the_dcx

Honda Accords used to come with LED brake lights in 2006 and then the next refresh they were taken off.

Also, many Mercedes and other high end brands don't even come with stock Xenons.

I'm very puzzled how people can be so unhappy about a decision they chose to make. Why not put more effort into changing/getting what they want - than commenting on an online forum bashing a brand they bought.

But then again, some people always have to complain about something to make themselves feel better.

johnrh

Wikipedia says the current generation RDX went on sale in April 2012.

Assuming 36 months before a refresh means we my have to wait around a year still before any significant changes occur.

While RDX sales are good now, IMO it wouldn't be in Honda's best interest to wait for a sales decline to occur before acting.

Also, once the TLX is on sale, what are the product people, engineers etc going to work on?

Personally I am not getting my RDX tech until the refresh occurs. Until then I will continue to drive my 2009 TSX.

ottoman101

This is true, but why offer something standard, then take it away. I'd hardly believe the price goes down either.

I know MB and BMW dont offer xenon lights standard. I thought it was a real classy thing Acura was doing at the time. Maybe they just had a surplus of xenon bulbs they had to get rid of.

wildeklave

Interesting article:

title- Honda Finally admits Acura is broken
http://www.autospies.com/news/Honda-...e-Brand-80315/

They do mention good sales for the RDX. The main message is that Acura lacks an identity.

Based on the RLX, MDX, and TLX looks like Acura is a mid to lower level Luxury brand that has nice cars for the general luxury buyer. They got rid of some of the sport appearance items (like tailpipes) and have engines that are above average and similar to other luxury brands. Some of the competitors like Mercedes, BMW, Lexus, and Audi have sport trims (ie. F sport, IS, AMG, and M) that Acura is not currently offering. Acura seems to be going the route of a Buick or Lincoln right now. I see Lexus as a level above Acura right now.

the_dcx

BMW does this quite often with several vehicles. Take the 3 series for example, the refreshed models (for the past several cycles) have gotten regular bulbs for brake and turn signals, and then on the 3rd year they get full LED turn signals and brake lights, then repeat.

It would seem for a consumer standpoint that each newer model year should get more and more standard features based off prior model years. But these are cars, they don't evolve as quickly as say a Phone or Computer where each year the newer models will have more features than the last.

I can see the argument of Acura not offering some features (on all their vehicles) that other manufacturers do , but for the price of what you do get standard, is quite better than those other manufacturers standard lists. (Ex: REAL leather and keyless/push button start)

aarons12

the compact luxury SUV segment is hot as a pistol. i love mine, but around here (long island) they are every other vehicle, especially including some of the slightly larger ones. this is about aspiration and status. and as another poster noted, those folks couldn't really care about all the doo-dads (showing my age)

YeuEmMaiMai

Acura used to be awesome you got 2 choices in each trim level at one point with nav or without in terms of features

2001 CL with nav or without
2001 CL Type S with nav or without

2003 CL/TL with or without NAV

2008 TL Base with or without Nav
TL Type S -> entire kitchen sink for what the TL offered

RDX is sweet overall but it has too many price points

Base AWD or Base AWD w/tech. Drop that FWD stuff

make awd standard with hid/led lights/power gate/camera ect

if the past is any indication refresh should be next year

wildeklave

I am a NY area person too. I am young 40s and understand that some don't care about features. 1 thing that does stick out on luxury vehicles is the DRLs. Every Lexus, Mercedes, and Audi has LED DRLs that make the car stand out. Since our area has a lot of people that want to show off, this is important to some. There are those that would buy a Base 4 cylinder Jeep over a much more powerful RDX because of features and LED DRLs.

When on the LIE or I95 noone can tell which engine you have but a feature like DRLs stand out.

ceb

You're kidding, right?

wildeklave

ooops - meant can't tell which engine people have

CoachRick

Good golly...are 15 year-olds buying cars now?

Comfy

A good and well rounded car like RDX should and will sell well regardless of LEDs (Didn't all of us just buy one). Having said that we all would love the RDX to have the above mentioned DRLs and the sort.

ceb

The crowning achievement would be if the RDX also had a badge that said "Luxury Edition". That, combined with LED DRLs would make everyone else KNOW that we have a luxury car and that would end this discussion.

GoesByFish

I test drove a cherokee limited V6. Its not just DRL's that the RDX doesn't have. Cherokee has a nicer interior and panoramic sunroof. It can also tow WAY more than an RDX. I will say that RDX drives better (but so does a Ford Escape 2.0).

I think to be "competitive", RDX needs a panoramic roof option and android auto/apple carplay, add lights from MDX, done. Maybe advanced safety stuff in tech/advanced trim.

wildeklave

Honda is involved with Google's new car system. More Android phones are in the market than Iphones currently. I am an anti-apple person so hope whichever vehicle I buy doesn't have an apple only interface.

Gen4MDX

Well yeah but not by a huge margin, somewhere around 43% apple to about 50% android! which android has to give away most of their phones. If you are talking profits, Apple is killing android.

Oh, and I am anti android

wildeklave

our 2 comments are the reason why I think it is a mistake for a car company to adopt an infotainment system that caters to 1 standard when there are 2 major ones on the marketplace (sorry Blackberry).

if a system is clunky when interfacing with my mobile device I am more likely to go to another car company where it won't be. I think consumers will look at this more highly in the car buying decision then horsepower or handling.

Most people expect their car to get them from point A to point B. The average commuter may not get over 65 mph in a given day so 300 hp vs 185 hp may not make much a difference but....

they will listen to the radio, look up directions, plug their mobile device in as an mp3 player, use Pandora, or use other infotainment features on a daily basis. A good infotainment system can potentially drive more vehicle sales then the actual drive-ability of the vehicle (assuming the vehicles drive to a certain base standard).

HotRodW

I suspect most manufacturers will realize they can't get away with just one interface. Mercedes has already indicated they will offer both Android and Apple's CarPlay systems. Other manufacturers will soon realize most customers' loyalty to a particular phone OS outweighs their devotion to any one auto manufacturer. But can they figure out a way for the systems to use the same hardware, or will the vehicle be locked into one OS for the life of the car? Potential interchangeability will make a difference on the pre-owned market. If phone values are any indication, CarPlay-equipped vehicles will hold a resale value advantage.

YeuEmMaiMai

Acura took all of their cars like the Legend, Vigor, Integra, etc and gave them names like TL, CL, RL, etc and now they are on to this 3 letter crap RLX, RDX, TLX, ILX, etc...

Also isn't the RLX supposed to be their flagship? If so, WHY IN THE WORLD WOULD YOU CHEAPEN IT WITH A FWD OPTION? Hello? common sense? Make it your flagship, make it the best it can be

With the RDX and MDX overlapping in price, this is not a great thing

Next we have the TLX which went from the totally awesome 3G design with plenty of power to the current iteration with a I4? really? TL was once a sporty lively car to drive and now we have ridiculous. Sorry a noisy i4 does not define luxury when you are aiming for the best bang for the buck.

ILX, nothing wrong with it as it is Acura's Entry point

RDX = mainstream family suv and it sells well. Personally I would have SHWD be the upgrade vs el cheapo CRV sorta-works(tm) awd... you get better AWD on a $25K Subaru legacy...

MDX = Meh, not really much of an upgrade over the RDX considering what you got to pony up for that thing in true AWD form with the top tech package ($57K!!!!) the RDX tech is like $14K cheaper... hello? is $14K that you pay extra really worth it unless you have to carry a lot of peeps and want an Acura? Also drop that FWD crap and make it AWD....

Dear Acura,

Please pull your head out of your bottom and get back to doing what you used to do best.

BTW when Acura introduced the Legend, there was only 1 choice auto or manual. That's it. The Sedan got 1 engine a 2.5L 151hp v6 and the coupes got a 2.7L 161 hp V6

wildeklave

Good points but a couple of comments:
1. TLX - 4 cylinder is supposed to compete with the 4 cylinder versions of the BMW 5 series and Audi A6. The Acura is probably a couple of inches shorter in length vs. those German cars. It is to increase sales since some may prefer a TLX over an Accord and don't care about the engine. 206 Horsepower should have plenty of power for many.

2. ILX - I have an issue with a luxury vehicle with a powertrain of 150 hp and 140 torque that is the same size as a civic or corolla. The competition is all more powerful (IS250 is 204 hp and 180 torque, BMW320 is 180 hp and 200 torque, and Mercedes CLA is 208 hp and 258 torque). The Ford Focus, VW Jetta, Hyundai Elantra, and Mazda 3 all have more powerful engines for non-luxury vehicles.

YeuEmMaiMai

1. Should have kept the TSX and downsized it a tad to it's former size. TSX was an awesome little car
2. ILX is I believe the cheapest of the bunch and it is not bad by any means for an entry level Acura

Acura_Dude

YeuEmMaiMai, we usually see eye to eye. One thing I'd like to pont out is the RDX and MDX don't overlap each other. The base MDX starts at $42,565 and a loaded RDX w/AWD is $39,995. They cater to different people, plus not every needs a 3rd row. Obviously if you want SH-AWD you'd have to pony up for the MDX, since the RDX uses a simpler version of AWD. Offering consumers a choice between FWD and AWD was a good decision. These two are the reason Acura is doing well. The formula works. I really do feel like the TLX will be a hit as well, since people are actually buying them before the cars can be delivered. I noticed that with the MDX and RDX as well.

As for the sedans, there's definintely some overlap. There's no denying that at all.

YeuEmMaiMai

Here in MN they do overlap each other RDX retail with tech is roughly 43K

MDX starts at 42565
RDX tops out at 40890

So while it not a true overlap, the prices are close enough together (within 2K) that's not really a good thing if you are trying to keep some space between your products...

IMHO it's fine to offer a choice on your mid range stuff but both the RLX and MDX are flagships that are supposed to represent the epitome of Acura and I think it's just a bad decision to Offer more choices for drivetrain as the mileage between the two are negligible

RLX and MDX are known for their superior handling due to SHAWD and to relegate that to an option is just a bad idea on those two models

ceb

Just because two models come close in price doesn't mean they "overlap".

Does a base MDX have all of the features of a completely pimped out RDX? If not, then you're not comparing apples to apples.

wildeklave

overlapping happens a lot:

- fully loaded 6 cylinder Escape is more than the base MKC
- base MDX is a couple thousand above the top RDX but the RDX doesn't have the advanced features yet. Next year if they add an advanced trim they may overlap.
- Honda Accord Touring overlaps the base TLX
- BMW fully loaded X1 overlaps the X3

Jordster

I came here and read this whole thread about what you Acura fans and buyers want to see in the 2016 RDX.

I'm here because I want to buy a fun-to-drive crossover in the spring and I would LOVE for it to be an RDX.

The current RDX has a good engine but it's soft and built for comfort. The lack of SH-AWD is so disappointing, as is the fact that the adaptive shocks are tuned for smoothness and compliance only.

I'd like to see a refreshed '16 model with either the 8- or 9-speed from the TLX and optional SH-AWD.

Right now, I'd probably buy a low mileage 2011 or 2012 RDX rather than a new one. Buying and chipping a 2012 actually seems like the best bargain on a fun to drive, semi-luxury CUV you can get right now.

Comfy

That's what I was thinking. And I enjoy the RDX while I drive it.
I'd love to have those cool features in RDX though.

Taco Tico

Interesting- we did buy the 14 rogue (loaded) to complement our 2011 RDX due to disappointment in new RDX price increase coupled with interior downgrades, loss of xenon and fogs and still crap fuel economy. Hoping the MMR gets direct injection and some spunk back, along with the sportier (and more refined) interior again.

Comfy

Since you have first hand experience of owning both cars, we would like to hear your experience of the new Rouge Vs the RDX.
I don't know what are you referring to as interior downgrades...???