Well, it sure looks like an Acura. In fact, designers did an excellent job of staying true to Acura’s styling DNA while maintaining the general theme of the RDX concept that originally debuted at the 2002 North American International Auto Show. With larger wheels (18-inchers), short overhangs, and a new front fascia and grille, the RDX is more athletic than aggressive, and certainly provides a counterpoint to the rather staid 2006 MDX. Think of it like one the Bush girls getting down at a rave; not exactly sexy, but modern and a little edgy, a vehicle that will likely appeal to its core demographic: Thirty- to forty-year-old single males and young families. Acura calls ‘em “Urban Achievers,” which seems to be different than “Coffee Achievers” but maybe only in that they now pay four bucks for their shot of caffeine, as opposed to brewing their own pot of killer Yuban at home. Acura public relations folks, in fact, seem convinced that the RDX is best-suited for men living in lofts in city centers, as if females and family guys in the suburbs can’t see a good thing when it drives down the street.

Surely, after all, they’d notice the new grille, which is deeper and more aggressively raked than on other Acuras, or the huge air inlet located in the front fascia. And they’d probably catch the new HID headlights, or the wide molding along the sides, or the fact that the rearview mirrors are positioned at a lower point on the door panels. One thing that’s for sure – at least for suburbanites – is that they’d notice the tailgate, which sweeps all the way down to the edge of the body, instead of ending at the bumper. This creates a smoother rear design, a lower liftover height, and helps to make the most of limited cargo room. That’s in case you urbanites decide to go grocery shopping – and load up with more than one bag of bagels and cheese rinds. Say, when your hokey suburban sister and her snotty little kids come over for an exciting weekend tour of “the city.”

Inside, the RDX is all Acura, decked out in leather trim and brushed metal. Too much metal, in fact: on a sunny day, the sun glares off the dashboard trim pieces and slightly impedes visibility while washing out the navigation system’s screen. Otherwise, there are few surprises inside the cabin, where sturdy seats hold occupants nicely, and controls are well marked and easy to reach. The navigation system is excellent, with large, sharp graphics and an intuitive approach to the main control knob. With such a class-leading system, it makes us wonder what it would take to make navigation standard in all models – an extra $2,000? Acura buyers can surely afford the upgrade, but driving an Acura without the navigation system is a little like playing a round of golf without spikes. Yeah, you can do it, but come on…

Other elements inside the RDX echo the simplicity of the dash and center console area. There are four easy-to-use cupholders in total, split evenly front and back. The driver’s seat is an eight-way power adjustable unit with lumbar and heat, though the passenger’s seat is only a four-way manual perch. This seems a bit on the low-rent side of town: at least a manual lumbar, to go with the heat control, would provide a more pleasing ride for the passenger. Plastics are, on the whole, nicely executed, with soft touch surfaces where elbows and fingers most often wander. Even hard surfaces have a nice feel, thanks to a deep grain that adds to the look of the interior. That’s a good thing, for there’s a sizable amount of plastic in this cabin. Vents are well-positioned and easy to modulate, and cubbyhole doors are nicely dampened – the way the glovebox gently glides open is especially nice. Interior highlights include small door handle compartments with lids, and a console between the driver and passenger that can swallow a laptop computer and has a fake floor, in case you leave your laptop at work. In back, the bench seat is comfortable with plenty of legroom. The 60/40 split rear seats fold flat quite easily and there’s a privacy shelf in back that doubles as a hard resin floor.

Overall, the 2007 Acura RDX’s interior and exterior design is excellent, with perhaps the largest question mark being cargo room. It is smaller than its luxury competition, but does offer slightly more maximum cargo space than the 2007 Mazda CX-7. This is balanced, however, by a roomy cabin that offers ample leg and head room for front and rear passengers.