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Acura's RDX may have lost its turbocharged 4-cylinder engine when it was redesigned for 2013, but it gained better fuel economy from a new V-6 and some family-friendly convenience features. Parents will love the RDX's huge console storage bin, easy-folding 2nd row and how well this premium compact crossover handles child-safety seats.
For the Car Seat Check, we use a Graco SnugRide 30 rear-facing infant-safety seat, a Britax Roundabout convertible child-safety seat and Graco high-back TurboBooster seat.
The front seats are adjusted to a comfortable position for a 6-foot driver and a 5-foot-8 passenger. The 3 child seats are installed in the 2nd row. The booster seat sits behind the driver's seat, and the infant seat and convertible seats are installed behind the passenger seat. We also install the infant seat in the 2nd row's middle seat with the booster and convertible in the outboard seats to see if 3 car seats will fit. If there's a 3rd row, we install the booster seat and a forward-facing convertible.
Here's how the Acura RDX did in Cars.com's Car Seat Check:
Latch system: This 5-passenger compact crossover has 2 sets of Latch anchors in the outboard seats. They are easy to find because they’re under wide slits in the leather. Although the slits are deep, the anchors are at the top of the opening, making access a breeze.
Booster seat: The outboard seats' bottom cushions are longer than the middle seat, so the booster has plenty of room. The buckles aren’t floppy and are on stable bases, making them easy for kids to grab. They stick up high enough that a kid will be able to use them easily.
Convertible seat: The forward-facing convertible was easy to install thanks to its rigid Latch connectors and the RDX’s accessible tether anchor. There were 2 sets of tether anchors midway down the outboard seatbacks and lots of clearance between the anchor and the seatback, making it easy to connect. The tether anchor for the middle seat is in the ceiling under a hinged plastic cover. It's flimsy and we broke it. The rear-facing convertible also fit well in the roomy backseat.
Infant-safety seat: There was also plenty of room for the infant seat; the front passenger didn't need to move the seat up to accommodate this large car seat. The infant seat has traditional connectors, which were still easy to hook to the Latch anchors.
How many car seats fit in the second row? 2
Editor's note: For 3 car seats -- infant-safety seat, convertible and booster seats -- to fit in a car, our criterion is that a child sitting in the booster seat must be able to reach the seat belt buckle. Parents should also remember that they can use the Latch system or a seat belt to install a car seat.
