Category Car Chat

Review Index

2014 Acura RDX – Part 1 (Exterior)
2014 Acura RDX – Part 2 (Interior)
2014 Acura RDX – Part 3 (Interior – Gauges/Seats/Capacity)
2014 Acura RDX – Part 4 (Powertrain)
2014 Acura RDX – Part 5 (Suspension and Chassis)

In this section we will examine RDX’s interior and related features.

The most of the interior cabin areas are covered with either soft-touch plastic material, or leather.

The leather is high quality, it has a more natural touch feel than the MB-Tex synthetic leather found in our previous GL450 test car. On the sitting surface, the leather is perforated, which can help to keep you cool during summer time.

The front door’s interior trim...

2014 Acura RDX Test Drive Review: Part 1 

Review Index

2014 Acura RDX – Part 1 (Exterior)
2014 Acura RDX – Part 2 (Interior)
2014 Acura RDX – Part 3 (Interior – Gauges/Seats/Capacity)
2014 Acura RDX – Part 4 (Powertrain)
2014 Acura RDX – Part 5 (Suspension and Chassis)

Test Car Information:

2014 Acura RDX with Technology Package
3.5L i-VTEC naturally aspirated V6, 273 hp @ 6,200 RPM, 251 lb-ft @ 5,000 rpm
6-speed automatic transmission, front-wheel-drive
Options: Technology Package
MSRP as tested: $39,115 (including $895 S&H charge)

Before we go into our discussion of the Acura RDX, I would like to talk about who is a potential buyer for this compact SUV...

Review Index:
The 2014 Mercedes-Benz GL450 – Part 1 (Exterior)
The 2014 Mercedes-Benz GL450 – Part 2 (Interior)
The 2014 Mercedes-Benz GL450 – Part 3 (Chassis and Suspension)
The 2014 Mercedes-Benz GL450 – Part 4 (Powertrain)

The GL450 is equipped with Mercedes-Benz’s M278 engine.

The M278 is Mercedes-Benz’s latest direct injected, twin-turbocharged V8 engine, with 4.7L displacement. Basically speaking, M278 is the turbo version of the M273 V8, plus fuel direct injection. This same engine can be seen on many Mercedes-Benz vehicles such as the S-class, CL-class, CLS-class, E-class, M-class etc, but with different tunes to generate different level of outputs...

Among the several issues which hinder electric cars becoming more popular, one is the battery capacity, another one is the battery charging problem.

In US currently there are three major charging standards. The first one is called CHAdeMO. Its full name is CHAdeMO – JEVS (Japan Electric Vehicle Standard) G105-1993. Several major automakers have implemented and used this standard, for example you can see this on the Nissan LEAF.

The second one is called “SAE J1772 Combo”, which is used by GM and BMW.

The third standard is implemented by Tesla, the one used in Tesla’s Supercharger. Currently the Model S is the only vehicle that supports this charging standard.

Originally...

The S55 engine-equipped 2015 BMW M3 and M4 has been for sale for a while.

However, before looking at the below two technical documents from BMW, I bet you do not know the M3 and M4 in such depth. These two official documents provides precious details about these M cars and its heart: the S55 engine.

For example, some of the major differences between the S55 engine and the N55 engine (which is found in all BMW *35i models), are: 1. the S55 has closed deck crankcase, and the N55 is open deck; 2. the S55 has LDS-coated aluminum cylinder liners, while the N55 is using cast iron liners.

Download the documents for more insights.

M3/M4 Technical Document

S55 Engine Technical D...