A Buyer's Guide to the 2012 Acura RDX

Compact luxury SUVs have come a long way since the Acura RDX first showed up on the scene. However, to this day, Acura still produces one of the best vehicles in this category. The 2012 Acura RDX is a great example of this in terms of price, performance and luxury.

Key Features

Even with compact SUVs, a rearview camera can make a huge difference. This feature is great, especially when you’re trying to parallel park the RDX.

Folding rear seats are awesome as they’ll give you 60.6 cubic feet of space when you need extra room for storage.

Optional AWD is available.

Bluetooth capabilities are always great. This vehicle actually comes pre-wired for phone use too, so you can basically begin talking hands-free the moment you get inside.

Changes for 2012

For the most part, there were no serious changes made to the 2011 model. The 2012 RDX benefits from some technological upgrades as well as an optional technology package though.

What We Like

It’s hard not to get excited about the four-cylinder engine under the hood of this RDX. The engine is paired with a five-speed automatic transmission that will give you all the control necessary to really explore this SUV’s power.

Despite its affordability, the 2012 Acura RDX comes with a laundry list of standard features like heated seats, a power moonroof, a USB port, a Dolby surround sound stereo system with 10 speakers (including a subwoofer), heated front seats and much more.

What Concerns Us

Although the SUV is plenty powerful, there is sometimes a bit of turbo lag when you try accelerating from a full stop. Fortunately, after the initial hesitation, the problem evaporates.

The interior is certainly luxurious, but you’ll also notice that Acura went for lower-quality materials than many of their higher-end competitors do.

Available Models

The 2012 Acura RDX only comes in one model, but there are a number of different packages and optional features you can opt for in order to customize your SUV.

With the basic version of this vehicle, you’ll get 19 mpg in the city and 24 on the highway. If you decide to go with an AWD model, it will drop to 17/22.

Major Recalls

There have never been any recalls issued for the 2012 Acura RDX.

Common Issues

Unless you really want the engine provided by Acura, it seems like a lot of people wish they had saved their money and gone with the Honda CR-V instead.

Acura RDX 2012 Interior


Next Step

Schedule Pre-purchase Car Inspection

The most popular service booked by readers of this article is Pre-purchase Car Inspection. YourMechanic’s technicians bring the dealership to you by performing this job at your home or office 7-days a week between 7AM-9PM. We currently cover over 2,000 cities and have 100k+ 5-star reviews... LEARN MORE

SEE PRICING & SCHEDULING

The statements expressed above are only for informational purposes and should be independently verified. Please see our terms of service for more details

Recent Pre-purchase Car Inspection reviews

Excellent Rating

(5,493)

Rating Summary
5,137
193
39
38
86
5,137
193
39
38
86

Jermaine

25 years of experience
382 reviews
Jermaine
25 years of experience
Dodge Durango V6-3.6L - Pre-purchase Car Inspection - Silver Spring, Maryland
Awesome mechanic! Very reliable !! Awesome personality! Explained everything and now I feel less stressed.
Hyundai Ioniq - Pre-purchase Car Inspection - Chevy Chase, Maryland
Jermaine was very friendly, efficient and professional. He kindly explained to me those things that did not score well in the service report, so that it didn't come as a surprise, and I would know what to do about it.

Caz

18 years of experience
146 reviews
Caz
18 years of experience
Mercedes-Benz GLA250 L4-2.0L Turbo - Pre-purchase Car Inspection - Woodstock, Georgia
Caz was extremely knowledgeable, personable and provided excellent service. He was on time for the appointment and answered and explained everything I asked concerning my vehicle. I will definitely use the company again and I would love to have Caz as my mechanic! Excellent!
Mercedes-Benz S550 - Pre-purchase Car Inspection - Mableton, Georgia
Caz Arrived on time much earlier than scheduled. He was very professional in inspecting the car and made excellent recommendations.

Brian

19 years of experience
138 reviews
Brian
19 years of experience
Lexus RX350 V6-3.5L - Pre-purchase Car Inspection - McDonough, Georgia
Brian was very informational and knowledgeable about the Inspection. He throughly inform me what issues on vehicle. Great Mechanic !!!
Ford Transit-350 HD - Pre-purchase Car Inspection - McDonough, Georgia
Great service. Honest , respectful and truly cares about making sure you get the best options possible at an affordable price. Finding a mechanic you can trust is rare. I highly recommend Brain.

Jay

24 years of experience
262 reviews
Jay
24 years of experience
Honda CR-V L4-2.4L - Pre-purchase Car Inspection - Glendale Heights, Illinois
Jay did a great job! Excellent at taking time to explain things about your car. And provided sound recommendation on repair. Courteous and responsive. I would definitely recommend Jay!
BMW 535i xDrive - Pre-purchase Car Inspection - Des Plaines, Illinois
Excellent ! Jay is very detail oriented and forward thinking. I would highly recommend him to anyone.

Need Help With Your Car?

Our certified mobile mechanics make house calls in over 2,000 U.S. cities. Fast, free online quotes for your car repair.

GET A QUOTE

Related articles

2012 Jeep Grand Cherokee vs. 2012 Dodge Durango: Which One Should I Buy?
Medium to large SUVs are a fun class of vehicles: plenty large enough for moving people around, but if you really want to get out there in the mud and have some fun, they are still good for that type...
How to Replace a Lost or Stolen Car Title in Wisconsin
Perhaps Perhaps you’ve never needed your car title before, but now that you are thinking about selling it, transferring ownership, or using it as collateral for a loan, the car title is needed. Over time it’s not unusual to misplace...
How to Replace a Lost or Stolen Car Title in Virginia
Losing Losing things is nothing new for most people. It's hard to keep track of our various possessions, and outside of losing them unfortunately sometimes things are stolen. Your car title is one of those items that are notorious for...

Related questions

How do I use the power locks to disable the autolock feature on my car?
While the autolock feature is designed to help keep you and your passengers safe on the road, there may come a time that you need to deactivate it. There are four different ways you can do that, but one of...
How do I play and pause a CD?
When a CD is playing, you can pause it by pressing the play/pause button on the infotainment system. Press this button a second time to resume playing.
2012 Chevy Equinox with 72k miles vs 2006-07 Honda Pilot, Toyota 4runner, or Toyota Highlander with 100k to 150k miles
Hello. If the vehicles you are look at have been properly maintained then there should be only a few repairs to anticipate. Along with regular oil changes, vehicles of that mileage will likely need brakes, transmission fluid services, and depending...

How can we help?

Our service team is available 7 days a week, Monday - Friday from 6 AM to 5 PM PST, Saturday - Sunday 7 AM - 4 PM PST.

1 (855) 347-2779 · hi@yourmechanic.com