johnAboy

like practically all car deals...if you're willing to wait, you'll get the RIGHT price.

just remember...they want that deal MORE than you do

okwiater

Wow, we're in exactly the same boat! I'm driving a '98 CL with 111,000 miles on it and am anxious to trade it in. I can live with it for another 6-12 months though. Here's hoping the RDX gets a nice refresh either mid-model-year or for 2008. Want to go into the dealership together and try to get a deal on two?

dhager

The RDX is not even out yet (for 2 more days) how can you guys be talking about there being a refresh! let alone in only 1 model year! Its not happening...if you dont like it, don't buy it

okwiater

Um, maybe because people bitched about similar features missing from the 2004 TSX, and it was refreshed in 2005?

You and others might think my objections are stupid reasons not to buy a car, but I can think of 40,000 reasons (hint: they're green) why they are perfectly valid ones. I've got a working CL that has treated me pretty well for 111,000 miles, and have no problem holding onto it awhile longer. The point is that a few inexpensive features are keeping people like me from shelling out. Whether or not people think they are justified reasons is irrelevant. If Acura wants to sell me a car, and I'm not quite convinced to buy one, they suddenly become VERY relevant.

CL6

Some features will be added to the 02 model like the memory seats and whatnot. There will be plenty of people who do not care about those features who will buy the RDX now so it won't really matter in the end.

Colin

I think you're missing the "big picture" Let's assume that Acura will sell every single one of the RDXs they produce over the next 5 years. Then lets take a $40 "widget" that you want. $40 times 40,000 (expected annual production) is $1.6 million. Times this by 5 years and you have $8 million. If you were the manufacturer, would you spend $8 million to sell the cars you were already going to sell anyway?

CL6

Acura needs to save some stuff for the next year. And so what if okwiater doesn't buy an RDX. 10 other people will in his place. Or he can wait a year.

ArthurKnight

I agree with CL6. Acura's '01 CL was fully loaded when it launched and look what happened to it. The NSX was a legend...and it's gone too. The RSX I hear is next for retirement.

If Acura puts out a fully loaded vehicle this year and makes no money on it and people have no reason to buy it next year (because it's the exact same model with no additional features) but costs Acura less to make it next year, they won't make any money. They're trying to put out a solid vehicle with as many bells and whistles they can without breaking the bank. Next year their production costs will have decreased and they'll be able to put in the new features once they A) know the real demand, and B) have heard enough of people bitching about it. Of course, if no one buys an RDX now, there won't be an '08.

Now I don't know about the two of you with 100k+ mile CLs, but mine's at 90k and it's only a '01, I need it sold ASAP and I need a good vehicle that won't cost me $50k but has real time traffic to replace it.

It's nice that the people in Boston are getting their RDXs now...what about California?!

sdho

I went to two dealers near me in Frisco and they have none for SHOW even.

brix

I'm in San Diego, and I have a deposit on one that they said would be available in their first shipment on the 12th. I called yesterday, and now they're saying they won't even have one to look at until the 23rd. D'oh!

Side note: There was an RDX prominently featured on a street corner outside the location of the Acura Classic tennis match last week. I couldn't peek inside (it was on a pedestal), and although it was a little smaller looking than I expected, I thought it was very eye-catching! Guess that's as close as I'm going to get for another two weeks.

CL6

It's not Frisco my friend. How gauche.

FlyingPig

Nothing replaces the usefulness of a touch screen
Voice reco is no where near flawless, and the wheel/mouse is way too slow compared to touch screen. What it gets in new functionality does not make up for the lose of one huge advantage Acura NAV unit had over the others in the past.

hondamore

While the touch screen user is plunking away, getting fingerprints everywhere, the voice recognition user simply says the address and is on his/her way. You are right, the voice recognition is not flawless for some unusual named streets or towns, but for numbers and common cities or street names, mine has been flawless.
Don't judge the performance of the voice recognition based on your test drive, since the system has a "learning" function that becomes accustomed to the idiosyncrasies and intonation of the primary driver's voice. The demo unit has had no such primary driver and will err more frequently than your own car.

CL6

I find the touch screen reinforces the habit of using it instead of the voice and this becomes dangerous when driving. Also the touch screen is useless with the sun shining directly on it or if you have gloves on and if you have long nails, no to mention it gets greasy and every time you touch it is another opportunity to scratch the screen. Plus moving the touch screen up it frees up much more dash space of other features.

There's a reason most car makers are all moving the nav screen to this location in their vehicles.

idr

I completely agree with you. For the price, the RDX should certainly offer a power passenger seat, memory seats, auto dimmer for the rear view mirror, and an optional rear lift gate. Additionally, it's very nice to have a window in the tail gate that opens as well.

I think Acura is supposedly marketed as a luxury brand and as such these options should be readily offered. Not just for the next cycle but the beginning.

My wife and I would buy the car had it had just a few of the features aftr our test drive. But it was hard to justify spending close to 50K with the additional options/accesories and still not have the listed amenities. At the moment, we decided to hold off as the redesigned BMW X5 and MDX is just around the corner.

Although, the RDX and the other two are different markets I would like to see how the others hold up.

During our test drive, the car handled and drove very well. We did wish it had a little less noise coming into the cabin. It would make the use of the integrated blue tooth phone easier to use by not drowning the conversation with some of the road noise coming in.

okwiater

I understand what you're saying, but your argument doesn't make sense. By your argument, Acura should be building their cars without leather seats, CD players, or even air conditioning because of the cost they add to production. Would people buy them? No.

Acura has to provide features that add cost to production in order to sell cars. They bill themselves as a premium brand and charge premium prices accordingly. In return, I expect premium features, many of which the RDX lacks.

I have stated before, and will say again, that I would be willing to pay extra in order to have these features available, and my guess is that anybody able to afford this car wouldn't sweat a few extra hundred dollars to make sure they were included. Nobody ever decided not to buy a car based on the fact that it had and auto-dimming mirror. However, I am deciding not to buy one based on the fact that it doesn't.

Granted, you're all right -- Acura won't have any trouble selling the cars anyway, at least this year. And maybe they'll do a refresh next year and add the features I want. But by then, I might already be driving something, and it may not be an Acura.

It doesn't take a marketing director or brand strategist to know that this doesn't make a whole lotta business sense.

idr

There is cause for concern, b/c next year mercedes/audi/volvo/lexus will also be coming out with one just like the RDX/Mazda/X3. Therefore, giving consumers more choices. Those who are willing to wait or can wait are going to realize there will be much more options out there as well as engines that may use some the alternative fuels.

Eureaka_SevEn

Don't get me wrong, 40k is by no means pocket change, however this car is suppose to be "sportier" than luxury. Also, 40K doesn't get you a luxury car, it gets you a NEAR luxury car. And besides, this car has alot of other features not found in simular cars of its class.

Colin

For IDR and OKI;

We all wish we could have a car with every feature that satisfies every customer every time. The reality is that the market demands small additions each model year. The small things that require little or no R&D costs, are the easiest to add in year 2. By year 3, the costs of the initial new platform development are recouped and this allows for a more comprehensive update and this it the Mid-model improvement.

Opps I wanted to add: I am happy that Acura does not offer the options as individual line items like the europeans. I know this means that you cannot opt to pay extra for the things you deem important, but it is how Honda/Acura have always done things, and it's kinda hard to complain about this after all these years.

Also, as indignant as we all are about how they could charge what they are suggesting and still leave out things.....how do you explain that you have to pay extra for something as simple as metallic paint on the european cars?

idr

You would be right if Acura does not market itself such as the RDX as a "luxury and technically" advanced car. They are trying to place themselves into the well to do individuals or as an upscale auto. If you don't beleive me, look at all the comments and theyre own website. As such, these offerings should come as std or optional equipment. Regardless of the life cycle of the car.

If you follow trends of Germany cars, that is what all luxury Japanese car try to model after. It has absolutely nothing to do with how you described as the R/D cost in terms of recouping the money in R/D. Most additions are not over trivial items like adding a passenger power adjustments et al. Like the TSX many of the features were available from the first edition. If you follow european cars, they add better components to the engine in terms of boosting power one year and the following year, they normally change the aesthetics of the exterior. This process alternates until the end cycle of the particular design.

The fact that Acura did not do that is not testimonial of how Honda does things. They too add additions just like the Europeans. And this discussion is not about comparing Germans to the Japanese. The RDX will never get the recognition nor the status of a German car. Although, the RDX is a great car it just simply cannot measure up in terms of how the general public views it as.

Also, if you take away the sh-awd, its just a glorified CRV with stronger motor. It would be very petty of Acura to just add trivial additions yearly just to try and sell their auto with each successive year. Something I do not beleive was their original intest as you have described.

CL6

Who adds $13,000 in accessories?!? I'd be more concerned about dropping that much change on those rather than not having a power passenger seat.

Good luck getting a BMW X5 'loaded' for 50 grand.

idr

As I said, they are in a different category. If I decided to get an X5 with the 3.0 liter engine it would just be a little more, even with the equivalent accessories. If you do not beleive me you can check it out yourself.

As for adding 13,000 in accessories, it is very easy. The Acura dealer is selling the car at MSRP, I have yet to find a dealer willing to go below. By changing to the optional 19" wheels, it adds $3500, side molding $ 600, roof rack = $800, under carriage protection = $800 and the rest is pretty much taxes.

These charges add pretty quickly. I would highly suggest you go to the Acura dealership and negotiate to see for yourself.

97AcuraCL

lol how gay is this thread starter.

have u ever been in a nissan? hell even the G35? i'd rather it feel the same as other acuras, than the same as cheap nissans.

40,000$$ 350z has more plastic than a rubbermaid factory

iNteGraz92

you guys scared the thread starter away

Poveiro

Not mine.

FlopMeister

How does a thread about nothing generate such traffic? When someone posts a real question about their truck, they get nothing for responses.