Is the 2022 Acura RDX a Good SUV? 5 Pros and 3 Cons
The 2022 Acura RDX is not the newest or most technologically advanced luxury compact SUV on the market, but it remains a competitive choice for several good reasons.
- ${price_badge()}
- ${battery_badge()}${ev_report_link()}
- ${hot_car_badge()}
- ${award_badge()}
- ${cpo_badge()}
${price_badge_description}
The EV Battery Rating is based on this vehicle's current expected range relative to the vehicles expected range when new. ${battery_badge_text}
Certified cars are manufacturer warrantied and typically go through a rigorous multi-point inspection.
This car is likely to sell soon based on the price, features, and condition.
${award_blurb}
${award_two_blurb}
Shop the 2022 Acura RDX near you
With a roomy and well-put-together cabin, a smooth and refined powertrain, and responsive handling, the RDX is both practical and enjoyable to drive. Acura has sweetened the pot for 2022, with improvements including wireless CarPlay and Android Auto, better isolation from noise, added safety features and fresh styling. Better still, the RDX remains a well-equipped SUV and a good value for the category in spite of a notable price increase to help cover the updates.
All is not rosy, however. The RDX is saddled with some controls that are mildly annoying at best and maddening at worst. That goes double in the case of the dreaded touchpad controller Acura continues to favor instead of a more user-friendly touchscreen.
For the full details of the latest RDX, check out our review above. For a quicker rundown of the highlights and lowlights, here are five things we like about it and three we don’t:
Things We Like
1. Smooth, Refined Powertrain
The RDX is available with just one powertrain — and it’s a good one. The 272-horsepower, turbocharged 2.0-liter four-cylinder engine serves up smooth and quick acceleration throughout the rev range, and it’s paired with a responsive and quick-shifting 10-speed automatic transmission. A Sport mode enhances responsiveness with positive and immediate downshifts under throttle.
2. Adaptive Suspension
Upper trim levels like our A-Spec test vehicle get an adaptive suspension, enhanced for 2022 with both a softer Comfort mode and a firmer Sport mode than before. Regardless of the setting, the RDX feels taut and controlled, with little excess body movement. While the adaptive suspension is noticeably softer in Comfort than in Sport, overall suspension tuning remains firmer than in some competing models.
3. Inviting Interior
Open the door and you’re faced with a handsome, nicely appointed cabin featuring heated imitation-leather front seats, a thick-rimmed steering wheel and lots of padded surfaces with raised stitching on the dash, doors and console. There’s adequate room for adults front and rear, and the RDX aced our Car Seat Check thanks to accessible Latch anchors and plenty of room behind the front seats. Cargo room is also good for the category.
4. Competitively Priced
With a starting price of just over $40,000 (including destination) and goodies such as a panoramic moonroof and dual-zone climate control, the RDX offers a solid value for the class. A fully loaded RDX starts at about $55,000, making it considerably more affordable than some other upscale compact SUVs.
5. A Safe Bet
The RDX earned the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety’s highest Top Safety Pick Plus award for 2021, and Acura has upped the safety ante for 2022. The side doors have been beefed up for extra crash protection and standard features now include adaptive cruise control, forward collision warning with automatic emergency braking and pedestrian detection, a blind spot warning system and hands-on lane-centering steering.
More From Cars.com:
- 2022 Acura RDX: More Standard Tech, Less Noise
- How Do Car Seats Fit in a 2022 Acura RDX?
- Refreshed 2022 Acura RDX Pricing Starts at $40,345
- 2022 Acura RDX: More Standard Tech, Less Noise
- Find Your Next Car
Things We Don’t Like
1. Touchpad Controller
Unfortunately, the 2022 update overlooked retiring the RDX’s annoying and distracting console-mounted touchpad to control the dash-mounted screen. Where even Lexus has gone with a touchscreen, Acura sticks with its touchpad. We’re not fans, to say the least, and we’d strongly encourage shoppers to spend some time experimenting with it before signing on. Simply changing the music can be maddening.
2. Screen Layout
Problems with the user interface don’t stop with the touchpad. The 10.2-inch dashboard display is large, but roughly a third of it is devoted to submenus. Combined with the screen’s relatively low 3.6-inch height, the amount of real estate devoted to the backup camera, navigation map or CarPlay is only about 70% of the screen — really more like what you’d expect with a 7-inch screen.
3. Funky Shifter
If you’ve begun to sense that most of our complaints about the RDX center around wonky controls, you’re absolutely right. Our last complaint is with the push-button gear selector: While not the worst we’ve seen, it’s neither as intuitive to use as a conventional lever, nor much — if any — of a space-saver.
Related Video:
Cars.com’s Editorial department is your source for automotive news and reviews. In line with Cars.com’s long-standing ethics policy, editors and reviewers don’t accept gifts or free trips from automakers. The Editorial department is independent of Cars.com’s advertising, sales and sponsored content departments.
