{"id":27201,"date":"2021-04-15T12:22:57","date_gmt":"2021-04-15T16:22:57","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/henrypayne.com\/?p=27201"},"modified":"2021-04-15T12:22:57","modified_gmt":"2021-04-15T16:22:57","slug":"payne-suv-omg-acura-rdx-a-spec-vs-mercedes-amg-glc-63","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/henrypayne.com\/index.php\/2021\/04\/payne-suv-omg-acura-rdx-a-spec-vs-mercedes-amg-glc-63","title":{"rendered":"Payne: SUV OMG \u2014 Acura RDX A-Spec vs. Mercedes-AMG GLC 63"},"content":{"rendered":"

I like dessert. I\u2019m usually satisfied with a scoop of ice cream or slice of apple pie. Usually. But on occasion, I\u2019m tempted by something more dangerous on the menu. Like a triple chocolate delight warm brownie topped with chocolate chip ice cream and hot fudge sauce. Oh, joy.<\/p>\n

Think of our testers this week, the Acura RDX A-Spec and Mercedes-AMG GLC 63, as your dessert choices in the compact luxury SUV class.<\/p>\n

Yes, compact utes. Sure, these pandemic times are weird, but they\u2019re temporary. Not so the SUV trend, which appears permanent. Rather than honor the law of physics and drive low-center-of-gravity station wagons, Americans have decided they like their wagons on stilts for better visibility. Which means we have the RDX and GLC SUVs instead of Acura TLX and Merc C-class wagons.<\/p>\n

This being the luxury space, there is money to be made (and thrills to be had) by offering performance versions. So, RDX A-Spec and Mercedes-AMG 45 and 63 sport models naturally follow. Hey, the market gets what the market wants, and after adjusting to this new reality, I\u2019ve learned to enjoy these 4,500-pound bowling balls.<\/p>\n

It\u2019s also nice to have Acura back in the game.<\/p>\n

With speed-addled\u00a0Formula One fanboy John Ikeda at the helm and a determined strategy in place, Acura has gone back to its roots. It\u2019s dusted off the sporty albums containing hot models like Integra and Type-S and set a path for excitement. The Acura NSX and wicked-looking Acura TLX S-Spec (the new Type-S) are the halo models, and the styling and attitude have trickled down to the RDX.<\/p>\n

While motorheads will have to wait for a crazed RDX S-Spec model with upgraded drivetrain (I\u2019m thinking there\u2019s a turbocharged V-6 in Acura\u2019s crystal ball), the A-Spec trim is a nice appetizer \u2014 make that scoop of ice cream \u2014 to start with.<\/p>\n

\"The<\/p>\n
<\/div>\n<\/figure>\n

My $47,000 tester was dressed to the nines with Performance Blue paint, black trim\u00a0and 20-inch black wheels wrapped in all-season tires. All this on top of one of the best standard packages in class with panoramic roof, adaptive cruise control\u00a0and 10-speed tranny. SUVs suffer from having to think within the five-door box, but Acura\u2019s \u201cPrecision Design\u201d language does its best to please with sculpted sides and a signature piece of jewelry in front called the \u201cdiamond pentagon grille.\u201d<\/p>\n

That precision continues in the handling department, where the RDX brings its rear, dual-clutch pack-equipped \u201csuper-handling all-wheel-drive\u201d (call it SH-AWD for short) to rotate this two ton-plus beast when the need for speed seizes you. Which is often, in my case. RDX further tempts such acts of madness by offering a big, fat drive-mode sport dial straight out of the NSX supercar \u2014 so you can tune suspension and engine dynamics to Sport and Sport+.<\/p>\n

Cruising to Ann Arbor with Mrs. Payne riding shotgun I flung the RDX into a U.S. 23 cloverleaf (my wife instinctively reaching for the roof handle) and steadily dialed in the throttle. The tires squawked at the limit, their racket drowned out only by the rowdy, Sport+-induced exhaust note. Ah, dessert.<\/p>\n

With class-topping 279 standard horsepower, the $47,195 Acura A-Spec is a value plate compared with\u00a0the 469-horse,\u00a0turbo-8\u00a0$79,705 Mercedes GLC in sizzling AMG trim.<\/p>\n

That 30 grand difference could buy you a nice\u00a0starter SUV for your 16-year-old. Like the, ahem, Mazda CX-5 \u2014 a 250-horse, luxe-gorgeous mainstream ute that can cut the rug with these premium brands for just $40. That\u2019s a comparo test for another day.<\/p>\n

\"The<\/p>\n
<\/div>\n<\/figure>\n

Slide into the GLC and Merc\u2019s claim to being king of luxury comes into focus. The console is slathered in gorgeous\u00a0Fortune 500-boardroom wood with upscale aviation vents anchoring the dash. Yeah, this is a Merc all right. For $750 more, a crisp\u00a012.5-inch digital instrument display is available to anchor the electronic\u00a0\u201cMBUX\u201d system \u2014 an infotainment network that is among the best in the business with delicious graphics, precise touchscreen\u00a0and intuitive voice commands.<\/p>\n

MBUX exposes Acura\u2019s biggest weakness: the infotainment display. Controlled by average voice commands and a maddening console touchpad, it is Acura\u2019s biggest misstep in its otherwise meticulously engineered effort to engage occupants in the sport ute experience. Merc also offers a touchpad option for the masochistic \u2014 but in this smartphone age, most folks will use the easy touchscreen. Acura would be wise to offer the same duality.<\/p>\n

\"The<\/p>\n
<\/div>\n<\/figure>\n

But it\u2019s hard to be mad. Apple Car Play and Android Auto smart-phone apps are available in the Acura with state-of-the-art voice and nav. My wife and I were spoiled in heated-and-cooled, red leather thrones with generous under-console storage for her purse. Both Acura and Merc use clever digital shifters that remove the need for a shifter cable, but only RDX takes full advantage with sub-console storage (console genius is in evidence across the Honda\/Acura lineup).<\/p>\n

If you want a serving of ice cream, the Acura RDX is just fine, thank you. If you want something more, go all the way and get the triple-chocolate\u00a0$80,000\u00a0AMG 63 GLC OMG LOL SUV.<\/p>\n

Double the cylinders, double the calories, double the fun.<\/p>\n

I first drove the GLC 63\u2019s decadent\u00a0469-horse, 4.0-liter\u00a0twin-turbo V-8 in the sister GLC 63 Coupe on a trip to Watkins Glen, New York, a few years back. I left western New York\u2019s rural roads in flames after rampaging across them in that four-wheeled devil.<\/p>\n

\"Bull<\/p>\n
<\/div>\n<\/figure>\n

Like hot fudge sauce dripping off a sundae, you know this is more than your average GLC as you approach. The AMG is noticeably closer to the ground than the Acura, as if pretending to be a hatchback sedan instead of an upright ute. The front grille gets AMG\u2019s menacing\u00a0Panamericana treatment, its fenders engorged with huge tires.<\/p>\n

Push the key and the quad exhaust pipes erupt. BRAAAPPP!! Let\u2019s eat. The growl can be turned up further with a console button. That\u2019s not the only way the Merc-AMG encourages bad behavior.<\/p>\n

Thumb though the infotainment pages past Phone\u00a0and Radio\u00a0and up pops … AMG Track Pace. So you can clock lap times and 0-60 mph runs in an SUV, for goodness sake.<\/p>\n

I set launch control and clicked off a few sub-4-second times. The V-8 bellowing. AWD gripping. Nine-speed automatic effortlessly swapping cogs. It\u2019s addictive. And sure to get you in trouble with the local fuzz.<\/p>\n

Acura\u2019s dessert offering is plenty. But if you\u2019ve got a bigger sweet tooth \u2014 and an extra 30 grand laying around \u2014 order the Merc.<\/p>\n

2020 Acura RDX A-Spec<\/strong><\/h3>\n

Vehicle type: Front-engine, all-wheel-drive, five-passenger SUV<\/p>\n

Price: $46,795, including $995 destination charge ($47,195 as tested)<\/p>\n

Powerplant: 2.0-liter, turbocharged inline-4 cylinder<\/p>\n

Power: 272 horsepower, 280 pound-feet of torque<\/p>\n

Transmission: 10-speed automatic<\/p>\n

Performance: 0-60 mph, 6.6 seconds (Car and Driver); top speed: 113 mph<\/p>\n

Weight: 4,015 lbs.<\/p>\n

Fuel economy: EPA 21 city\/27 highway\/23 combined<\/p>\n

Report card<\/p>\n

Highs: Lotsa standard stuff; fun to drive<\/p>\n

Lows: Oh, that touchpad; V-6, please<\/p>\n

Overall: 3 stars<\/p>\n

2020 Mercedes-AMG C 63<\/strong><\/h3>\n

Vehicle type: Front-engine, all-wheel-drive, five-passenger SUV<\/p>\n

Price: $74,745, including $995 destination charge ($79,705 as tested)<\/p>\n

Powerplant: 4.0-liter twin-turbo V-8<\/p>\n

Power: 469 horsepower, 479 pound-feet of torque<\/p>\n

Transmission: 9-speed automatic<\/p>\n

Performance: 0-60 mph, 3.6 seconds (Car and Driver); top speed: 157 mph<\/p>\n

Weight: 4,486 lbs.<\/p>\n

Fuel economy: EPA 16 city\/22 highway\/18 combined<\/p>\n

Report card<\/p>\n

Highs: Launch control in an SUV; state-of-the-art interior<\/p>\n

Lows: Pricey; over-engineered console<\/p>\n

Overall: 3 stars<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

I like dessert. I\u2019m usually satisfied with a scoop of ice cream or slice of apple pie. Usually. But on occasion, I\u2019m tempted by something more dangerous on the menu. Like a triple chocolate delight warm brownie topped with chocolate chip ice cream and hot fudge sauce. Oh, joy. Think of our testers this week, […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":3,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[7,87],"tags":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/henrypayne.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/27201"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/henrypayne.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/henrypayne.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/henrypayne.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/3"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/henrypayne.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=27201"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/henrypayne.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/27201\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":27202,"href":"https:\/\/henrypayne.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/27201\/revisions\/27202"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/henrypayne.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=27201"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/henrypayne.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=27201"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/henrypayne.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=27201"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}