2019 Acura RDX: Have You Driven This Car Lately?

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Confession time: I really wanted to drive a Honda. I wanted to try the Honda Odyssey or the Honda Pilot (I finally did. Have you read my review?) But there were no Hondas available at the time I requested one. Instead I was offered a week in the 2019 Acura RDX.

Initially, I viewed it as a consolation prize.

“The Hondas aren’t available so just try this Acura instead.”

I’m never one to turn down a car, though, so I figured I’d make the most of a week in Acura’s compact SUV. And yes, I totally made the most of it!

Let me start by saying the Acura RDX is a consolation prize for NOTHING. It’s an amazing, luxury, performance SUV that comes in the perfect size. Yes, I’m giving you a spoiler. I loved my week in the Acura RDX and I had plenty of time to get up close and personal.

I had a weekend girlfriend getaway planned to Harrisburg with four other fabulous writers. We were all coming from different states and meeting up for all the best Harrisburg and Hershey has to offer. My drive was a short by scenic 90 minutes up through Gettysburg along the quiet US 15 highway that runs through Pennsylvania. It was there that I quickly noticed the 272 hp from the Turbo Aluminum-Alloy 2.0L 4-Cylinder engine.

This is one of those cars that you take on the highway and look down to find that you’re going way over the speed limit without even intending to. It’s that smooth and that fast. So I made it in record time 😉 to Harrisburg to meet up with my compadres. Our first full day meant lots of wine tastings – so for that we kept our vehicles firmly parked while being shuttled around town.

The next day, however, we all headed out to Hershey for a Segway tour and outlet shopping (perfect girls getaway) and I practically begged to be the designated driver.

While I knew the driving experience from the front seat was pretty comfortable, putting a few women in the back after a near freezing experience on Segways meant that they quickly found all the luxuries they needed – heated seat, USB ports and plenty of legroom.

And yes, we had plenty of cargo space for a shopping haul from FIVE women at an outlet mall.

After returning to the hotel for the evening, we made our way to one of the finest dining establishment in Harrisburg, Char’s Tracy Mansion, where we enjoyed an incredibly delicious meal. (And don’t worry – we took an Uber to the restaurant but I had to grab a photo of this historic building the next morning).

After finishing the weekend with a fabulous brunch and an art class at the Millworks, I said goodbye to the Susquehanna River and headed back on the highway where I took full advantage of the high tech cockpit. It’s clear that the front seat is designed for the driver’s experience with everything compartmentalized and easily accessible by the driver.

Acura is especially proud of its new True Touchpad Interface, which looks like a mouse touchpad in the photo above. Generally, I like cars to be intuitive and I shun any instruction booklets or guidelines. But after a few days in the Acura RDX, I broke down and watched the 9 minute video they sent me explaining all of the features with the True Touchpad Interface. And it helped.

With a few short instructions, I quickly mastered the split screen and accessibility. There is definitely a learning curve but after a week in the Acura, I was well on my way to being a pro.

Before the week was out, I had one more opportunity to put the Acura to the test on the streets of Washington, DC. I invited my mother to attend an opening night performance of Anything Goes at Arena Stage. Dressed in our theater best, we pulled up to the valet and entrusted them with the vehicle. As we were waiting for the car at the end of the evening, my mother kept insisting that she saw the car being pulled around. NO WAY, I kept telling her.

The Acura RDX has a sleek design that’s pretty distinctive from many other SUVs on the road. In the front, you’ll see what Acura calls Jewel Eye^® LED headlights. And on the rear, you’ll see LED-Illuminated Dragon Tail Taillights which seem to mirror the Acura symbol.

It was the exterior styling that really won me over with the Acura RDX. Add the 19-in Glint Black Alloy Wheels and this car is a stunner.

That same look of luxury and style continues throughout the interior with Natural Olive Ash Burl Wood Trim and aluminum accents. In fact, those beautiful speakers are part of the the ELS Studio 3D audio system, new for the Acura RDX. This is not a dolled-up version of a Honda. It’s a gorgeous luxury and performance compact SUV.

This 2019 Acura RDX is All Wheel Drive with the Technology Package and Advance Package. With destination charges, the vehicle shown here has an MSRP of $48,395.

Video Review of the 2019 Acura RDX

If I didn’t cover it above, I probably covered it here. Check out my video review and let me know if you have any questions!