DUNE DEVILS

ELECTRO
REPRINT NICALLY
ED FROM
August 2007
DUNE DEVILS
FEELING RAMBUNCTIOUS?
BOUNCE INTO ONE OF THESE BUGGIES
FOR A HOT DATE IN THE DESERT.
Words Ron Kiino
Photographs Brian Vance
(COMPARISON) ACURA RDX VS. BMW X3 VS. LAND ROVER LR2 VS. LINCOLN MKX
(comparison)
acura rdx vs. bmw x3 vs. land rover lr2 vs. lincoln mkx
With the
proliferation of the
seven-seat crossover/utility vehicle—even
such cute/utes as the Mitsubishi Outlander
and Toyota RAV4 offer a third row—the
two-row CUV, the old standby, is seemingly
becoming a thing of the past. Several
automakers, though, aren’t dismissing the
five-seat crossover, especially the premium
variety, recognizing there are still plenty of
singles, couples, and families who aren’t
willing to take one for the home team—at
least not yet. Audi, Infiniti, and Volvo, for
instance, are betting that the popularity
of the small, snappy CUV is shooting
nowhere but skyward, each readying a
version of its own. Mercedes and others
are sure to follow. Further, prospective
customers of these premium crossovers
have some money to burn—certainly if
suspension is all over the road, the tracthey’re empty- or never-nesters—and are
tion control steps in too early and often,
willing to spend upward of $40,000 on a
and there’s no cornering feel.” The
vehicle that pampers them with luxury, Lincoln seems to float around curves,
performance, and, of course, fun.
never composed, always rolling, squatSo what such crossovers exist today?
ting, and diving. Senses through the helm
Our radar exposed three all-new blips— are rubbery, elastic, numb—you get the
the Acura RDX, the Land Rover LR2, and the
idea—prompting St. Antoine to declare,
Lincoln MKX—and one familiar bogey, the “‘Steering feel’ is an oxymoron.” The brakes
BMW X3. All these first-class CUVs offer aren’t much better, delivering a mushy
a leather-appointed interior, a navigation
pedal and fade-prone performance.
system, Xenon headlamps, a premium
On the bright side, the MKX isn’t without
sound system, all-wheel drive, and well
merits. Despite its hedonistic heft, it
over 200 horsepower. To determine which
manages respectable test numbers—0lavish Lilliputian is the mightiest of the
to-60 in 7.7 seconds and the quarter mile
bunch, we paid a visit to the Dumont Dunes, in 15.9 at 86.4 mph—well above those of
a Mecca of sandy mounds near the Mojave
the LR2 and a testament to the robust 265
National Preserve, to test off-road prowess
horsepower from the 3.5-liter V-6. The soft
and beach benevolence. Along the way, suspension, a weakness in the twisty bits,
we explored the highways and byways
is a blessing on the highway, providing
around Devils Playground to score ride, the cushiest, most serene ride. Moreover,
comfort, and luxury, and closed with
at the dunes, the MKX will romp all day
rigorous handling loops in the San Gabriel
without ever needing a time out. And while
Mountains to rate chassis dynamics: 1000
most of us don’t care for Lincoln’s retro
miles accumulated, one CUV had us feeling
interior—the square gauges remind art
especially devilish.
director Voehringer of the dials on his 1971
oven—and subsequent sterile ambiance,
New Old
the cabin does boast the most accommoUnfortunately for Lincoln, the MKX isn’t the
dating back seat, the widest and largest
one. Tired, perhaps, but not devilish. The
cargo hold, and heated and cooled front
sole American in the group, the MKX, sad
seats.
to say, represents itself as do many—sloppy
Voehringer sums up the Lincoln as, “A
and overweight. Suffocating the scales with
biopsy of the quintessential American
4618 pounds—308 pounds more than the
luxury vehicle—big, wide, and soft, with
next-heaviest LR2 and nearly 700 pounds
a few handy-dandy features as a bonus.”
porkier than the group lightweight, the
The MKX’s dire dynamics in the mountains,
RDX—the MKX feels like a pig among
stiff $44,000 price tag, and lack of a manual
coyotes, exhibiting untidy movements
mode for the six-speed (how does Lincoln
and languid responses. Turn-in? Maybe
expect to conquer import customers
tomorrow. Understeer? Overwhelming. without a manual mode?) relegate it to
Editor-at-large St. Antoine notes, “The
fourth place—a bonus in our book.
Aged but Athletic
Introduced as a 2004 model, the X3 is the
eldest of the foursome, but it’s nonetheless
a fresh player, having undergone significant
transplants for 2007, notably a 260-horse I-6,
a six-speed manumatic, and restyled front
and rear fascias. Like its big brother, the X5,
the X3 sports xDrive all-wheel drive, a reardrive-biased system designed to impart
BMW’s renowned handling traits. Overall, it
succeeds, as the X3 generally feels neutral
and composed under aggressive cornering,
although we did experience more body roll
than expected. Our tester came sans a sport
package, which adds a tauter suspension
and 18-inch alloys, an option that would
likely remedy the unwelcome swaying but
also roughen an already rough and often
harsh ride. The steering, a BMW hallmark,
is surprisingly slow on turn-in, but comes
alive and communicates clearly once in
the bend. The brakes, conversely, aren’t
slow at all—actually a bit grabby on tipin—providing strong response and, at 126
feet, the shortest distance from 60 to 0,
placing it in a tie with the Land Rover.
At the dragstrip, the X3, with its velvety
3.0-liter and quick-shifting six-speed,
devours 0-to-60 in 7.0 seconds and the
quarter mile in 15.3 at 90.0 mph, one of only
two to record a 90-mph trap speed. Wearing
Pirelli Scorpion tires, the Bimmer, naturally,
remains vigorous when confronted by sand—
simply disable the stability control, drop the
six-speed into second, and let xDrive’s steplessly variable front/rear torque split slide
you around with confidence. Vivacious as it
is on- and off-road, the X3 is unexpectedly
the most frugal at the pump, dispensing a
best-in-test 19.7 mpg.
Nestled behind the wheel, the X3 is still
All-Terrain Aptitude
a pleasant place to reside—a $150 heated
steering wheel and $700 “Comfort Seats”
with lumbar support are cosseting—yet
it feels dated in view of its competition,
evidenced by a pop-up nav screen that
can be controlled only by a single knob.
The X3 is competent off-road, rewarding
when the tarmac winds, and, assuming
a stiff ride is tolerable, also a pleasant
day-to-day transporter. At nearly $50,000,
however—X5, anyone?—the X3 can simply
be described as overpriced.
Sharing platform pieces with the new
Volvo S80 and utilizing the Swede’s 3.2liter inline-six and six-speed automatic,
the LR2 is unlike other Rovers in that it’s
car-based and, under most circumstances,
functions as a front-drive CUV. But that’s not
to say it’s not a legitimate Land Rover; after
all, it boasts the most ground clearance
(8.3 inches), the best approach/departure angles (29.0/32.0 degrees), and the
most formidable off-road system. Dubbed
Terrain Response, the LR2’s Haldex-based
all-wheel drive meshes the transmission,
throttle, stability control, and hill descent
to optimize momentum through just about
every landscape imaginable. At Dumont,
with T.R. set to Sand—General Driving,
Grass/Gravel/Snow, and Mud and Ruts are
the other settings—the LR2 eats through
sand like Kobayashi does Nathan’s Famous
hot dogs, devouring dune after dune,
seemingly toying with the others. Love
the outdoors and off-roading? The LR2 is
in a class by itself.
Compared with its predecessor, the frail
and frumpy Freelander, the LR2 plays the
rough part well. It looks rugged, almost
like a mini-LR3, a theme that carries over
inside, evidenced by a strikingly similar
dash, instrument panel, and steering wheel.
Further, behind that wheel, the feel is much
the same—the seating position is high,
visibility all around is excellent, and the
cabin is roomier than expected.
As in the X3 and the RDX, the LR2’s ride
is firm, yet the Land Rover manages to dull
the impacts. Editorial assistant LaPalme
notes, “Suspension is more boatlike than
the others, with a slight bobbing feel when
rolling over seams and bumps.” Through
winding roads, the LR2 continues to impress,
offering light, pure steering sensation,
respectable lateral acceleration (0.76 g),
and stellar braking (60 to 0 in 126 feet).
The Rover does exhibit a fair amount of
body roll—at 69.5 inches tall, it possesses
the highest center of gravity—but once
settled in a turn, it feels composed, mildly
protesting with moderate understeer.
Saddled with over 4300 pounds and a tall
final drive (2.59:1), the LR2 is the slowest to
60 (9.0 seconds) and the quarter mile (16.8
at 82.5 mph) and sometimes feels weak
trudging up steep grades. Still, wearing a
price tag undercut only by the Acura’s and
armed with 60 years of off-road expertise,
a rugged façade befitting an Indiana Jones
rig, and refined, laudable road manners,
the LR2 easily secures the second spot.
although its 6.3 inches of ground clearance
and fussy traction control (we couldn’t
disable it with the tires deflated to 15 psi)
make it more of a soft-roader.
On the open highway, the RDX loves to
Sinisterly Sweet
run all day. “Freeway driving is a breeze,
On paper, the Acura doesn’t appear that with seamless boost for passing and
imposing. Under its hood resides the only climbing,” says Voehringer. The rigid
four-cylinder in this group, mated to the and sometimes coarse ride is akin to the
test’s sole five-speed automatic. And horse- X3’s, the light and linear steering similar
power is rated at just 240, bettering only that to the LR2’s. While the five-speed is plenty
of the LR2. But stomp on the drive-by-wire intuitive, steering-wheel-mounted paddle
throttle and that paper flies right out the shifters are at the command of the most
window—0-to-60 takes a mere 6.5 seconds impatient drivers. They’re especially useful
and the quarter mile just 15.1 at 90.7 mph, for a last-second pass or impersonating a
handily smoking the other three.
Formula 1 driver on a mountain road. As
Credit the RDX’s variable-flow turbo- St. Antoine adds, “The shifters are very
charger and 13.5 psi of maximum boost, useable, unlike other units that seem
which musters the most torque (260 pound- added for decoration.”
feet) of the bunch. Of course, the RDX
Inside, the RDX is standard Acura: clean,
isn’t just swift in a straight line. In lateral well-executed, and of the utmost quality.
acceleration and the figure eight, the Acura Voehringer notes, “Overall, the interior
boasts the most brisk numbers—0.83 g is the most appealing. It’s well integrated
and 27.7 seconds at 0.62 g, respectively— all around with a diversity of textures. The
verification that the SH-AWD system, which center stack is positively futuristic looking
distributes torque not only between the while easing interface.”
front and rear axles but also the left
And despite being the coziest of this
and right rear wheels, is indeed “super quartet, the RDX is plenty comfy for four
handling.” Compared with the MKX, the and offers more cargo volume than the
RDX feels like an NSX. According to St. LR2. Better still, at $37,165—$2785 less
Antoine, “There’s more understeer than than the LR2 and $1610 less than the X3’s
I expected, but the SH-AWD helps pull base price—the RDX is the easiest on the
the RDX out as the corner progresses.” wallet yet the most entertaining on the
On sand, the SH-AWD doesn’t skip a beat, road. Cheap and fun—who wouldn’t feel
turning the RDX into a capable off-roader, devilish? n
n 1st Place
Acura RDX
A sport sedan in crossover clothes.
2nd Place
Land Rover LR2 SE
A star off-road that
still shines on-road.
3rd Place
BMW X3 3.0si
A track-and-field celebrity
charging exorbitant royalties.
n 4th Place
Lincoln MKX
Too overpriced and overweight
to be a real contender.
2007 ACURA RDX
2007 ACURA RDX
POWERTRAIN/CHASSIS
Drivetrain layout
Engine type
Valvetrain
Displacement
Compression ratio
Power (SAE NET)
Torque (SAE NET)
Weight to power
Transmission
Axle/final
Suspension, front; rear
Steering ratio
Turns lock-to-lock
Brakes, f;r
Wheels
Tires
DIMENSIONS
Wheelbase
Track, f/r
Length x width x height
Ground clearance
Apprch/depart angle
Turning circle
Curb weight
Weight dist, f/r
Towing capacity
Seating capacity
Headroom, f/r
Legroom, f/r
Shoulder room, f/r
Cargo vol behind f/r
TEST DATA
Acceleration to mph
0-30
0-40
0-50
0-60
0-70
0-80
0-90
0-100
Passing, 45-65 mph
Quarter mile
Braking, 60-0 mph
Lateral acceleration
MT figure eight
Top-gear revs @ 60 mph
CONSUMER INFO
Base price
Price as tested
Stability/traction control
Airbags
Basic warranty
Powertrain warranty
Roadside assistance
Fuel capacity
EPA city/hwy econ
CO 2 emissions
MT fuel economy
Recommended fuel
2007 BMW X3 3.0si
2008 LAND ROVER LR2 SE
2007 LINCOLN MKX AWD
Front engine, AWD
I-6 alum & mag block/alum head
DOHC, 4 valves/cyl
182.8 cu in/2996cc
10.7:1
260 hp @ 6600 rpm
225 lb-ft @ 2750 rpm
15.8 lb/hp
6-speed automatic
4.44:1/2.97:1
Struts, coil springs, anti-roll bar;
multilink, coil springs; anti-roll bar
Front engine, AWD
I-6 alum block/head
DOHC, 4 valves/cyl
194.8 cu in/3192cc
10.8:1
230 hp @ 6300 rpm
234 lb-ft @ 3200 rpm
18.7 lb/hp
6-speed automatic
3.75:1/2.59:1
Struts, coil springs, anti-roll bar;
struts, coil springs, anti-roll bar
Front engine, AWD
60-deg V-6 alum block/heads
DOHC, 4 valves/cyl
213.3 cu in/3496cc
10.3:1
265 hp @ 6250 rpm
250 lb-ft @ 4500 rpm
17.4 lb/hp
6-speed automatic
3.39:1/2.52:1
Struts, coil springs, anti-roll bar;
multilink, coil springs, anti-roll bar
18.9:1
3.4
12.8-in vented disc;
12.6-in vented disc, ABS
15.4:1
2.6
12.5-in vented disc;
12.0-in vented disc, ABS
17.6:1
2.9
12.6-in vented disc;
11.9-in disc, ABS
8.0x17.0 in, cast aluminum
235/55R17 99H
Pirelli Scorpion STR
8.0x18.0 in, cast aluminum
235/60R18 107V Continental
Cross Contact UHP
7.5x18.0 in, cast aluminum
245/60R18 104T Continental
Cross Contact LX
104.3 in
104.3 in
61.9/62.6 in
61.9/62.6 in
180.7 x 73.6 x 65.2 in
180.7 x 73.6 x 65.2 in
6.3 in
6.3 in
28.0/22.0 deg
28.0/22.0 deg
39.2 ft
39.2 ft
3925 lb
3925 lb
57/43%
57/43%
1500
1500lblb
55
38.7/38.3
38.7/38.3inin
41.8/37.7
41.8/37.7inin
58.2/56.3
58.2/56.3inin
60.6/27.8
60.6/27.8cucuftft
110.1 in
60.0/60.7 in
179.9 x 73.0 x 65.9 in
8.0 in
24.0/21.9 deg
38.4 ft
4115 lb
50/50%
3500 lb
5
39.3/39.4 in
40.2/35.8 in
55.6/55.0 in
71.0/30.0 cu ft
104.7 in
63.0/63.5 in
177.1 x 75.1 x 69.5 in
8.3 in
29.0/32.0 deg
37.1 ft
4310 lb
58/42%
3500 lb
5
40.2/39.4 in
41.9/36.4 in
57.6/57.3 in
58.9/26.7 cu ft
111.2 in
65.1/64.9 in
186.5 x 75.8 x 67.2 in
8.0 in
16.7/25.0 deg
38.6 ft
4618 lb
57/43%
3500 lb
5
37.8/38.7 in
40.7/39.6 in
58.9/58.8 in
68.7/31.8 cu ft
2.3
2.3sec
sec
3.3
3.3
4.9
4.9
6.5
6.5
8.7
8.7
11.6
11.6
14.9
14.9
19.0
19.0
3.4
3.4
15.1sec
sec@@90.7
90.7 mph
mph
15.1
136ftft
136
0.83ggavg
avg
0.83
27.7
sec
0.62 gg avg
avg
27.7 sec @@0.62
2150rpm
rpm
2150
2.2 sec
3.5
5.0
7.0
9.1
11.9
15.3
18.6
3.8
15.3 sec @ 90.0 mph
126 ft
0.81 g avg
28.0 sec @ 0.61 g avg
2300 rpm
2.8 sec
4.5
6.6
9.0
12.1
15.9
20.0
—
4.9
16.8 sec @ 82.5 mph
126 ft
0.76 g avg
29.4 sec @ 0.54 g avg
1900 rpm
2.5 sec
3.9
5.5
7.7
10.4
13.5
17.6
—
4.3
15.9 sec @ 86.4 mph
151 ft
0.73 g avg
29.3 sec @ 0.57 g avg
1750 rpm
$33,665
$33,665
$37,165
$37,165
Yes/yes
Yes/yes
Dual front, front side, f/r curtain
Dual front, front side, f/r curtain
$38,775
$47,975
Yes/yes
Dual front, front side, f/r curtain
$34,700
$39,950
Yes/yes
Dual front, driver knee, front side,
f/r curtain
$36,445
$43,890
Yes/yes
Dual front, front side, f/r curtain
4 yrs/50,000 miles
4 yrs/50,000 miles
6 yrs/70,000 miles
6 yrs/70,000 miles
4 yrs/50,000 miles
4 yrs/50,000 miles
18.0 gal
18.0 gal
19/23 mpg
19/23 mpg
0.94 lb/mile
0.94
17.7 lb/mile
mpg
17.7
mpg
Premium
Premium
unleaded
unleaded
4 yrs/50,000 miles
4 yrs/50,000 miles
4 yrs/unlimited miles
17.7 gal
19/26 mpg
0.90 lb/mile
19.7 mpg
Premium
unleaded
4 yrs/50,000 miles
4 yrs/50,000 miles
4 yrs/50,000 miles
18.5 gal
16/23 mpg
1.0 lb/mile
18.2 mpg
Premium
unleaded
4 yrs/50,000 miles
6 yrs/70,000 miles
6 yrs/70,000 miles
20.0 gal
17/24 mpg
0.99 lb/mile
17.0 mpg
Regular
unleaded
Front engine, AWD
Turbocharged
Front engine, I-4
AWDalum block/head
DOHC,
4 valves/cyl
Turbocharged
I-4 alum block/head
140.4
DOHC,cu4 in/2300cc
valves/cyl
8.8:1
140.4 cu in/2300cc
240
hp @ 6000 rpm
8.8:1
240lb-ft
hp @@6000
260
4500rpm
rpm
260 lb/hp
lb-ft @ 4500 rpm
16.4
16.4 lb/hp
5-speed
automatic
5-speed automatic
4.53:1/2.77:1
4.53:1/2.77:1
Struts,
coil springs, anti-roll bar;
Struts, coilcoil
springs,
anti-roll
bar;bar
multilink,
springs,
anti-roll
multilink, coil springs, anti-roll bar
15.1:1
15.1:1
2.8
2.8 vented disc;
11.7-in
11.7-in solid
venteddisc,
disc;ABS
12.0-in
12.0-in solid disc, ABS
7.5x18.0 in, cast aluminum
7.5x18.0 in,
235/55R18
99Vcast aluminum
235/55R18
99VHX MXM4
Michelin
Pilot
Michelin Pilot HX MXM4
Posted with permission from the August 2007 issue of Motor Trend ® www.motortrend.com. Copyright 2007, Primedia Inc. All rights reserved.
For more information about reprints from Motor Trend, contact Wright’s Reprints at 877-652-5295.
© 2007 Acura. Acura and RDX are trademarks of Honda Motor Co., Ltd. (E47043).
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