Hello all!!

I am planning on purchasing a SUV around February or March next year. However, I've been doing research on the RDX and the X3 (Yes, they're different class SUV... price range a whole lot different too!). But I'd like to ask for your precious opinion on which vehicle you would get consider I am a commuter of average 60 - 70 miles a day. Both forums I've seen very good opinions on the vehicle, as well as problems that get on people's nerves!

What makes me so hard to decide between the two is I like certain features of each vehicle, and its killing me! I am dying to decide which one I would get in the upcoming future.

Your advise is very valuable and very much appreciated!! Thanks!!! *Hope I don't get frame by this! haha*

Also, if you have a choice to pick between the RDX tech and X3 base model, which would you prefer? Since the price between the two is around 3k - 4k. Thank you very much!!!

Well, I think you'd get quite a different answer at a Bimmer forum, but here goes...

Having owned a new M Roadster for almost 3 years, I can honestly say I will never consider another BMW product. It was indeed a blast to drive, when it wasn't it the shop. It was in the shop a lot. 43 times in 34 months of ownership, to be exact. And the problems ranged from minor annoyances to undriveable situations. The icing on the cake was the devil-may-care attitude of the service techs and advisors.

Also, I think you kind of answered the question yourself when noticing that the price of a stripped-down X3 is comparable to a loaded RDX. I just can't see paying that kind of premium for a basically equivalent vehicle (both have pros and cons).

Iceman nailed it. You can have a stripped X3 or a loaded RDX, and to dupicate the level of features the RDX has in an X3 it will be around $50k.

The BMW nav is really outdated - no traffic or touch screen
http://www.bimmerfest.com/forums/sho...d.php?t=246161

and there is an issue with the transmission
http://www.bimmerfest.com/forums/sho...d.php?t=242429

The BMW is a more satisfying drive, The RDX is a better value. (IMHO).

Yup, as indicated in the previous post, it depends on whether you care a lot about the blue/white propeller emblem and also the famed BMW handling and turbine smooth inline six.

The RDX is a much better value, and the handling and AWD system is on par with the X3 (JMHO).
I think the X3 design is really "old school", it's bigger brother looks way better especially with the latest styling updates.

Can't say much about BMW reliability, as my previous 2 bimmers E46 3 series, had their few issues, but not major ones.

So it depends on what you are looking for... Value, dependability, reliability, quality, status feel, smooth inline engine ...

Question is: Are you willing to put out another $10,000 for an equivalently equipped X3 just mainly for the famed emblem/handling/engine?

I personally would prefer the X3 if cost wasn't a factor.

That being said, the base X3 looks crummy with the unpainted plastic. All the packages on the X3 add up to a TON of money and all the reviews I've read on the "sport package" have said the ride is very harsh.

As for Tech vs Base. I personally do not need to spend 3k on a Tech option to drive to work. I literally would need Nav maybe 1-2 times per year and it's nothing either Google maps or a quick glance in the glove compartment can fix. For most people, it's more of a novelty/gadget, but I've always been able to find my way around places quite well and don't travel too often.

I think everyone would prefer the BMW if cost was not an issue.....

FWIW: all new X3's come with the sport package (as evidenced by the 3.0iS badge on the fender) which means they have the painted body panels.

Also - when you look at the X3 tell me if there is any way to enter and exit the vehicle (comfortably) without rubbing your leg/calf on sill. I almost forgot - this was a big deal killer for me as the exterior sill gets pretty dirty and it would rub all over your pants.

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cost not being a factor - i dont like the X3 at all. its a very awkward looking vehicle when ur next to it in person, and on the road it looks even weirder, i dunno, just doesnt do anything, for that kind of money (featured to compete with the RDX) u might as well get the X5.

Cost was not a factor with me either. I just did not like the BMW...
The RDX handled just as good or better. The stereo in the RDX is so much nicer, as is the Nav and the overall interior. I like the RDX exterior better too.

The BMW has one plus to me only. Smooth BMW power. The RDX has as much or more power and speed, but just not as smooth.

I would choose the RDX even if the RDX was a couple grand more than the BMW.

Great to hear all the response!

Yes, you guys see my heart inside out already! I enjoyed Acura's appearance as well as all the features, totally fit into my neediness~ To be totally honest, speed is a minor issue to my preference in a vehicle.

The only reason why X3 becomes a comparison to the RDX is because my family keeps telling me the safety of a BMW, how they have thicker materials compared to Acura. I might also have a better chance to survive a major accident if it happens~ *Knock on wood!* Is BMW really that great with safety features?

I've read some great reviews about RDX's safety also! How bad are the damage in a medium level accident?

Sorry for my indecisiveness, but buying a car seems to be a huge commitment to me!

Thanks

I think the RDX is considered the best in class for safety in all sorts of collisions. Tell your family that thicker materials sounds like made up fanboy specs

BMW X3 is a safe vehicle to be in, based on all the testing done, and I don't think it is all due to the amount of steel that went into making one. If that was true, you might as well be driving a M1A2 abrams tank to be safe on the road.

Both the X3 and RDX have well designed structural safety cage and external crumple zones, that absorbs and keeps a majority of the impact forces away from the occupant in the cabin. Even a KIA Sorrento may be as good as the X3 in safety, and there, it is definitely not about how much steel used.
Look at the Formula 1 race cars, they are mostly made of carbon fibre and composite materials, with a small safety cage around the driver, most of the time, the driver is hardly touched in a 200 km/hr collision with a impact wall, they walk away slightly shaken.
So it is not ALL about the weight of steel used...

As for safety comparison, you can say the X3 and RDX are about on par...

If I were you, just simply visit a BMW and Acura dealership, test-drive the X3 and RDX, get quotes on equivalently equipped cars, and see which one puts a bigger smile on your face.

I drove my family's 2005 X3 (2.5si base...with the moonroof as the only added option) for just over a year before buying my own RDX. I can honestly say I miss the X3....for the handling, visibility (zero blindspots if the mirrors are adjusted correctly), brakes, and the low end acceleration from a stop. The RDX handles well but, as some have mentioned, it's missing the "BMW"-factor. They're both almost identical in size but the RDX just feels bigger. I've found my mileage to be better in the X3 too...especially in highway driving.

What the RDX has going for it is value. For the price, you get handling that almost rivals the X3, a much more luxurious interior, more standard features (though I'm missing that moonroof!), and better reliability (which isn't an issue if you're leasing since BMW covers all maintenance). The ride is also a bit smoother than pre-2007 X3s...but I hear BMW addressed that in current model. And when the turbo kicks in, man, you fall in love.

Bottom line IMO: If you want superior handling, a smoother engine, and slightly better mileage, go with the X3. For luxury, reliability, and value, the RDX is the winner.

To be honest I don't like i-drive at all.
My friend who had a '08 328Xi said that the reason he bought i-drive
is because it gives the center console somewhat "complete" feeling.

By test driving both X3 and RDX. I'd say RDX.
Not just because it's Acura forum, but my opinion.

People, it's not just value. It's performance! The RDX handles better (lateral acceleration) and smokes the BMW X3 in 0 to 60. Smokes it! Slightly more headroom in the BMW, front and rear, but more LEGROOM and ShOULDER ROOM in the RDX. The one advantage of the BMW? Towing. Funny, I've never heard of anybody buying an X3 to tow. That's why God made Fords and Chevys.

Read on: http://www.motortrend.com/roadtests/...ver_comparison

Don't try to pin Fords and Chevys on God....

Thanks for all the thoughtful reviews and precious opinion!! I will take these into serious consideration.....

I gotta give it to beemer, they know how to make a well handling and well tuned car. My buddy has the bmw 525xi (06 I believe) its a nice car and he beats the shit out of it and still gets better fuel mileage then my somewhat babied rdx

Ya the beemer has about 60k on it now vs my rdx with only 11 but I just find it astonishing he gets 11L/100km after beating it like no tommrow and I get 15 or so on average driving it like a granny.

Other then that, I think the RDX is a superb, value oriented, well handled and powerful automobile! I really pushed her today getting on the freeway in the Sport mode with the paddle shifters, close to redlining it in every gear and fak I was at 140km/h in what felt like 5 seconds.

the X3 is overpriced, flat out plain and simple, theres really no reason why the vehicle costs that much other than the BMW name. its not anything spectacular and the RDX matches or betters it in comparisons. If you have an extra 10k floating around hey its ur cash spend however you want, other than that theres nothing that truck does that the Acura doesnt do, id say if the money is there it comes down to straight subjective preference. The X3 may get 1-2 mpg better than the Acura, but with such marginal increases, whose really keeping track.

I think it's because RDX is way cheaper, relatively speaking...

But I-Drive is not as convenient as I thought it would be...

Most head to head comparos have the X3 trailing the RDX by about .5 second in 0-60 times. So,I'd hardly say the X3 "smokes" the RDX. And, the X3 (unlike the RDX) has no turbo lag. the engine is probably more drivable at low RPMs.

I'm also not sure how anybody can objectively claim the RDX handles a lot better. Having driven them both, I'd make the exact opposite conclusion.

The X3 also has better brakes, if we're talking just preformance.

Now, if you consider the whole car ownership issue the RDX has the advantages of 1) Better reliablity, 2) Far better gizmos, more comfortable seats, nice interior overall, 3) Looks (I may be in the minority on this one - but I love the look of the RDX), 4) More usuable space, 5) Low cost to own.

1/4 mile times give a much more accurare depiction of power/weight and what would happen in a race and the RDX and X3 are almost neck and neck with the same trap speeds.

I personally low the RDX as well. A couple minor beefs and a 3.5 V6 would make this ideal for me Until then, I'll just wait for the right time to do a reflash.

Reflash! Next time I go on vacation.

Funny how people jump all over mileage. Based on 7 years of driving 12,000 miles a year (230/week), a 2mpg increase over the 17 I am getting would use 520 gallons or so of gas. Let's say I pay $4.00/gallon (I don't) for a total of $2080 more over 7 years of ownership. $2k. So beat up your dealer for a grand and keep the car for 3-1/2 years, there's your extra 2 MPG.

Joe

140km/h? What's that in MPH? By the way, does anybody know the published top end speed of the RDX?

1 KM = .62 M
140 kph = 87 mph

Thanks Scud.

Sorry, but some of your sweeping generalizations were not specified as opinions and require a response.

IMHO the RDX only handles better (marginally) under acceleration while using the SH-AWD. Part throttle or under throttle lift the BMW handles better especially when equipped with the sport package.

1) BMW reliability - especially on the X3 which is several years old - is not really an issue this is a lot of rumor. 2) BMW and the Germans invented "gizmos".. it just costs a lot more to get all those gizmos on an X3. Most of the gizmos were pioneered on German cars first and perfected and copied by the Japanese mfrs. 3) Looks are subjective 4) It could be argued that the X3 has a lot more versatility because of the reconfigurable roof rack system, so you dont buy a larger car when you really only need the space 5% of the time. 6) I dont figure on the cost to own? The BMW cost is zero for the first 50,000 miles due to free maintenance.

Dont forget the BMW has higher resale value and makes it very "leaseable".

BMW's are not staples of reliability otherwise I agree with your points about the BMW handling. The RDX understeers fairly heavily and the free maintenance on the BMW is awesome.

For me, the X3 just costs way too much though.

Rizzo, your comment about BMW's poor reliability being a rumor is unfounded. Let's see some persuasive evidence to back up your claim. Otherwise, it's just an opinion, which carries no value for me.

That's what's great about the interweb...you can send in your opinion like it's factual. I have had 3 of them (BMW's). I've had great luck with them, so I base it on my own personal experience. I'd never buy a new model year BMW - I remember the 1st run of E46 M3's with the engine bearing failure. In the case of the X3 it's fairly long in the tooth so I'd bet money that it would be problem free based on my past first hand experience.

FWIW: I dont think the X3 is a good value, but it is a nice piece.

Bimmers have reasonable resale value, I woldn't say it's "high"... Lexus, Toyotas, Acuras and Hondas hold their value better than bimmers, Mercedes and definitely better than the Audis. You buy a bimmer for $50,000, and sell it for $30,000, a loss of $20,000. In the same time period, you buy an Acura for $30,000 and sell it for $20,000, which has better resale value?

I know this, because I have traded in bimmers and Acuras before, and in both cases, the Acuras always win out in having better resale value...

As for reliability issues with bimmers, it is not a rumour...

my old E46 bimmer had oxygen sensors, camshaft sensor, ABS sensors, water-pumps and alternators changed out in less than 3 years of ownership; albeit under warranty... had to top up synthetic oil every month (BMW says it is normal for the E46 engine)
My bimmer front door seals fell right out the bottom in just one year of ownership...window regulators replaced in just first year of ownership...
The E46 M3, in it's first year of production, had recalls for the crankshaft fracturing... too much power for the crankshaft to handle...
My friend who currently drives the new E90 3 series, complains of coolant problem issues, especially the 335i models.

Not to say, other car makes don't have issues, but just stating that mediocre BMW reliability is not just a "rumour".

Finally something I can agree with you on. German cars have mediocre reliability. Not terrible, just mediocre.

There is a luxury car repair shop near where I work. They only work on luxury brands. The owner is full up every hour of every day with late model but out of warrenty Mercedes, BMWs, Audis, it's amazing. And just a little bit scary to see so many shiny and obviously owner-pampered lux German cars, judging by all the perfect paint and glistening metal, that cost upwards of 100,000 bucks U.S. being worked on.

My wife owes the X3 non-sport package with 70,000+ miles. She has had 2 problems.
1. The windows "Creak" at low speeds. Dealership fixed
2. The passenger airbag light comes on. Waiting to take to the dealership

and something metal hit the sunroof and it broke into a thousand pieces while she was driving at 70MPH. So maybe three things. (Last one nothing to do with the car maker).

I drive the RDX with 30,000 miles in 12 months.

I wanted to buy the X3 or X5 but couldn't justify the price difference at the time. But the X3 out handles the RDX. There is a bridge on the way into town. In the X3 I can take the corner at 75 without any trouble. I could go faster but since the wife is usually in the car, she will not let me go faster. The bridge has to be 200 feet up in the air (Houston, TX). I feel that I could easily go 85 or 90 before understeer starts kicking in. The same bridge in the RDX I am lucky to go 60 without trouble. At 65 it starts to understeer.

The brakes on the RDX are horrible. My last company car, A Buick had lot better brakes. The X3 stops so much better.

BMW service writers: They are people too. If you get to know them they will jump through hoops for you. We get lots of little things done for free. I change my own oil on my BMW (I also have a Z3 convertible) and they reset the counter. We get better cars when it comes time to get tune-ups. When the X3 was getting the sunroof replaced they gave us a $80k car for the weekend.

Gas Mileage: about the same

Interior Looks : RDX wins

Exterior Looks: That is a subjective

AWD: The BMW system is way better than the SH-AWD. The BMW is a lot better in the rain that the RDX. That might be due to the tires offered on both. The X3 has Pirelli Scorpions which we both really like. They haven't lost traction in the rain. Can't say the same for the tires that are on the RDX. But then again, you can't really compare that unless you drove the same spot a few minutes later.

I like the RDX and will keep it but in a way wish I bought the better handling X3 or X5. What we are trying to figure out is what to do with the wife's car? She drives 100 round trip every day to work and 2 years later she has 70k miles. Do we trade it in now or finish paying it off and keep it till the wheels fall off?

That's the RDX's 57/43 weight distribution generating the understeer. The Beamer's near perfect 51/49 is dynamically superior.

In spite of that, I'd still buy the RDX again. SH-AWD corrects much of the chassis dynamics and the X-3 reliability has been worse than average for 2 of 3 years.

I guess my wife has been lucky as far as things going wrong. I didn't mention that my BMW Z3 is 10 years old with 88k miles and it hasn't been in the shop for one thing. Since I belong to a Z3 car group I get to see about 50 cars in our group from time to time. Only one that I know of has had any kind of problem. And turns out his problem (which took year or so so solve and thousands of dollars) had everything to do with an aftermarket accessory he added. Boy did he feel like a fool.

Now I am not saying that BMWs are perfect. I just haven't seen any problems.

I can say I have taken my RDX if for only one thing in a year. My gas gauge showed near full when I got in it one morning. Drove about 40 miles, stopped for a meeting. Then when I left it showed empty, the warning light reminded me that I was about out of gas. By the time I got to a gas station 2 miles down the road, it showed I had dashes until I was out. But on I was only able to add about 5 gallons. I brought the car to Acura, they said well if it does it again, bring it back and we will look at it.

I think I had one problem with the E46 and the wife's Benz has has absolutely no problems in almost 3 years, not one unscheduled service visit. Both cars have had better service records than the RDX so far but all in all most cars are so well made these days none of our vehicles have had any really major service issues.

Again, I think German cars get an unfair rip on this board based on my experience. Note: I'm personally over the deutch experience overall and dont think it's worth the extra $ and will most probably purchase a TL to replace the Benz.

I just want to mention the "free" maintenance that BMW offers on their new cars. First off, it is not really free. The cost of maintenance is simply built into the cost of the car. Obviously a new car has a much lower probability of incurring major maintenance and repairs costs than a car out of warranty. This is why BMW is able to offer "free" maintenance. So this needs to be properly factored in when comparing Acura and BMW.

Secondly, to many buyers (me included), leasing and resale value is a non-issue. Resale matters only if you plan to sell it early on (meaning 5 yrs or less).

don't they make a stiffer anti roll bar or something for the RDX that can dial out some of that understeer? Seems like a cheap fix. Also, tires are going to play a huge role in the rainy weather. Youc an probably also get better brake pads.

As for X3 vs. RDX, something thus far unaddressed is just pure quality of materials. I actually haven't been in an X3, but I assume it shares a lot of parts w/ the 3 series. If so, you're going to notice a heavier leather in the Bimmer, as well as a soft dash, nicely weighted knobs and buttons w/ rubberized coatings, and minimal use of plastics like you get in the RDX. Don't get me wrong, I love my RDX, but there are some ultra-cheapy parts - the glove box & center storage feel flimsy, the back seats don't really line up correctly and look cheap, and when you fold forward the seats, it feels extremely light and breakable.

That said, I'm willing to overlook this kind of thing when you're talking about a 10k price gap. Japanese FTW!

You should always consider the resale value as it does matter in the case where your car is stolen or totaled.

The resale is the value you will receive from the insurance company. Even if you plan on replacing it with the same model, you will have less funds available for replacing your car if the resale has dropped more than other models.

I suppose higher resale value would help if your car gets stolen. But it's still something I don't generally worry about too much. I plan to keep my cars until the wheels fall off, so I know by that time, it won't be worth more than a few hundred.

Well... Talking about resale value... I just pulled up something from the back of my mind... Since BMW are known to have problems to many people, would they think twice before purchasing a used BMW? I mean... think about why the seller are willing to sell their BMW out when its problems free? If I have a BMW and its problems free since I bought it, I would NEVER sell the car until the wheels flies off or the engine fell off the ground.... haha

This is only my opinion though...