDX there is a trump card that hits even some jokers. Sh-AWD system of all-wheel drive, which makes RDX so obedient and, if necessary, gambling. With all my respect for other all -wheel drive transmissions, the invention of Honda is worthy of the highest praise. No matter how difficult the coating under the wheels, SH-AWD will arrange a plenum of frictions, electromagnets, differentials and other smart mechanisms on the topic of better adhesion to the road and the most optimal handling for a fraction of a second. The driver will be unreasonable, what is the amount of engineering thought at the moment in Sh-AWD, but the result will not allow you to doubt the correct choice. That would only softer the suspension
 
On Moscow roads, the RDX suspension comes into a stupor. Its settings are such that the slightest irregularities are transmitted to the steering wheel and shake your spine in order. No, this is not excessive elasticity. This is precisely stiffness. From this, controllability is obtained like a hot hatchback (possibly even better), and comfort like a kitchen stool. Probably, in this way, the creators of the RDX decided to aggravate the sensations from a cheerful, cocky engine, but the definition was never too synonymous with something good.
 
Nevertheless, the Acura RDX can make a very serious competition of the BMW X3, because the suspension settings are the only thing that Acura's engineers miscalculated. For all other points, RDX is at least not inferior to its competitor from the premium league. As for the name, this is exactly what serves as a guarantor of everything with the Hi prefix.
Technical characteristics of Acura RDX
Dimensions, mm 4590x1869x1656
Base, mm 2650
Front/back track, mm 1572/1590
Diameter of the turn, m 12.0
Clearance, mm 159
Type of engine gasoline
4-cylinder with turbocharged
Working volume, cubic meter. cm 2300
Max. Power, L.S./rpm 240/6000
Max. moment, nm/rpm 350/4500
The transmission is automatic 5-band
The drive is complete
Max. speed, km/h no data
Acceleration time 0-100 km, with 7.4
Fuel consumption (city/highway), l/100 km 14.8/11.8
Tank volume, l 68
Stanislav Goncharenko
Photo by the author
 
 
 

Source: Avtopanorama magazine