"Acura's 2024 RDX Shifts Exclusively to All-Wheel Drive, Phases Out Front-Wheel Drive"

Front-wheel drive is often the budget-friendly choice for many new car buyers, providing cost savings when compared to the all-wheel drive alternative. An illustration of this can be seen in the case of the 2023 Acura RDX, which initially had a starting price of $42,945 with front-wheel drive (FWD), offering a $2,200 reduction in price compared to selecting the brand's Super Handling All-Wheel Drive (SH-AWD) option. However, Acura has now removed the FWD option, meaning RDX shoppers must accept the more expensive all-wheel drive system.

The decision to make all-wheel drive the only option aligns with the likelihood that the majority of RDX sales will be for all-wheel-drive models. Nonetheless, this change does impact the luxury compact SUV's value proposition, which used to set it apart from its more luxurious competitors like the BMW X3 and Mercedes-Benz GLC-class. The base RDX with all-wheel drive now starts at $45,245, marking a $2,300 increase from the previous pricing. For the Technology and A-Spec trims, an additional $2,700 is added to their base prices, which now begin at $47,895 and $50,895, respectively. The top-of-the-line Advanced trim only sees a $500 price increase from before, starting at $53,045. It's important to note that this trim was previously exclusively offered with all-wheel drive.

The 2024 Acura RDX retains its sole powertrain option: a 272-horsepower turbocharged 2.0-liter four-cylinder engine paired with a 10-speed automatic transmission. In a test of the 2022 model equipped with SH-AWD, it reached 60 mph in a swift 6.2 seconds. Additionally, it achieved a fuel economy of 26 mpg on a 75-mph fuel-economy route, matching its EPA highway estimate. Notably, there is no existing test data for a front-wheel-drive RDX from the current generation.