It was once considered prudent not to purchase a new vehicle in its first year of production and wait to the following year to "iron out the bugs". In this day and age, not sure whether this still applies , particularly with a honda/acura.

I'm in no real hurry , my wife is content with her 2003 CRV, so waiting to Sept/Oct for a 2008 is fine.

Was also considering an X3, maybe a better overall vehicle, but not $15,000 Cdn better. Beside, our intention is for long-term ownership , beyond warranty period, therefore reliability is an important issue. I think that honda/acura will prove to be more reliable in the long-term.

your thoughts

 

When did MY2007 become available? I am thinking that if it's by July then it might be worth the wait, otherwise just get a MY2007 and save more $$$.

 

The first 07 RDXs were seen in August, but that was earlier than the usual Honda release schedule. I'd look for an Oct release date for future new model years.

 

When my TL lease is up in June, the RDX WILL be my next daily driver.

I picked up the 2004 (3Gen) TL and it was the first year of that new body style/production run and had no complaints; therefore, I'm not worried about picking up a first year run at a vehicle.

Ultimately, the decision is yours but personally I like the deals to be had on the 2007 RDX's on dealer lots. If Acura makes some minor changes to the 2008's, perhaps those deals might not be as readily available.

 

Tripp has a great point on the current market situation being extremely buyer friendly. I can almost guarantee you that the '08 models will not start arriving 'til October or perhaps very late September; and being just out of the gate they will sell at sticker -- at least to start with. It's a crap shoot whether today's buyer's market will exist when the '08s are released. If I had to put money on it, I'd say Acura will add a few more goodies onto the '08, thus securing the value proposition at sticker (or very close to it)...and thus negating the current deals which are great on both financing and actual selling price.

I wouldn't be too concerned about first-year issues for the fact that it's an Acura. We've seen a few niggling items crop up here -- batteries and radios but nothing serious which is telling; the consensus seems to be "Get a VIN of 10k or higher and you're in good shape" because most issues are typically corrrected on the line as production increases. You can determine the production # by looking at the last five digits of the VIN.

I'll agree with you on the long-term reliability of the Acura beating out the BMW. In fact I'd go so far as to say it will beat the pants off the Bimmer (which is a beautiful vehicle, imho, but also vs. the RDX imho not worth the premium price) in long-term performance.

I have heard some bad stories about funky electronics dogging some recent vehicles in the BMW line. Then there are routine maintenance items like brakes, etc. which will likely increase your cost of ownership in a BMW vs. the RDX. Safety may also be a concern for you. If so, the RDX is in the top 13 safest '07 models as rated by IIHS. That will also likely translate to lower insurance premiums for the RDX.

Yeah, I'm biased, I own an RDX. I just got back from an errand and while driving thought to myself, "Wow, I REALLY, REALLY like this car." Like you, I plan to own it for the long term...10 years or so.

I moved up to my RDX from an Element. The Element was a great vehicle, and at first I thought I might make it a long-term ride...but it didn't give me the luxury options and power that I wanted. That, and it grew stale to me after three years — I began to see them literally around every corner. My late wife had owned a '99 Acura TL and she was extremely happy with it. So it was an easy, natural transition for me from Element to RDX. Incidentally, that '99 was the first year of the body redesign on that TL and we also had zero issues with it.

The other factor to consider is the "feel" of the Honda/Acura product vs. something else. I shopped the RDX seriously against the Subaru Legacy Outback Xt and while I have immense respect for the Subies, the Acura just "felt right" to me. Maybe that's a personal preference that comes as a result of driving Hondas for a total of 7 years, I don't know. I do know that I like the way the RDX looks (not overly done but certainly distinctive), the way it responds, and the interior for me easily beat out the competition. I also considered an Audi A3 on paper but was concerned about quality issues there.

Since this sounds like it may become your wife's car, you might also consider the new CR-V. Topped out, I think they're around 27 or 28k with nav if that interests you. Although I'm pretty sure the nav is different than what we have in the RDX. Wouldn't hurt to shop your CR-V around and see what it might fetch. Good luck, whatever you decide.

 

My personal opinion is that you should wait for 08 - they might just throw in the auto-dimming mirror and passenger side power seat then. In fact, they need to do something to boost the sales, so they probably will!

I looked at the Mazda CX-9 online last night. Oh my, that is a sweet looking vehicle! It's the size of MDX, but the price of an RDX, even when loaded!!! Even though I am an Acura fan, it does make me wonder.... Some food for thought....

 

I really liked the CX-9 until I saw it in person and sat inside of it - IMO, too much cheap plastic used for the materials which turned me off.

I think the fit & finish in my TL is superb and I think the RDX is along the TL lines, and IMO, both much better than the CX-9 or CX-7.

Personal opinion though and it all comes down to the buyer.



Pacer - Nice informative post!

 

gmannn,
dont think abt the model yr now since ur in 2007 u might think that 2008 would be better option but once the 2008 model is launched u'll again think over waiting for the 2009 model since there will be more changes.
so if u keep on waiting u'll wait forever.
take my words and get one asap.

 

Cx-9 has a Ford engine... not sure if that's a good thing.

 

biggest thing to decide is are you willing to pay $XXXX more for possible almost the same car. When those 08's come out, if they still have this many 07's left, you better believe you could get a deal on an 07 at that point, as is the norm, but with the lowwer than expected sales of the RDX, probably can get some better deals. I think the biggest test will be to see what does Acura do for the 08, anyone know when they announce changes for upcoming models?

 

Thanks for the kind words, Tripp. I had the same thought on the CX-7, interior seemed kinda' chintzy to me. What's that saying, great minds...?

Neo, as I said, I think you'll find Acura will be tight-lipped about the '08 model until just before it comes out. That has been my experience watching them intro and update vehicles the past several years. Kinda' like Apple: a shroud of guarded secrecy.

As for deals on '07s being available after the '08s are out: I'd say yeah, there will be some. But it will be pot luck. They'll likely ramp down production as the year goes on if sales continue this way. That means less product in the channel and replenishment at lower rates (if they're wise). Acura does not want a Chrysler situation on their hands wherein there is some God-awful number of vehicles in dealer inventory.