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2016 Acura RDX Review [w/video]

Acura is deeply confused as a brand. Is it sporty or luxurious? Conservative or avant garde? Truly premium, or just premium for Honda? At its heart, there is a simple truth: despite confused characters, Acura vehicles are usually very competent. The new TLX, for example, is a smart, comfortable, near-premium sedan. The new ILX, meanwhile, is a huge improvement over its predecessor, and finally feels like the entry-level, premium four-door stepping stone Acura needs. Then there's the RDX. Placed in a very hot segment, the Honda CR-V-based crossover never quite caught on. For its first six years on the market, it couldn't even break 25,000 annual sales. The more mainstream redesign in 2013 made some waves, nearly doubling sales, but Acura still fell way behind the competition. In 2014, the Lexus RX outsold the RDX nearly three to one. For 2016, the RDX gets a substantial refresh. The biggest visual update comes from Acura's polarizing, JewelEye LED headlights, which are standard. These aren't the best looking headlights on the market, but the many 'eyes' are better executed on the RDX than any other Acura. The LED daytime running lights round out a nice face during light hours, too. More subtle tweaks are given to the bumpers, with larger intakes in front and bigger reflector housings around back. The seats are broad, flat, and comfortable. The big change in the cabin cannot, sadly, be called an improvement. It's the addition of the Honda/Acura dual-screen system, and while it gives the interior a techy vibe, the user experience is convoluted and unintuitive. The rest of the cabin's design, however, is easy to like. Material quality is adequate for the segment. Plastics are abundant, but are soft to the touch, while fit is impressive and typically Honda throughout. The steering wheel is a parts shelf item and feels just a bit too large for a crossover of this size. The seats are broad, flat, and comfortable, and backseat passengers are treated quite well. Even with the driver's seat set for your six-foot, one-inch author, there's plenty of space in back, especially for long-legged folks. Small changes are found under the RDX's hood, where the 3.5-liter i-VTEC V6 gains six horsepower and one pound-foot of torque. Small changes are found under the RDX's hood, where the 3.5-liter i-VTEC V6 gains six horsepower and one pound-foot of torque. What hasn't changed, however, is this engine's general character.

Acura previews Daytona prototype racer

The IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship will get yet another competitor in the Daytona Prototype class. Acura and Team Penske will enter the series in January at the Rolex 24 at Daytona with its own car called the ARX-05. The name stands for Acura Racing Experimental, which we know means it should be called ARE, but let's be honest, "X" is a way cooler letter. The car's full reveal comes on Aug. 18, but the company released a teaser image, as well as a video, seen below, that talks about the car. The video actually reveals quite a bit of the car. It is covered in camouflage, but just the black-and-white vinyl wrap kind. It's also in bright daylight. Possibly the most distinctive part of the car's design is the wing shape that stretches across the top of the nose. It also has very aggressive-looking canards on the front corners. It doesn't look nearly as beautiful as the Mazda car, but if it's effective, who cares? The video also reveals that the engine in the ARX is based on the V6 from the TLX and MDX. When the car enters the IMSA series in January, it will be competing against Cadillac, Mazda, Nissan, and race car builders such as Oreca and Dallara. Acura will be the second company to use a V6 in the series after Nissan. Mazda uses a turbocharged four-cylinder, and Cadillac and the race car builders use V8s. Related Video: News Source: Acura, IMSA Acura Coupe Racing Vehicles

NHTSA gives okay for three automakers to skirt tire-related recalls

BMW, Honda, and Mercedes-Benz are all going to avoid small recalls, after the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration issued petitions for "findings of inconsequential noncompliance" to the three manufacturers, according to Tire Business. Basically, the petitions allow the brands to avoid recalls for some very, very minor issues.
BMW had tire placards on 364 X6 M CUVs that stated the car could only handle four passengers, when in reality it had room for three in the back. Actual plausibility of fitting three real humans in the slope-roofed Bimmer aside, the Munich-based manufacturer argued it was inconsequential, as the placards were correct regardless of the number of passengers.
Honda's case focused on 212 2011 and 2012 Acura TSX sedans equipped with 18-inch wheels. The TPMS systems on these cars were set for 17-inch wheels, rather than the larger hoops, but even with the lower settings, the tires maintain adequate load capacity.