I need a bit of advice on whether to keep my 07 RDX tech or trade it in.
I have 103000 miles and its in great shape and still fun to drive. I was thinking I would add a few mods and ride it until the wheels fall off, but the mileage is a concern for me. The majority of the miles are highway with little stop and go traffic and I run about 75 mph for the 3 hr commute. I was thinking flash pro or reflash, upgraded the brake kit, and possible exhaust. But I am really worried about dropping $$ on upgrades and then have the car start to slowly bleed me dry with wear and tear repairs.

The alternative is to trade it in for a Q5, the new RDX's are very disappointing in my opinion.

Any advice is much appreciated.

 

I have an 08 RDX Tech with +104,000 miles and I am planning on keeping for a few more years. I've been putting about 18,000 miles per yer since I purchased used 4 years ago. The mods I've done are:

- Hondata reflash
- ETS inter-cooler
- Hondata heatshield Gasket
- Eibach lowering springs
- K/N drop in air filter
- RonJon Legacy 7 Liquid Graphite 18" rims
- Conti DWS 255/55-18 tires

Every time I add a mod, the RDX gets better and better. Since I added my Inter-cooler and heatshield gasket, my mpgs have went up to 21.4 mpg combined on the M.I.D. (about 60% hwy). I just did the 100,000 mile service and I purchased the spark plugs from Amazon for $11 each compared to the $27 each at the dealership. The only other unexpected expense was I had to replace my alternator for about $250 (again, the dealership wanted $600 to do the same job). I usually change the 5AT oil every 30,000 miles and sh-awd every 60,000 miles. The RDX is a perfect around town pocket rocket for commuting.

Your RDX would make a great second vehicle or winter driver if you can swing it.

 

IMO I would keep the RDX if you are not having any problems with it. The Q5 is getting a bit dated and the 2.0t is known to have carbon buildup problems (not sure if it is fixed on the new ones). It is going to be redesigned for the 2016 model year and will be made in Mexico .

 

is it paid for?

 

I appreciate the response, have you had any problems or issues with the electrical or navi? It is kind of a second car, I have a work vehicle for my day to day so this has become my weekend toy. I am leaning toward keeping it, would you suggest the reflash or the flash pro?
thanks again

 

paid for, she's all mine

 

I test drove the 2014 Q5 with new 3.0, it was impressive. Then i drove the SQ5, wow.

 

if its paid for put 6 months of payments away for maintenance issues. then get the dp intake and flash pro with the 600cc injectors to get better mileage out of it. you should be happy then.

 

The only electrical issue was a bad relay causing a slow drain of my battery. The RDX would have to sit over a 3-day weekend before the battery was dead. The part was only $5 to replace ($90 for labor). At 95,000 miles, I had to replace my AC clutch and a few months later the AC compressor failed; but, that was all covered under the Acura extended warranty. The Navi has worked flawlessly over the years. I only perform a Navi disk update every 3rd year and I usually get the previous year disk off of eBay.

The only thing about the 07-09 RDX (which I love the body style + engine + mods + sh-awd) is this is a "one and done" model. There will always be a newer version of the Audi Q5, Porsche Macan, BMW X3, or Infiniti EX out there for years to come; but, the RDX is becoming rare and unique every day. I did not want to have any regrets down the road if I traded her in while she is still in her prime.

I've been happy with the mods I've done so far. I am a little nervous about doing any extra mods because I don't know how the sh-awd and 5AT will handle the extra TQ over time (one reason why I change the 5AT oil every 30,000 miles). I have not heard of any issues with the 5AT/sh-awd with these mods. Acura/Honda seemed to be over engineered to handle a little extra power.

I'll say mod and drive until the wheels fall off. Then check out the Audi.

 

I had to replace the ac compressor but I received something from acura (recall) and they fixed it for free as well as clutch replacement. The only issue I have had with the Nav is the Nav traffic; it took a crap and could not be replaced w/out excessive costs. I contacted Alpine and they said they could not offer a replacement that would be compatible with our (RDX) system. They could but there is not enough interest to do so. IMO
Great point about the RDX one and done; the new version sucks, and you are right the Q5 has had several changes since 09.
You and thewrench116 have made extremely good points and the mods are not too expensive.
thanks guys, much appreciated.