This has been covered to death already but I thought I'd chime in on the RDX now that I finally have one. Work's been keeping me at the office late so I haven't spent much time with this baby (less than 200 km on it) but hopefully I'll get to take it on a weekend road trip once before fall/winter hit.

HISTORY
- Test drove the RDX back in October. Loved it. Was driving a Ford Freestyle prior to this.
- Started driving the family X3 shortly afterward all the way up until last week when I picked up the RDX, my first real car (and the empty wallet to prove it).

FIRST DAY IMPRESSIONS
- My heart skipped a beat when they pulled the RDX to the front lot. I love the CGP colour (part of the reason I decided to go with an '07) and the front spoiler is badass. The exterior definitely looks better in person and in motion.
- Hopped in the car. The interior is amazing. A huge leap ahead of the X3. I love all the features: voice control, nav, bluetooth, rearview camera. The camera and nav screen ARE a bit washed out (not as good as Infiniti) but definitely useable in any situation except when direct sunlight is shining in (which it was that day). Stereo didn't seem all that impressive...but I didn't have any CDs or DVD-As on me.
-Started the ignition and drove back home (a good 70 km drive since I bought it out of town). My heart sank. The RDX felt bigger than the X3, visibility not as good, and not as nimble. Engine noise is low...where's the turbo sound?? Road noise is pretty high...but not as bad as the X3 with OEM tires. Brakes felt spongy and unresponsive.
- Got home. I loved the idea of a car to call my very own, but a big part of me was sad I gave up the X3.

THE NEXT FEW DAYS
- After playing around with the seats and mirrors I finally find a comfortable seating position with good visibility around the car. Still not as transparent as the X3.
- SUSPENSION is firm but nowhere near as bad as some people are making it out to be. If the X3 was like having someone punch you in the arse every time you went over a bump, the RDX is like having that same fist wrapped in a blanket. You definitely feel the bumps in the road, but it's nowhere near as harsh. Then again, mine was manufactured in May '07...so the suspension may have been re-tuned (if speculation is true).
- Still feels bigger than the X3 so I'm more hesitant to zip around lanes.
- Blind spots are larger than the X3...probably still need to get used to the mirrors.
- The brakes still suck.
- I don't even miss the auto-dim mirror in the BMW or the Ford.
- Feeling some understeer when going around corners...but that's me...haven't figured out how to maximize the SH-AWD system.
- Still getting used to the VOICE CONTROLS. They work very well when you know what to say. Very helpful when driving alone but probably redundant if you have someone in shotgun who can just press a button for you.
- HFL works well but I really wish they displayed the menus on the nav screen or something. It's cumbersome to have to listen to your options over and over again when there's a huge screen next to you doing nothing.
- REARVIEW CAMERA works alright...but I'm glad I got the rear sensors as well since they tell me more accurately how much space I have on either side.
- Bought a couple of DVD-A's. Definitely hear the SURROUND SOUND going now. A very sweet sound but I'll never crank it so high when driving, and I try to keep the windows open whenever possible, so it's all a bit lost on me. "The Beatles - Love" disc is really nice. "Metallica - Black Album" is disappointing.
- A friend complained about the center console lid opening up towards him so he couldn't really reach into it.
- SUNROOF is tiny.

WHAT I LOVE ABOUT THE RDX
- Interior. Extremely comfortable. I like the techy look with the silver trim. Door handles feel kinda cheap though. Love the soft blue light that filters down to the gear box at night.
- Tech. HFL, voice controls, and Nav work pretty well. Rearview camera is nice but not a necessity. MID is good too but I hate cycling through to get to the menu I want. Stereo is good but I don't really blast my music to begin with.
- Handling. Pretty good. It's a relatively smooth (but firm) ride. The light Japanese steering is growing on me.
- Rear exterior. Looks sexy. The front end is good enough but I prefer the look of the new MDX.

WHAT I DON'T LIKE ABOUT THE RDX
- Brakes. Feels worse than the family MDX. I feel like I have to drive a really safe distance in crowded traffic.
- Initial turbo boost. I'm still not used to the little jolt you get when the turbo first kicks in...especially when making a turn.
- HFL setup. Granted a one time thing...but still, details should be shown on the nav screen.
- Understeer and visibility....but I expect these to disappear once I really put some driving time in.
- Suspension. A great balance between performance and comfort in my opinion. The ride is firm but not harsh.

WHAT I MISS ABOUT THE X3
- Handling has that "BMW factor". Superior to the RDX in feel and control. The RDX is no slouch though.
- Low-end torque. The X3 jumps from a dead stop. To be fair, I don't find the turbo lag that noticeable either.
-Visibility. RDX isn't bad but the X3 was practically transparent. I didn't even need to check my blind spots to know where all the surrounding cars were.
- Brakes. Feels like I can stop on a dime.
- Panoramic moonroof. That thing stretched all the way back almost to the trunk.

Holy crap. I just realized how much I wrote. I really need to get out of this office and go home.

Nice to finally be a part of club RDX! I only expect to love it more as I clock in more time with it.

 

Cool. I agree with some of your hates and most likes. The only problem that I keep complaining about is the brakes. I even have a hard time slowing down to the intersection, with no cars in front of me! I do have a hang of it now, so I tend to let is coast when I see a red light from far away. I'm also managing the 18 MPG on the streets and 22MPG on the highways. It's all on the footing and attitude, which was my complaint at first.

Overall, I love the RDX.

 

Whoops...I meant to put the suspension in the list of "Things I love".

I also forgot to mention the shifter in the X3. Has this really satisfying ca-chunk sound when you throw it in to drive. The RDX shifter feels a bit small and wimpy in comparison.

Yeah, I'm averaging 14 mpg right now...but a lot of it is due to the short drives around the neighborhood and playing around with the tech in the garage.

 

how much did you pay for it?

 

I think the blind spot problem might have something to do with your height. I've known people to say they've had blindspot problems in cars where I've had no problems at all. Most were shorter than me. I'm just curious how tall you are? I'm 5'10".

The height makes a huge difference on how you view blindspots.

 

Hahaha seriously? I'm the same height though. Maybe more like 5'9.5"....but definitely not one of those people who drive peering over the steering wheel. I really think it's just a matter of getting comfortable with the mirrors and tweaking them a bit...we'll see...the RDX's mirrors seem to make objects appear farther than they are (I know they all do that...but relative to the X3 again).

I had a small blind spot with the X3, but after a while I was able to adjust the mirrors so I could just glance at them before making a lane change.

loulinja - I paid $500 over invoice for my Tech in July. You can probably get whatever '07s are left for invoice or even less now that there's a dealer incentive to sell them.

 

I got mine for 1k below invoice; this was when the 08's were coming in the following week. It also helps to have a relative close the deal for you.

 

I think you need more time in the RDX to realize it is more nimble than the X3. The steering is 3/4's of a turn less in the RDX than in the X3, I drove them back to back on a closed course and felt the RDX was more nimble.

The X3 does have a lot of caster in the front wheels which makes the steering feel heavier. When you get used to how the SH-AWD works, your understeer concerns will be gone and you'll drive circles around X3's.

 

Overall handling the RWD X3 is much more fun to drive, and certainly more nimble than the RDX. Regardless of track numbers it just feels better.

 

+1

Now all this is based on personal preference. I'm not trying to say the X3 is better than the RDX. I really think it comes down to your driving history and what you prefer. Heavy German steering vs. Light Japanese steering. A FWD-AWD system or RWD system.

If I had the money, I would probably stick with the X3. But the RDX is a great value for what it is...and that's a nice handling SUV with good utility, nice interior, and plenty of techy extras.

 

Do you live in Canada? Cuz if so, then that's an amazing deal. It's harder to get a price like that up here since the RDX is doing relatively well.

 

Bay Area, CA. Yes, I couldn't believe my ears when I heard it on the phone (my cousin). I guess he couldn't believe his ears when I said, "I'll take it; I've done the research, so just sell it to me".

However, I added 2 accessories (at dealer cost), plus labor (standard cost), which almost evened out the 1k below invoice deal.

[edit]He works internet sales, so selling cars below invoice does not hurt him. At least, that's what he said.

 

and don't forget that all the money saved by not going the X3 route puts a smile on your face.
Picking up my 2008 RDX this coming thursday, so will get a good chance to drive it back from Vancouver-400 KM but will have to keep my speed low because of the breaking period.

 

Just out of curiosity, I was wondering if the X3 you had was an '07 model. According to my readings, BMW improved the ride on the '07s in comparison to previous models.

Thanks.

 

Nope, our X3 was a 2005 model. I know BMW smoothened out the ride for '07, so I'm not sure how it compares to the RDX.

I finally had a chance to drive the RDX around town all day today and I do love the suspension setup on it. It's firm and you feel the bumps, but it's not nearly as punishing as the X3.

 

BMW softened the ride quite a bit on the 07s. Steering is typical BMW (great!), handling is about the same as the RDX, and body roll is more pronounced than the RDX. Interior is improved, but still not a great looker. Great 6 speed auto! Wish the RDX had an extra gear... it will help with fuel economy.

Visibility seems about the same in both cars. Adjusting the mirrors on the RDX really eliminates most of the blindspots for my wife. The backup camera makes parallel parking in the city a cinch.

Bottomline... X3 is pricy compared to RDX. If we wanted to spend that much on a BMW, might as well spend a little bit more and get a 335xi! Screw the utility then!