2021 Acura RDX A-Spec to Niagara-on-the-Lake

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Al fresco dining. Now there’s something we haven’t experienced for a while. And dining outdoors on a warm sunny day at a Niagara winery? Bring it on.

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Our steed for this excursion is the 2021 Acura RDX A-Spec, the sportiest version of Acura’s compact crossover that packs a 272-horsepower, 280 lb-ft 2.0L turbocharged four-cylinder and has an all-in price of $51,305. Unlike with European rivals, those shopping in Acura stores don’t need to wade through option and package lists to arrive at a “properly” spec’d vehicle. This A-Spec leaves nothing on the table. All the safety and driver’s aids? Check. Ventilated front seats? Yep. Kickin’ audio? All accounted for. Driving dynamics of the BMW X3 or Porsche Macan? Well, three outta four ain’t bad.

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We head out on the QEW towards Niagara-On-The-Lake with our bikes in the spacious cargo area, as the last leg of this journey will have us cycling along the Niagara Waterfront Trail to the Reif Estate Winery. Our A-Spec’s cabin gets spiced up with racy red leather seats and red-on-silver gauges, the latter looking cool but lacking clarity in bright sunlight. It’s a sharp, well-crafted cabin featuring a raking centre console with plenty of buttons, a rotary drive-mode selector and a touch pad. Topping this off is a 10.2-inch touchscreen.

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Mat the pedal and this RDX show a decent turn of speed along with a tough snarl that hints of V6 power. Okay, so it’s audio fakery piped in through the speakers, but I’ll take it. The ten-speed auto shifts smoothly, and if you feel like playing with the paddle shifters, they respond fairly quickly, but not those hooked to the better twin-clutch autos.

Within an hour we cruise into Niagara-on-the-Lake where there appears to be plenty of activity. The main drag is buzzing with life, and despite the fact that indoor dining is still off the menu, there are plenty of patios open, the shops are welcoming guests (limited capacity) and there’s even a woman busking with her cello, adding a melodious soundtrack to this sunny afternoon. Looking at the bounty coins in her open case, the natives are feeling generous.

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We booked our lunch at Reif for 1 p.m., so with a half hour bike ride ahead of us, we park the RDX and pull out the two-wheelers. The Niagara Waterfront Trail follows the west back on the Niagara River, and the first landmark we pass is the Fort George National Historic Site. Built by the British in the late 1700s, Fort George was largely destroyed by the Americans in the War of 1812. The fort was rebuilt in the 1930s to its original spec, and as we cruised past we could hear faint strains of drums and a tin whistle coming from behind the ramparts. Were they real, or ghostly echoes from centuries past?

This bike path is paved and low effort, but we still had worked up a bit of a thirst when we rolled into Reif. Located in Ontario’s warmest sub-appellation, Reif Estate Winery is one of Niagara-on-the-Lake’s founding family wineries, bragging vineyards first planted in 1977. It’s a given that this part of Canada is producing world class, award-winning wines, but in addition to this, the cuisine offered by these wineries is on a mighty high level as well.  Ours was a simple lunch, but the superb ingredients, flavours, wine pairing, and ambience made for a memorable experience.

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We buy a bottle of Rosé and Sauvignon Blanc (which look picture perfect in Claire’s wicker bike basket), then it’s back on the bikes and back into town to cruise the main drag for a bit of shopping. Okay, Claire did the shopping. I sat on a bench in the sun.

On our drive back, I get to push the sporty RDX A-Spec a bit on some winding roads. It turns in sharply and has plenty of grip, and no doubt the SH-AWD (super handling all-wheel-drive) helps with its ability to send up to 70 per cent of the power aft and apportion torque to the outside rear wheel when cornering. However, with these 20-inch wheels you feel every bump in the road, and while handling is good, this Acura lacks the engaging dynamic harmony of the Porsche Macan or BMW X3. It also lacks those German’s potentially withering price tags, and this is the Acura RDX A-Spec’s strength. It’s a great value package, offering premium digs, plenty of style, all the kit, and a healthy dose of fun. That’s why the RDX is Acura’s most popular offering and a top seller in the premium compact SUV segment.