Automotive engineers are a funny lot. Really – they are, because they all say that the vehicle they’ve built is the best, most pure and perfect machine ever assembled. And we thought they were always black and white. Hmmm. Funny thing is, some of them actually believe it. And others really believe it, such as the men and women who worked on the 2007 Acura RDX. Okay, okay – we do know how to spell h-y-p-e-r-b-o-l-e, and the RDX is, of course, not perfect. But when you consider the engineering potpourri that makes up the RDX, it’s sorta like a collection of your all-time favorite songs. There’s a little this and a little that, and then, voila! – the next thing you know you’ve got yourself a crossover vehicle that performs like a car. Or you’re holding up a lighter and singing along with Bruce Springsteen – whichever. Point is, there are plenty of neat-o things in the Acura closet, and, when you add them (think SH-AWD, or the TSX’s 2.4-liter engine) to new features like a turbocharger and 18-inch wheels, well, it’s enough to make an engineer crack a joke or something.

But about that turbo. Some would say that it took long enough for Honda/Acura to develop a forced-induction system, but most – after a ride in the RDX – will agree that it was worth the wait. Acura’s first turbo (see links at left for more) is bolted onto a 2.3-liter inline four-cylinder engine with i-VTEC valve control and Variable Valve Timing. It’s based on the same 2.4-liter engine that currently resides in the Acura TSX, though the turbo adds another 35 or so horsepower to achieve a power rating of 240 horsepower at 6,000 rpm and 260 lb.-ft. of torque at 4,500 rpm. Emissions are rated by the California Air Resource Board at LEV-II ULEV (ultra low emissions), and the EPA at Tier 2, Bin 5 – ranking the RDX right with the BMW X3 in terms of pollution. Believe it or not, the RDX’s blown four-banger produces the highest torque output currently available in the Acura lineup, and it’s controlled via a five-speed automatic transmission with SportShift paddle shifters, the same transmission found in the Acura RL.

The paddle shifters can be used while in “D” mode for a quick shift, or the sportier “S” gearing. Drivers can use “S” without the paddles, for quicker automatic shift points, or can go into manual mode by using the paddle shifters. The Acura RDX and the RL also share another common trait: SH-AWD. Acura’s successful all-wheel-drive system distributes up to 100 percent of the available torque to the outside rear wheels, based on road conditions, cornering speed and acceleration. Acura estimates that fuel economy will be better than the BMW X3, with a rating of 19 in the city and 24 on the highway compared to the X3’s 16/23. With Acura’s first-ever standard 18-inch wheels and Michelin tires pounding the pavement, that’s a pretty good rating, though the RDX registered around 16 mpg combined during our drive. As the man says, “your mileage may vary.” Those wheels and P235/55R18 tires are connected to a four-wheel independent suspension – MacPherson struts in front with a multi-link arrangement in back. Other hardware includes four-wheel-disc antilock brakes with electronic brake-force distribution (EBD) and brake assist, as well as rack-and-pinion steering.