2024 Acura RDX

One powertrain across the entire 2024 lineup — the 2.0L DOHC VTEC turbo I4 carried over unchanged from the third generation's 2019 launch; 2024's only powertrain-adjacent change was making SH-AWD standard.

Peak torque is flat across a wide 1,600–4,500 rpm plateau, which is what gives the RDX its strong midrange response despite a relatively small displacement.

Mid-6-second runs are consistent across instrumented tests of this generation's SH-AWD cars; with FWD deleted for 2024, every RDX now runs the heavier but better-hooking AWD configuration.

The 2.0T pulls hard once boost arrives and the wide torque plateau makes it feel muscular in traffic, but reviewers consistently flag a beat of off-boost lag from a standstill and a coarse, thrashy note near redline compared with BMW's B48 or the inline-sixes in the segment.

The 10-speed automatic (standard with paddle shifters on every trim) is smooth in light-throttle cruising and holds gears sensibly in Sport, but reviews repeatedly cite gear hunting in Comfort/Normal and a lazy response to sudden kickdown requests.

Acura rates every 2024 RDX at 1,500 lbs — enough for a small utility trailer or a pair of jet skis but at the bottom of the SUV normalization band, and well under the 3,500–4,400 lbs several compact luxury rivals offer.

2024 is the year Acura deleted front-wheel drive: SH-AWD is now standard on every trim rather than a ~$2,200 option on the lower three. The system is genuinely sophisticated for a car-based crossover — up to 70% of torque rearward and 100% of that to either rear wheel, plus Snow mode — though there is no low range.

8.2 in of unladen ground clearance is respectable for the class and now-standard SH-AWD with Snow mode makes it credible on a snowy road, but there is no off-road trim, no skid plates, no locking differential and no terrain modes beyond Snow — this is a pavement crossover.

A single 2.0T gas engine and a single transmission across the whole range, with no hybrid, PHEV or EV variant — and after 2024 the drivetrain choice narrowed too, since FWD was dropped. Compact luxury rivals (Lexus NX gas/hybrid/PHEV, Volvo XC60 mild-hybrid/PHEV, Audi Q5 gas/PHEV) all offer an electrified option.

With FWD deleted for 2024 there is only one EPA configuration — 2.0T SH-AWD — and combined economy is 23 MPG on every trim; the A-Spec's larger wheels cost a highway MPG but not a combined one.

21 MPG city across the board — the turbo four has idle stop but no cylinder deactivation or electric assist, and 2024's mandatory SH-AWD removes the FWD trims that previously rated 22 MPG city.

27 MPG highway on the volume Technology trim; the A-Spec trims give up 1 MPG to their wheel and tire package. Mid-pack for a gas compact luxury SUV.

A modest 17.1-gallon tank paired with 23 MPG combined leaves the RDX just short of 400 miles — usable but unremarkable, and short of the 450-plus many gas SUVs manage on a larger tank.

The premium-fuel requirement compounds the mediocre 23 MPG — EPA's estimate lands near the top of the SUV cost band, one of the weakest figures in the segment and the single biggest drag on this category.

Acura recommends — rather than requires — 91-octane premium for the 2.0T, so 87 octane will run without damage at some cost in output and economy. But EPA rates the car on premium, and that is what the $3,300/yr figure reflects; there is no E85, diesel or plug-in alternative.

The third-generation RDX has carried a 5-star NHTSA overall rating since its 2019 launch, and 2024 is a structural carry-over year — the only significant change was deleting front-wheel drive and making SH-AWD standard.

The 2024 RDX is an IIHS Top Safety Pick with Good results in every crashworthiness test it holds a rating in — small overlap front driver and passenger, original moderate overlap front, and the updated side test — plus Good seat belt reminders. It falls one tier short of Top Safety Pick+ because it does not hold a Good in the updated moderate overlap front test (rear-occupant protection), which is the sole differentiator between the two awards under 2024 criteria and is where stablemates Integra and MDX earned TSP+.

Every one of the five 2024 trims — base SH-AWD through A-Spec Advance — carries the full AcuraWatch suite with nothing locked behind a package: collision mitigation braking with pedestrian detection, forward collision warning, road departure mitigation, lane departure warning, lane keeping assist, full-speed adaptive cruise with Low-Speed Follow, traffic sign recognition, auto high beams, and — unusually for the segment at this price — blind spot information and rear cross traffic monitor standard on the base car rather than optional. Only parking sensors and the surround-view camera are trim-gated.

IIHS rates the RDX only Acceptable — the second of four tiers — in pedestrian front crash prevention, and that rating leans on a high-beam assist credit rather than pure sensor performance. It is adequate rather than class-leading; segment rivals earning Superior/Good in the same evaluation pull clearly ahead here, though standard low-speed AEB with pedestrian detection on every trim keeps it from a poor result.

Blind Spot Information and Rear Cross Traffic Monitor are standard on all five 2024 trims — better availability than several rivals that gate them behind packages — but both are warning-only, giving visual and audible alerts without the active steering or braking intervention offered by Volvo's and BMW's systems, and there is no safe-exit alert.

LKAS, lane departure warning and road departure mitigation are all standard and LKAS applies genuine centering torque on well-marked highways, but 2024 predates the Traffic Jam Assist that arrived with the 2025 refresh, so there is no low-speed steering support in stop-and-go traffic, and reviewers describe the system as functional rather than confidence-inspiring, with wander on faded lane markings.

Adaptive cruise with Low-Speed Follow is standard on every trim and covers the full speed range including stop-and-go, and reviewers rate its distance-keeping and speed transitions as smooth. What holds it below the top band is integration: without Traffic Jam Assist in 2024 the ACC and LKAS do not combine into a coordinated low-speed highway assist the way Lexus Safety System+ or Genesis HDA do.

No hands-free highway driving is offered on the 2024 RDX at any trim — there is no Acura equivalent of BlueCruise, Super Cruise or Highway Driving Assist, and AcuraWatch requires hands on the wheel at all times.

IIHS rates the RDX's Jewel Eye LED headlights Good across every trim — no acceptable-or-worse variant to avoid, which is a real advantage over rivals whose good headlights are confined to upper trims — and auto high-beam is standard on all five trims. It stops short of the very top only for lacking curve-adaptive beam steering.

Forward and side sightlines are good and reviewers describe the rear-quarter blind zones as small for the class, but the rising beltline and thick D-pillars still compromise the over-the-shoulder view, and camera compensation is uneven across the range: a multi-view rear camera is standard, while the surround-view system and even front/rear parking sensors are reserved for upper trims, leaving the volume base car with the least help.

IIHS awards the RDX its top LATCH rating — Good, with credit for extra usable positions beyond the required two — meaning the anchors sit shallow and easy to find and the tether points are unobstructed. The two-row layout gives wide rear door openings and 38.0 in of rear legroom, so two child seats fit without forcing the front occupants forward; three-across remains tight in a compact SUV.

The 2024 RDX is a two-row compact luxury SUV seating five across all five trims (RDX, Technology, A-Spec, Advance, A-Spec Advance); no third row is offered at any price.

Acura publishes 40.0 in of first-row headroom for the 2024 RDX — mid-pack for the compact luxury SUV set, and unchanged for 2024 since the panoramic roof is standard equipment on every trim rather than an option that eats headroom on some.

Front legroom of 42.0 in on the 108.3-in wheelbase — adequate but unremarkable against the segment band, and identical across all 2024 trims.

Second-row headroom of 38.0 in with the standard panoramic roof fitted — enough for six-footers in back, and squarely mid-band for a compact SUV.

38.0 in of rear legroom is genuinely roomy for the compact luxury class and reviewers report adults are comfortable in back on long drives — a strength relative to the Q5, GLC and X3.

The RDX is a strictly two-row, five-seat SUV — no third row is offered on any 2024 trim, and no seven-seat variant exists in the lineup (buyers needing a third row are pushed to the larger MDX).

29.5 cu ft behind the second row by SAE J1100, rising to 31.1 cu ft counting the deep under-floor bins — near the top of the compact luxury class, though modest against the wider SUV normalization band that spans mid-size and full-size utilities.

With the 60/40 rear seatback folded Acura quotes 58.9 cu ft by strict SAE J1100 and 79.8 cu ft including the under-floor storage — Acura's own footnote states the larger figure 'compares more accurately with most competitive measurements,' so it is used here.

The tiered center console with a sliding tray and a hidden bin beneath it, plus large under-floor cargo bins fitted with drain plugs, are repeatedly called out by reviewers as a genuine RDX advantage over German rivals; small cupholders are the recurring complaint that keeps it out of the 80+ tier.

12-way power front sport seats with power lumbar are standard and the Advance trims upgrade to 16-way units with power thigh extension and bolsters; reviewers find the fronts comfortable over long stints though light on side bolstering, and rate the rear bench roomy but less supportive.

Amplitude Reactive Dampers are standard and keep body control tight, but the tuning is firm for the class and reviewers describe the ride as choppy on the 20-inch A-Spec wheels; the Adaptive Damper System that fixes it is confined to the Advance and A-Spec Advance trims.

An acoustic glass windshield and Active Sound Control are standard on every 2024 trim and reviewers consistently describe the cabin as quiet; acoustic front side glass arrives only with the Technology package and acoustic rear side glass only on Advance, so the base car is the noisiest of the range.

Panoramic roof and heated front seats are standard on every trim and ventilated fronts arrive on A-Spec, but climate control is only dual-zone (no rear zone), and the heated steering wheel plus key-fob remote engine start are dealer accessories on the base, Technology and A-Spec trims — standard only on the two Advance trims.

2024 is the year Acura deleted front-wheel drive, so the $44,050 base MSRP buys SH-AWD as standard — a $2,300 increase over the 2023 FWD base but roughly $400 less than the 2023 car cost with AWD added. Undercuts every German rival's AWD entry point.

The Technology Package is the volume configuration — it adds navigation, ELS Studio audio, perforated leather and parking sensors over the base car for $2,650, and sits below the A-Spec's appearance premium. With SH-AWD now standard there is no drivetrain choice to price around.

Cheap to keep for a luxury compact SUV — Honda mechanicals, a long-proven 2.0T/10-speed and two years of covered scheduled service hold costs below German rivals, though premium fuel, 19-inch tires and SH-AWD service keep it above a mainstream CR-V.

Above-average residuals for compact luxury — Acura's reliability reputation and the RDX's steady demand keep depreciation well under the segment norm. Standard SH-AWD on every 2024 car should help further, since AWD examples resell better in the northern markets that buy most of them.

Acura's new-vehicle limited warranty is 4 years / 50,000 miles — standard luxury-brand coverage, matching BMW, Mercedes and Audi on years while trailing Genesis (5/60) and every mainstream Korean brand.

6 years / 70,000 miles is longer than the German luxury standard of 4/50 but sits near the bottom of the framework's 5–10 year band, far short of the 10-year/100,000-mile coverage Hyundai, Kia and Genesis offer.

2024 catches the full version of the Acura Maintenance Program — 2 years / 24,000 miles of covered A1/B1 service (oil, filter, tire rotation, multi-point inspection), which Acura cut back for MY2025. Add 4 years / 50,000 miles of Total Luxury Care roadside assistance and three complimentary years of AcuraLink connected services and the package is genuinely competitive, though it stops short of the multi-year, broader coverage BMW and Genesis bundle.

$47,895 volume-trim price minus its estimated resale value after 5 years (56% retained, or about $26,821) leaves about $21,074 in depreciation. Add the projected $5,800 in 5-year maintenance and repairs, and owning this vehicle for 5 years costs about $26,874 in total.

By 2024 the third-generation RDX (TC1/TC2, on sale since 2019) is a mature, largely carry-over design and the predictors converge on average-to-above-average: J.D. Power puts the 2024 RDX at 80/100 predicted reliability (the top of its 70-80 'Average' band), Consumer Reports rates it about average for the model year, and RepairPal ranks the nameplate 1st of 11 luxury compact SUVs at 4.5/5. Good but a clear step below the Lexus NX/UX benchmark.

Acura's two major brand signals disagree in a way that lands it comfortably above mid-pack but short of the top band: Consumer Reports' 2024 brand rankings place Acura 5th of 26 (score 54), just behind Honda, while J.D. Power's 2024 Vehicle Dependability Study has Acura mid-pack among premium marques well behind Lexus (135 PP100), Porsche (175) and BMW (190).

The 2024 model year specifically carries only two recalls, and the safety-critical one is tiny: NHTSA 24V114000 (steering gearbox not tightened, water intrusion and binding gears) covers just 186 vehicles, while 26V332000 is the fleet-wide Honda/Acura front-passenger seat weight sensor campaign that sweeps in most of the corporate lineup rather than pointing at the RDX. Eight TSBs on file and no owner complaints logged — a cleaner year than the generation's 2019-2021 average, which carried fuel-pump and infotainment activity.

The 2.0L VTEC Turbo (K20C family, 272 hp / 280 lb-ft) is the same engine architecture as the Civic Si and Civic Type R and has a long high-mileage record with no systemic failure mode; the Honda 10-speed automatic has been in service since the 2018 Accord and is likewise well proven. For 2024 SH-AWD becomes standard across all trims, and that torque-vectoring system has been in Acura products since 2005 — a change in fitment, not an unproven component.

Reviewers consistently call the materials high quality for the price — metallic and open-pore wood trim used effectively, Milano leather on upper trims — but equally consistently note the cabin does not reach the BMW X3 or Mercedes GLC bar, with the dated infotainment presentation reinforcing that. Solidly competitive rather than class-leading.

Built at Honda's East Liberty, Ohio plant, the RDX draws praise for upscale fit and finish that reviewers say not all rivals match, and the 2024 model year has logged no owner complaints for assembly defects. Not the hermetic tightness of Japanese-built Lexus product, but no pattern of rattles or misalignment.

Roughly 274 US Acura dealers is thinner than a mainstream brand and thinner than Lexus's service footprint, though it is well distributed across metro areas and every store can source Honda parts and expertise. Service satisfaction is respectable but no longer the class benchmark it was in the brand's early years.

This is the RDX's strongest reliability-side attribute: deep parts commonality with the Honda Civic and CR-V (K20C engine family, related platform hardware) keeps commodity parts cheap and abundant, and the measured ownership cost is roughly 40% below the segment norm with a low probability of a severe repair.

Every 2024 RDX trim carries the same 10.2-inch HD dual-content center display. It is not a touchscreen: Acura's True Touchpad Interface on the console is the only way to drive it, so the diagonal overstates how usable the display actually is.

The absolute-mapped True Touchpad Interface is the RDX's defining tech weakness — reviewers have criticized it since the generation launched as unintuitive and distracting versus either a touchscreen or a BMW-style rotary controller. Menu structure is logical and Acura retains physical climate and volume controls, which stops it falling into the bottom band.

Both wireless Apple CarPlay and wireless Android Auto are standard on all five 2024 trims including the base RDX — full marks territory, and practically useful here because phone projection is how most owners sidestep the touchpad-driven native interface.

Better than the RDX's reputation suggests for 2024: Natural Language Voice Recognition and Alexa Built-In are standard across the whole lineup, and the Acura Navigation System with 3D view is included from the Technology package up. It still trails Google Built-In systems on map quality and destination search, and the base trim gets no native nav at all.

The ELS Studio audio ladder is the strongest part of the RDX tech story: a competent 9-speaker base system, a 12-speaker ELS Studio setup on Technology, and the 16-speaker ELS Studio 3D system standard on A-Spec, Advance and A-Spec Advance — still among the best-regarded factory systems at any price.

Partial-digital only: a 7-inch color Multi-Information Display sits between conventional analog gauges on every trim, with no full-digital reconfigurable cluster available at any price — behind the 12.3-inch displays offered by the X3, GV70 and NX.

AcuraLink on this pre-Google-Built-In platform delivers map and infotainment updates over the air but no whole-vehicle software delivery — powertrain, ADAS and chassis module updates still require a dealer visit, well behind Tesla, Rivian, Ford and Hyundai/Kia.

The AcuraLink app covers remote lock/unlock, vehicle locator, service scheduling and diagnostic alerts, with remote engine start after the trial period gated behind a paid subscription tier. No phone-as-key or digital key is offered on the RDX, and remote start hardware is itself only standard on the Advance trims.

The clearest tech dating on the 2024 car: device power is two 2.5A USB-A ports up front and nothing else standard — no USB-C anywhere in the vehicle (Acura only added USB-C front and rear for 2025), rear-seat USB is a dealer-installed console accessory, and there is no household AC outlet. The Qi wireless pad is standard from Technology up but is an accessory on the base trim.

Keyless Access with personalized settings, pushbutton ignition and a power lift tailgate are standard on every trim, and hands-free tailgate access plus power-folding mirrors arrive on Advance. Held back because key-fob remote engine start is a dealer accessory on the three lower trims and no phone-as-key is offered.

Multi-view rear camera with dynamic guidelines is standard on every trim, front and rear parking sensors are included from the Technology package up, and a surround-view camera system is standard on the two Advance trims. No automated parking assist is offered, and the base RDX gets no parking sensors at all.

The 2024 RDX does offer a genuine 10.5-inch head-up display, but only on the Advance and A-Spec Advance trims that top the range — the base, Technology and A-Spec cars most buyers take get only the CMBS Head-Up Warning on the Advance trims and nothing below that.

IIHS rates the RDX's LATCH hardware Good+ — its top grade — with two full sets of lower anchors plus a third tether position, and 38.0 in of rear legroom with wide rear door openings makes daily kid-loading easy; the under-floor cargo bins swallow a stroller. Three car seats across the bench is a squeeze and, being two-row only, there is no room for a family that grows.

A 2024 IIHS Top Safety Pick with a 5-star NHTSA overall rating, and crucially the entire AcuraWatch suite — CMBS with pedestrian detection, adaptive cruise with Low-Speed Follow, LKAS, road departure mitigation, traffic sign recognition — plus blind-spot information and rear cross-traffic monitor is standard on the base trim, so families don't have to buy up to be safe. Short of the top band because the updated moderate-overlap and headlight results are Acceptable rather than Good.

The quiet, roomy cabin and 29.5 cu ft behind the second row cover a family's weekend gear well, but the 2024 car's rear-seat provisions are thin — dual-zone climate with no rear zone, no factory rear USB ports at all (a dealer accessory), and heated rear seats only on the Advance trims. Firm damping on A-Spec 20s is the other multi-hour complaint.

Adaptive cruise with Low-Speed Follow and LKAS are standard on every trim and take real work out of stop-and-go, and the 10-speed automatic is smooth under light throttle; the 2.0T's off-boost hesitation from rest and the touchpad interface are the daily irritants, and no hands-free highway assist is offered as on GM, Ford or BMW rivals.

EPA 21/27/23 MPG city/highway/combined (21/26/23 on A-Spec) on required 91-octane premium is unremarkable for the class and expensive per mile, and 2024 is the year Acura made SH-AWD standard, so there is no longer a thriftier front-drive RDX to buy. Hybrid rivals such as the Lexus NX 350h roughly double the combined figure on regular fuel.

At 187.4 in long and 74.8 in wide the RDX has a right-sized footprint for city use and the multi-view rear camera is standard, but the 38.9-ft curb-to-curb turning circle is only average, thick rear pillars hurt over-the-shoulder visibility, parking sensors require the Technology package and the surround-view camera is Advance-only.

Maximum trailer weight is 1,500 lb on every 2024 trim — a small utility trailer or a pair of jet skis and nothing more, far under the 3,500–4,400 lb ratings of the Q5, X3 and GLC. There is no bed, no towing package, no payload headroom worth quoting, and no tow-oriented cooling.

The 2.0L K20C VTEC turbo and Honda's 10-speed automatic are proven high-mileage hardware and East Liberty build quality is solid, but the cabin is trimmed in leatherette, Milano leather, Ultrasuede and open-pore wood — surfaces that do not shrug off jobsite abuse — and the 1,500-lb tow limit keeps the RDX away from the duty that would test durability in the first place.

There is essentially no work provision here: roof rails are a dealer-installed accessory on every 2024 trim rather than standard equipment, there is no 120V household outlet (a 12V cargo outlet appears only on Advance), no washable cargo liner from the factory, and no upfit ecosystem. It is a lifestyle luxury crossover, not a trades vehicle.

A quiet cabin with standard acoustic windshield and Active Sound Control, supportive 12-way power front seats and standard adaptive cruise with Low-Speed Follow make the RDX a low-fatigue highway car, and the 17.1-gal tank at 23 MPG combined gives roughly 390 miles between fills. Held back by the absence of any hands-free driver assist and the firm ride on the 20-inch A-Spec setup.

2024 is the year the RDX became genuinely all-weather across the board: torque-vectoring SH-AWD is now standard on every trim rather than optional, and 8.2 in of ground clearance handles gravel and forest-service roads. But there is no low range, no skid plates and no terrain modes beyond the IDS Snow setting, and the 1,500-lb tow rating rules out campers and most toy trailers.

29.5 cu ft behind the second row (31.1 with the under-floor bins) leads the compact luxury class, the 60/40 seatback folds easily to 79.8 cu ft, and the drain-plugged under-floor bins are genuinely useful for wet or muddy gear. Marked down because roof rails are an accessory rather than standard on any 2024 trim and the 1,500-lb hitch rating limits what can be trailered.

For 2024 the torque-vectoring SH-AWD system became standard on every trim, so every RDX now gets the rear-axle rotation that made this one of the more athletic compact luxury crossovers; Agile Handling Assist and a 30/23 mm anti-roll bar pairing keep body control tight. Not as sharp as a Macan, but firmly in the top half of the segment.

The variable-ratio electric rack (12.0:1) is light and easy in parking lots but builds weight properly with speed, and reviewers describe it as communicative and well-tuned — better calibrated than most of the class even if outright road feel is muted.

Stopping power from the 12.4/12.2-in discs is strong and engagement is predictable, but pedal feel is the consistent criticism — reviewers report a spongy, inconsistently firm pedal that undercuts the confidence the hardware earns.

The 272-hp 2.0T pulls hard once boost arrives and the 10-speed automatic is smooth in normal driving, but there is a documented off-boost hesitation on tip-in from rest and the gearbox can hunt between its closely stacked upper ratios; Sport mode via the Integrated Dynamics System sharpens response considerably.

Active Sound Control and the standard acoustic windshield keep the 2.0T hushed at a cruise, but the four-cylinder turns coarse and industrial under hard acceleration — noticeably less refined than the inline-six X3 or the twin-turbo V6 GV70.

38.9 ft curb-to-curb on the 108.3-in wheelbase — mid-pack for a compact SUV, tighter than a mid-size three-row but no better than the Q5 and other direct rivals.

A commanding, well-supported seating position with 12-way power adjustment and a tilt-and-telescoping column, plus retained physical climate and volume controls; the True Touchpad Interface is the real ergonomic drag, requiring eyes off the road for tasks a touchscreen or rotary controller handles more easily.

Standard SH-AWD, quick variable-ratio steering, paddle shifters on every trim and a firmly tuned chassis give the 2024 RDX real character in a segment full of appliances — reviewers call it surprisingly good fun. It stops short of Macan or Stelvio thrills, and the coarse engine note caps the enjoyment.

The 2024 base car is the most generously equipped RDX yet: SH-AWD is now standard rather than a ~$2,000 option, alongside the complete AcuraWatch suite (AEB, adaptive cruise with low-speed follow, LKAS, road departure mitigation, blind-spot and rear cross-traffic — none of it packaged), leatherette seating, a panoramic moonroof, 10.2-inch display with wireless CarPlay/Android Auto, 19-inch wheels and a 9-speaker system. Base BMW X3, Audi Q5 and Mercedes GLC all charge extra for blind-spot monitoring or a panoramic roof at similar money.

Strong bang-for-buck: 272 hp, torque-vectoring SH-AWD and a full ADAS suite for $45,245, where an equivalently equipped X3 xDrive30 or GLC 300 4MATIC runs several thousand more. Two things hold it back from the top band — the $2,300 price rise for 2024 that buyers can no longer opt out of by choosing FWD, and a single gas powertrain with no hybrid option in a segment where rivals increasingly offer one.

Five well-spaced trims — base, Technology, A-Spec, Advance, A-Spec Advance — cover $45,245 to $55,045, which is a decent ladder. But 2024 actively narrows the range: deleting front-wheel drive removes the cheapest way into the model, leaving a single 2.0T and a single drivetrain with no hybrid, PHEV, EV or Type S performance variant. Lexus NX (350/350h/450h+), Mercedes GLC (300/AMG/PHEV) and Genesis GV70 (2.5T/3.5T/Electrified) all offer more ways to configure.

A genuine bright spot in a difficult year for the brand — RDX volume rose about 10% in calendar 2024 while most of the Acura lineup fell, and it remained the brand's best-selling model and a consistent top-six compact luxury SUV. Not a segment leader (the RX, NX, X3 and GLC all outsell it) but a solidly established, growing seller six years into the generation.

Acura is a credible second-tier luxury brand — respected for engineering, build quality and value, with a loyal repeat-buyer base — but without the aspirational pull of BMW, Mercedes or Porsche or the prestige Lexus carries. Roughly level with Volvo and Genesis, ahead of Infiniti and Lincoln.

Good news for buyers: a six-year-old generation facing a known MY2025 refresh transacted well below sticker through 2024, with subvented Acura Financial Services lease money factors, promotional APRs and a stackable loyalty cash offer. Real discounts without the fire-sale pricing that signals a model nobody wants.

Squarely mid-to-late cycle. The third-generation RDX arrived for MY2019 and got its mid-cycle refresh for MY2022 (revised styling, 10.2-inch display, interior updates), so 2024 is the sixth year of the generation and the last before the MY2025 restyle. Buyers face no imminent full redesign — Acura has since confirmed the fourth generation for roughly MY2028 — but the platform, the 10-speed automatic and the touchpad-controlled infotainment were all visibly behind an all-new Mercedes GLC or the newer Genesis GV70 by 2024.

Well-reviewed and widely recommended, but rarely the outright pick of the class. Reviewers consistently praise the SH-AWD chassis, ELS Studio audio, cargo room and content-for-price, while criticizing the touchpad infotainment, transmission tuning and the lack of a hybrid. Ranked highly in buyer guides and an IIHS Top Safety Pick for 2024, without a headline award like NACTOY or 10Best.