The entire Acura lineup is slowly being stricken by the chrome beak that first occupied the grille of the MDX, and the 2010 RDX is its next victim. As it goes, though, the new schnozz is no less weird than the awkward, toothy grin sported by the RDX on its introduction. Along with the new proboscis, the RDX gets redesigned front and rear bumpers, too.
The bigger news, however is that not every RDX will have driven real wheels, as the little ute—previously only available in all-wheel-drive—will now be available in a base, front-wheel-drive version. The only available transmission remains the paddle-shifted five-speed automatic.
Opting down to front-wheel drive drops the RDX’s curb weight by about 200 pounds, will save customers $2000—$33,330 for a front-driver versus $35,330—and net a few extra mpg. Front-driven RDX models are rated at 19 mpg city and 24 highway, while the all-wheel-drive version drops to 17/22 mpg. Over 40,000 miles with a long-term RDX, we averaged just 20 mpg, so any improvement is welcome in our book.
What remains to be seen is how removing the connection to the rear wheels will change the RDX’s wonderfully tossable character. We’ll find out this fall, when the front-wheel-drive RDX becomes available. The all-wheel-drive 2010 RDX is available now.
Thanks to: Car and Driver