2020 Acura Rdx Advance Package on 2040-cars

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Editors' Picks March 2024: Refreshed Acura TLX, the Mazda CX-90 and more

This month, a wide variety of body styles and powertrain propositions earn Editors' Picks status. The brand-new Mazda CX-90 has impressed us in many forms, but that comes as no surprise. The Tonale from Alfa may not be a super-hot performance SUV like the Stelvio Quadrifoglio, but it's still captured our love. And for those wishing to remain lower to the ground, the V60/V60 Cross Country bring style to the limited pie that is the wagon market. Lastly, Acura updates its TLX, and the package only gets better. In case you missed previous Editors' Picks posts, here’s a quick refresher on whatÂ’s going on here. We rate all the new cars we drive with a 1-10 score. Cars that are exemplary in their respective segments get an EditorsÂ’ Pick designation. Those are the ones weÂ’d recommend to our friends, family and anybody whoÂ’s curious and asks the question. You'll find the entire list of Editors' Picks at this link here, which we keep updated as cars are either added or dropped from the list. The vehicles youÂ’ll find below consist of every car we rated in March that earned an EditorsÂ’ Pick. 2024 Mazda CX-90 2024 Mazda CX-90 PHEV Premium Plus View 70 Photos Quick take: The driver's three-row SUV. Enthusiasts who need space should seek out the CX-90. It translates Mazda's enthusiast DNA into a people hauler. Score: 8 What it competes with: Honda Pilot, Kia Telluride, Jeep Grand Cherokee L, Chevy Traverse, Subaru Ascent, Ford Explorer, Toyota Highlander, Mazda CX-9, Kia Sorento, Buick Enclave, Nissan Pathfinder, VW Atlas Pros: Lovely to drive inline-six; premium interior; will make you forget you're driving a family hauler Cons: Limited third-row and cargo space for the segment; PHEV is rough around the edges From the editors: News Editor Joel Stocksdale — "With excellent driving dynamics, classy interiors, strong powertrains and good value, the CX-90 should be high on anyone's shopping list, whether they're looking at mainstream or upscale brands. It's a strong competitor in a big field. The available interiors put it on par with some real upscale brands. It's not perfect, but it's very good, and it's a good sign for future Mazdas." Road Test Editor Zac Palmer — "There's little doubt that the CX-90 is the affordable three-row SUV for enthusiasts, and I think the inline-six is likely your best bet.

Acura already planning NSX Type R?

Acura just took the wraps off the production version of its long-awaited new NSX, but rumors are already circulating of an even hotter version to follow. Meeting up at the Detroit Auto Show this week, Auto Express asked the NSX's chief engineer Ted Klaus about the prospect of a Type R version in the future, to which he reportedly answered: "I think everyone who loves cars wants to see a version that we say is pure red. The NSX has always been silver first, moving towards red later. Someone asked me, 'when will you be satisfied?' Probably never. What you do today, you can improve on tomorrow." That doesn't mean that tomorrow will actually come tomorrow, but it does speak to a spirit of improvement on the NSX team that could stand to keep the American-made Japanese supercar on the knife's edge and out in front of the competition, which Klaus identified as including the Ferrari 458, Audi R8 V10 and Porsche 911 Turbo. The previous model bred the NSX-R two years after its release (in the Japanese domestic market anyway), benefiting from a 265-pound weight reduction, a stiffer suspension, and though never officially confirmed, a long-suspected bump in output. Related Video:

2021 Acura TLX vs. luxury sedans: How they compare on paper

The 2021 Acura TLX has been revealed, and it looks superb. We also have a handful of hard numbers, so you know that we've got to take a look at how they compare to the competition. As we only have numbers for the base turbocharged four-cylinder model, we're only looking at similarly equipped competitors. And with the small to midsize luxury sedan segment burgeoning these days, we've selected a mix of rear-drive, front-drive and all-wheel-drive options to compare to this front-drive-based sedan. You can see the raw numbers below, and a summary of them under that. Engine and transmission The Acura's base engine is a turbocharged 2.0-liter four-cylinder, just like the vast majority of cars in its segment. It's an especially powerful base engine, though, with 272 horses. That tops every base engine in this group, and is only topped by Volvo's mid-range turbocharged and supercharged four-cylinder that makes 316 horsepower. Its torque rating is strong, too, falling short of the aforementioned Volvo engine and the BMW four-cylinder. You'll note that we've included two four-cylinder engines for the Audi and the Volvo. With the Audi, the entry-level engine is seriously underpowered versus the competition, whereas the higher-output version is more comparable, so we felt it should be included. As for the Volvo, since the turbo and supercharged engine isn't quite comparable to each of these model's six-cylinder alternatives, we felt it should be mentioned, here. Many of these cars have substantially more powerful alternatives available, including the Acura. The Acura will have a twin-turbo 3.0-liter V6, but we have no specifications for it. It will face off with the 382-horsepower BMW M340i, 400-horsepower Volvo S60 T8 hybrid, 365-horsepower Genesis G70 3.3T and 349-horsepower Audi S4, among others. The Acura is available with either front-wheel drive or all-wheel drive, and every version gets a 10-speed automatic, giving it claim to the most gears. All the other cars here make do with an eight-speed automatic. The Genesis G70 is the sole offering with a manual transmission, something that's offered on the Sport trim with upgraded brakes and a limited-slip differential. The Audi is unique in making all-wheel drive standard. On the Volvo, all-wheel-drive is only available if you upgrade to the higher-output engine, another reason why we wanted to include it. Size On the outside, the Acura is the largest, or more specifically, the longest.