Sacramento,
California -- In a tale of two Acura sport-utility vehicles, you really can't
go wrong.
The 2019 Acura
MDX AWD A-Spec was first up on my test list, and it proved to be a sound luxury
liner worthy of the Acura badge.
Aerodynamic in
design with superb fit and finish, the tester was packed with perks that
justified the bottom line of more than $56,000.
Particularly impressive was a long list of high-tech safety features,
which I am quite sure contributed to a max five-star overall safety rating in
federal government tests.
On the roll,
the MDX was a dream. Smooth, strong and
agile.
Power was
provided by a 3.5-liter V-6 rated at 290 horsepower. Power was dished up smoothly and
quietly. Never did I feel insecure at
the wheel of the MDX. It handled
everything.
Fuel mileage
is tepid at 19 miles per gallon in the city and 25 mpg on the highway.
Interior
comfort was top grade, as was comfort in the driver's seat, which provided a
good 360-degree view of my surroundings.
Yes, this MDX can carry the ball quite well in the luxo SUV segment.
I took
delivery of a 2019 Acura RDX SH-AWD A-Spec sport-ute (pictured) a short time
later, and though it was priced about $10,000 less than the MDX, it provided more of
a challenge. The tester was equipped
with a cutting-edge "True Touchpad Interface."
The system is
so sophisticated that it required instruction from the test car delivery team
and special reading materials to boot.
Simply put,
numerous functions are controlled by a center console touchpad that is directly
linked to positioning on the monitor display mounted at the center-top of the dash. No cursor is involved, and it takes some time
to master the muscle memory of the touchpad with the display. Once mastered, however, it's an amazing piece
of technology to use, and enjoy.
Happily, the
RDX has the same smooth, enthusiastic performance characteristics of its MDX
sibling, and fuel mileage is slightly better at 21 mpg in the city and 26 mpg on
the open road.
Overall, two
top-notch SUV offerings from Acura. Like
I said, you can't go wrong either way.
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