2007 Acura RDX First Drive
Written By: MyRide.com
Reprinted under license.
Acura just wants to have fun
.jpg "2007 Acura RDX")
Continue to more photos from MyRide.com
Introduction
Acura RDX -- 2007 First Drive: This is what happens when you give automotive engineers too much caffeine. You get a Picasso on wheels, a technological marvel that answers a burning question, opens our eyes, but in doing so raises issues and weaknesses that we probably were not even aware of.
Ah, art. It is so imperfect in its perfection, no? Consider the 2007 Acura RDX. Here sits the first-ever Honda turbocharger, the answer to the question many an enthusiast has pondered: when is Honda gonna build a turbocharger? They are, now, and it's a good one too: no noticeable lag, sweet and smooth power - just thinking about driving it makes us want to steal an RDX off the truck here in San Francisco and drive it home. A chance, yes. A risk -- certainly. But a colleague says that PR folks don't do math very well, and many don't even count the cars - or they forget - so maybe...Besides, just think of the stories, the drama my new pinstriped bunkmates would appreciate. And just imagine the headlines. "Crazed Journalist Steals Acura RDX."
They'd be calling me "Fat Chee" in no time. Those hillbilly cops out there would not expect to see an Acura get 240 horsepower and 260 lb.-ft. of torque. The film would be great, racing down the 5, whizzing by all those cows, hitting corners hard -- thanks to that wonderful SH-AWD. That would buy me some time, and make Sgt. Wilbur smack his head and call for help. We got ourselves a custom import crossover here, get me some back up. There ain't no way a crossover is making that turn... It would be exhilarating, a great ride right up to the moment I run out of gas - the RDX doesn't get great mileage - and get slammed inside the back of Wilbur's cop car.
Heck. It would be fun anyway. And fun is what the RDX is all about, with sleek lines and an aggressive snout that tells people you mean business about a good time. It's the new luxury, the new thing people will soon be focusing on as a full time pursuit. After eight long years spent thinking about families, terror, wars, and religion, it's time to have some fun, darn it, so climb on in and crack open this turbocharger. It's better than a six-pack in the parking lot of a NASCAR race, and goes almost as fast, too. Built in Marysville, Ohio, on an all-new dedicated truck platform, Acura takes a little of the TSX sport sedan - the 2.4-liter, four-cylinder engine - and a little of the Acura RL - namely a revised version of its Super Handling AWD system and its five-speed automatic transmission - to create a crossover with a peppy engine, and five-speed automatic transmission with paddles, a thing that thinks it's really a car when it sees a corner...but looks suspiciously like an SUV.
That sounds like some pretty serious fun to us. For a price tag between $32,000 and $38,000, the 2007 Acura RDX proves that fun can be had at an entry-luxury price, while the new 2007 Mazda CX-7 - a very similar vehicle - shows that fun can be had for even less. Imagine - sensible fun - as if there were such a thing. Of course, Acura would rather you not consider the less expensive CX-7. The nearest luxury competitor is the BMW X3, but that's slower, making it not so...fun. We all know how well the X3 sold, after all. But that was then, when we were serious. This is now, and now is Fun Time - forget stupid serious stuff like cargo room - with few things as enjoyable for 30 grand as a turbocharged luxury crossover with F1-style paddle shifters and your favorite Bruce song blaring over the surround sound system. Yes. It's time to party.
Continue to 2007 Acura RDX First Drive from MyRide.com
© 2007 Autobytel Inc. All rights reserved.
Drifting Articles:
WebRidesTV.com Super Lap Crushes Nissan GT-R Fantasy
WebRidesTV.com releases online video capturing an unprecedented performance match up between the 2009 Nissan GT-R and the 2006 Ford GT. WebRidesTV.com's online video release coincides with Nissan's introduction of the GT-R nameplate into the American automotive market in June 2008.
2007 Lexus GS 450h First Drive
Lexus GS 450h - 2007 First Drive: Imagine, if you will, a new automotive world where automakers do things like replace tachometers with kilowatt meters, build cars with more than 300 horsepower that get better than 20 miles per gallon, and don't choke the skies with noxious fumes.
Cooling System: How It Affects Your Mazda Cars Performance
Just like human beings, the car needs to dissipate heat in order to avoid overheating and exhaustion. During combustion, the engine produces large amount of heat—about 4,000 degrees Fahrenheit.
Nissan Skyline GTR: A Racer That Is Affordable, Part 1
If you?ve ever eyed a Porsche 911 or a Ferrari Testarossa, but thought the price was too steep, the Nissan Skyline GTR is a sports coupe that is considered reasonably priced. The Nissan Skyline GTR made headlines through the 70s and 90s as a Japanese-made car that quickly gained the respect of numerous car-related publications.
Mazda North American Operations Teams with Auburn Engineering for Accessory Components
Auburn Engineering, Inc., leading provider of rapid prototyping and production services, provides accessory components for Mazda North American Operations (Flat Rock, Michigan). Auburn Engineering serves as supplier for the design, prototype, and manufacture of molded exterior bumper guard components for a range of Mazda vehicle platforms.
2007 Acura TL Type-S First Drive
Acura TL Type-S - 2007 First Drive: Imagine how great life would be if people, the normal kind, got mid-life updates just like cars do. Not the major overhauls that result in horrific freak shows like Joan Rivers or the 1996 Ford Taurus; we're talking a nip here, a tuck there, a lift or two, and an injection of youthful vitality.
Mazda RX8 Horsepower Controversy
Since its launch, the Mazda RX8 has been the subject of close scrutiny by enthusiasts. The high level of attention is not only due to the car's admirable driving dynamics but, in part to the early reports of below-than-expected performance.
Acura RSX 2004: The Weekly Driver Review
As Acura's entry-level vehicle, the RSX is positioned in the sporty coupe
class. It's perfectly categorized.
Acura buying tips for 2007
Acura is one of the hottest selling car brands in the USA and many other countries. Although the competition on the car market is fierce, Honda?s luxury division has managed to seize an important segment of the auto industry, so its 2007 models are expected to take the quality even further. Here are a few tips for buying an Acura in 2007, together with a look at their future and current vehicle offer.
2004 Mazda 6 Review
Mazda 6 -- 2004 Review: Touch, taste, sight, sound, and smell are the five senses each of us relies upon to navigate our environment.
2007 Mazda MazdaSpeed 3 First Drive
Mazda MazdaSpeed 3 -- 2007 First Drive: Wild child. That's how Mazda engineers describe the newest member of the MazdaSpeed family.
Motor Trend Names Mazda CX-9 2008 Sport/Utility of the Year(TM)
MOTOR TREND (www.motortrend.com) today announced the Mazda CX-9 is MOTOR TREND's 2008 Sport/Utility of the Year(TM).
National Radiesse Training Physician Dr. Nissan Pilest Reaches New Levels in Injectable Facial Correction
Dr. Nissan Pilest, Injection Specialst and National Education Faculty Trainer for Bioform Medical's new Radiesse filler material demonstrates innovative non surgical injectable alternatives to visiting physician groups in hands-on training series.
Do Marketers Know More About Their Readers Than Media Companies? (Or Why Lexus Magazine's Circulation is Higher Than The Economist's.)
The new marketing book, Get Content. Get Customers., from experts Joe Pulizzi and Newt Barrett, is spreading the word that marketers are the new media moguls. Get Content. Get Customers. guides readers through the process of creating their own media--in the form of Web sites, magazines, eNewsletters and more--to connect directly with their target audience.
2005 Nissan Pathfinder First Drive
Nissan Pathfinder -- 2005 First Drive: Almost 20 years have disappeared since the first Nissan Pathfinder rolled onto the streets of America, days in which the world of cars and trucks has mirrored the frenetic changes that have coursed through America.