Colorgirl

Hey Everyone, I just purchased my White RDX w/ tech package a few months ago and I have to say that I really don't like it. I find the turbo to be jerky (or maybe it is the way I drive) and ride is really rough. I love all the tech features but I get motion sickness almost everytime I drive my car. I also find that the head rest gives me back and neck pain. A nice car, but I think it is a bad fit for me. Any suggestions on how to proceed or do you know anyone who might be interested? How much should I ask? It has 2,400 miles on it and is like new, despite a little dirt.
Thanks.

appzter

Sorry to hear you don't like it, my wife loves hers (I only wish I could get to drive it more!). You will likely take a big hit on the resale! If you think you would like another Acura, why not talk about it with your salesperson (that's probably your best bet).

mickie

I'm so sorry it's not working out for you! There's no question that this is a sport suv with a sport feel to it. Not much cushion there! As a woman turning forty, this thing excites me, but hey, that's me!
I'm sure you won't loose much to sell it out right on your own either, with that full warrentee, now's the time I guess...but before you ditch it, make sure you had fun with the turbo, and played enough!

c_hunter

Sorry to hear you're not liking the RDX.

Have you checked the tire pressure to make sure it's not set too high? That would certainly make the ride too stiff/rough. My RDX has a pretty comfortable ride, so I wonder if something is wrong in your case.

The headrest has no comfort/support capability at all -- it is only to be used to prevent whiplash if you get rear-ended. You're not actually resting your head/neck on it, are you?

If you have a CarMax nearby, check to see what they will offer. They would probably love a clean low mileage RDX (last time I checked they had none in stock). Otherwise maybe throw yourself on the mercy of the dealer. I agree with the previous post -- an Acura dealer might be able to work the best trade for you, if you happen to want another vehicle in the Acura lineup.

Good luck!

Colorgirl

My tire pressure is at whatever it was set at by the dealer. What is an ideal tire pressure do you think? I'll try anything!

Stevenm

If you swap it for another Acura, maybe the dealership will treat you kindly.
Yuck it up about how much you want to be a good customer of theirs. Thats why I dont totally beat the crap out salesman when I buy my Acuras.

c_hunter

Look at the sticker on the door jamb -- it recommends 32psi front and rear, to be set when the tires are cold.

Dealers usually keep the tire pressure high when cars are on the lot (to prevent the tires from getting flat spots), and often they forget to drop the pressure to the correct level when delivering the car to you. It would be worth checking to make sure it's correct.

My RDX has a firm ride, but there is plenty of "cush" there to prevent it from being rough. The tire pressure would have a big effect on this.

CGTSX2004

iTrader: (1)

Dealers often set their tire pressures to 40 psi or even higher in order to prevent flat spotting. I would check your tire pressure to ensure that this is not the case before you decide to get rid of the car.

As for the "jerkiness" of the turbo, I suspect that this has more to do with the DBW that the turbo and can easily be remedied by learning to smooth your throttle inputs. I think most people who switch from a traditional throttle car to one with DBW discover pretty quickly that they have some bad habits when it comes to applying power.

mickie

Craig, you are always so eloquent, and I like that, however, I don't think you could take enough air out of the tires to make her feel she's driving a Lexus.
Maybe this nice lady, actually is confessing she made the wrong choice. Where to go from here...

Nabbs

Hey it happens! I'm coming from a big fat old man gold Acura RL! You should just go test drive different cars and then find something you like. From there, just shop the car! If you live in a state with sales tax on car sales, you are always better trading the car in on your new purchase as you will save on sales tax.

I have to say I find the RDX more enjoyable then my RL, but that's me!

Best of luck!

Pacer

Well, to an extent...typically a dealer won't give you as much on a trade, so you have to balance your best dealer trade offer with your best private party trade offer. If the dealer trade plus sales tax offset is better, go for it. I was fortunate in that I got the best of both worlds when I traded in my late wife's TL back in '04 for an Element, and when I traded in my Element a few weeks ago for my RDX -- I was able to find a private buyer each time to do an "in and out" trade which gave me decent dollars plus sales tax offset. If you can do it that way (assuming you're in a state where sales tax can be offset), it may help you save a bit of the loss on your RDX.

So very sorry to hear it didn't work out for you. Since your RDX makes you carsick, it may be worth taking into your dealer to have them take it for a drive just to ensure there's nothing wrong with it.

Who knows, maybe it has some weird issue that you're unaware of...that if it were fixed, could improve the ride. I do agree with the others, though...if you sell it, consider a trade on something else in the Acura lineup, maybe a TL or TSX...and maybe they'll ease the blow.

If you want to try private party, you might just put an asking price of "$35k or best offer" and see what happens; I have sold a few cars via a combo of my local classifieds and cars.com or autotrader listings. I'd also try the CarMax route as Craig suggested; when I was considering a straight dealer trade, they came up with the most "dealer" cash for my Element.

Good luck.

DNPhotography

sorry to hear you dont like your RDX. its the first time ive heard someone say that. a qucik question though. did you even test drive it before you bought it?

Jirzlee

iTrader: (1)

What area do you live in the US? My wife and I may be interested.

mickie

enough said. I think this says it all...without us saying that...of course.
Let's find the lady some peace of mind.

Colorgirl

Thank you, Mickie, for your supportive comments. And yes of course I test drove it. Twice. I checked the tire pressure and it is too cold outside to get an accurate reading right now. It read at 24. I drove the car for 10 miles and it read at 26. (jerzlee, I live in Oklahoma.. Ice storm central, and the car was great on all that. Really held the road. And has a Taupe interior...not sure if I mentioned that.) I will take the car in and have them do a complete inspection. Perhaps there is something off somewhere. It was not like this when I test drove it, but I have to say that the roads in Tulsa are not in good condition- the limited test drive did not reflect this.

Thanks everyone for your input. Believe me I already feel like a prize idiot. And I did not have a good experience with the dealership so I am reluctant to go there too. I swear single girls never get taken seriously at car dealerships, even if they are cash customers. I should have brought my dad or my boyfriend with me.. which is really sad.

Have a great night everyone!

DNPhotography

sorry i didnt mean it in a bad way.

Jirzlee

iTrader: (1)

Do you have an asking price in mind?

econman

Academic studies show that on average, women pay ~$1500+ relative to the average man. The jury is out on whether this is due to dealer patronization or differences in female psychology.

In any event, you should NOT feel like an idiot. These things happen. Epistemologically, one does not know if they truly like a car until it becomes "theirs" so to speak, and then it may be too late. The number of ultra low mileage vehicles in the CarMax lot is testament to this. Ideally, one should drive the car a good week before buying but this is often impractical or difficult.

I once spent a fortune remodeling a home I owned, only to dislike it later... and a few months later buying an entirely new house. Had I forecast this properly I would have not done the remodeling.

As an interesting contrast in consumer diversity. I made mine "rougher" with the 19" performance wheels/tires upgrade. And speaking of Oklahoma, I made my first road trip from Dallas to Lawton through that nasty ice and sleet. It drove like a charm.

About the "jerkiness" this is a function of the Turbo and your driving habits.... ALL turbo engines can be "jerky" (indeed, that is their purpose)....you're kicking in the turbo constantly and I suspect your gas mileage is suffering as well (I'm getting about 12mpg). I've found that driving with the "Instant MPG" showing actually has improved my driving habits. Less hack-rabbit starts and therefore less jerkiness and I still get to where I'm going about the same time. That RX-8 I had totally ruined my driving habits and my new RDX is "fixing me"

terdonal

A couple of things, if your tire pressure is really 24 it is way too low. Recommended is 32 psi per tire. I would have thought your TPMS would be making you aware that your tire pressure was too low.

How that will affect your perception of the ride I am not too sure other than you would probably fell road imperfections as badly as you would if the tire pressure was 6 lbs too high. We had snow and ice last week, rodes were terrible and yes the ride suffered on chunky ice but no worse than any other vehicle I have had under the same conditions.

As far as jerky ride because of the turbo I just don't see it even though others have stated similar. It is in my opinion your driving style. Possibly you are not quite close enough to the gas pedal or maybe too close and as a result not getting a smooth application to the gas as you accelerate.

That is the key to good gas mileage, good response and a smooth driving style. I have been driving for 43 years and I know that doesn't come over night it comes with experience and focusing on my driving style.

I get what I consider to good gas mileage compared to a lot who have posted but I also have no problems spooling up the turbo when the opportunity presents itself.

We all have different thoughts on what we enjoy as far as ride, handling and responsiveness are concerned but I will tell you my wife, who is 58, loves this vehicle as much as I do, thank goodness.

As suggested it is possible another Acura dealer may give you a decent deal on another Acura to keep you in the fold.

Good luck to you in whatever you decide to do.

Nabbs

With 23psi all around not only will you have a harsh handling car, worse gas mileage, decreased tire life, but you may also be adversely effecting the active-handling. The car is designed to detect slippage and riding around with lower psi may actually confuse the system. I really would bump up the psi to 32 cold and keep an eye on the tires from that point forward. It is completely possible that with the low psi you are triggering the active-handling because the sensor believe the tire is slipping. Regardless, the ride and handling will definately suffer with the lower pressure.

c_hunter

Well, I am sure I am not alone here in having many "prize idiot" moments in my life, so don't worry about that! Guarantee we could all share some stories.... Nobody will fault you for not liking the RDX, but I for one am interested in making sure your RDX is OK before you go to the trouble of trading it.

So it sounds like you read 24psi cold. Try bumping it up to 32psi cold (before being driven more than 1-2 miles, as that heats up the tires and raises pressure). Low pressure could be making the ride sloppy as others have noted, and may make the car wiggle around over bumps.

The RDX certainly has a firm ride, but I find it to be more comfortable than my last car which had a softer ride with more supension travel. That would start to get annoying over a lot of bumps, or in situations where the suspension was still bouncing around after passing over a big bump. The RDX recovers and settles out a lot quicker. The downside is that the RDX does not really soak up small bumps, ripples, or imperfections in the road. These end up causing the vehicle to "bob" a bit, which can be annoying to some I am sure. But it's still soft compared to my S2000, which is lower with even less supspension travel and pretty much rides over bumps rather than absorbing them.

Colorgirl, what was your previous car, so that we have an idea where you're coming from?

rdx4fun

A mercury grand marqui?

creativeguy

Ahh... police cruisers. That brings back memories. No problems with bumpy rides in the back seat of those babies!

Just kidding

rdx4fun

No back seat leg room in the police cruiser ones because of the devider. Very uncomfortable

Colorgirl

The tire pressure monitor in the car says that the tires are ok. I'm going to bring it in this week and have them look at everything. I drove it 5 miles yesterday and it bumped the pressure up to 26. Strange.

I readily admit I am a lead foot and quick on the gas, so I conceed that the jerkiness is probably partially my fault.

My last car (which I still have) is a 97 Audi A4 quattro V6. Having driven a German car for 10 years I'm not afraid of a stiff ride or feeling the road at all.

I think my best bet is to take the RDX in this week and have them inspect it thouroughly. :/

Nabbs

Colorgirl -- you must understand that your tires cold should *not* read 23 psi! They should, in fact, read 32! This is a massive difference in psi and will effect the handling and ride of the RDX. You don't need to go to the dealership, just pull into your local gas station and put air in the tires.

When the temperature changes it is not uncommon for the tire pressure to change and for you to lose some pressure. In fact, my RL which is 32 cold, went low enough after our 30* drop in temp to warn me about low pressure in all **FOUR** tires.

The reason the pressure reading went up is because after you drove the car for a few miles the tires warmed up causing expansion which in turn causes higher readings. You must check the tire psi cold (before you drive it).

You are really tempting the fates here by not having the right psi in those tires. I would make a quick stop at your local gas station in the AM and get air in those tires.

-N

Colorgirl

I will do that in the AM.. It's funny because the tire pressure monitor says that everything is fine and the tires don't look low at all.

Jerzlee, I have not really thought about an asking price, but would also like to take that discussion offline if possible. I tried to send you a private message but was not able to for some reason.

Jirzlee

iTrader: (1)

I think you might have to have a certain minimum post count before sending PMs..??

CGTSX2004

iTrader: (1)

The rule is 30 posts before you can PM. This was instituted lately to a rash of spammers getting to our users via PM.

c_hunter

I think you need to stop driving it before you check the tire pressure -- driving heats up the tires and then raises the pressure. When they say 32psi "cold" they mean on a cold tire, before the vehicle has been driven. You'd also want the tires to be in the shade, and you'd want to check the pressure on a cold day (or in the morning) to make sure you put in a safe amount of air for the typical low temps you encouter at that time of year.

If you are seeing 26 psi on driven tires, then your pressure is *WAY* too low. Bump it up to 32 psi cold ASAP. And make sure you have a good accurate tire gauge.

By the way, tires that are 32psi cold should be registering 36-40psi after they warm up from driving.

chyllintsx

dealers set it at 35 for me... cold... u should try 33.. but as for the jerkyness... ionno mines smooth

mickie

I can't say that that the audi A4 V6 is the same as the VW passat V6. But possibly close to the feel of the drive. That's the car I came from too. Love the darn thing so much, I kept it. Coming from a stick shift five speed, it's hard to get the same "get up". Even with the car turning 9 years old...I love that German feel! Did ya try it it "s" drive? It 's gettieup! I don't know if you came from a stick though.
Needless to say, I love this RDX, It's not the Passat. but damn, it's fun to drive. Not used to the lag. That's what bothers me too..not much into "spooling" but I like it to go..one damand. I hope you work it out.
By the way...someone posted a great test drive on U tube. The guy was right...they could make $ teaching people how to drive this car (to get the most out of it) I'd sign up myself!

Colorgirl

Called in sick to work today so i did not drive or take it to the station, so tomorrow morning will be the test!
What would you guys set as an asking price? It has a roof rack and body side moldings as well...(just curious..)..

sasair

I don't see it selling for any more than about $32k. I think you can get a new one around $34k these days. unfortunately usually the accessories don't increase the value much at all. I would try setting the price around $33500 and see what kind of interest you get and adjust from there.

econman

I would be shocked if she got that much (assuming she got tech package and no accessories). I doubt she would get more than $30k (if Oklahoma is a state where one pays tax when buying a used car?).

There is a psychological "value" to purchasing a NEW car and the fact that it is not new any more removes considerable value from it. Now add to this the "newness" of the RDX for which uncertainty not to mention the classic "Lemon Problem" of moral hazard makes it difficult to effectively predict resale, and you have a formula for a potential considerable hit.

I went to cars dot com and looked to see asking prices. The good news is there are not many used RDX's for sale. The bad news is they are all at dealers on a pre-cert basis and the dealer ask price hoovers around $32k. Hence, again I think the "hit" will be a minimum of $5k.

sasair

I think Carmax would give her more than $30k for it. They would be drooling over the chance to get one in....

rdx4fun

I agree Carmax can be surprisingly high on offers when they dont have a particular vehicle or certain amount of vehicles in there inventory. A couple years ago we sold my wifes 98 civic. I think in 03 or 04 with high miles and dings and dents everywhere as well as damaged fromt and rear bumpers and we got 5k for it. We were like if they offer us 3k we will take it. So Sasair is right I always would ckeck them first. But I dont neet to worry because I love the RDX so much we will have it for a very long time.

Nabbs

A car is only worth somebody is willing to pay for it. If you're going to trade it in, you can look at KBB or other online sites to see what the going rate is for dealer trades.

sasair

I doubt a 2007 RDX would be listed at any of those sites....

Nabbs

Ok, then how about AutoTrader?

link

In selling it privately you are competing with dealers who have brand new or certified pre-owned cars on the lot, so I would price it competitively. If somebody offered you over 30K I would jump on it (assuming you are not upside down on the loan).

Otherwise I would try and trade it in.

JMHO.

-N