JShamoon

Check it. Now. It's been updated. A little bit.

Technology and Performance sections are now up.

phile

If you look under Specs> Interior Features, one of the things listed is "Aluminum Threshold Garnish" - now I don't know what exactly that's referring to, but the one at the auto show did not have aluminum, it had plastic fake aluminum.

Also there's an option for wood gearshift knob.

The reason why I bring this up is because the TSX uses both fake aluminum and fake wood, and those are listed as "Titanium-finished" trim and "Simulated wood-grained" trim under the TSX specifications. Now the TL, which uses real aluminum, says "Aluminum" trim under its specifications for the interior. Likewise, it uses fake wood and that too is listed as Ssimulated wood-grained" trim.

So hopefully the production models' interior is vastly superior to the show car by ditching the fake stuff. But that's still in the air, as I'm still not sure what the heck aluminum threshold garnish, as opposed to just listing it as aluminum trim (if it is indeed referring to that), really refers to.

mrdeeno

I think I recall awhile back (shortly before the release of the RL) that Acura will stop using "fake" wood. I'd do a search for it, but I'm lazy.

Since the RDX is the first completely new model being introduced after the RL, maybe it will kick-off this no-plood policy.

I don't remember if they said this will apply to plaluminum or carbon pliber.

Ken1997TL

Good! They need to go back to their roots. The 2nd gen Legend had wood in the GS and the LS models. So did the Vigor GS. The RL continued that..

hondamore

Thanks for the notification of the update!!
There is lots of cool new stuff to look at including the 19inch wheels that I really like (my wife likes them too which I guess is important since the RDX will be her car). We'll put winter tires on the stock 18's and get some decent tires for the 19's. I also notice that the rearview camera is now definitely listed in the tech package which will also make my wife happy. I'm glad that the camera is included in the tech package and not an accessory - the less work the local dealer technicians have to do the better since I am a firm believer in the fact that you just can't match factory quality with dealer installed extras.
Now I just have to hope that the Canadian version has the same specs as the American model. The Acura Canada site still has very little info on the RDX.

mrdeeno

It looks like Acura is taking hints from other automakers' successes and starting to offer more options and packages.

Colin

The RL has real wood on the dash, and simulated wood near the door pulls. The TSX does have a real aluminum threshold garnish - it's the scuff plate in the door sill. I'm guessing the RDX will be the same. The rest of the aluminum and wood is fake.

On the new site, I especially liked the variable turbo inlet animaion. Funny, though, I'd love to see how my old '93 MR-2 turbo's "Twin Entry" Turbo differed from the new Acura design.....

CGTSX2004

iTrader: (1)

A couple things of note:

1. 18" wheels standard with a 19" wheel option as a dealer accessory. I wonder what the lug pattern will be?
2. I'm rather annoyed that the HandsfreeLink is only available with the Technology package.

Overall, I'm looking forward to driving one of these things when they become available this summer.

phile

I thought the only fake wood on the RL was the optional plood wheel?

phile

@ carbon pliber. A synthetic of a synthetic...I never understood that.
Anyway, in the RL, the "metal" on the center stack is plastic, as well as the interior door release. Only the TL uses authentic aluminum on the interior, with the exception of the door sills that are aluminum on all Acuras (thanks Colin for the clarification). I still question why the mid-level luxury model gets the real stuff and the flagship doesn't.

icenoir

The 19 wheel looks identical to the wheel offered for the TL (excpet they are 18 in) - see link at $370 each. Wow, 1500 for a set..
http://www.handa-accessories.com/tl/08w18-sep-200c.jpg

New tires will run 160 each or more..

Does Accura give you a credit for the oem wheels if you upgrade?

hondamore

The RDX 19's also look similar to the RL's optional 18's. The tires I'm looking at will be a lot more than $160 a piece but I'll try to sell the OEM 18 inch tires to the tire place for a bit of a credit. Finally, Acura doesn't give a credit for the 18" inch wheels if you get the 19's so sticking winter tires on the 18's (if applicable in your area) is probably the way to go. The other benefit to the 19" upgrade is that you can probably find some tires for the 19's that are a lot smoother and quieter as well as better handling than the stock 18 inch Michelins. I went through this with my RL and found a set of tires that are a night and day improvement over the very same stock Michelins.

mrdeeno

I heard that people who get the standard wheels/tires and later get the optinal rims pay the same amount as people who upgraded before delivery...but they don't get the standard rims/tires.

In other words, it sounds like the dealers rip you off (not surprised, are you?) if you upgrade before delivery since you don't get the standard rims/tires, even though they charge the same if you upgrade later.

mrdeeno

it's not actually a synthetic of a synthetic...it's a "simulation" of a synthetic.

On the RL, are you talking about the 2 "boomerangs" around the gearshift console that look like brushed aluminum?

hondamore

I must disagree with Colin on the RL wood issue. All of the wood trim in the RL is genuine curly maple (sometimes called tiger maple). The only exception, as another poster mentioned, is the optional "wood" steering wheel. I do have a Canadian-spec RL, so the possibility does exist that the U.S. specs are different.
I apologize for getting off topic in an RDX forum, but as an RL owner, I felt that I must set the record straight.

phile

The center stack - the face plate surrounding the buttons as well as those 2 boomerangs. Plus the door release pulls. They look convincing enough, but touching them you can tell they're plastic.

I was just surprised since the TL uses real aluminum, I would expect the RL to do so as well. But in the RL's defense, there are a few other cars in this segment that use the fake stuff. The Lexus GS's center stack is also plastic aluminum, for example. The Infiniti is consistent, the G35 uses the real stuff, so does the M35.

Colin

Well, at the R & D introduction , I specifically asked them about the areas by the door pulls, and was told point blank that the area on the doors was simulated.

Colin

Sorry, but if you're not smart enough to get them to give you back your old rims, I don't think you can blame someone else....

mrdeeno

I heard that Acura actually DOES this on purpose...people who did buy with the upgraded rims, after hearing that the price is the same if they buy later, ask for the standard rims and the dealer refuses.

i don't know what the story is, but this is just what i hear.

Colin

Sorry, you lost me. Acura (as in American Honda?) or the dealer (as in independant business?) refuses. What does Acura have to do the the individual dealership? American Honda does not tell us how to run our business.

The rims are installed as an accessory. The customer needs to get credit for the stock rims if he's not getting them back. Failing to do so is nobody's fault but that individuals.

mrdeeno

I mean the dealer.

I'm not sure how long ago I read it, but the thread said that he bought a TL or RL with the 18" Aspec rims for whatever price they were. Someone else posted that they bought the rims several months after taking deliver of the car, and it was the same price. So the original poster went back to the dealership to get either credit or the standard rims/tires. The dealer told them that the deal was that if he gets the optional rims, they EXCHANGE the standard for the 18" rims and that's included in the price...even though he paid the same price as someone who bought the 18" rims after several months and kept the standard rims/tires.

mrdeeno

You can determine whether someone means Acura in general or the dealership, so it doesn't need to be explicitly stated.

Colin

I disagree, this is the internet and I feel thngs need to be quite clear, it's very easy to make mistakes. Three months from now, someone will read this and say ,"...I can't remember where I read it.....but...."

The situation you refer to is not likely a "policy"at the dealership in question. (Of course I have no way of knowing for sure) However, if at the time of the deal, the customer doesn't ask for the original rims, I'm sure the dealer would be happy to "score" some "free" rims. I have had customers say "nah, I don't need those old rims" In this case, sales department keeps them to use incase someone damages one on the lot.

IMO, the situation you stated could have been resolved if the store promised to get him a set of rims from the next time they change a stock unit. Sometimes these thngs are pretty hard "after the fact" and as with all things, there may be more to the story than was originally presented.

phile

I do question this because 1) it looks authentic to me (when the RL debuted, I spent quite a bit of time in the cockpit at the next auto show) and 2) the optional "wood" steering wheel is listed as simulated wood on the RL's specification, while the others (optional shift knob and interior wood trim) are indeed listed as wood.

hondamore

I was killing time waiting for my clubs to be regripped and took it upon myself to call Acura Canada regarding the RL's wood trim. I was told unequivocally that ALL of the wood trim in the RL is genuine curly maple. My guess is that the rep Colin talked to at the R&D meeting was mistaken or there was a miscommunication in all of the hustle and bustle of unveiling a car to a large group of people. The rep may have been refering to the "simulated" aluminum trim by the door pulls. I certainly do respect Colin's opinion and expertise on Acura issues.
With that said, let's get back to the RDX.

JShamoon

Thread jackers.

phile

There's a smiley for that:

Ok ok, back to the RDX.

hondamore

Sorry, I tried to respond to Colin in a private message, but his mailbox was full.
Back to the RDX update on the Acura site, I like the SH-AWD little movie - it does a good job of very plainly illustrating how SH-AWD works. What it can't do, however, is allow people to feel the difference that it makes. I drive every day with the benefit of SH-AWD and it is an AMAZING technology. I think once the car mags do some comparo's with the other small SUV that everyone is talking about comparitive shopping with, the RDX is going to blow them all away with it's sweet handling.

rdxsteverino

Looking at the HID Headlights selection of the Utility button at the Acura RDX site, I noticed a different (non-RDX) instrument panel when the "See The Road Without HID Headlights" is selected. Is this a dig on some other CUV? Anyone recognize the other (dim) instument panel?

phile

I think that might be a Honda Accord's dash

Senator McCain

I second that one!

98AccordEx

It does seem to be the Accord dash, interesting how they did that.

lamster

It's indeed interesting how they chose the Accord dash to reflect visibility without HID. Well, I guess they needed some dash to showcase the RDX's HID lights, and choosing a dash of another car made by another company could create some potential issue. So, instead, they chose the Honda Accord's dash.

I think it's a little bit exaggerating. The Honda Accord's dash doesn't seem to be that bad in real.