Fresh styling, more power, and new features highlight the 2007 redesign of Acura’s premium midsize SUV. MDX gains 2 inches in wheelbase and overall length vs. the 2001-06 model, but keeps seven-passenger seating. MDX retains a V6 as its only engine, but a new 300-hp 3.7-liter version replaces a 253-hp 3.5. The sole transmission remains a 5-speed automatic. New and standard for ’07 is Acura’s Super-Handling All-Wheel Drive (SH-AWD), which does not include low-range gearing but apportions power between the rear wheels to enhance cornering ability. ABS and antiskid control are also standard. So are front side airbags and curtain side airbags that cover all three seating rows and include rollover deployment. Other standard features: sunroof, leather upholstery, heated front seats, and wireless cell phone link. Options come in three packages. The Technology Package has a rearview camera and a voice-activated navigation system that can display real-time traffic conditions. A Sport Package includes those features plus driver-adjustable suspension. The Entertainment Package contains DVD entertainment, heated 2nd-row seats, and power liftgate.

A redesigned version of Acura’s upscale MDX midsize SUV debuts for 2007 with more of everything: distinctive styling inside and out, a longer wheelbase, a new powertrain, higher towing capacity and mind-boggling technology. Among the noteworthy features are an optional navigation system with real-time traffic updates and a climate-control system that works with the navigation to adjust interior temperatures relative to the position of the sun. Safety equipment now includes standard front-seat whiplash-reducing head restraints and a rollover protection system that automatically deploys head-curtain airbags if the vehicle flips.

Longer, lower and wider than the more conservative-looking model it replaces, the 2007 Acura MDX’s sculpted exterior is both bolder and richer-looking, with a large pentagonal front grille and chiseled lines, including one that wraps uninterrupted all the way around the vehicle — something you don’t see often. It bears more than a passing resemblance to its smaller sibling, the new-for-2007 RDX. The MDX shares technology with the Honda Pilot.

The all-new 2007 Acura MDX is built on a proper truck platform, and is not an adaptation of the Accord passenger car platform. It doesn’t look larger than last year’s MDX, but it is in fact several inches longer and wider. That makes it among the largest vehicles of its type. It offers more space for folks and flotsam inside, totaling almost 143 cubic feet. From its wild new grille to its elaborately stylish cat’s-eye headlamps to its huge new taillamps, it’s got a more muscular look compared to the original, especially in the areas around the tires. Sporty styling cues include the big, fat dual exhaust tips that look like they belong on a V8, and the hefty five-spoke alloy wheels. Even the Acura badge in the grille has been changed, and is now twice as big as it once was.

The seats are laid out in three rows of two, offering seating for up to seven people. The 10-way driver and 8-way front passenger power seats allow huge adjustment latitude for long-distance comfort.

The new MDX is physically stronger than the previous model, with a more rigid structure that’s much more resistant to twisting and bending, beneficial for ride and handling as well as tightness as the vehicle ages.

Powertrain improvements include a larger, more powerful V6 engine, combined with a five-speed manual-shift automatic transmission. The completely updated exterior appearance, which is sportier still than the original, will make it easy to spot the new one. Inside, there is a completely new approach to SUV interior design, a more organic, unified presentation of instruments and controls, a more involving scheme for the driver that should be appreciated by moms and dads alike.

Built on a new unibody truck platform, the slightly longer MDX has lost only fractions of an inch in height, but it looks considerably lower. I always thought the earlier MDX’s styling was inoffensive, maybe a little dorky (as if I should talk). The new one takes a stand. The defining characteristic is its shieldlike grille, whose presence is only slightly less bold than that of the MD-X concept shown at the New York auto show in April.
2007 Acura MDX Models:

2007 Acura MDX Base 
2007 Acura MDX Tech Package 
2007 Acura MDX Sport Package 
2007 Acura MDX Tech Package w/ Rear DVD System 
2007 Acura MDX Sport Package w/ Rear DVD System 

One downside to the Acura TSX is that we suspect many people don’t perceive it as being as prestigious to own as more established cars from European automakers. This is probably a function of the car’s newness, its Honda roots and its four-cylinder engine. But overall, our editors hold it in high regard and suggest that entry-level luxury sport sedan buyers give it consideration.

With sports sedan styling and performance, the new 2008 Acura TSX seats 5 comfortably and has a range of trim levels that encompass manual and automatic transmissions and satellite navigation. The 2008 TSX is identical to the 2008, with a significant redesign scheduled for 2009. An inline 4-cylinder engine that displaces 2.4 Liters is disappointing at 205 horsepower, but made a little more fun by a 6-speed manual gearbox or a 5-speed automatic.

The Acura TSX has seating for five passengers. Almost all of the car’s high-end features come standard. This includes items like 17-inch alloy wheels; HID headlights; heated, power-adjustable driver and passenger seats with driver memory; leather upholstery; an eight-speaker, 360-watt audio system with XM Satellite Radio and an in-dash CD changer; dual-zone automatic climate control; and a sunroof.

Generous with the standard features, the TSX comes with 17-inch alloy wheels; halogen headlamps, leather upholstery, AM/FM stereo with 6-disc CD changer, air-conditioning, and a moonroof. The interior is up market, with handsome trim and impressive instrumentation. Comfortable seats all around make this sports sedan a fun family car. An impressive voice-activated DVD-based navigation system is the only option the TSX offers.

The TSX’s cabin electronics, while very well-executed, are now merely standard fare in its class. Bluetooth, MP3 playback through an aux jack, touch-screen navigation, and satellite radio are all appreciated but also offered on all serious contenders in the “near-luxury” small sedan segment.

Powertrains and Performance
2008 Acura TSX offers standard 205hp 2.4-liter I4 engine with either five-speed automatic transmission and overdrive or six-speed manual transmission and overdrive. It delivers 19 to 20-mpg in city and 28-mpg on highway.

Interior Design and Special Features
Interiors of 2008 Acura TSX are attractive with modern technological features and straightforward controls. Interiors are spacious with sufficient cargo space.

Safety Features
Standard safety features of 2008 Acura TSX include stability and traction control, antilock disc brakes, front and rear side-curtain airbags, and side airbags for front passengers.
2008 Acura TSX Models:

2008 Acura TSX 6-Spd MT 
2008 Acura TSX 5-Spd AT 
2008 Acura TSX 6-Spd MT w/ Navigation System 
2008 Acura TSX 5-Spd AT w/ Navigation System 
 

The new 2008 Acura TL is a four-door luxury sport sedan with incomparable finesse available only one trim level. Powered by a 3.2-liter V6 engine, TL offers exhilarating performance and smooth ride. Proving that a sedan like the new 2008 Acura TL can be exciting, calming and composed at the same time.

Consumers interested in buying the Acura TL should be aware that there are three generations of the car. The current generation is the sportiest and most desirable because of its chiseled exterior styling, firm suspension tuning, powerful V6 and optional six-speed manual transmission. Nearly all of the TL’s luxury features come standard, including a surround-sound audio system. Its interior is notable for its high-quality design and materials.

The TL comes with a 258 hp 3.2-liter V6 with a five-speed automatic transmission that has a manual-shifting feature with a console-mounted lever. The TL Type-S features a 286-hp 3.5-liter V6 with a five-speed automatic that has shift paddles on the steering wheel. The S-type R is available with a six-speed manual transmission, and it’s matched with a limited-slip differential for improved traction.

Assembled entirely in the U.S., the TL combines a sturdy chassis, a remarkable engine, precise handling, and a class-leading standard of comfort and refinement. With just one available option — the state-of-the-art Acura Satellite-Linked Navigation System — the TL handles the details, as usual. The driver can get right down to the more immediate pleasures of owning a touring sedan, like taking the scenic route with all of Acura’s confidence-inspiring performance expertise at the ready.

Like most sedans, the TL is very usable on a daily basis and can perform well in nearly every role. According to our editors, the current TL is “a well-built, high-performing, feature-laden entry-level luxury sport sedan that should please most consumers shopping in this market.”

The horsepower hawks won. They delivered a new TL Type-S with a 3.5-liter, 286-horsepower V-6 — 26 more horses than the 260-horsepower, 3.2-liter V-6 engines installed in previous TL Type-S cars.

The extra horsepower served us well here. The TL Type-S was fast enough to escape the wrath of highway bullies and nimble enough to avoid being hit by city cabs-turned-MIDs (Motorized Impact Devices).

We would have preferred to describe the car in a more peaceful context — perhaps as a sleek automobile cruising down a tranquil parkway, dancing beautifully in the curves, blending nicely with the road’s undulations. The TL Type-S, with its well-engineered four-wheel independent suspension (double wishbone up front, multi-link in the rear), is worthy of such portrayal.

But our driving landscape — Interstate 95, the New Jersey Turnpike, the Garden State Parkway, New York streets gridlocked with preparations for Fashion Week — was anything but tranquil.

2008 Acura TL Models:

2008 Acura TL 5-Spd AT 
2008 Acura TL 5-Spd AT w/ Navigation System 
2008 Acura TL Type-S 6-Spd MT 
2008 Acura TL Type-S 5-Spd AT 
2008 Acura TL Type-S 6-Spd MT w/ Performance Tires 
2008 Acura TL Type-S 5-Spd AT w/ Performance Tires  

The 2008 Acura RL, a luxury sedan, comes equipped in two trim levels, the Sedan and the Sedan with Navigation System. The interior of The 2008 Acura RL offers luxury as would be expected from Acura, a leather-trimmed seat and leather wrapped steering wheel adds to the comfortable feel. While the driver’s 8-way power seat with 2-position memory system and the front passenger’s 4-way power seat make positioning anyone in a comfortable posture. Acura has also added a driver’s seat lumbar support that is adjustable. Heated front seats, Burled camphor wood trim, Rear-seat center armrest with dual beverage holder add additional convenience.

Luxury performance sedan available in two trims, sedan and technology package. The technology package features a Collision Mitigation Braking System (CMBS), adaptive cruise control and Michelin run-flat tires. Both trims are equipped with a standard 3.5-liter, V6, 225-horsepower engine that achieves 18-mpg in the city and 24-mpg on the highway. A 4-speed automatic transmission with overdrive is standard. The 2008 3.5 RL is unchanged from 2002.
The 3.5 liter RL is available with a 5-speed SportShift with Overdrive and paddle shifters, combining a free-revving, 290-horsepower V6 engine with all-wheel drive for improved grip and superior stability. The RL delivers the responsive handling of a sports sedan yet rides smoothly. It offers the latest in technology, including a system that can help you avoid rear-ending someone in stop-and-go traffic. An available technology package includes a navigation syste4m, rearview camera to avoid minor collisions while parking, and a satellite system to get updates on real-time traffic.

Comparable vehicles in the marketplace to The 2008 acura RL include the Audi A6, the Jaguar S-Type, and the Volvo S80. Both trims are equipped with a standard 3.5-liter, V6, 225-horsepower engine that achieves 18-mpg in the city and 24-mpg on the highway.

Acura didn’t design the RL to be a powerhouse sedan or an extravagant luxo-barge. It is, however, a comfortable and refined sedan packaged with a high level of technology. For buyers in this segment, we suspect that the RL represents the intelligent choice. Alas, it would seem that being the intelligent choice only gets a car so far in terms of sales. The Acura RL has never attained huge popularity and typically lives in the shadow of more prestigious makes and well-known models. Older models suffer from the same problem, but to an even greater degree. We like the current-generation car, though, and recommend it for buyers desiring an all-wheel-drive luxury sedan, particularly one that’s loaded with all the latest technology.

Although the new 2008 Acura 3.5 RL is a luxury sedan, it performs very well in the city and on a winding country road as well. The RL is equipped with antilock breaks on all 4 wheels and its optional dual wishbone suspension is unbeatable of holding the road. We highly recommend this new 2008 Acura 3.5 RL for those who are considering entering the luxury class of automobiles.

Acura didn’t change the 3.5 RL much during its first generation. In 2000, it received a standard stability control system and an improved navigation system. The most significant changes were made in 2002, when it gained a bit more power and a more firmly tuned suspension.

2008 Acura RL Models:

2008 Acura RL Sedan 
2008 Acura RL Technology Package 
2008 Acura RL CMBS/PAX Package 

A new term seems to have settled for vehicles like the RDX: Crossover Utility Vehicle. CUVs are basically SUVs with unibody construction, like a car: the chassis, floorplan and body are all one piece, which adds rigidity to the structure, saves weight and rides softer, but isn’t as rugged as a body-on-frame vehicle, like a pickup truck or an SUV built on a pickup truck platform.

There’s big news under the RDX’s hood: the first turbocharged engine (other than European-market turbodiesels) for a Honda or Acura street vehicle. The all-new, 2.3-liter i-VTEC turbocharged four-cylinder makes 240 hp and 260 lb-ft of torque and is mated to a five-speed manu-matic transmission with steering wheel mounted paddle shifters. Acura’s Super Handling All Wheel Drive system is standard. One would assume that the RDX is built on a variant of the Honda CR-V platform, but Acura insists that it is actually underpinned by an “all-new global light truck platform.” We assume the company will elaborate on that assertion in due time.

As you would expect, the RDX will be equipped with standard front, side, and side curtain air bags. The cabin also can be fitted with Acura’s navigation system with real-time traffic reports and an ELS DVD-Audio surround sound stereo system.

The Acura RDX is also the first factory Acura product to utilize a turbocharged engine. This attribute, along with the vehicle’s design focus on on-road performance rather than off-road ability, reinforces the crossover’s purpose as a sporty performer inside the body of a small SUV. As such, Acura hopes it will appeal to young affluent buyers looking for an alternative to a sedan or coupe.

The one drawback to such a sport-conscious package is that it comes at the sacrifice of some utility. Although there’s plenty of space for passengers (the rear seats are nearly as roomy as those in the larger Acura MDX), the 61 (maximum) cubic-foot cargo hold is on the small side compared to most rivals and lacks items like adjustable cargo tracks and a rear parcel shelf.

2008 Acura RDX Models :

2008 Acura RDX 5-Spd AT 
2008 Acura RDX 5-Spd AT w/ Technology Package