During a recent trip to Victoria, it could not have rained harder.
The sky was black, it was raining sideways and the wind was blowing to the point an umbrella would have been more of a hindrance than a help.
But, I had a grandson to pick up on the island so was determined to get there no matter what Mother Nature was throwing at the West Coast that day — Mother Nature has yet to learn she’s no match against a determined grandma. Plus, I had a secret weapon against the weather — instead of driving my ancient Nissan to the island, I was checking out the 2017 RDX Elite.
And unlike my tiny car, which doesn’t do well in wind and rain, I had faith the RDX would get me and the most precious of all cargos — my grandson — safely to where we needed to go. The RDX was the highest score possible in side-impact, roof-strength and head restraints and seats (whiplash protection) tests by the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety.
As well, the U.S. government gave the RDX a top score of five stars each for total crash protection, total front impact safety and side-impact safety. The RDX also comes standard with anti-lock brakes, stability and traction control, front and side airbags, side curtain airbags, active front head restraints and a rear-view camera, which gave me a sense of confidence driving in the storm with my grandson. Advanced safety features include blind spot and rear cross-traffic warning systems.
Standard features include 18-inch wheels, rearview camera, automatic LED headlights, cruise control, rear privacy glass to keep your valuables safe, keyless ignition and entry, a power lift gate, sunroof, dual-zone automatic climate control, heated power front seats, leather-wrapped tilt-and-telescoping steering wheel, auto-dimming mirror, Bluetooth phone and audio, seven-speaker sound system with satellite radio, Pandora Internet radio control, an auxiliary audio jack, USB port and a media player interface.
Besides safety, here are some of the options and features of the RDX I enjoyed:
Lots of space: My luggage and gifts for the family, including for my grandson’s birthday, barely filled a quarter of the spacious cargo area. And despite falling into the “compact” SUV category, the interior of the RDX also has lots of room for growing families, with enough space in the back for a car seat and booster seat should you need them.
AcuraWatch Plus package: This option includes a forward collision warning and automatic braking system, which I appreciated driving in such poor visibility, as well as a lane-departure warning system and adaptive cruise control.
Technology package: A navigation and traffic information system are included in this package, as well as GPS-linked climate control, eight-way power passenger seat, smartphone apps, HD radio, Aha Internet radio capability and a 10-speaker Acura/ELS sound system.
Advance package: This package includes all of the above plus front and rear parking sensors, automatic wipers, fog lights, auto-dimming side mirrors, remote ignition and ventilated front seats.
Fuel economy: Despite its V6 engine, I found the RDX great on gas. The SUV maintains about 20 miles per gallon in the city and 28 on the highway for an average of 23.
(When deciding on a name for this column was suggested as a joke, but the more I thought about it the more I liked it. The term used to come with a whole lot of condescension and insult, but I saw it as a way to rise above all of those old gender stereotypes when it comes to writing about cars and trucks.)
@sthomas10
