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.

Here's what six figures will get you in a Lexus

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 -- You can become jaded in the car-reviewing game.

Even the most eye-popping high-tech features lose their wow appeal over time.  Sport-utility vehicles show up wearing stickers in the $60,000, $70,000 and $80,000 ballpark, and eventually your eyebrows lose their vertical leaping ability.

But when a 2020 Lexus LX 570 luxury SUV recently showed up in my driveway with a sticker price of $100,540, that got my attention.  ONE-HUNDRED GRAND for an SUV built by a mainstream automaker.

That's more than I paid for my three-bedroom home when I moved to California at the dawn of Ronald Reagan's second term as president.

So, for that price, this Lexus had to have everything, right?  And it did.

The list was endless, filling a "War and Peace"-size owner's manual: special puddle lights displaying the Lexus logo, intuitive parking assist, trailer sway control, power/sliding second-row seats, power third-row seats, lane departure alert, triple-beam LED headlights, panoramic view/multi-terrain monitor, four-zone climate control, crawl control, cool box, heated steering wheel and that's just the short list.

For all I know, the LX 570 could prepare a full English breakfast if all the right buttons were pushed.  Alas, I'll never know for sure because I didn't get to try every on-board perk despite seven full days with the vehicle.

On the outside, my "Atomic Silver"-painted luxury liner resembled a stylized tank, with a massive grille that seemed to reach right under my chin when I stood in front of the vehicle.  It just radiated "get-outta-my-way" attitude,  not necessarily a bad thing when trying to negotiate California's roadways.

Despite the vehicle's heft, the 5.7-liter V-8 engine with 383 horsepower and 403 foot-pounds of torque had no trouble moving the LX 570 around in impressive fashion.  I was able to accelerate out of harm's way on the freeway, and the SUV was surprisingly responsive and agile in tight urban settings.

The cockpit remained quiet even when the LX 570 power plant was laboring at full song, and there was only the slightest touch of body sway during aggressive slalom maneuvers.

Not surprisingly, fuel mileage is wallet-challenging at just 12 miles per gallon in the city and 16 mpg on the highway.

To be sure, this is a daily driver/chore doer for those with enviable incomes. Would I buy it if I had all the money in the world to spend?

Well, it would certainly be on my short list of test drives.

Mazda3 sedan has just-right appeal in crowded market

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 -- Pity the sedan buyer looking for the practical and affordable.

Everything priced in the low $20,000s is fairly bare bones, and those more generously equipped models sure are nice ... but the sticker edges up near the $40,000 plateau.

What to do?

Here's a thought: Head down to a Mazda dealership and give the Mazda3 a look.  My recent week in the 2020 Mazda3 all-wheel-drive sedan opened my eyes to the notable charms of the model.  Even equipped with a generous Premium Package of perks, the bottom line was a mere $30,645.

Now we're talkin'

Mazda tweaked the Mazda3 inside and out in 2019, drawing reviewer raves for an elegant, high-end upgrade inside the cabin. I'm a believer.  If you had blindfolded me, dropped me into the Mazda3's cockpit, covered all the Mazda badges and asked me where I was, I would have guessed a Lexus ... or maybe an Acura.

I believe that would have been a good guess, given that I was surrounded by comfort, leather surfaces, nicely engineered controls and an 8.8-inch color control screen for me to play with, scrolling through menus to my heart's content.

Exterior styling is smooth over the top, with the obligatory big grille on the front end.  It makes for a fine-looking sedan sculpture just parked in front of the house.

Auto-reviewing colleagues have knocked the Mazda3's driving characteristics, but I thought the criticism to be unfair in this segment.  This is not a $50,000 Mercedes-Benz, after all.

Power on the tester was delivered via a "Skyactiv-G" 2.5-liter, four-cylinder engine rated at 186 horsepower.  That's a fancy way of saying that cylinder-deactivation technology has been engineered into the power package, producing greater fuel efficiency.

Fuel mileage on the tester was indeed good at 25 miles per gallon in the city and 33 mpg on the highway.  Yet critics have complained that the Mazda3's oomph has suffered.  Yes, you do have to plant your right foot firmly on the accelerator when strong performance is needed.  But for me, the engine response was adequate.

Handling is likewise pretty fair, with just a bit of body sway on sharp curves taken at brisk speed.

All in all, this is a good sedan offering from Mazda.  Given the pricing, I think it should be on the frugal buyer's test-drive list.

Hybrid Toyota Avalon is a Lexus-level sedan

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've long claimed that a top-end Toyota Avalon sedan is pretty much a luxurious Lexus in nearly every way ... the exception being the Toyota "sombrero" badge on the car.

Naturally, I've been called on this from several fronts, with critics telling me that I don't know what I'm talking about -- not a unique experience for me, by the way.

Fair enough.  But for those critics, I offer you my recent 2020 Toyota Avalon Hybrid XSE.  Dressed in classic Lexus silver paint and the many-spoke gray alloy wheels, this Avalon was dripping with Lexus DNA.

Not that I was complaining.  And given the bonanza of standard goodies loaded into the machine, the $42,259 bottom line on the sticker was an acceptable number to see, in my view.

Stepping into the cockpit prompted all those good feelings that go with having a luxurious ride to savor for even a short amount of time.  A spacious, comfortable cabin was thoughtfully laid out, with all the electronic technology within easy reach of the driver. Particularly special among the perks was a concert-quality JBL sound system with 14 speakers.

The Avalon on the road acted very much like a muscular sport sedan, not a hybrid.  Power comes from a 2.5-liter, four-cylinder engine and a highly sophisticated electric motor.  They combine for a net output of 215 horsepower.  The tester was an aggressive hill climber and a surprisingly agile performer on tight surface streets and twisty rural roadways.

And there's a bonus: "Sequential Shiftmatic" technology allows the driver to “shift” the electronically controlled continuously variable transmission. Toyota accurately points out that it "mimics a quick-shifting six-speed automatic transmission via paddle shifters or with the console-mounted shift lever."  It's a nice little extra on a hybrid sedan in this high class.

In truth, you can land hard on the accelerator often in this Avalon, and be guilt-free.  It gets 43 miles per gallon in the city and 43 mpg on the highway.

Big sport-utility vehicles still rule the market for folks looking for long-haul road trip cruisers and daily commuters, but I would put this Toyota Avalon Hybrid XSE up against just about any SUV out there.  It has luxury, comfort, a roomy trunk and outstanding gas mileage.

Oh, and it's fun to drive.