2022 Acura RDX

Single engine across the 2022 RDX lineup; figure is identical on FWD and SH-AWD trims.

Single engine across the 2022 RDX lineup; broad torque plateau from the turbo-4.

Same 272 hp/280 lb-ft powertrain and 10-speed automatic across trims, so the instrumented figure is representative of the volume SH-AWD configuration.

The 2.0L turbo-4 delivers strong mid-range torque and is generally smooth, but reviewers note some low-rpm turbo lag and a coarser, less refined character than rivals' sixes or newer turbo-4s under hard throttle.

The 10-speed automatic shifts smoothly in routine driving but reviewers note it can hunt for gears or respond slowly to sudden throttle inputs compared with the segment's best dual-clutch and ZF units.

Identical towing rating across FWD and SH-AWD configurations; modest for the compact luxury SUV segment.

SH-AWD (Super Handling All-Wheel Drive) is available on base trims and standard on upper trims; it actively vectors torque side-to-side on the rear axle, a more sophisticated system than typical reactive AWD in the segment.

The RDX is a pavement-oriented crossover with no off-road trim, no low-range or locking differential, and modest ~8.2 in ground clearance; SH-AWD aids wet/snow traction but offers no genuine off-road capability.

A single 2.0L turbo-4 is offered across the entire 2022 RDX lineup, with only FWD vs. SH-AWD as a drivetrain choice; no hybrid, PHEV, or alternate engine option (those arrive with the next generation).

SH-AWD is the volume configuration (standard on A-Spec and above, available on base); FWD scores one MPG higher combined.

EPA city figure for the SH-AWD 2022 RDX.

EPA highway figure for the SH-AWD 2022 RDX.

EPA-derived range for the SH-AWD 2022 RDX with its 17.1-gallon tank at the 23 MPG combined rating.

EPA annual fuel cost estimate for the SH-AWD 2022 RDX at standard 15,000 mi/yr assumptions and premium fuel pricing.

Premium gasoline is required (not just recommended) across the entire 2022 RDX lineup, adding real ownership cost versus regular-fuel rivals.

NHTSA's overall 5-star rating for the 2022 RDX rounds up from strong but not maximal sub-scores in frontal and rollover testing; side crash scored the full 5 stars.

The 2022 RDX earned IIHS Top Safety Pick+ with Good ratings in all six crashworthiness tests and a Superior front crash prevention rating, the strongest tier of the IIHS program.

AcuraWatch (forward collision warning, AEB with pedestrian detection, lane departure warning, LKAS, road departure mitigation, adaptive cruise) plus blind-spot monitoring and rear cross-traffic alert are all standard on every 2022 RDX trim, including the base model.

IIHS rated the standard Collision Mitigation Braking System Superior for vehicle-to-vehicle prevention and Superior for daytime pedestrian detection; nighttime pedestrian performance was Advanced (one tier below Superior) with reduced impact-speed mitigation on low beams.

Blind-spot monitoring and rear cross-traffic alert are standard across the full 2022 RDX lineup, but the system is alert-based rather than offering active steering or braking intervention.

LKAS provides functional lane centering from roughly 45-90 mph using camera-based lane tracking, but period reviews of the 2022 RDX characterize the broader driver-assist/tech execution as behind class leaders rather than exceptionally smooth.

Adaptive Cruise Control with Low-Speed Follow is standard and capable in stop-and-go traffic, but the 2022 RDX has no integrated highway-assist mode combining ACC and lane centering into a single branded system the way class leaders do.

The 2022 RDX offers no hands-free highway driving system (no BlueCruise/Super Cruise/FSD equivalent); LKAS requires hands on the wheel at all times.

IIHS rated the standard LED projector headlights Good across all 2022 RDX trims, with high-beam assist included; low-beam reach was good-to-fair but high beams performed well on straightaways and curves.

Forward visibility is generally good, but reviewers consistently flag thick front roof pillars that intrude on cornering sightlines and chunky C-pillars plus a swoopy tailgate profile that compromise rear visibility.

Two complete sets of lower LATCH anchors sit under an easy-to-find upholstery flap, top tethers are clearly marked, rear doors open wide, and the seat hip height avoids awkward lifting — car-seat fit testing found no installation issues across infant, rear-facing, and forward-facing convertible seats.

Two-row compact luxury SUV; no third-row option on any 2022 RDX trim.

Standard front headroom figure, unchanged by the 2022 facelift (exterior/interior trim changes, not glass or seat height).

Mid-pack front legroom for a compact luxury SUV.

Average second-row headroom for the segment.

Above-average second-row legroom for a compact luxury SUV, a longstanding RDX strength carried through the facelift.

No third row is offered on any 2022 RDX trim; the three-row role in Acura's lineup is filled by the MDX.

Cargo volume behind the second row is on the small side for the compact luxury SUV class, consistent with the RDX's longstanding packaging.

Max cargo volume with the second row folded trails class leaders, reflecting the RDX's compact footprint.

Tiered floating center console with pass-through storage and underfloor bins, plus 60/40 split flat-folding rear seats; wireless charging became newly available for 2022 on the Technology Package and up — competitive but not segment-leading innovation.

Heated front seats standard, ventilated fronts and heated rear outboard seats on A-Spec and up; reviewers call the upgraded seats supportive and comfortable but note standard-trim seats could use more padding.

Firm but controlled ride; adaptive dampers on A-Spec/Advance trims are composed over broken pavement and highway undulations, per contemporary reviews.

Acoustic glass and added sound insulation from the 2022 facelift reduce wind/road noise; some engine noise still intrudes under hard acceleration.

Dual-zone automatic climate control with humidity control and air filtration is standard; GPS-linked climate on Technology Package and up; heated steering wheel standard on A-Spec/PMC Edition; heated rear seats on A-Spec and up.

Acura's own 2022 pricing release lists the base FWD RDX at $39,300 MSRP plus $1,045 destination.

SH-AWD with the Technology Package is the RDX's volume configuration in the compact-luxury segment, where AWD attach rate is high.

Edmunds' True Cost to Own data for the 2022 RDX breaks out maintenance and repair costs by trim/drivetrain, clustering around $6,800–$7,200 over 5 years.

Depreciation estimates for the RDX vary by source (38–44% five-year depreciation), converging on roughly 56–62% residual value, which is solid for a compact luxury SUV.

Standard Acura new-vehicle limited warranty for the 2022 RDX.

Standard Acura powertrain warranty for the 2022 RDX, shorter than several import and most domestic/Korean rivals' 10-year powertrain coverage.

The 2022 RDX predates Acura's complimentary maintenance program, which Acura's own materials introduce as new for the 2023 RDX — 2022 owners get only standard warranty-period roadside assistance and an AcuraLink connected-services trial, with no included service visits.

$45,195 volume-trim price minus its estimated resale value after 5 years (58% retained, or about $26,213) leaves about $18,982 in depreciation. Add the projected $7,161 in 5-year maintenance and repairs, and owning this vehicle for 5 years costs about $26,143 in total.

Consumer Reports rates the 2022 RDX more reliable than the average new vehicle of its model year, with no systemic red flags; J.D. Power's quality/reliability index for this generation (79/100 on the closely related 2023 model) corroborates an above-average but not class-leading standing.

Acura's standing is split by source: Consumer Reports placed the brand around 8th among automakers in its 2022 brand reliability rankings, while J.D. Power's Vehicle Dependability Study has been more volatile for Acura/Honda products in the same period, landing near the bottom of its brand list in at least one recent year. Net is solidly mid-pack, not top-tier.

The 2022 RDX carries 2 NHTSA recalls (original campaign plus a VIN-range expansion), both for the same front-passenger seat-weight-sensor defect that can cause unintended airbag deployment — a single root cause rather than repeated unrelated failures, but airbag-related and non-trivial in severity. Owner forums also report scattered 10-speed-automatic shift-quality complaints addressed by dealer software updates, consistent with typical TSB activity rather than a systemic drivetrain failure.

The 2.0L turbo-four (K20C) paired with a 10-speed automatic has been in production since the 2019 RDX redesign and shares its core architecture with other Honda/Acura turbo applications, with no widespread engine failure pattern reported. Scattered owner reports of transmission slip/harsh downshift at low RPM under boost keep it short of a fully proven, high-mileage reputation.

Reviewers consistently praise the 2022 RDX cabin for soft-touch surfaces, perforated leather and quality vinyl that keep hard plastics out of the driver's sightline, with A-Spec trim adding real metal/wood accents — competitive with, and in places ahead of, its price point.

Consumer Guide's 2022 RDX A-Spec Advance test graded fit and finish a "B" and called it one of the car's strong points; other outlets describe the switchgear and panel assembly as tightly screwed together, consistent with Acura/Honda's typical initial-quality strength.

Acura's roughly 270-dealer US network is smaller and thinner in rural areas than the mainstream Honda network it rides alongside, and noticeably smaller than the established German luxury networks (BMW, Mercedes, Lexus), though service satisfaction for the brand is generally solid rather than a weak point.

RepairPal ranks the RDX 1st of 11 compact luxury SUVs on its reliability index, with average annual repair cost of $497 against an $859 segment average and only 0.4 shop visits per year — parts commonality with high-volume Honda models keeps both cost and availability favorable.

Acura's True Touchpad Interface uses a 10.2-inch display controlled by a console touchpad with absolute positioning rather than direct touch input, but the diagonal is the relevant comparison figure.

The touchpad-only interface (no touchscreen) is widely cited as counterintuitive and a learning curve for new owners, and owner complaints report occasional freezing/lag, offsetting a clean on-screen layout.

The 2022 facelift specifically added wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto as a headline interior update across the lineup, replacing the wired-only setup of prior RDX model years.

A new natural-language voice recognition system debuted for 2022 and handles common commands well, and embedded navigation (Technology Package and up) is functional, though most owners default to wireless CarPlay/Android Auto maps instead.

A 9-speaker Premium system is the base setup, stepping up to a 12-speaker ELS Studio Premium system on Technology Package and a 16-channel, 710-watt ELS Studio 3D system with ceiling speakers on Advance-level trims — a strong, well-regarded range for the segment.

Standard instrumentation is a 7-inch color Multi-Information Display flanked by analog gauges rather than a full configurable digital cluster — a partial-digital setup across the 2022 lineup.

AcuraLink supports telematics-control-unit and connectivity software updates (e.g. the 2022-era 3G-to-network patches) rather than whole-vehicle, feature-adding OTA updates in the Tesla/GM sense.

The AcuraLink app covers the core remote set — remote start/stop, lock/unlock, vehicle locate, geofence/speed alerts, stolen-vehicle locator, and an Amazon Alexa skill — but full functionality sits behind a paid AcuraLink subscription after an initial trial.

A wireless charging pad is available on most trims but not the base model, and USB provisioning is adequate rather than class-leading; no household AC outlet is offered.

Proximity keyless entry with push-button start and AcuraLink remote start are available across most of the range, though phone-as-key is not offered.

A rear camera is standard across the lineup and front/rear parking sensors are standard from the Technology Package up, but the surround-view (360-degree) camera is reserved for the Advance Package, A-Spec Advance, and PMC Edition trims only — not the base or mid-level trims.

A 10.5-inch full-color HUD is offered, but only on the Advance Package, A-Spec Advance Package, and PMC Edition trims — it is not available on the base, Technology Package, or A-Spec trims that make up the bulk of volume.

Wide rear door openings ease car-seat installation and LATCH anchors are easy to access, but 38 in of rear legroom is merely average for the segment once a rear-facing seat is installed, and there's no stroller-swallowing cargo hold given the compact 29.5 cu ft trunk.

AcuraWatch (adaptive cruise, lane-keeping, collision mitigation, road departure mitigation) is standard on every 2022 RDX trim including the base, and the vehicle earned IIHS Top Safety Pick+ with 5-star NHTSA overall ratings — a strong, affordable family safety proposition.

Front-row comfort and the quieter 2022 cabin suit multi-hour trips for four, but rear-seat amenities are thin on lower trims (no rear climate vents or USB-C standard) and the 29.5 cu ft trunk is tight with luggage for a family of four.

Reviewers consistently describe the RDX as nimble, easy to place, and relaxed in traffic, with comfort-biased suspension tuning that suits daily commuting duty.

EPA-rated 23-24 MPG combined (FWD 24, SH-AWD 23) requires premium fuel, landing at the segment average for a turbocharged compact luxury SUV rather than offering a real cost-per-mile advantage.

A compact footprint and a tight 38.9 ft turning circle make the RDX easy to place in the city, but the surround-view camera that would make tight parking effortless is reserved for upper trims only.

A 1,500 lb tow rating across every configuration and a modest 963-1,001 lb payload put real work duty well out of reach — this is a crossover engineered for comfort, not hauling.

The RDX is positioned and trimmed as a luxury crossover rather than a fleet or work vehicle, with no reinforced or work-oriented hardware; Consumer Reports' 3/5 predicted reliability score for 2022 gives no particular confidence under hard, sustained use.

There is no onboard power inverter, no bed to speak of, and only basic cargo tie-downs; roof rails are available but there's no meaningful upfit ecosystem aimed at trade use.

A quieter 2022 cabin, standard adaptive cruise and lane-centering assistance from AcuraWatch, and roughly 400+ miles of highway range on the 17.1-gallon tank at the EPA highway figure make the RDX a composed, low-fatigue mile-eater.

Optional Super-Handling All-Wheel Drive with torque vectoring helps on gravel, snow, and light unpaved roads, and roof rails support bike/box accessories, but ground clearance and underbody protection are street-crossover rather than trail-oriented.

60/40 split-folding rear seats and roof rails handle typical road-trip gear and bikes/boxes reasonably well, but the 29.5/58.9 cu ft cargo figures trail larger compact SUVs when bulky items are involved.

Reviewers consistently rank the RDX among the most engaging-handling compact SUVs, crediting crisp turn-in and the torque-vectoring Super-Handling All-Wheel Drive system for composed, confident cornering ahead of key rivals like the Lexus NX.

Steering is sharp and accurately weighted by class standards, giving the RDX a precise, confident feel, though it stops short of delivering rich road feedback.

No instrumented stopping-distance test was found specific to the 2022 model year; IIHS rated the Front Crash Prevention system 'Superior,' and no systemic brake complaints beyond isolated owner reports surfaced in reliability data, suggesting solid, unremarkable brake performance.

The 272 hp turbo-four and 10-speed automatic shift smoothly in everyday driving, though some turbo lag off idle and minor take-up roughness at low speed are noted versus the segment's best.

The turbo-four is audible but not harsh under hard acceleration, and the 2022 facelift's added sound insulation measurably quieted the cabin versus earlier RDX model years.

A tight turning circle for the segment, reinforcing the RDX's easy-to-place, city-friendly character.

The driving position offers good seat/wheel adjustability and clear sightlines typical of a compact SUV, though the console-mounted touchpad interface draws some ergonomic criticism as an added control to learn versus a direct touchscreen.

The RDX is more engaging than most comfort-focused compact SUVs thanks to its sharp steering and SH-AWD, but a turbo-four soundtrack and comfort-biased overall tuning keep it short of genuinely enthusiast territory.

The base 2022 RDX includes a panoramic sunroof, 12-way power front seats with heating, LED headlights, power liftgate, and keyless entry at $40,345 — features German rivals often gate behind options.

Car and Driver's review explicitly calls out the RDX's low starting price versus rivals and names it a good deal among compact luxury SUVs, even while docking it for lacking cachet.

One base trim plus six packages (Standard, Technology, A-Spec, Advance, A-Spec Advance, PMC Edition) across FWD/SH-AWD gives a reasonable spread but no true budget work-grade or dramatically different body configuration.

2022 US deliveries fell to 24,749 units, down 56.6% year-over-year and the weakest year since 2011, driven by supply constraints rather than falling demand — a mid-pack-to-weak sales year for a nameplate that is normally a segment leader.

Acura is a well-regarded mainstream-adjacent brand but reviewers explicitly note it lacks the cachet of the established German luxury nameplates it competes against.

Acura RDX incentives have historically been modest — loyalty (~$1,000) and conquest cash for competitive-brand owners — consistent with a steady seller that isn't discounted heavily nor sold at a premium.

2022 is a mid-cycle facelift year of the third generation (started for 2019): new front/rear fascias, wheel designs, added sound insulation, and wireless Apple CarPlay/Android Auto — current and updated but not an all-new platform.

Car and Driver rated the 2022 RDX 6.5/10, ranking it 20th in the segment and leaving it off their 2022 Editors' Choice list; The Car Connection scored it 6.7/10 — respectable but not a comparison-test winner, with IIHS Top Safety Pick+ as its main accolade.