econman

I've been researching a new car now for a good two months.

I'm not familiar with Acura, although a good friend recently bought an MDX and I was impressed with it

I think I've test driven 20 cars!. I narrowed my choice down to the BMW X3 but by the time I "RDX Optioned" it, it was $49k. Then I went down and looked at a CX7 (AWD) and at $33k, the RDX looked better even at $38k.

Hence my choice reduced down between an Audi A3 (loaded) and the RDX (Tech), and since they were about the same price, and drove almost as well (the A3 handles better), and since the RDX has twice the cargo space..... I've decided on a RDX (white).

I currently drive an RX-8 whose lease is up in two months (one payment left); hence I will be visiting the dealer very soon. (btw, speaking of the "gas mileage issue", no car can get worse gas mileage than an RX8. I think I get around 10 mpg.... I drive it hard but it is a 1.3 liter engine! - rotary -- lots of fun to drive though)

Any advice?
Pricing/negotiations? (never bought an Acura)
Must have accessories?
After market options?
Etc.


Thanks all. I've enjoyed reading through the threads.

Fishbulb

From what I've been reading, you should be gunning for invoice pricing or even slightly below.

Regarding the A3 vs. the RDX, they are pretty dissimilar vehicles, but if you look at the JD Power statistics, the Acura should be substantially more reliable over the long term, and retain a much bigger percentage of its resale value. On a personal note, I had an A4, and it was plagued by electrical gremlins. I've fared much better with Honda/Acura.

There's no "must have" accessories, imo. Even Acura's base models are pretty well optioned. The only decision you really need to make it whether you want the tech (nav) package or not.

econman

Thanks for your feedback.
Yes, they are dissimilar in that one is a wagon and the other a quasi-SUV (crossover). However my primary goals are to retain as much performance "sportiness" as possible in a luxury vehicle that "does cargo".

I think *in general* Acura is a better quality (in the sense of more reliable) company than Audi. Given my prodigious research thus far, Audi owner satisfaction is bimodal -- i.e. people seem to either love or hate their vehicles.

I will *definitely( get the Tech Package, as if it were not available, I would not even consider the RDX.


On the accessory side, it seems some items (iPod kit) can be bought cheaper 3rd party (i.e. Ebay)?

For isntance, I like the "aluminum running board" but Acura's price seems excessive.

rdxsteverino

Can't go wrong with the sportiness of the RDX for a CUV. I am very pleased.

In terms of iPod adaptation I recommend you go with 3rd party although I don't have one. The best I've heard of on the boards is the Neo iPod. Technology is moving so things could change quickly. Check out the following discussions in this forum:

https://acurazine.com/forums/showthr...highlight=ipod

By the way, is your avitar a Sand Dollar, the Man in the Moon or something else?

F.Rizzo

A few years back, I got a fully loaded VW Jetta GLX for Mrs. Rizzo. It was one of the worst cars we have ever owned. There were so many little problems it took away the fun of driving. I'm pretty pragmatic about cars, I know a lot of cars are going to have little problems - especially German ones....but the issue was really the dealer service. The VW network was a unique combination of incompetent and incapable, the likes of which were unbeliveable. They would flat out deny any problems or gave the vague "could not duplicate" response.

The worst of the problems was a unique smell inside the car, that after I did some research, found outthat iit turned out to be the padding under the carpet. I figured it out by search the boards like VWvortex.com and had some pretty good backup on what it would take to fix the car. I presented the info to the dealer after about 5 previous trips where they said there was "no problem" with any smells (keep in mind -we had friends and relative that refused to ride in the car, because they thought the smell could be mold of something hazardous). The dealer brushed us off, most likely because there was no official TSB for the problem and it required dismantling the inteiror and removing the carpet to get to the pad.

I kept esclating the issue locally and then nationally and got no where. I had my attorney friend help me and we tried to lemon law the car. I served VWNA with notice and they denied the repurchase with no explanation. NOBODY ever called to say "hey, whats going on here, how can we help?" through the whole process.

By then we only had about a year left on the lease and it was going to cost a couple of grand to get the case filed, so we sucked it up and lived with it.

My opinion (you asked): I strongly advise against buying an Audi. VW and Audi are interchangable to me, they both leave me with a bad taste in my mouth and I think they treat the customer poorly. Do yourself a favor and do some research and check the reliability of the Audi, my guess is that it's not that good and resale takes a big hit.

my .02¢

econman

Thanks.

Yes, in Consumer Reports 2007 Annual Car edition, they rate the As "average" reliability. The MDX (not enough data to rate RDX) was "very above average".

BTW, the WORST car for reliability was the VW Touareg. Something like 217% below the average rating!! And it is an expensive car!

What has always confused me is the apparent discrepancy between "satisfaction" and "reliability." Some cars have poor reliability yet possess near fanatical "satisfied" owners.

econman

To all of you so kind as to offer advice.

I just bought my RDX!

I don't pick it up until Monday evening as they have to install the accessories, but I'm very excited. I had not planned to buy one today (just wanted to drive again) as I still had two months left on my current lease, but they were REALLY slow and they REALLY wanted a sale.

This forum helped so much as I already knew so much before going in.

FYI, I got 3.9% financing and no money down.

smdebnam

Congratulations! I bought a White Diamond Pearl RDX Tech in October from Goodson. Added the auto dim mirror, trunk tray, all weather mats, moonroof visor, and splash guards. I LOVE IT.

Enjoy your new RDX!

-Shelley

econman

Wow. Congrats! What part of DFW do you live in? I'm in Castle Hills.

Yes, what a difference a dealer makes!. The Goodson people from the salesman, to the accessories person, to the finance guy..... they were all pleasant and enjoyable people. They caused me to want them to sell me a car. A different experience from the other dealer.
They gave me a great deal. Actually, I thought I would have to pay more, and had not planned to buy until March.. I had $1600 still owed on my RX-8 lease and they payed that off selling me the car essentially at about 600 under invoice. But they made at least $2000 on the accessories which I went a little nuts on... all the while my wife was asking "do you really need that?" after which I would answer, "no, but I want it!"
My theory is at some dealers now is the time to buy as most people who were going to buy already bought in late December.... and now they find themselves relatively "customer-less." I was there on a Saturday and it was pretty dead.

It's funny. I was totally torn between the white and the carbon gray...... They had each color but the white has black interior and I wanted taupe (which btw I argue is NOT taupe), so I decided last minute to take the carbon gray.


I had all intentions of getting the running board and splash guards, but they had a demo with the wheels and those items, and I thought they did not match the chrome of the fancy wheels.

Now you have me wondering if I ought to have bought the cargo tray..... I thought it was not needed because the privacy cover flips into a hard mat...? But it would still get dirty and hard to clean.... hmmm.

An FYI for any prospective buyers. The chrome wheel accessory is a HIGH margin upgrade. Their original price was $4012 (yes, not a typo!) and they were giving NO CREDIT for the new wheels and tires they would presumably receive back "in trade." So I called Discount tire and asked them to surf Acura's website and get me a price on a set of wheels and top-of-the-line Michelin asynchronous tread high performance Y rated tires (my RX-8 had z's). Low and behold... their price was only about $3000 including installation and road hazard insurance! This is the only sort of negative experience I had during my purchase as they stated the tire pressure monitoring system would not work on anything other than Acura rims. I smelled BS and called Discount again on speaker phone and he said that they do it all the time and they guarantee it will not in any way harm the system as the only thing that makes a compatible rim verses a non-compatible rim is that their needs to bee sufficient valve-stem space for the special valve stems to fit into. At this point they became sort of embarrassed and gave me the wheel "package" for $3,000 and threw in the $300 road hazard warranty which also covers the wheels (Discount tire's only covers tires).

For those interested, there is a rather big difference between the two sets of tires. The 18" all-season tires give a "softer" and "smoother" ride. marginal "off-roaders" (IMO, and RDX is not a hard-core off-rad car anyway) will not want them. If your driving is in the urban jungle, then I highly recommend them. I was fortunate enough that the dealer had one with them on it so was able to test drive both before buying..... the 19" wheels with the sticky high performance tires changed the game of its cornering performance making it much more like my RX-8 rather than a sporty SUV. The ride is a bit rougher though.

Again, thanks to all here. You helped me know what I know before I bought the car.

jbinnyc

econman,

try curry acura online for your cargo tray. they are fair on price & will ship sometimes free.

www.curryacuraparts.com/rdx.html

F.Rizzo

Right on man!
Congrats to you.


I like the way the factory 19's look better, but I had 45 series tires on my BMW and one test drive at the dealer convinced me that I was not going to do that again (jeez, I'm getting old!)....I keep eyeing them, though.

I hear ya about the dealer also. It was such a stark contrast to the BMW experience where you are made to feel like they are doing you a favor. It made me stop haggling at $200 over invoice. Every Acura dealer I visited had at least one "demo" vehicle with a lot of accessory goodies on it and a "Demo - do not sell" on the window sticker. I figured that these acessories must be a high gross item for the dealers, because they started pushing them early.

There are two theories on the time to buy> In LA - late December is a real hot month for sales (it seems like every 5th car I see is new), so the dealers roll over sooner if they are selling a lot of cars - but like you siad...it's dead now so they also can wheel and deal to sell. Either way, if they want to sell the car - the price has to be right and in the long run I dont think it makes and difference.
.

.

rdxsteverino

I got the cargo tray (as opposed to the cargo liner) as a Christmas gift and really like it. The difference between it and the hard side of the privacy cover is that the tray is not as slippery and it has a significant rounded lip (about 1.5" high) around its periphery. It contains spills and melting snow whereas the privacy cover does not.

c_hunter

I think this is a great time to buy. It's a buyer's market for sure. Most dealers are loaded up with RDX inventory, they have become accustomed to cutting deals on them, and the new financing incentive is about as low as I would expect from Acura. In addition, a lot of people bought in November and December when the previous deal was going, so the well of buyers is certainly dwindling.

I don't think we will see the incentive situation improve until the end of the 07 model year. After procrastinating for months I will probably get an RDX in the next couple weeks or hold off all together. Now is a good time to jump in!!

econman

Yes!

It has been the "nicest" experience I've ever had buying a car. I found myself wanting them to make a little money rather than "sticking" it to them for several hours. Indeed, the original deal they offered was quite reasonable, considering they agreed to pay my lease off... didn't even do the "if you buy today" thing... rather they said take a week and think about it. I even asked for "4.9%" financing but I had read the Acura website wrong as the finance guy said, can't give you that but I can give you 3.9 A great dealer. I guarantee you some dealers would have taken the extra point and ran me over with it.

Now about those wheels.... I'm aging too but they drive so well and look so good.... This may be my last "hard suspension car"

orbitwhite

Hi econman. I'm in a similiar situation looking for a new car this year and deciding between Acura RDX, Audi A3, and Infiniti G35 2007 sedan. It didn't take long to drop the Audi A3 because of high maintenance cost leaving the RDX and G35 sedan, still two very different choices. The G35 sedan is a very nice car in my mind, even more high tech than the RDX. If I bought a car for short term, it would be the G35, but looking forward the RDX makes a lot more sense especially if I want to start a family.

Although the RDX has good future utility value for me, I have concerns what future Acura and consumer support for the RDX. For example, the RDX is the only turbo car for Acura so the turbo parts will be extra maintenance and potentially costly since they are RDX only. Also, Acura cars tend to have good resale value but that is entirely dependent on consumer demand. Although RDX sales are lower than expected, consumers are benefitting from aggressive sales now, but I suspect future resale value to be poor since consumer demand is low. Any thoughts? Thanks

Stevenm

I've been buying Acura's for 20 years because the service has always been excellent. I understand your concerns, but I think your overthinking it. Although I will agree with a new model you probably do take a little more of a chance. I trust the Acura people, and am very happy with the car.

smdebnam

Econman,

I live in Valley Ranch. (635 & Macarthur)

My experience at Goodsoon was great too. My husband has a 94 Legend GS 6 speed sedan, and Goodson has always done the service. His Legend has 180,000 miles, runs great, and still looks beautiful. It was the customer service he received from Goodson that made me what to look at an Acura for myself.

In November my husband bought another Acura, an 06 TL from the Arlington dealer. He wanted an 06 TL Tech and Goodson didn't have one but the Arlington dealer did. His experience with the Arlington dealer was less professional and we encountered several problems. We were sent home in the new car without a dealer tag (without any tag actually), and they recorded the wrong VIN number on all of the financing paperwork and the plates were issued with the wrong VIN number). So, three weeks later all of the paperwork had to be voided and resigned. They did deliver the paperwork to us, rather than us having to go back to them.

All of our service will be at Goodson.

I really like the cargo tray. I paid $102.70 plus tax at Goodson. See Gaylon in the Parts Dept.

-Shelley

econman

Thanks for the reference.
Yes I already like them They even offered to remove the "Goodson" label.

Wow, yes I'm well familiar with that area. I live in Castle Hills which is about 10 miles north of you (east a bit from I35 and towards 121). But I work at SMU so I figured Goodson would be just as good as David McDavid in Plano as far as convenience of getting service, etc.

Mark

Pacer

Oh, you must mean like my dealer who on Saturday had to be reminded TWICE of the current 2.9 (36 mos) deal vs. the 3.9 from last month as we finalized the paperwork.

All's well that ends well, though -- I am digging my RDX!

econman

Yes pacer. When buying cars I'm used to the finance guy trying to screw me. It didn't happen this time and I found that refreshing. I was a bit torn between the 2.9%(36 mths) vs. the 3.9%(60 mths), but given no prepayment penalty, and given my investments are doing well these days, I went for the higher rate of time preference.

However, I sort of felt sorry for the finance guy..... I rejected every "extra" he tried to sell me from ding protection to extended warranty.

c_hunter

I was telling Pacer about my experience with the finance girl during my RDX purchase -- she was doing a hard sell on the extended warranties that cover tires, bulbs, paint protection, loss of limbs, you name it. Rather than arguing with her when she asked why I wanted to decline it all (the real reason is that it's a ripoff), I just started screwing with her head and acting goofy. It worked! She gave a nervous laugh and moved on. So if you ever need to squirm out of one of those sales pitches, just act looney. I think these folks are trained to "debate" stuff like this, so arguing is just going to waste more time. But they probably don't know how to respond to a goofball.

F.Rizzo

The dealer figured out that I used to be in the car biz, and when the sales guy brought me back to F & I (Finance and Insurance) to do the paperwork, he warned the guy that I was "in the biz".
We BS'd about how good it was to be in F&I instead of pounding the lot, and when it came time to sell up the extras/warranties he just said "this is a waste of time, huh?" I said "yup - you know it" and he dropped the whole sell.

That was nice.

So many people drop thier guard in F&I and give back what they just bargained for with the salesman. The F&I guy got into that nice office because (probably) he was one of the best salesman on the lot! F&I is a coveted position - the sales come to you instead of vice versa !

Lrpba300

Yea! What he said. I also got this for a Christmas present & really like it. I also got the "Auto dimming mirror". It was easy to install just like Sasair & others said. No need to disconnect the battery terminal like the instructions say.