RDX checks the boxes, takes in-vehicle tech higher

Mark Glover’s AutoGlo car reviews also can be seen in the Northern & Central California Cruisin’ News magazine published monthly out of Folsom, California.

Sacramento, California -- I'm starting to dislike the ever-used phrase "checks all the boxes," but the recently tested 2020 Acura RDX SH-AWD A-Spec sport-utility vehicle does precisely that.

It's a compact luxury SUV that's easy to drive, zippy with a 272-horsepower turbo-4 under the hood, loaded with customer-pleasing perks, possesses impressively high safety ratings and is nicely styled ... all for a price that won't crush the household budget of most seeking this kind of sport-ute.

In my tester, the bottom line was a reasonable $46,795.

Handling was remarkably precise, and the RDX was at home on freeways, downtown streets and twisty country roads.  Driving it is a pleasure, which likely explains its solid sales numbers.  Smooth, quiet, refined and luxurious.  Boxes checked.

It also comes with something called a True Touchpad Interface, and here's where it gets interesting.

In simple terms, the interface is an infotainment-management system operated in a way that's similar to using a trackpad on a laptop computer.  How difficult can it be, right?

Here's the thing: Not everybody likes it.  That includes auto-reviewing colleagues of mine.  Some consider it overly complex, and others have complained about the chore of sorting through scores of screens and menus.

Other reviewers like it, noting the instant response you get on the 10.2-inch display screen, plus the fact that you can operate the system while keeping your eyes on the road. And they insist that long-time users develop muscle memory over time, making an initially complicated process easy.

As automotive technology mastery goes, I think I fall somewhere in the middle between complete dunce and grandmaster.  Over time, I found myself getting comfortable with the RDX system and was zipping through options at a fairly brisk pace.

If I can do it, I figure most anybody can do it.  Plus the Honda/Acura folks, sensitive to criticisms of the system, go overboard to provide words and video to help True Touchpad Interface newbies along the path to confidence.

So, there you have it.  My guess is that high-tech-loving motorists will eat this up.  And tech-challenged folks will slowly warm up to it.  This happened years ago with the introduction of PCs and laptop computers into the mainstream.

As I recall, that industry ended up doing pretty well.