Patton

To each his own I guess...but I vastly prefer the ride in my 08 to the 07's I drove.

jcbridges

If this is true then it follows exactly on what my source originally told me. That there was to be some sort of progressive damping that would soften the suspension response to bumps and potholes at city driving speeds, while still maintaining the stiff characteristics at higher speeds.

baboola

true...i take back what i said =)

baboola

btw, how do you tell when a car is made by looking at VIN? anyone know?

Levy

Kinda off-topic, but I learned a lot about suspension setups, gear ratios and what-not through Forza Motorsport and Gran Turismo. My "butt sensor" would be nothing without the vocabulary and knowledge that I gained through those games

Did you guys ever notice how sometimes a tight suspension can become a problem in bad asphalt? The perfect mix between stiffness and damping takes a long time to be achieved and I guess Acura couldn't do it for the RDX launch in Aug/2006.

Now, a year later, they had more than enough time to try different setups and gauge buyer's tastes. I have to say that the '08 hits home for me - tight but not jarring.

Boon

Sounds reasonable enough. So assuming your butt sensors are right, would those of us who purchased the 07 RDX in the last few months be lucky enough to have this new suspension setup in our cars?

I'll be getting my '07 Tech in two weeks and I was one of those who wished for the softer suspension.

Makolern

Just wanted to get my 2 cents in on this. I love a firm ride, handling, etc. Over the years, however, I have had several cars that have literally shaken apart and had the interior trim, door glass, etc. start rattlling and driving me crazy because the firm suspension transmitted all the shocks from the NYC metro area's many potholes, cobblestones and generally poor roads into the body of the vehicle without isolation. It is not a matter of me wanting the cushiony ride - I like a firm riding, darting little machine. In the longer run however I am such a fanatic about zero rattles, buzzes, etc. in my car that rather than have to sell and buy new every 6 months I'll accept a softer ride if it keeps the beast quiet and the body integrity up to snuff. As I said, my 2 cents only - not a critique of what others are posting.

number84

i guess no one reads my posts. =b

i don't know if you can tell by the VIN, but you can look at the sticker on the inside of the driver's side door...there is a manufactured date there.

Boon

Whoops...sorry guys. I just read back through the thread. I'll be sure to check the VIN when my RDX arrives. I'm confident that it should be above 15000....but the dealer hasn't sold many and I hope I'm not getting one that's been sitting on the lot for a while.

Levy

That's the main problem. RDX are known to sit on lots depending on the market - I heard they sell badly in suburbs, for example, while we in Santa Monica were sold out for close to 2 months. If you buy a vehicle that has been sitting there for 4-5 months, there's a chance it will be the original setup.

Dealerships always try to get rid of old inventory first, so THEY WILL try to push you the older cars. Especially if you're paying close to invoice. So you might have to pay a little more or go to war with them to garantee yourself a late '07 model.

Boon

Ahhh, that's something I forgot to do. Already signed the papers. The RDX has been selling well in Canada (though not in the region where I bought it from) and it's early August, so fingers crossed that I get the newer suspension.

black label

If I had feelings, they would be hurt.

I am an Acura salesman, and I am extremely well versed in my product as well as my competitors. I have always been on this forum to see how the customers view the dealer and to get info on issues that come up along the way with our cars and solutions for them (to help my customers long after I have been paid for selling them a car).

Don't lump all dealers together. One of the reasons I have my job is my passion for cars and the Honda/Acura brand. I never give a customer a BS answer and I don't make up "facts" about what I sell. That isn't to say I have all the answers, but when a customer has been getting question after question answered and they finally stump me, I have no problem with saying, "that's a good question, let's find out". I think in the long run that gains me even more credibility with my customers.

Lastly, while we have a great product that is an incredible value even at MSRP, that doesn't make it easy to sell. Acura is in most of the most competitive markets in the industry. While I would personally take an Acura or Honda over a Lexus/Toyota, Infinity/Nissan, Audi/VW or BMW, that doesn't mean the general population will agree with me or that the competitors products aren't any good. People have a lot of options and in the end they are all very nice cars, but I can assure you that if an Acura saleman does a crap job presenting their product to a customer who gets a great presentation over at Infinity, the customer is buying an Infinity.

Sorry to , but had to get it off my chest.

VeNeNo

iTrader: (1)

Sorry to , but had to get it off my chest.[/QUOTE]

You go boy! do your dirt...

Makolern

Actually I would. What a great dog!! I am a lifetime dog lover and really connect with your baby. I put my 15 year old Dachshund down last year and am very "missing him" - but enjoying the freedom. R regards to the puppy!

XLR8R

Surely, you must be aware that the auto sales profession is held in low regard by the general public, and that this opinion has been based on decades of hard sell prioritizing, that values moving product over customer comfort and the buyer's actual needs. Perceptions are very difficult to change, just ask GM.

I salute you. The business needs many more people with your sense of professionalism and commitment to long term customer relations.

Unfortunately, my long experience buying cars doesn't allow this. I have never met a saleperson who had more product knowledge than I gleaned after a few hours preliminary research. Many salepeople will shamelessly say anything they believe will lead towards the close. My personal favorite: "Small cars don't need Stability Control", from a Mazda salesman when I pointed out that it was unavailable on the 3.

In short, unlike you, most car salespeople are not car people. They took a 5 day sales seminar and know only how to "make" a marks price-range, find the "principle motivating benefit", and drive twards the close. In fairness; this culture comes from the top, and the floor salespeople comply or walk.

In most cases you are quite right; the customer values the "experience" although it has absolutely nothing to do with the product's quality or suitability. This represents the older, uneducated consumer model. Also known as "prey".

The educated consumer has a thorough knowledge of the car's features/specs/TSBs/current owner satisfaction, and is in the showroom only for a final evaluation regarding it's suitability. The car (is/is not) an appropriate conveyance, utterly without regard for the sales treatment, and the price has been pre-determined over the internet. This is why I bought an Acura over an Infinity although my Acura salesperson was clueless, the manager was pushy, the showroom was dirty and the restroom was closed. (Hence, Acuras must be easy to sell.)

For me at least, the salesperson's sole function is to draw up the papers.

I do recognize though that the industry is instituting positive cultural changes and it will be people like you who will increasingly earn consumer respect as they populate the decision making ranks.

Levy

I understand there's a gap between "traditional" car sales and people like me, that come from a different background. Just for a start, I was born in Sao Paulo, Brazil and have a BA in Film. These two "factors" make me completely different than most sales people - that and the fact that I'm not pushy and I'm a total, geek-ish car freak

I created a blog for my customers, http://acuravipexperience.blogspot.com . I got kinda lazy (and rushed) so it hasn't been updated in a while, but it shows the kinda of guy I am. I got wine bottles from customers, DVDs, tips, etc etc... It usually makes my day.

As more and more people like me try their hand at car sales, maybe the profession can regain some of it's value for the consumer...

Boon

BA in film?! same here my friend. nice to know there's another film geek on this forum. if ya want, you can check out one of my films on Google video. Played in a few small festivals:

The Film

Admins - I swear I'm not trying to spam the boards....so if I violated any rules, let me know and I'll take the link off.