2010 Acura Rdx Sh-awd Sport Utility 4-door 2.3l on 2040-cars

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Consumer Reports no longer recommends Honda Civic

Consumer Reports annual Car Reliability Survey is out, and yes, there are some big surprises. First and foremost? The venerable publication no longer recommends the Honda Civic. In fact, aside from the walking-dead CR-Z and limited-release Clarity fuel-cell car, the Civic is the only Honda to miss out on CR's prestigious nod. At the opposite end there's a surprise as well – Toyota and Lexus remain the most reliable brands on the market, but Buick cracked the top three. That's up from seventh last year, and the first time for an American brand to stand on the Consumer Reports podium. Mazda's entire lineup earned Recommended checks as well. Consumer Reports dinged the Civic for its "infuriating" touch-screen radio, lack of driver lumbar adjustability, the limited selection of cars on dealer lots fitted with Honda's popular Sensing system, and the company's decision to offer LaneWatch instead of a full-tilt blind-spot monitoring system. Its score? A lowly 58. The Civic isn't the only surprise drop from CR's Recommended ranks. The Audi A3, Ford F-150, Subaru WRX/STI, and Volkswagen Jetta, GTI, and Passat all lost the Consumer Reports' checkmark. On the flipside, a number of popular vehicles graduated to the Recommended ranks, including the BMW X5, Chevrolet Camaro, Corvette, and Cruze, Hyundai Santa Fe, Porsche Macan, and Tesla Model S. Perhaps the biggest surprise is the hilariously recall-prone Ford Escape getting a Recommended check – considering the popularity of Ford's small crossover, this is likely a coup for the brand, as it puts the Escape on a level playing field with the Recommended Toyota RAV4, Honda CR-V, and Nissan Rogue. While Ford is probably happy to see CR promote the Escape, the list wasn't as kind for every brand. For example, of the entire Fiat Chrysler Automobiles catalog, the ancient Chrysler 300 was the only car to score a check – there wasn't a single Dodge, Fiat, Jeep, Maserati, or Ram on the list. That hurts. FCA isn't alone at the low end, either. GMC, Jaguar Land Rover, Mini, and Mitsubishi don't have a vehicle on CR's list between them, while brands like Mercedes-Benz, Volvo, Nissan, Lincoln, Infiniti, and Cadillac only have a few models each. You can check out Consumer Reports entire reliability roundup, even without a subscription, here.

2023 Acura RDX gains convenience features, costs $750 more

The 2023 Acura RDX has made it to dealer lots boasting a couple of new add-ons and a higher MSRP. Honda's luxury arm rejigged the equipment list for the 2022 model year, addressing the omissions that many, including us, griped about. Beyond the styling tweaks, the RDX got a quieter cabin, reworked drive modes and a retuned active suspension, standard wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, Amazon Alexa compatibility, and a USB-C charging port. Enhanced convenience and safety gear counted blind-spot warning, automatic emergency braking with pedestrian detection, and chassis reinforcements to improve crash performance. For 2023, Acura has made three years of AcuraLink and two years of the Acura Maintenance Package standard. AcuraLink includes the Security and Remote Packages. The former notifies a help center in case of a collision or emergency, and provides "enhanced roadside assistance." The latter gives owners smartphone control of the vehicle from a distance so they can start and stop the engine, lock and unlock the doors, find their vehicle whether it's simply been parked or if it's been stolen, and geofence a driving area. The maintenance package takes care of scheduled care for two years or 24,000 miles, whichever comes first. The 2023 version of the two-row crossover starts at $750 more than it did in 2022. This isn't bad considering AcuraLink runs $359 for a three-year commitment and a maintenance package would easily cost a few hundred more — or about the price of a bag of groceries lately. MSRPs for the 2023 RDX range after the $1,195 destination charge are: RDX: $42,545 RDX with Technology Package: $45,195 RDX A-Spec: $48,195 RDX with Advance Package (AWD only): $52,545 RDX A-Spec with Advance Package (AWD only): $54,545 Adding AWD to the three lower trims costs $2,200. Every RDX gets powered by a 2.0-liter turbocharged four-cylinder with 272 horsepower and 280 pound-feet of torque, shifted through a ten-speed automatic. Related video:

Acura is bringing back one of the first-gen NSX's coolest colors

Between 1997 and 2003, about 20 percent of first-generation Acura NSXs wore the color Spa Yellow, also known as Indy Yellow in some markets. As the legend of the NSX grew, so did the shiny color's reputation, and today, it's one of collectors' favorites. That's why it was odd that the second-generation NSX has not offered yellow paint ... until now. Acura announced the 2020 NSX will offer Indy Yellow Pearl, a similar-but-new take on the classic. Acura currently offers eight colors on the NSX: Nouvelle Blue Pearl, Valencia Red Pearl, Casino White Pearl, Source Silver Metallic, Thermal Orange Pearl, 130R White, Curva Red, and Berlina Black. Of those, Berlina Black is considered the only heritage color, and now it's getting a partner in Indy Yellow Pearl. Although Berlina Black can be ordered as a standard color, Indy Yellow Pearl will cost an extra $1,000, which seems completely worth it. Spa Yellow, which was the fifth-most-popular first-generation NSX color, was one of two yellows offered back then. For the 2004 and 2005 model years, the last two years of first-gen NSX production, Spa Yellow was replaced with Rio Yellow. The announcement comes ahead of California's famous Monterey Car Week, where the car will make its global in-person debut. It will be shown next to an NSX GT3 Evo racecar on the main strip in downtown Carmel-by-the-Sea, California.  The 2020 Acura NSX starts at $159,495, including destination.