Acura RDX

Acura RDX: which generation changed what

Treat restylings as updates inside a generation, not extra generations.

Treat restylings as updates inside a generation, not extra generations.

1 generation (2006-08-01 – 2009-07-31) and 1 generation restyling (2009-08-01 – 2012-04-30). Two 2.3 AT versions each. Gasoline, Turbo, Inline, 4 cylinders, 4 valves per cylinder, Front, transverse, Distributed injection (multi-point), Automatic, 5 gears. Displacement 2300 cm³, 240 hp at 6000 rpm. Ground clearance is measured only on 1 generation: 159 mm AWD, 160 mm FWD — the lowest in the whole RDX line. Restyling does not raise power. It does change fuel grade on the FWD car (95 on 1 generation FWD 2.3 AT becomes 92 on restyling FWD 2.3 AT) and it shuffles which drive layout gets 260 Nm versus 353 Nm.

2 generation (2012-04-01 – 2015-03-31) and 2 generation restyling (2015-04-01 – 2018-02-28). The turbo four is gone. Every version is 3.5 AT: Gasoline, No boost, V-shaped, 6 cylinders, Automatic, 6 gears, Front, transverse, 3471 cm³. Pre-restyle: 277 hp at 6200 rpm. Restyle: 283 hp (208 kW) or 279 hp (205 kW) at 6200 rpm. Peak torque moves from 340 Nm (AWD) / 370 Nm (FWD) to 342 Nm at 4900 rpm. Injection on the 277 hp AWD is Direct injection (direct); the 277 hp FWD and all restyle 3.5 AT versions use Distributed injection (multi-point). Tank drops from 73 L to 61 L. Clearance is 200 mm (AWD) / 205 mm (FWD) before restyle, then 206 mm on every restyle 3.5 AT.

3 generation (2018-03-01 – 2021-09-30), 3 generation restyling (2021-10-01 – not measured), 3 generation restyling 2 (2024-09-01 – not measured). Back to a four: both versions are 2.0 AT, Gasoline, Turbo, Inline, 4 cylinders, Direct injection (direct), Automatic, 10 gears, 1996 cm³, 272 hp (200 kW) at 6500 rpm, 381 Nm from 1600–4500 rpm, compression 9.8, bore × stroke 86 × 85.9. FWD and AWD share that engine. Restyling 2 does not change horsepower, 0–100, or mixed fuel; it changes fuel grade from 95 to 92 and leaves wheel size not measured (earlier third-generation cars list 235/55 R19 and 255/40 R20).

Engines and specs

Same catalogue names must stay exact. Distinguish twins by power, drive, and generation.

Power per litre (hp ÷ displacement in litres): 2.0 AT 272 hp / 1.996 L ≈ 136.3 hp/L; 2.3 AT 240 / 2.3 ≈ 104.3 hp/L; restyle 3.5 AT 283 / 3.471 ≈ 81.5 hp/L; 279 / 3.471 ≈ 80.4 hp/L; pre-restyle 3.5 AT 277 / 3.471 ≈ 79.8 hp/L. The turbo 1996 cm³ four is the densest engine in the data; the naturally aspirated 3471 cm³ six is the least dense, even at 283 hp.

Horsepower and torque: what AWD actually buys

On 3 generation 2.0 AT, FWD and AWD share 272 hp and 381 Nm. AWD is 108 kg heavier (1825 vs 1717 kg) yet 0.5 s quicker to 100 km/h (5.9 vs 6.4). Weight per horsepower: 1717 / 272 ≈ 6.31 kg/hp (FWD) versus 1825 / 272 ≈ 6.71 kg/hp (AWD). The quicker time is not from more power; it is from the AWD layout at the cost of 0.4 L/100 km mixed (10.2 vs 9.8), 0.5 city (11.2 vs 10.7), 0.3 highway (8.7 vs 8.4). Tank 65 L both; mixed range arithmetic: 65 / 9.8 × 100 ≈ 663 km FWD vs 65 / 10.2 × 100 ≈ 637 km AWD.

On 2 generation restyling 3.5 AT 283 hp, AWD is slower, not faster: 6.9 s vs 6.8 s FWD, 75 kg heavier (1770 vs 1695), mixed 10.7 vs 10.2. Here AWD costs 0.1 s and 0.5 L/100 km mixed. The 279 hp 3.5 AT FWD and AWD both list 1695 kg kerb; 0–100 and fuel for both 279 hp versions are not measured — they cannot be ranked on pace or mpg from this sheet. Peak output gap 283 − 279 = 4 hp (208 − 205 = 3 kW); torque is 342 Nm on all four restyle 3.5 AT rows.

On 2 generation 3.5 AT, both are 277 hp / 204 kW. FWD has more torque (370 vs 340 Nm) and is 75 kg lighter (1686 vs 1761) but is 0.1 s slower (6.8 vs 6.7). AWD is the only RDX here with measured top speed 210 km/h, CO2 178 g/km, and Euro 5. FWD top speed, CO2, eco class, and gross weight are not measured.

On 1 generation, FWD 2.3 AT (353 Nm, 1700 kg, 7.3 s, 209 km/h) beats AWD 2.3 AT (260 Nm, 1790 kg, 7.4 s, 209 km/h) by 0.1 s and 1.2 L/100 km mixed (11.2 vs 12.4). After restyling the torque pairing reverses: FWD drops to 260 Nm and 7.5 s / 195 km/h; AWD gets 353 Nm, 7.4 s, 209 km/h. Restyle AWD is 100 kg heavier (1798 vs 1698). Mixed fuel: FWD 11.6 vs AWD 12.4. If first-gen AWD is the goal, the restyle 2.3 AT AWD matches the original AWD’s 353 Nm and 209 km/h; the original 1 generation AWD 2.3 AT is the 260 Nm, 95-fuel, 159 mm clearance car.

Performance, mpg, and what is not measured

Measured 0–100 km/h, fastest to slowest among published figures: 5.9 s — 3 generation / restyling / restyling 2 2.0 AT AWD; 6.4 s — same generations 2.0 AT FWD; 6.7 s — 2 generation 3.5 AT AWD 277 hp; 6.8 s — 2 generation 3.5 AT FWD 277 hp and 2 generation restyling 3.5 AT FWD 283 hp; 6.9 s — restyle 3.5 AT AWD 283 hp; 7.3 s — 1 generation 2.3 AT FWD; 7.4 s — 1 generation 2.3 AT AWD and 1 generation restyling 2.3 AT AWD; 7.5 s — restyle 2.3 AT FWD. Not measured: both 279 hp 3.5 AT versions.

Top speed measured only on: 2 generation 3.5 AT AWD 210 km/h; 1 generation both 2.3 AT 209 km/h; restyle 2.3 AT AWD 209 km/h; restyle 2.3 AT FWD 195 km/h. All third-generation 2.0 AT and all restyle 3.5 AT top speeds are not measured.

Mixed consumption, lowest published: 9.8 L/100 km on every 2.0 AT FWD (3 generation through restyling 2). Then 10.0 on 2 generation 3.5 AT AWD; 10.2 on 2.0 AT AWD, 2 generation 3.5 AT FWD, and restyle 3.5 AT FWD 283 hp; 10.7 on restyle 3.5 AT AWD 283 hp; 11.2 on 1 generation 2.3 AT FWD; 11.6 on restyle 2.3 AT FWD; 12.4 on both first-gen AWD 2.3 AT. City on the 2 generation AWD 3.5 AT is 14.0 L/100 km — the highest city figure — while its highway 7.6 is the lowest highway figure in the data. Not measured: fuel on both 279 hp 3.5 AT.

Dimensions, weight, tank, wheels

Kerb weight range with a number: 1686 kg (2 generation 3.5 AT FWD) to 1825 kg (every 2.0 AT AWD from 3 generation onward). Gross weight is measured on: restyle 3.5 AT AWD 283 hp 2260 kg; 2 generation 3.5 AT AWD 2260 kg; restyle 2.3 AT FWD 2340 / AWD 2440; 1 generation AWD 2.3 AT 2400 kg. Not measured on every other version, including all 2.0 AT.

Ground clearance: 159–160 mm (1 generation) vs 200–206 mm (2 generation family) vs 208 mm (all 2.0 AT). Restyle 1 generation clearance is not measured. Tank: 68 L (first gen), 73 L (2 generation), 61 L (2 generation restyling), 65 L (2.0 AT). Wheels measured only on 3 generation and 3 generation restyling 2.0 AT: 235/55 R19 and 255/40 R20; restyling 2 and all earlier cars: not measured. Front / rear: Independent, spring / Independent, spring; Ventilated disc / Disc on every version.

Reliability, problems, hybrid, A-Spec

This dataset has no failure rates, oil spec, air-filter intervals, or problem lists. Engine reliability and “engine oil type” cannot be scored from it. What can be compared: boost (Turbo on every 2.3 AT and 2.0 AT; No on every 3.5 AT), injection (Direct injection (direct) on third-gen 2.0 AT and on 2 generation 3.5 AT AWD 277 hp; Distributed injection (multi-point) on the rest), fuel 92 vs 95, and compression where measured (8.8 on 1 generation 2.3 AT; not measured on restyle 2.3 AT; 11.2 on 2 generation FWD 3.5 AT; 10.5 on other 3.5 AT; 9.8 on 2.0 AT). Hybrid does not exist among these versions. A-Spec is not a version name here; horsepower for “A-Spec” is the same 272 / 283 / 279 / 277 / 240 figures attached to 2.0 AT, 3.5 AT, and 2.3 AT.

Which version to choose

Want the shortest measured 0–100. 3 generation, 3 generation restyling, or 3 generation restyling 2 2.0 AT AWD, 272 hp, 5.9 s. Same engine as FWD; you pay 108 kg and 0.4 L/100 km mixed for 0.5 s.

Want the lowest mixed fuel among published figures. Any 2.0 AT FWD, 9.8 L/100 km, 6.4 s, 1717 kg, 208 mm, 10 gears. Restyling 2 FWD is the same numbers with fuel 92 instead of 95 and wheels not measured.

Want a 6-cylinder and the highest hp in the line. 2 generation restyling 3.5 AT 283 hp. Choose FWD if the sheet should show 6.8 s and 10.2 mixed at 1695 kg; choose AWD if you accept 6.9 s, 10.7 mixed, 1770 kg, and the only restyle gross weight (2260 kg). Skip the 279 hp 3.5 AT pair if you need a measured 0–100 or mpg — both are not measured.

Want Euro 5 and a CO2 number. Only 2 generation 3.5 AT AWD 277 hp: 178 g/km, Euro 5, 6.7 s, 210 km/h, 73 L, 1761 / 2260 kg, 200 mm. That is also the only Direct injection (direct) 3.5 AT.

Want first-gen Turbo 240 hp. 1 generation 2.3 AT FWD is the quickest of that family (7.3 s, 353 Nm, 11.2 mixed, 160 mm). 1 generation 2.3 AT AWD is 260 Nm, 7.4 s, 12.4 mixed, 159 mm, fuel 95. After restyling, take AWD 2.3 AT for 353 Nm and 209 km/h, or FWD 2.3 AT for 260 Nm, 7.5 s, 195 km/h, and 11.6 mixed.

Used vs current. 3 generation restyling and restyling 2 have stop not measured (still listed as current in this catalogue). Mechanical specs of 2.0 AT FWD and AWD do not change across those three third-generation entries except fuel 95→92 and wheels listed → not measured. A 2018–2021 3 generation 2.0 AT is the same 272 hp / 381 Nm / 6.4 or 5.9 s math as a 2024 restyling 2 car on this sheet.

There is no MDX in this data, so RDX vs MDX cannot be scored here. Search queries for 2025 / 2026 / 2027 horsepower map to the same 2.0 AT 272 hp as 2019–2024 third-generation rows; they do not add a new version.