Minge

I now have a 2014 all wheel drive tech and shock issues aside I have been very happy with my Rdx. I tend to drive my cars until the factory warranty expires so I have started my search for a successor to my 2014.

I would love to hear from others what other high line brands and models you considered and what drove your purchasing decision.

When I bought my 2014 I wanted an all wheel drive vehicle that fit four sets of clubs and four guys with a sound system that rocked and was reliable. The Rdx fit the bill perfectly.

My needs for the four sets of clubs and four guys have changed to two guys and clubs. I prefer to sit up high but I need a great sound system and good conductivity.

I have looked at the specs of the Lexus nx and the BMW X1 and I believe Mercedes is coming out with a new crossover-wagon.

I would certainly consider a new 2016 Rdx but would not mind changing it up if I could find something I like.

Tell me your story would love to hear it.

Comfy

Not to derail your thread, but don't you think it's too early to look for a replacement vehicle when your vehicle has warranty for another three years, unless you want to change your vehicle earlier? I mean there will be so many changes in every manufacturer and their models in three years.
But I love to to join the conversation as in a general automotive chat. Personally I would wait till all the three Germans as well as VW have their updated models on the lot. Would also look at the Lexus RX (but I don't like their new grill) and the versions from Infiniti.

Joe Las Vegas

No point buying a new car considering android auto and car play are coming soon.

CybrRdr

We also had a 2014 RDX Tech. It was a great CUV and we were very happy with it. Unfortunately it was totaled in an accident. A guy ran a red light and t-boned us. The fact we walked away from it with minor injuries says just how well engineered the RDX is. We have been sharing 1 car since... reason is my wife has been indecisive about what she wants to get to replace it. 1st she wanted a MDX. Changed her mind. Then we waited for the updated 2016 RDX Advance to hit dealer lots. Then, to my dismay, she saw the Lexus NX F Sport and really liked it. We test drove it and admittedly it is a pretty good CUV. Aside from the spindle grille, the NX is a very well engineered vehicle. So her choices are down to get a refreshed version of the CUV she had (2016 RDX Advance) OR get something different (Lexus NX F Sport). I've told her that she needs to make a decision very soon because I'm tired of sharing 1 car... TBD.

giovane

I've been looking for a small luxury suv for couple of months and I narrowed my options to the Lexus NX and the RDX.

Lexus pros:
-Brand new model, expect at least 6 years lifespan.
-Aggressive and modern lines
-Color combos
-better infotainment system (more modern)
Cons:
-no trunk space
-4 Cyl turbo is not as smooth and powerful as rdx's
-$4k more expensive compared to the RDX with similar options

I eventually bought the RDX because it's a great value, more family oriented (roomier inside) and because I like its engine better. It's a very nice looking car too.

I didn't consider German cars because
-it's true those feel more luxurious (and they are indeed) but also end up to be 8-9k more expensive with similar configurations.
-x3, q5, XC60 and glk are at the end of their lifespan and will soon be replaced by new models.

CybrRdr

Agreed. The specs say the RDX is the better choice. Better price, Solid V6, Good space. Problem is the wife loves the White w Black/Red interior of the NX F Sport much more then the White w Parchment interior of the RDX.

Comfy

In that case let her have the NX. Meanwhile you can also drive it and give us a first hand review. A happy wife does wonders for your life.

Minge

I already have over 30,000 miles on my truck and so at about 45k I will be ready for something new. This hits the depreciation curve just about right while my Rdx still has a bit of trade value. My searches and diligence takes me about six months so I am just starting the process.

Type34

My wife and I are in the same boat (although we have a 5-year-old and a baby on the way) as my Veloster lease is up this fall and we're looking to replace it with a CUV for her (I'll take over our MDX).

We're strongly leaning Acura because our MDX has been bullet proof and we had great experiences with our TL and TSX. I coach baseball and soccer, so I need some room to throw our gear in the event I take the new car instead of our MDX.

One factor that you can appreciate (considering you're in an Acura lease) is that Acura has the best valued leases. For example...

• A 2015 Lexus NX is offered at $369/mo with $3499 down (10K miles a year) while a
• 2015 RDX is $309/mo with $2299 down (also 10K/yr).
• If you look at the (limited supply and thus inflated) 2016 RDX lease, it's still $339/mo w $2999 down.
• And I would argue that an NX 200T, powered by a 2.0L 4-cylinder is not on par with the 3.5L V6 RDX. The Lexus RX is more in line with the RDX.

MB, Audi, and BMW are a little out of our current price range and I'm not a fan of Nissan products (and thus, Infiniti).

One outlier is the 2017 Cadillac XT5 (SRX replacement); due in early 2016. I'm a sucker for Caddies and applaud GM's efforts on the new CTS and ATS. I'm curious to see how they execute the XT5.

mindanalyzer

If you are shopping for luxury compact SUVs (kind of same category of RDX) my advise is to go and test drive a X3. The 28i engine is pretty peppy, torquey and proven, the ride is very sport, nice steering feel in sport mode, butter smooth/fast shifting/reliable 8 spd trans made by ZF, great visibility and ergonomics, great electronic pilot-like/joystick gear shift lever, excellent AWD fulltime system with RWD bias (60/40 in default mode) which make it very stable in turns, great suspension that is sporty but comfortable at the same time, huge pano sunroof with the premium pkg, beautiful style in M sport mode (I wished I had bought it with it but it cost $), excellent iDrive system (NAV + Audio + BMW connect + Apps)


MUSTs:
- Premium pkg (Nevada leather, pano sunroof, memory seats, comfort access with keyless entry, folding mirrors, all 3 mirrors are dimmed)
- Lightning pkg (angel LEDs in front together with xenon plus LEDs in rear)
- Fineline wave wood trim (Beautiful and classy; I cannot stand the silver trim -> looks very cheap)
- free maintenance for 4y/50k miles
- Great insurance premiums due to excellent X3 crash reports


VERY NICE TO HAVE:
- M sport trim (m sport seats, 19" m sport wheels, thick steering wheel, paddle shifters, m sport pedals, badge)
- Adaptive suspension: Really, ... really nice


CONs:
- RFT: They ride ok but I like having a place for a spare for long trips
- Can get expensive with the needed options
- Warranty runs only for 4y/50k miles. Need for an extended warranty after that because although this vehicle has proven very reliable BMW repairs tend to be expensive




If you have the $, I would recommend to go and test drive it


Note: I owned a 2013 RDX w/ tech for 19 months and sold it with 17k miles. I usually lurk in this forum to check the new Acura models, see if the problems [that I had] with my RDX from 2013 have been fixed, etc

CoachRick

Interesting...the banner ad at the bottom of this page is for the 2016 Honda HR-V

Spooky

Minge

I owned an x3 three vehicles ago it was hands down the worst car I ever owned. Uncomfortable seats harsh ride and was in the shop non stop. Other then that it was great

I am sure it has been refined but I built one as I would want it and it was 53k

That is a bit out of line for what you get in my book but I will go drive one to be fair.

giovane

I just traded in a 2008 X5 for a brand new RDX 2016 and I can tell that BMW was the biggest disappointment ever.
My wife got stalled twice on the highway due to (2) faulty waterpumps. The first one failed right after factory warranty expired (at 31k miles). Also had to change both rear air struts and the alternator in just 25k miles of ownership. Reliability with BMWs dropped drastically in the past 10 years. Maybe mine was a cursed one, but I'm not going to take another chance in the future.
Consider it if you are ok having it at the shop twice a year.

ceb

My 335ix was without a doubt the worst car I've ever owned (and I've owned a couple of Renaults). I drove a Mini loaner for two solid months. I will never, ever, own a BMW in the US again. The reliability is a joke, the dealerships at abysmal and BMW corporate is awful.

The BMW is the reason I'm driving an Acura now. My BMW was in the shop at a minimum 4 times between oil changes. At 30k miles, my Acura has been in the shop for 4 oil changes.

Did the BMW drive better, have more features and so forth? You bet, but none of that makes up for being stranded in an intersection at 2800 miles with a dead fuel pump - and again at 6000 miles and again at 25k miles.

mindanalyzer

It appears that in the world of cars, things are very personal. My experience with the X3 has been GREAT; hands down the best vehicle I have ever owned and I am really recommending this vehicle in good faith and willing to help because I simply wished that somebody had done it to me before I bought [and lost considerable $ in the trading of] the RDX.

Sometimes we get unlucky and purchase a vehicle that starts having problems [or weird noises, vibrations, certain behavior], that no matter what we do or take it, cannot be fixed and from there things escalate to a point when we get miserable, and from that terrible experience we redefine the brand in our minds. From that point on, brand <name-it-here> is crap and we swear never to go back to it.

mindanalyzer

The seats that come with the M-sport pkg are great, MUCH better than the standard seats; Some people add this pkg only for the seats but it also comes with nice/sporty 19" rings, a very thick steering wheel, paddle shifters, sport pedals and a couple more things that I cannot recall now.

The 2nd gen X3 comes with selectable driving modes; in comfort mode the ride is very smooth at both high and low speeds. I always complained about the jerky ride of the 2nd gen RDX in stop/go city traffic, and I dont have this problem with the X3. When you wanna drive spirited you simply switch into Sport mode and the X3 becomes a beast. If you want to come up 2 or 3 notches in the area of comfort and/or sportiness then you add the Adaptive Suspension, called Dynamic handling pkg or something like that. Like I said, with the X3 you can get everything but it cost $.

The driving dynamics of this vehicle is excellent. It is extremely stable in all conditions; You take a turn really hot and the X3 behaves very planted and hugs the road; Truth be told, the version of the RDX that I had was FWD but they cannot even compare in driving dynamics. The X3 drives like a sport car.

I own the 2014 model but the new LCI has redesigned/much better looking LEDs in front and the rear bumper also looks better (better design of the plastic part)

giovane

I agree with you.
That being said, no more BMWs for me. They lost my trust.

Melodyqi

Anyone has opinion or experience with Audi Q5? I have been considering its current v6 trim. But it cost a lot more, and according to the spec, has smallest cargo space among Rdx and x3. And I am concerned about its reliability too. Not sure if I can trust consumer report on its good reliability rating.

ceb

The Q5/Touareg/Cayenne siblings are excellent cars. Audi reliability is quite good - but - as with all Germans - maintenance costs are high and the dealership experience is far below Lexus/Acura.

When I was done with BMW, I went with Acura for the rock solid reliability and far more pleasant dealership experience.

I frequently get my mom's Lexus serviced, had experience with Mercedes, BMW and Audi as well as GMC and Jaguar (all within the last 10 years). Here are my rankings:

Lexus ($40k RX)- $60 oil change, free barista made coffee or sodas and bagels, Lexus loaner if over 2 hours wait. Spotless waiting room.

Acura ($40k TSX) - $53 oil change, Keurig coffee or sodas and pre-packaged pastries, Acura loaner if over 2 hours. Clean waiting room

Mercedes ($60k E) - $200 oil change, Keurig coffee, no snacks, Enterprise loaner. Spotless waiting room

Jaguar ($60k XJ) - $300 service, coffee pot, Jag loaner always since every service takes forever. Empty waiting room

Audi ($60 S6) - $150 oil change, vending machine, Enterprise loaner. This dealer is directly next to the Lexus dealership, shares a driveway and is owned by the same company. Audi's waiting room is so-so

BMW ($55k 335) - included service (normally $100 oil change), $6 coffee handed to you by somebody pulling a spigot on a coffeepot, $5 croissant, Enterprise Kia loaner (really!), sometimes Impala, Sentra, Altima, Cavalier, Mazda6 and the infamous Mini. I once got an X5, twice a 328 (Enterprise) and a 5 series that wouldn't start (hence the KIA). There is no waiting room, just a few chairs in the showroom.

GMC ($45k Yukon) - $45 oil change, there is a Dunkin Donuts next door and we'll give you a ride to the Metro if you want to wait a half hour. Grimy waiting room.

Honorable mention goes to Honda ($25k Civic) - $43 oil change, Keurig and fresh pastries, chips and hot dogs at lunch, Honda loaners. They are happy to service Acuras (no warranty work) but will give you a loaner.

Minge

The q5 dressed up gets spends quick. My wife had an 6s Audi it was her third Audi and I have had two an s4 and an a4.. Loved Audi they have just gotten to be so expensive when you add in options. The after warranty period maintenance will make you scream into the night it is so expensive. She drives a cpo vw cc the vr6 4 motion model. Fun to drive and good car but not an Audi by any stretch. The vw will go down the road the second the warranty runs out. She will either get a Acura TL or the caddy cts next.

My research is leading me full circle back to the Rdx it is just really hard to beat for what you get. Strong powerful v6 plenty of room good quality audio system and pretty darn reliable. Not sure how my search is going to top that in the same price point.

carbonTSEX

I looked at the Lexus NX F, Mercedes GLA, Honda CRV, BMW X3 and the RDX. Over all I liked the RDX the most due to space and style. No regrets with my 2016 Advance.

NJcyclist

Greetings,

I'm both new to the forum and a first time owner of the Acura 2015 RDX AWD non tech and this thread looks like a good place to jump in since I’m a previous BMW owner (2008 X3 and 2014 X1). This forum was a great resource for researching and ultimately deciding to test drive the RDX. I factored much of the input provided by members to make my decision. I've now owned my 2015 RDX since March and I'm very positive about the decision with no second thoughts.

Right off the bat, the immediate benefits I’ve noticed is the RDX has a smoother ride, quieter cabin, supportive and softer leather seats, very decent sounding stock audio system, lots more room and rear cargo capacity than the X1 (slightly more than the X3), nicely appointed/configured dash and more intuitive than the X1. I did also test drive the Audi Q3/Q5, Lincoln MKX, Caddy SRX, Buick Encore. Didn’t bother test driving the Mercedes GLA, Lexus NX or Infiniti QX50 as they were a bit on the smaller sporty side like the X1 and I was looking for a CUV with enough rear cargo space to haul a road bike without having to take the wheels or seat post off. None of the cars tested met my criteria as well as the RDX and since the dealerships were aggressively dealing on the 2015 models, the walkout price after trade was several thousand less than I would have gotten on the other brands/models. The negotiating was a lot less stressful since Acura essentially only offers the two trim lines on the 2015 models so there was a lot less number crunching needed to determine the apples to apples comparison to other similarly equipped brands.

I enjoyed owning the BMWs and in terms of mechanical reliability they were just about perfect. 18 months into owning the X1, there were several non-mechanical issues which led me to trade in and purchase the RDX. The two prevailing reasons were, while sporty and fun to drive, you felt the road vibration more significantly and the steering was not very smooth at speeds sub 30mph which didn't appeal to my wife. The low profile run flat tires which are now standard on most BMW models, while very sporty and road gripping, do nothing for the ride quality. The other was the steering column on the X1 was counter-intuitive having to move the shifter forward to go in reverse and having to press a button to put it in park rather than pushing the shifter all the way forward as required in many vehicles. At times you would think the vehicle was in drive or park but it wasn't (I guess the older you get the harder it is to adapt to newer technology).

The X1 was fully loaded and was comparable in price to the RDX AWD tech package. It did have more options which many posters have commented are lacking in the 2015 RDX including power side mirrors, heated steering wheel, panoramic sunroof, front and rear parking sensors, rain sensing wipers and four years of no cost maintenance. I can tell you that while nice to have, none of these were deal breakers for me in considering the purchase of the RDX! Here's my two cents. I do mostly local driving and I rely more on my iPhone and MapQuest or Waze for turn by turn nav than I ever did the BMW nav. I opted for the dealer installed auto start which in my opinion trumps a heated steering wheel any day. Being from the NE, there were days the heated steering wheel and seats did not kick in for 5 minutes or so (horrible suffering I know LOL) and having auto start in previous vehicles prior to the BMWs, getting into a preheated car, even with heated front seats, is more appealing. I’ve read some of the comments from other members that the value of pano sunroof is overrated and I agree. As the driver you cannot see beyond the first few inches so it's the rear passengers who benefit the most and the panos have that horrible thumping wind noise if the rear windows are not lowered slightly. Don’t miss the power side mirrors since every car I’ve had with them previously was horribly slow to fold in and out! I do miss the front and rear parking sensors but the multi view reverse cam does compensate for that. As for the rain sensing wipers, I thought there was a big time lag in activation after it started to rain so I just went to intermittent mode anyway. The four year scheduled maintenance was sweet but BMW servicing costs are grossly overpriced and based on my Acura dealer’s service price sheet, it would cost half or less of what BMW charges for similar maintenance! As for the upgrades on the 2016 Non Tech, I'm not yet sold on the "metro techie" look of the HID headlights. I live in an area with few streetlights and a lot of deer and I find the current halogen headlights provide ample front and peripheral lighting, especially the high beams, to see and react quickly to deer and other road impediments.

Bottom line for me is the 2015 RDX non Tech had the ride quality, engine performance and right amount of bells and whistles I was looking for at a price far better than any of the other luxury/premium cars previously mentioned.

Oh and one final comment. I’ve seen many threads with opinions as to whether Acura is a “Luxury” car brand or merely Honda’s “Premium” line. Let’s face it if you’re a baby boomer like I am, a Luxury car in the 50’s, 60’s and 70’s usually cost more than twice what your average family sedan cost to purchase and consumer leasing wasn’t an option back then. Using today’s numbers a true “Luxury” car today (at least for sedans but more for CUV/SUV models), is well north of $50K and that’s on the low end. Using that logic, I’m with the people who consider Acura to be Premium brand rather than a Luxury brand but with a lot more value for the dollar!

Melodyqi

Actually, the lack of power folding mirrors in the U.S. Version of RDX forces me to consider other crossovers. To most people, this is probably so insignificant. But driving in and out of a garage door with only 1.5-2 inches to spare on each side daily is not something I look forward to. After reading everyone's opinion here in this thread, I am now waiting for other 2016 new models to come out, particularly the 2016 Lexus RX. Lexus claims that they have improved its handling and performance. We will probably see test drive reviews later in the year. I don't like the numb handling on current RX models. Of course, if Acura adds power folding mirror in their 2017 U.S. RDX, I will be more than thrilled.

aIRpeACE

iTrader: (2)

Lexus NX, Hyundai SontaFe Sport

Comfy

Thanks for your comments comparing the RDX to your previous BMWs.
If you think the BMW gear lever is confusing, then you should see the newer Mercedes's where not only you have to deal with all the buttons and stuff, but there an identical lever on the opposite side of steering wheel to add to the confusion . Glad that you didn't test drive it.
....................
I would have to admit you are first person I've read about who prefers halogen lamps to HIDs/ LEDs. From what I know, the HID / LEDs offer better and more powerful lighting and generally people like it. You've got a point though. The halogens offer light which is much closer to natural sunlight and therefore is the most sensitive to human eye and offer better color and depth perception compared to HID/ LEDs (which you mentioned as the metro techie look....., but we love it ).
Glad that you got a great deal on the RDX and are enjoying it.

BPalladium

Just purchased (yesterday) a 2016 RDX (Tech & Acurawatch packages), Fathom Blue Pearl, after selling our base model 2010 RDX. A major motivation was to take advantage of the newly available collision avoidance features, including lane keeping, blind spot detection, cross-traffic, collision detection, and adaptive cruise control. We are in our late 60s and our eyesight/reaction time is not what it used to be. We feel that these features could be lifesavers for us.

Bearing in mind that we were trading in a 2010 RDX, which was an absolute blast to drive, we limited our selection to CUVs with excellent handling, acceleration, and performance. An additional limitation was the availability of a nearby dealer for warranty work. On these grounds, we narrowed the field to the BMW X3 and RDX based on feature availability in the CUV segment.

Although we loved driving the X3, we found that BMW has distributed these features among numerous option packages, so that you are forced to buy nearly all of them in order to get the full set. This drove the price up to $55K.

Acura plays the same game, but fortunately there are fewer option packages -- if you get the Technology and Acurawatch packages, you've got nearly all of them, with the exception of the parking sensors included with the Advance package. And the price is $42K. I thought I'd never say that a car priced at $42K is a bargain, but by golly, it is, compared to the competition.

The various collision avoidance features are beautifully engineered in both vehicles. BMW has a bit of an edge in that its adaptive cruise control can handle stop-and-go freeway traffic, which the RDX implementation of this feature cannot do. However, this capability is irrelevant to our driving needs in central Virginia.

HotRodW

Soooo many choices. I'm always "looking" for my next car, so I tend to keep a working list. It currently includes:

2017 F-Pace (attractive car, silly name)



Discovery Sport



Edge/Edge Sport



Lincoln MKX



Murano



VW Tiguan (CrossBlue Coupe Concept)



VW Cross Coupe GTE (concept)



GLC




The F Pace is going to be a looker. Historically Jags haven't been reliable, but that has changed dramatically in recent years. The Discovery has a useless third row of seats, and the much maligned ZF 9-speed. The Edge is a surprisingly nice car all around, with an amazing amount of tech available, but it's worth waiting a year to get the Sync 3 and new transmission, and to avoid any common Ford first year mechanical issues. The MKX is Lincoln's version of the Edge, and it appears Lincoln is finally getting serious about differentiating itself from its Blue Oval brethren. The Murano's styling isn't for everybody, and of course it has the rubber band CVT. REALLY nice interior for the price though. The new Tiguan is said to resemble the CrossBlue Coupe Concept. It's going to be bigger than the current model, and it will also have a near-useless third row of seats. The 2-row version of the full-size CrossBlue, or whatever they call the production model being assembled in Tennessee, will probably be about the size of the Edge. The GLK replacement, the GLC, goes on sale this fall. It should be vastly improved, although I'm disappointed in the bland styling. The Q5 and allroad are about to be replaced with all new models, but they are still competitive. The NX has a nice interior, but I still can't stomach the styling. It's worth looking at if you like it. The Mercedes-Benz wagon-based crossover you mentioned is expected to be based on the E Class, which might put it into a considerably higher price class. I won't recommend any BMW.

Kaputnik

Congrats on your new one!

Welcome to my conundrum. How to affordably upgrade from a low mileage, but albeit outdated 2008 RDX and still maintain the sportier side of the first gens. You're right, they are an absolute blast to drive.

From somebody who appreciates the first gen RDXs, whats your thoughts on the fun factor of your new 2016 in comparison? I was not overly impressed with the 2015 on that measure.

BPalladium

The 2016's suspension, I was told, has seen some changes designed to improve handling -- I'm not sure what these were, but my car does handle a lot better than a 2014 loaner I drove for several days. Still, the
sport-suspension feel of the 1st gen is gone, and due to the V6, it feels a lot heavier. On the plus side, you don't feel every little bump in the road, the ride is luxurious, and the handling is surprisingly good for a front-heavy CUV. The V6 runs like a Swiss watch, and -- unlike the 1st gen turbo -- it responds instantaneously when you need some power... and there's plenty of it.

In sum, the 2016 RDX is a lot less sporty than the 1st gen model, which was aggressively designed to maximize the "fun factor." In the 2nd gen, the Acura designers were clearly shooting for a car that had a more luxurious feel but without turning the car into a boat (e.g., RX-350). Whether they succeeded or not is, I think, a very subjective sort of judgment. The 2016 works for us because our driving needs have changed -- we're now doing a lot more 250- to 500-mile interstate trips, which were rather tiring in the stiff-riding 2010.

sumoto

Have you considered the Volvo V60 Cross Country? I took a lengthy test drive a few weeks back and felt it was a impressive vehicle. Seats were the best I've sat in and handling was inspiring, a very locked down feeling in the curves. On the H/W, I felt the vehicle was dialed in completely with that "Lets take a 1000 mile road trip to a great coffee shop feeling". Engine, a (5) cylinder was very torquey, with great low and mid-range power. Interior noise was very minimal, although engine gives a nice growl when exercised. Being a Volvo, the safety features speak for themselves. Good luck with your purchase.
Sumoto

HotRodW

Good call. I almost pulled the trigger on a V60 before deciding on the Touareg. My biggest reservations were the infotainment system and low ride height (deep, unplowed snows are a regular occurrence here). If the Cross Country had been available, I might have decided differently.

sumoto

I've sat in both the V60 and V60CC and my estimated guess would be the CC sits about 1.5" higher. I can't address your concerns about the infotainment system as I'm a non-techy and more concerned about the actually physical driving experience. I'm a AM/FM, paper map type of guy, anything else is a bit of a distraction to me. Are you happy with the Touareg? I understand the Golf Sportwagen will be offered as a "All-Track" awd next year, it looks interesting in the videos I've seen.
Sumoto

yesrdx

Has anyone considered the Nissan Pathfinder? Although I don't need a 7-passenger vehicle, It seems to be a close price match.

HotRodW

I know what you mean about non-techy. I have my limits, too. Unfortunately, a lot of vehicles in this class now come with some type of touch screen system to control even the simplest vehicles functions. I took the new XC90 for a test drive yesterday. Really nice car, but you have to rely far too much on the touch screen system to do basic tasks. It's relatively user friendly, but I'm still of the opinion that you shouldn't have to use a touchscreen to do something that can be handled just as easily with a switch or a knob.

Yes, I am happy with the Touareg. Very happy. It is the nicest vehicle I've ever owned. It doesn't have BLIS, adaptive cruise, parking sensors or collision avoidance. And what it does have can be mostly controlled with plain old buttons, switches and knobs. It's comfortable, great in the snow (Audi quattro), and the fuel efficiency has surpassed my lofty expectations. By comparison my X1 was a gas hog. If the Touareg were stolen tomorrow, I'd probably get another.

The alltrack could be a game-changer for VW here in North America -- assuming they can supply enough, that is. They still have a reputation problem where quality is concerned, but they seem to be heading in the right direction. I understand the alltrack's Haldex AWD is actually a step backwards, sending power to rear less often to increase efficiency. There's a chance we could get just the 1.8T engine, too. The diesel's urea tank might not fit with the multilink suspension, so it might be gasoline-only for the US. That won't be so bad if they offer the 2.0T as an option, but VW isn't saying at this point. Fingers crossed.

HotRodW

The Pathfinder is a pretty solid package. Not the most powerful, but pretty darn comfy. It's bigger than the RDX, of course. It's basically a 3-row Murano with blockier styling. I know we're stuck with the CVT, but I'm hoping they'll at least eventually offer the Maxima's more powerful V6.

SlowLane

I have a 2015.5 Volvo XC60 T6 AWD. The seats are by far the most comfortable I've ever had in a vehicle. Smooth ride, powerful engine, and little road noise. It feels very solid, like driving a bank vault on wheels. I test drove a 2015 RDX, but decided to give Volvo a try after having 3 Acuras.

I know some people think the infotainment system look is getting old, but I like the buttons and knobs. Especially after driving in the cold this past winter. I was able to adjust settings like the radio and heat with my gloves on. I agree with HotRodW. I would rather have buttons and knobs for basic tasks.

My only complaint with the XC60 is the transmission. I test drove an Audi Q5, and that transmission was smoother and more responsive.

sumoto

Volvo really seems to know seats and all of the different models I've driven have that same bank vault feel. No argument here, buttons and knobs work just fine for me. Perhaps there's re-flash for your transmission....? I drove a 2015 XC70 AWD w/ T6 and the transmission shifted pretty decent, better than I expected and a lot better than the 2010 XC70 I drove years ago.
Sumoto

hand-filer

One week into the Sorento SX Turbo and I'm not regretting this purchase whatsoever. Smooth, solid and quiet. Materials, fit, finish and feature content are excellent.
It continues to impress in every way.
It's not a premium brand but it sure feels like it is.
I never felt that way about its predecessor.

Kaputnik

At that point I would probably just step back into full-blown Toyota 4x4 country and get a 4-Runner. But I had been getting bounced around in that world for the last 25 years until I moved to an RDX.

yesrdx

Are there any other 6 cylinder SUVs with similar mpg and price range (+/- 10%)?