- Lots of standard features

- Manageable dimensions

- Unknown reliability

- Less cargo capacity than some competitors

Acura entered the compact SUV segment last year with the RDX, a vehicle slotted below the midsize MDX sport utility vehicle. The RDX competes with other compact luxury SUVs, namely the BMW X3 and Land Rover's LR2. For 2008, the RDX is equipped with a standard Bluetooth wireless interface with steering-wheel controls (previously a bundled option), an 8-inch Multi-Information Display, an auto-dimming rearview mirror and dual-position memory for the driver's seat and mirrors.

Significant features on the RDX include Acura's first production turbocharged engine, the automaker's Super Handling All-Wheel Drive system and a navigation system with traffic information. Built on an all-new platform, the RDX is assembled in Ohio.

Exterior
The RDX wears Acura's five-point grille, below which sits a rectangular opening in the bumper. Ridges in the hood flow from the outer edges of the grille toward the windshield. Taken as a whole, it looks much like a scaled-down MDX.

Other exterior features include dual exhaust pipes, a liftgate spoiler and high-intensity-discharge headlights. Side mirrors include redundant turn signals, and chiseled taillamps recall Acura's TSX sedan. Eighteen-inch wheels are standard. Polished Metal Metallic is a new exterior color.

At 180.7 inches long and 73.6 inches wide, the RDX is 8 inches shorter and 3.4 inches narrower than the MDX. It's also incrementally larger than the X3.

Interior
Two front bucket seats and a 60/40-split folding rear bench seat provide seating for up to five people. The driver faces a three-pod instrument cluster that has a center-mounted speedometer.

Center console storage space is growing on U.S.-market vehicles; the RDX's lockable bin can accept a laptop computer. Standard features include leather upholstery, dual-zone automatic climate control, heated front seats and a moonroof. Formerly available only in the optional Technology Package, a Bluetooth wireless telephone interface is standard for 2008. Other new features include an 8-inch Multi-Information Display, an auto-dimming rearview mirror and dual-position memory for the driver's seat and mirrors. An optional Technology Package adds a 410-watt, 10-speaker audio system, a voice-recognition navigation system with traffic information and a rearview camera. Acura recently expanded its traffic information markets to 76 metropolitan areas, which is 32 more than it used to have.

Passenger volume measures 101.4 cubic feet, while maximum cargo volume with the rear seats folded is 60.6 cubic feet. In contrast, the X3 offers less passenger volume (90.1) but more maximum cargo space (71).

Under the Hood
Acura's new turbocharged 2.3-liter four-cylinder engine generates impressive power figures: 240 horsepower and 260 pounds-feet of torque. Teamed with the engine is a five-speed automatic transmission that can be controlled by the driver through paddles mounted behind the steering wheel. The SH-AWD system can manage torque distribution to the front and rear wheels, and between the left and right rear wheels.

Safety
The RDX has a litany of safety features, including antilock brakes, Acura's Vehicle Stability Assist electronic stability system, active front head restraints, side-impact airbags for the front seats and side curtain airbags.

After revamping its crossover lineup for the 2007 model year, Acura will have a very incremental 2008 model year. There are no new or redesigned models, but more equipment is being added across its entire lineup. The main emphasis this year is what the automaker calls its Super Handling-All Wheel Drive (SH-AWD) system. The all-wheel-drive system is available on the RDX, MDX and RL this year, and will be added to other models in the coming years including Acura's upcoming "exotic" car, a.k.a. the NSX replacement.

The key feature of SH-AWD is its integration with the stability control inertial and driver input sensors. Most stability control systems rely on modulating the engine torque and selectively applying and releasing the individual wheel brakes to apply forces to the car and try and force it to follow the drivers intent. SH-AWD instead uses the clutch packs on either side of the rear differential to transfer drive torque to the appropriate wheel to stabilize the vehicle with much less brake intervention.