For the 2007 Acura RDX to be a success, it has to be fun to drive. Period. It’s not so important that it hauls stuff, or that it goes off-road, or any of the other niggling things car companies worry about when creating a new SUV.

Fun to drive. That’s it. And fun, in the case of the RDX, starts with its turbo, which is a great source of extra power from the inline four-cylinder engine. First, there’s no noticeable lag, as the turbo spreads its power starting at around 2,000 rpm and through to almost 7,000 rpm. Whether mashing the gas from a stop light or accelerating on the Interstate, the RDX offers up a substantial well of torque and horsepower. Keep this in mind, however: using the transmission’s “D” mode stands for Dull, as the gear points seem designed to compromise pickup, perhaps for the benefit of better fuel efficiency. Slide it into “S,” and use the paddle shifters – or don’t – and you’ll get sportier response thanks to higher revs. This is a mode you’ll want to manually manipulate, though, and the F1-style paddles do an admirable job of it. They help make driving fun, which – when you think about the emerging issues of the day – is perhaps the most luxurious feature of the RDX.

Yeah – about those emerging issues. Our drive on San Francisco city streets and throughout the nearby wine country returned around 16 miles per gallon. While the drive was generally at higher speeds, there was more highway driving than a normal person would usually experience. But you shouldn’t really worry about fuel economy: if you’re buying the RDX, you’re buying premium fuel and that $3.50 or more per gallon price tag – you can afford it. Right? Wrong.

Perhaps no one should have to afford it.
Okay, okay. At least it’s not a gas-sucking monolith like a few SUVs on the road, and indeed is rated better than most competing models. Yet still, one buys a four-cylinder for fuel economy, and adds the turbo for performance… At yet still gets fuel economy in the teens. That’s depressing, and it underlines a weakness of turbos: you must use more expensive gasoline, they’re fun to drive – thus burn more fuel – and outside elements can impact your economy, such as altitude, etc..

Given that, the RDX is a hoot. It’s relatively light on its feet – at under 4,000 lbs. it’s virtually identical to the 2007 Mazda CX-7 and about a hundred pounds less than the 2006 BMW X3. That weight is really only slightly noticeable on acceleration; otherwise the 2007 Acura RDX comes off as a quick-footed prize fighter, torquey as heck with a powerful jab and silky cross. With 240 horsepower at 6,000 rpm and 260 lb.-ft. of torque at 4,500 rpm, it’s fun and easy to dip into the engine with both hands, pour the power over your senses and enjoy the technology that drives this vehicle. And with the turbo, the 2.3-liter engine, the five-speed automatic transmission and Acura’s SH-AWD system, there’s plenty of technology-type things to enjoy about the RDX. In corners, it handles almost like a sedan, with little body roll and a well-planted feeling front to back, thanks in part to the SH-AWD -- which eliminates virtually all hint of understeer via its torque distribution system. It’s hard to shake this vehicle, and when you add in crisp steering, it makes the drive worth driving.

During several miles of city travel before and after the main route, the RDX’s brakes revealed sharp response with very little extra pedal play, the visibility to maneuver easily and the acceleration to do so quickly. Among the more notable traits in the city was the Acura’s tight suspension, which is great in corners or during aggressive driving but gives your rump a bit too much of the real-world road map going on underneath the car when in town. Otherwise, the RDX provides a quiet ride, with few irritating rattles or squeaks. Indeed, you can only hear a murmur of an exhaust note. Visibility from the driver’s perspective is excellent, with one notable plus being the lower position of the rearview mirrors.

Inside the cabin, there’s less cargo room than the X3 by about 10 cubic feet, but clearly cargo room was down on the list of must-haves for the RDX. This is one crossover that’s about convenience and cornering, as opposed to cargo. As with its utter inability to do anything off-pavement due to a paltry seven-inch ground clearance, it’s a performance premium you pay for the RDX. If you care about cargo room so much, go buy yourself a sexy new MDX. Funny thing, though: Where the RDX surprises is in its cabin space. It’s quite roomy in front and back for legroom and headroom. Our driving partner was clearly over six-feet tall and he got behind the wheel easily, without complaint, and was able to walk after the experience. Getting out is easy, though the doors are smaller in back – which could make it difficult for someone of girth to get in and out. So make it easy for Fatty and let him sit up front, okay?

Once inside, even Chubbo will find the RDX to be comfortable, with sturdy seats that offer adequate bolstering. The driver’s seat, an eight-way power unit with lumbar and heating, is superb. The passenger gets the leftovers – a four-way manual job with heat and no lumbar support. Not to say that you’re a second-class citizen, Mr. Shotgun, but… The passenger also gets to look at a lot of plastic, but it’s nice plastic, darn it. The driver, on the other hand, gets to look at an Acura instrument gauge that should be entered into the Dwayne F. Schneider Contest for Inspiring Instrument Design – No Tool Belt Category. It really is that easy to use, and pretty to look at, with its blue backlighting and clear graphics. That’s very unlike Schneider, though we think there was something goin’ on with Schneider and Bonnie.

Heck – it’s nice to look at something pretty when you have to take it one day at time. That’s easier to do if you’re driving around in an Acura, of course, and the RDX falls right in line. Controls are easy to use, and the navigation system is excellent. You’ll notice a new center knob that controls the main audio and navigation functions – it’s easy to use, with a nice tactile feel. The navigation system itself is one of the very best offered on the market, with large and modern graphics and a simple interface that – get this – makes way more sense than Mackenzie Phillips, even when she’s not on a crack jag. If you buy the navigation – who wouldn’t – you also get the ELS Surround System, which is a powerful audio setup featuring DVD-A quality surround sound, an amazing experience of clarity and aural pleasure from the front seat. The fact that few people are buying DVD-A discs and a nasty little problem with that back speaker sticking in the rear passenger’s ear, well, those issues dampen some enthusiasm for the option, but – wow – if you’re in the front seat, the experience is unbelievable. Besides, you get the navigation with traffic link included, and if you don’t want that – what do you want? Try Mazda, and the lower-priced CX-7, unless you prefer the leather and luxury of an Acura interior.