LOOKS

Visually, Acura has made some bold moves and it pays off with the RDX’s impressive new styling. The front fascia and grille get a revamp, and jewel-eye LED headllights are now included (they look sharp and offer increased visibility when you are driving at night). The vehicle comes with 18-inch aluminum alloy wheels.

Inside, you’ll like the amount of room you get. It’s roomy for the class and seats five people comfortably.

The downside here is the quality of materials inside. With a luxury brand, you should feel special when you enter your ride. While the materials in the RDX were not cheap-looking or cheap-feeling, they also didn’t wow me as much as they should have and don’t scream “high-end” -- at least compared to the German cars and other luxury competitors from Asia that Acura is contending with. This is most likely a result of trying to keep the price lower, but the result is still a bit disappointing.

The RDX is still a high-class ride, but not up to par interiorwise with other luxury models I’ve tried. The outside is where it shines in the area of looks.

ENGINE, HORSEPOWER

You’ll get a strong improvement under the hood from the 2016 Acura RDX. It offers one power source: a 3.5-liter V6 engine that provides 279 horsepower and 252 lb.-ft. of torque.
This is a boost in power from previous models. The RDX also features a 6-speed automatic transmission, with paddle shifters.

So what were my impressions of the overall ride quality? Somewhat mixed, to be honest.

The power was there (you get moving fast when you need to go), and the ride was very quiet, with little to no outside noise getting in the cabin.

But the handling was a bit of a disappointment, proving to be stiff and quite unsporty at times when maneuvering through traffic.

TECHNOLOGY, SAFETY
My test vehicle featured the Advance package, which offers a variety of tech and safety options. These include: rain sensing wipers, fog lights, front and rear parking sensors, ventilated seats, lane keeping assist, adaptive cruise control, collision mitigating braking system and upgraded tires.

There are buttons in the vehicle to easily manage the safety options (i.e. shutting off lane departure in a construction zone so it’s not constantly alerting you). The vehicle also featured anti-lock brakes.

The base model features LED headlights, heated front seats, and power tailgate. My fully loaded test vehicle also included Navigation with voice recognition, rear cross traffic monitor, blind spot information and remote engine start.

MPG
Fuel economy is a strong feature on the 2016 Acura RDX.

On the front-wheel drive model, you get 20 city/29 highway/23 combined; AWD model is 19 city/28 highway/22 combined. These are some of the best compact SUV numbers and will be a big selling point in this competitive category.

Part of the reason for the boost is that The engine can shut down three of its cylinders in certain situations where all are not needed, adding a bit to the mpg totals.

PRICE
The 2016 Acura RDX starts at $35,270, with the higher-end AWD model with Advance package going for $43,420. These are competitive pricing numbers, many thousands less than compact luxury SUVs from the German automakers and competitive or slightly better than some of its Asian competition. With the interior not being as luxurious as some of the competition, price is a big selling point here too. To some, the price drop is big enough they’re OK with skipping some of the flash.

BOTTOM LINE

High points of the 2016 Acura RDX are its sharp look, impressive power, fuel mileage and quiet ride; but the overall ride quality isn’t as sporty or fun as some others in the category and it doesn’t look or feel as luxurious as its competition inside.

The price is attractive in comparison to other compact luxury SUVs, but Acura is fighting the fact that it’s not as well-regarded in some circles as other brands such as Audi, BMW -- which also offer vehicles in this segment.

Acura is hoping some people choose the cost savings and switch from other luxury brands they have purchased in the past -- and only time will tell how much that happens in this compact luxury SUV segment with the RDX.

AutoTechReviews.com can be found on Twitter @AutoTechReview, or stay updated at the AutoTechReviews Facebook page. Matt Myftiu can be found on Twitter @MattMyftiu