I suck at searching on this site.

Trying to find real experiences on the differences between a 2007-09 RDX vs the MMC 2010+. What we are really interested in is the suspension and drivetrain.

The 2007 we test drove had a very stiff suspension, and the whole car seemed noisy when travelling anything other than newly paved roads. The engine was great, very torquey, but there seemed to be a turbo lag, but once the turbo was "on" everything was more than great, it was just not that linear, like say a V-6.

Have there been improvements to the 2010 with respect to what we perceived back in late 2006? I could not find in Acuranews.com that they had softened the suspension or increased sound insulation or changed the engine mapping or whatever to smooth it out a bit.

Can anyone tell me, or point me to threads that tell the tale...more importantly, what search expressions did you use?

Thanks

 

oooo boyyyyyyyyy

and here comes the banter. i am recusing myself from offering my experience/impressions in this thread. others will love to tell you how beautiful the ride quality/refinement is. you are clearly experiencing delusional thoughts that will be subject to change below.

 

Just a thought - I had a "loaner" 2009 RDX while my TSX was serviced overnight. My wife said she could never live with a vehicle so "rough". After a reluctant test ride in a 2010, she now happily drives her new RDX every day.

 

after lurking through this thread, and finally joining this month, i can say that almost any of the threads here that talk about the 2010 rdx may have some of the things you need (not as comprehensive comparing the 2007/09 models vs 2010 though). as for exact key words, just type in 2010 rdx.

FWIW, i drive a 2010 RDX and yes, i can say that suspension is softer than the earlier models (then again i was just a passenger in my work colleague's 07 RDX) but no means a luxurious GLK or Q5 ride. handling is something else as i can crank it in the off ramp (hehe, here we disregard yellow speed limit signs as these are advisory - maybe im wrong but i havent been caught so far). in canada, fuel efficiency has been tweaked a bit through the gear programming (?). turbo may have a lag, yes, especially when you're trying to overtake in on an uphill and cranking the engine with another car coming straight at you . but otherwise, the lag isnt that noticeable, truth be told. (there's a few posts here about turbo lag too)

in the final analysis, mike pretty much sums up the vehicle characteristics. i might disagree with him on price/value but performance and suspension and handling + fit/finish = pretty much same opinion as him. as for me, i chose rdx>glk>q5 since i value reliability + ive been a loyal honda follower ever since i was still in asia. (in asia, honda never sells their vehicles to rental companies, cant say that for toyota nor mazda, etc). finally, there's no rdx in asia and GLK/Q5 can easily be imported, that's another plus for me

 

yea the price/value i was a littel harsh, i still think its a bit expensive for what you get, though

but happy shopping!

 

Personally, I could never live with an ugly vehicle, no matter how great it is in everything. Thus I got me a 09 instead of the uglier MMC models, that have better interior features than mine.

 

Thanks, I will try again. I told you I sucked at this. I was searching something like 2007 vs 2010 review

 

I'm usually a fan of face-lifts, but Acura really screwed this one up. Also agreed about the turbo lag. In the lower RPMs, it just feels lethargic compared to a VW/Audi 2.0T. Handling is very subjective. I prefer the firm feel over a cruiser ride.

 

IF you do go with the "original rdx 07-09" Id go for 08/09 instead of 07 just cause of the standard bluetooth power passenger seat memory seats upgraded mid with shawd read out etc and autodimming mirror....if i knew the 08s were so different from my 07 id would have looked for an 2008/09

one cool thing about the 2010 rdx is the standard back up camera in the review mirror and i THINK usb is standard

 

Yes - it has stiff/firm/not cushy or soft suspension.
To some it is a negative. To others, it is a selling point.

The noise you heard on bad roads could have been the tires if they were still original. New tires really cut my road noise down, but I also don't have a lot of rattles either. Things are still pretty tight with my 07.

I hear the later models are not as firm, but if you are looking for cushy and linear V6 power in a used vehicle, you should be looking at a Lexus RX330/RX350...

 

I will also be looking for these things this weekend when I go to test drive both the RDX and MDX. The one thing I remember from my 09 loaner was the rough sound of engine. I did not think the suspension was bad, coming from my 04 TSX which seems very rough to me as of late. I want a softer ride next time around, although not cloud-like.