wildeklave

I want to thank all on this board for the great information that is shared. I was looking at the RDX for 2 year but pulled the trigger on the Lexus NX. Both Lexus and Acura provide great quality vehicles.

The reasons I chose Lexus are:
- styling - fits my personality better than the RDX. I was looking for a sportier look which Lexus offers
- innovation - Lexus seems to include upgrades more often and does not always wait until a refresh or model redesign. If Acura added some of the safety features and LED headlights last year I probably would have purchased the RDX. Acura is adding features to the RDX now that were in the Accord since 2013 and the CRV for 6 months. Other main stream companies have had these features for at least a year while Acura's RDX did not.
- reputation as a Luxury brand - many believe Acura is lower down the list of luxury brands then Lexus
- Honda / Acura identity - I am not sure Acura knows its identity in the luxury market. Are they an upscale Honda or a true luxury brand to compete with the German and Lexus.

These are my thoughts why I chose. While Acura is a wonderful vehicle, it is not what I wanted right now.

Good luck to those on this board and your decisions for car purchases down the road.

justnspace

iTrader: (1)

Acura NEEDS to do better.


Congrats on your purchase!!!

Comfy

Congratulations on your new car. Yes the NX is a nice vehicle for sure. You are right about the Luxury reputation of Acura. It's not there alongside Lexus but below it. Wishing you lots of trouble free miles.
Well, you can pop in here occasionally.

012TL-GLM

I like the NX styling but have no interest in a 4 banger. If Lexus offered a V6 I would give it serious consideration. Acura is headed in the right direction, finally obtaining brand identity with a better (subjective?) grill and headlight structure. They need to widen the line between themselves and Honda though. A little more HP and SH-AWD are not enough for most buyers to justify the cost difference. After the reveal of the new Pilot I think most MDX buyers are scratching their heads

CanTex

Check back in a few months with some honest impressions. I looked at the NX at an auto show recently and the interior didn't give me the "warm and fuzzy" feeling. But I could learn to love it. (Hey, I grew to love our Crosstour for three years!) A deal-breaker for us on the NX is the smaller cargo area.

My experience with Lexus dealers from our days with an RX350 is very good. Great coffee, excellent lounge, and in one case a gelato bar. But the downer was the high cost of service. Back then, Lexus had fewer sporty cars so the emphasis was on luxury, so I, a mere commoner, was out-snootied by everyone there. Maybe that's changed.

mindanalyzer

Well, truly my experience with the RDX was not the best, very far from it, but in the look department the RDX is many orders of magnitude better than the NX. I saw one on the road yesterday [with the f sport pkg] and that thing was very ugly and totally out of proportions . thank you but no

dmnguyen

Well the 2016 RDX comes out tomorrow (4/16/2015) and has the things you would want like Jewel LED lighting and safety features. As for me I don't like that gigantic hideous front grill that looks like a potato slicer. Seems like Lexus is moving towards that design language with the NX and the 2016 RX. Congrats on your NX by the way.

CybrRdr

Glad you bought a vehicle that fits you. That's what's important.

BLEXV6

I was in the interior of an NX yesterday and although it seems more luxurious than the RDX, it is way too tight for me.

weather

wildeklave....Congrats on your NX. I was checking one in the flesh when I picked up my IS and it's a nice vehicle for sure, especially the interior. Smaller than the RDX but Lexus tends to have snugger interior but being a smaller guy myself, it is not an issue.

I guess Acura lost 2 purchases to Lexus.

BLEXV6

Oh, one more thing, the navi screen looks like an afterthought. Just sticking up in the middle of the dashboard. Definitely not the OEM integrated look the RDX has.

ceb

While it is obvious from this thread that there are strong opinions pro and con the NX, objectively we know that both the NX and the RDX are reliable, safe cars that will serve their owners well.

While some dislike the RDX grille, an equal amount dislike the Lexus grille. Those that worry about "prestige" should buy the Lexus name - it comes with upscale pricing at service time.

Now - to the nav - the trend in many cars is to place the nav above the dash. This does allow better visibility but more importantly, allows for a cheaper upgrade path in mid year cycles.

dmnguyen

I am not sure how is NAV screen above the dash allow for a cheaper upgrade path ? The manufacture might upgrade the software or electronics) but not the actual screen itself.

mrgold35

Congrats on the new ride!!

I saw a Audi Q3 in white/ebony interior and it was equally as good looking as the Lexus. The Lexus NX sounds like a fun vehicle to drive with its size and turbo engine. The NX might with the right vehicle at the right time compared to the 1st gen RDX being the right vehicle at the wrong time.

Do they have a lot of mods for the NX out yet (suspension, intake, exhaust reflash, intercooler, downpipe, etc...).

sumoto

While I wish you the best of luck with your NX, I do wonder why you were comparing it to a RDX. Wouldn't a Lexus RX350 be a closer physical match to the RDX?
Sumoto

BLEXV6

I don't think so. The RX is smaller than the MDX and larger than the RDX. The RX is about the same size as the RDX it is based on the RAV-4, just as the RDX is the same size as the CR-V. They are all in the same size class.

Gta-rdx

RX is mid size while RAV4 is compact size. RAV, CRV, RDX are in the same class not RX.

wildeklave

Now that the 2016 RDX can be configured online I configured one to match the NX I bought. The price was within a few hundred dollars. Lexus MSRP was 2k higher but I doubt there are going to be great deals on the RDX in its launch month. The RDX will probably be a little cheaper in a month or so after Edmunds and TrueCar discounts apply.

As for comparing size:
- RDX is based on CRV platform
- NX is based on RAV 4 platform

People's needs for a SUV / CUV are different and there is no wrong choice between these 2 vehicles as they are both very nice.

Measurements:
Length:
- RDX is 183.5 inches
- NX is 182.3 inches

Width:
- RDX is 73.7 inches
- NX is 73.6 inches

Height:
- RDX is 66.1 inches
- NX is 64.8 inches

Rear leg room:
- RDX is 38.3 inches
- NX is 36.1 inches

Rear head room:
- RDX is 38.1 inches
- NX is 38.1 inches

Cargo space:
RDX has more partially because of the additional 1.5 inches of height. Also, the NX has a cargo tray below the trunk area that may not be in the calculation. Lastly, the NX tailgate slopes down almost like a hatch back and is not as boxy as some competitors to eat up cargo space. I think the slope and the extra 1.5 inches in height plus the bigger underneath cargo area attest to the cubic feet cargo difference between the RDX and NX. The cargo area works for my needs but others may need more cargo space.


I had a 1st generation Hyundai Santa Fe with enough space for me prior. I carefully measured the NX vs the Santa Fe. The rear seat room was almost exactly the same. While the Santa Fe had more cargo space as a taller vehicle the important measurement to me was the trunk area from the top of the rear seat to the rear door. It was almost identical in measurements to my Santa Fe. If I need the entire cargo area for a vacation or excess shopping I would lose out since the Santa Fe (and the RDX in this case) offer more space above the top of the rear seat. I rarely pack my trunk above the top of the rear seat as I like to use my rear view mirror without it being blocked.

CybrRdr

@wildeklave,

Just out of curiosity, which NX model/package did you purchase?

wildeklave

NX200T AWD with Luxury and Nav packages. it is the base / regular version and not the F Sport. Also has triple beam LED headlights, Parking assist, radar cruise control, blind spot monitor, and cross traffic. They added one of their accessory packages too with door edge guards, a safety kit, all weather floor mats / trunk mat, wheel locks, and a few other things.

I wanted a sportier type CUV and this works for me. The Acura has a softer more family oriented look.

CybrRdr

@wildeklave,

sumoto

Just wondering, how would you rate the ride of the NX against the RDX?
Sumoto

wildeklave

I barely drove the RDX so can't really compare. The 10 year old vehicle I traded in was very rough over potholes. The new NX is very soft and smooth over them. The pick up on the highway is nice.

I specifically didn't do a long test drive of the RDX because I had my mind set on the styling of the NX and didn't want to overthink it.

The way I saw it, any luxury category 2015 vehicle would blow away the ride on my prior 2005 Santa Fe.

I do like that I can switch between Eco, Normal, and Sport mode on the NX. Sport mode tightens up the steering which is nice. It may do other things too but I noticed the steering most.

CoachRick

I know I could find this somewhere; but, does the NX have a full sized spare? Our '06 RX had a matching full-sized tire on a matching wheel! They may have given up on that idea in later model years.

RayNA

Tastes in styling is definitely a personal thing, and hope my comment won't be taken personally and doesn't mean to criticize, just a personal opinion. To me, new Lexus styling is a total turn-off, I'd say the ugliest front end I've ever seen on a car. The overall impression it gives is an expensive video-game lover's toy with luxury features. Flashing LED lights while parked, really!!

I'd take RDX every time...

Tony Pac

congrats! the most important thing is that you are happy. enjoy

weather

RayNA....It is great to see people being able to express their opinions about styling and put a disclaimer that it is their personal preference. I fully understand your point as Lexus do have a very polarizing front fascia, and the F sport is even more aggressive.

It is not for everyone and when you push the design envelop, you have more stronger opinions on its styling.....either really love it or really hate it. Lexus can't be accused of being bland anymore....Acura tried that with the 4G TL and they got blasted for it. I owned a 4G TL (2012 version) and I loved its polarizing design - I like something that really stands out and the 4G sure did.

I owned a 2013 RDX too so I can appreciate the more softer lines of its design. The RDX was an amazing CUV and I loved the smooth acceleration of the naturally aspired V6 although I didn't try the turbo in the NX but generally, I am weary of turbos. The one thing that drove me nuts on the RDX was that hollow sounding rear shocks that Acura was not able to solve, and the g/f wanted something a bit smaller so she changed for the ILX which loves.

But again, I see your point of view about the design of Lexus....

FredS

We have both a Lexus and an Acura and IMO can not go wrong with either. So it comes down to personal taste. No comparison with the 2016 RDX to the NX. As previously mentioned the nav screen in the NX is hilarious. Looks as if the designers forgot about it and at the last moment velcroed an Ipad to the top of the dash. From a previous post the front grill is butt ugly and the black plastic trim around each wheel looks cheap. Again this is my personal taste and both vehicles are great.

wildeklave

No, I was told it was a donut. It is underneath the cargo area but not exposed to the outside. My prior vehicle had a full sized spare and when I had to get new tires I was lucky and only had to get 3 since I had an unused one as the spare. Hopefully I won't need a spare.

CybrRdr

I have to admit that I was one who also slammed the NX without test driving it. But that has all changed since we test drove a Lexus NX 200t F-Sport this past weekend.
In person the styling is fresh and aggressive. The interior feels a little tighter then a RDX but is very nice quality and we notice zero NVH. Overall the styling has grown on us (at least in F-Sport trim) and its a very nice to drive.
If we where a "Dual Income No Kids" couple the NX F-sport would be our choice for sure. It has a more sporty feel to it.
But we are not. So we will still most likely purchase a 2016 RDX Advanced. The RDX Advanced is more family friendly and still a better value. We almost bought a MDX but last second changed out minds at the dealership. Just too much CUV for my wife to drive to work in the city. The RDX is the perfect size for her and our small family.

ceb

Interesting way to do a test drive. "I won't test drive car X because I like car Y. If I really test drove car X then I might like it better than Y and I wouldn't like that."

guytdt

LOL! There are people who don't care how cars drive. Just care about look and features offered. So test drive is not part of car buying process.

CanTex

On rear legroom, we needed enough to put a cat pan on the floor behind the passenger room, which works well with the RDX. But that's all out the window now, as for a variety of reasons we'll be taking the TLX this year, complete with cat, for our annual trip from Texas to Southern Ontario (GTA).

RayNA

Well, somebody else test drove it (not the F sport but the regular NX). I found the review kind of funny and also informative