2024 Acura RDX Ditches Front-Wheel Drive and Goes AWD Only
- The 2024 Acura RDX no longer comes standard with front-wheel drive; all-wheel drive is now obligatory.
- Without FWD, the RDX’s base price rises from $42,945 last year to $45,245. That’s a $2300 price hike.
- The mid-tier Technology and A-Spec trims now cost $2700 more, while the top-spec Advance trim costs $500 more.
All-wheel drive is a popular option on new cars that offer it. However, when front-wheel drive comes standard, it usually provides a decent discount. Take, for example, the 2023 Acura RDX that started at $42,945 with FWD, which provided a $2200 savings versus opting for the brand’s Super Handling All-Wheel Drive (SH-AWD). Now, RDX shoppers have no choice except to accept the latter system and pay a couple thousand dollars more.
RDX Now AWD Only
With all-wheel-drive models most likely making up the vast majority of RDX sales, it makes sense for Acura to ditch the front-drive configuration. However, there’s no doubt that the decision diminishes the luxury compact SUV’s value proposition, which helped it stand out versus ritzier rivals such as the BMW X3 and Mercedes-Benz GLC-class.
The entry-level RDX with AWD now starts at $45,245, which is $2300 more than before. An extra $2700 is added to the base price of the Technology and A-Spec trims; they start at $47,895 and $50,895, respectively. The top-of-the-line Advanced only costs $500 more than before, starting at $53,045. Of course, it was previously only offered with AWD.
The 2024 Acura RDX still only features a single powertrain, a 272-hp turbocharged 2.0-liter four-cylinder paired with a 10-speed automatic transmission. We tested a 2022 model with SH-AWD, and it scampered to 60 mph in a tidy 6.2 seconds. It also returned 26 mpg on our 75-mph fuel-economy route, matching its EPA highway estimate. We’ve never tested a front-drive RDX from the current generation.
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Senior Editor
Eric Stafford’s automobile addiction began before he could walk, and it has fueled his passion to write news, reviews, and more for Car and Driver since 2016. His aspiration growing up was to become a millionaire with a Jay Leno–like car collection. Apparently, getting rich is harder than social-media influencers make it seem, so he avoided financial success entirely to become an automotive journalist and drive new cars for a living. After earning a journalism degree at Central Michigan University and working at a daily newspaper, the years of basically burning money on failed project cars and lemon-flavored jalopies finally paid off when Car and Driver hired him. His garage currently includes a 2010 Acura RDX, a manual ’97 Chevy Camaro Z/28, and a ’90 Honda CRX Si.