Car reviews and Ratings Canada

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What's New for 2016

The Acura RDX gets a thorough makeover for 2016. The styling has been freshened with a new grille, LED headlights and new taillights, while the interior has been brightened with new trim, some extra standard equipment and a new optional touchscreen interface. Also optional this year are adaptive cruise control, forward collision warning and mitigation, lane departure warning and intervention, a blind-spot monitoring system and automatic wipers.

Introduction

The original RDX bounded onto the scene as Acura's high-tech wonder, boasting a turbocharged four-cylinder engine (Acura's first) and a sophisticated all-wheel-drive system. It failed to resonate with as many shoppers as Acura had hoped, however, so in 2012 the company redesigned it as a more conventional small luxury crossover SUV with a traditional V6 engine. The new RDX quickly became a favorite for consumers as well as us. Four years later, the 2016 Acura RDX is still a great choice for a small luxury crossover SUV.

The Acura RDX has a new look for 2016. Notably, LED headlights are standard this year.

Part of that is due to the changes Acura made this year. High-tech driving aids have become standard fare in luxury-branded vehicles and can even be found in some compact economy cars, but the RDX was previously lacking in this regard. As such, we're pleased to see that the 2016 RDX offers a blind-spot monitoring system, adaptive cruise control (which slows the RDX to match the speed of the vehicle ahead of it), a forward collision mitigation system (which can detect slow-moving or stopped objects ahead and warn the driver or apply the brakes) and a lane-departure intervention system (which applies a little steering to help guide the RDX back into its lane should it start to drift).

Besides the new tech on offer, the RDX still features the basics that we've liked these past few years. There's only one engine on offer, but that 3.5-liter V6 is strong and makes a bit more power this year plus better fuel economy (now up to 23 mpg combined) thanks to a cylinder deactivation system. Inside, a spacious and comfortable cabin makes the RDX easy to live with day to day, while the RDX's long list of standard features and competitive price boost its value proposition.

There are still a few drawbacks to the RDX. Some other rival luxury crossovers are a little more prestigious and/or sportier to drive, such as BMW's X1 and X3 and the Porsche Macan. The RDX's one-engine approach also means it lacks a fuel-saving alternative, such as the diesel and hybrid powertrains offered in the Audi Q5 and Lexus NX 300h. It's also worth checking out the Volvo XC60 if you need something a little roomier. But for what we suspect most shoppers are going to want from a small luxury crossover, the well-rounded 2016 Acura RDX gets just about everything right.

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Body Styles, Trim Levels, and Options

The 2016 Acura RDX small luxury crossover SUV is available in a single trim level with three optional packages (AcuraWatch Plus, Technology, and Advance). Front-wheel drive is standard and all-wheel drive is optional.

Standard features on the RDX include 18-inch wheels, LED headlights and taillights, heated side mirrors, rear privacy glass, automatic headlights, a rearview camera, a sunroof, keyless ignition and entry, a power liftgate, dual-zone automatic climate control, heated front seats, an eight-way power driver seat (with two-way power lumbar), a four-way power passenger seat, premium vinyl (leatherette) upholstery, a leather-wrapped tilt-and-telescoping steering wheel, an auto-dimming rearview mirror, Bluetooth phone and audio connectivity, a 5-inch dashboard information display and a seven-speaker sound system with satellite radio, a USB audio interface, Pandora, Siri Eyes Free and an auxiliary audio jack.

The AcuraWatch Plus package adds adaptive cruise control, a forward collision mitigation system with automatic braking and a lane-departure warning and intervention system. This package may be ordered by itself or in combination with the Technology package.

You'll want to pick the Technology package or Advance package to get leather seating and a navigation system.

The Technology package bundles sport front seats, an eight-way power front passenger seat, leather upholstery, a navigation system, voice commands, the AcuraLink app suite, a larger (8-inch) display screen plus an additional 7-inch touchscreen display on the dashboard, and a 10-speaker Acura/ELS surround-sound system with HD radio and Aha compatibility.

The Advance package includes all of the content in the AcuraWatch Plus and Technology packages plus ventilated front seats, front and rear parking sensors, automatic wipers, auto-dimming sideview mirrors, remote engine start and foglights.

Powertrains and Performance

The 2016 Acura RDX utilizes a 3.5-liter V6 engine that produces 279 horsepower and 252 pound-feet of torque. A six-speed automatic transmission sends that output to the front wheels by default, with all-wheel drive optionally available.

In Edmunds acceleration testing, a 2016 RDX with all-wheel drive zipped from zero to 60 mph in 6.5 seconds, which is quick for a vehicle in this segment.

Fuel economy is also quite good for the class, with the front-drive RDX at an EPA-estimated 23 mpg combined (20 city/29 highway). The RDX's AWD system comes with only a slight fuel-efficiency penalty at 22 mpg combined (19 city/28 highway).

Safety

The 2016 Acura RDX comes standard with antilock brakes, stability and traction control, front side airbags, side curtain airbags, active front head restraints and a rearview camera. Optional active safety equipment includes forward collision warning, forward collision mitigation with automatic braking, a blind spot monitor, lane-departure warning and lane-departure intervention.

In Edmunds brake testing, an all-wheel-drive 2016 RDX came to a stop from 60 mph in 122 feet, which is about average for this class.