MBH59

I just bought an 07 RDX absolutely beautiful - but can't believe how rough it rides! Everything is shaking. I'm worried I made the wrong decision in purchasing it. Any suggestions to improve the ride? Thx

mau108

changing the suspension and possible going with a softer tire...you're going to loose the handling thoe.

MMike1981

suggestions? Other than spending alot more money in addition to what you paid to purchase it, its pretty much going to be what it is now.

does anyone actually test drive a car before they buy it these days? seriously, what goes on during recent test drives? does anyone even tune in?

elcheapo

i dunno but maybe im already numb to the rdx shimmy syndrome. i love the car so much that i am fine with the rough ride. after 2k miles, it's actually much better - dunno if it's bec now MIL (who is visiting) rides with us fm time to time and hence more weight is in the vehicle?! LOL. i thought the cr-v and rdx are similar in terms of "rough ride". since my family own and love both vehicles, no complaints fm me.

pickler

lol there is a similar thread i think in performance section?! as i said i think the ride is fine, specially if you compare it to BMW. bimmers in generally have abysmal ride quality and they make the RDX feel like your driving on a pile of pillows. people in my car usually sleep fine during long journeys and i haven't had any1 complain about it.

anyway, to soften your ride i guess your only options are new wheels. your gonna need higher profile tires to deal with the bumps and the holes on the road. P225/70-16 sounds about the softest size i can think of. get the Goodyear assurance comfortrend tires, they should be very comfortable.

princelybug

iTrader: (16)

This is a well known complaint about the RDX.

MMike1981

the ride quality in the RDX is no where near the level of BMW. BMW is BMW because they balance such performance while actually maintaining drivability. Acura was WAY OFF in the 07 RDX, but nailed the performance side of the equation, and subsequent iterations tried to soften the feel a bit but still did nothing to actually minimize the flintiness of the suspension & its composure when encountering bumps....i mean, im sure everyone on this board has hit 2 decent sized road imperfections in a row in the RDX...the RDX reacts like a TANK. bang bang! not good. dont know about the 2010 however.

phoward_15

Princelybug - I would beg to differ whether this is a complaint or a style preference. Personally, I don't think the ride is a complaint. I like the feel of the RDX when driving it and don't feel it's too rough at all.

But, obviously, to each their own.

Izzy-Type-S

iTrader: (1)

& this is why I'm thinking MDX for us.

XLR8R

It's understandable that the RDX ride quality would take some people by surprise. After all it has been a few years since Acura has promoted the RDX as a tight handling machine Remember the TV ads that featured the RDX whipping around, going upside-down and leaving tire tracks everywhere?

So some people mistakenly assume it's another vanilla SUV and fail to do a proper test drive. For some of those, the fun factor wins them over. Others just want a vehicular appliance and would be much better off in a floaty Buick or a wallowing Toyota.

I wouldn't have any other ride in a driving machine. That adept handling will enable evasive maneuvers when the sleepers and the texters and the drones in wallowing sedans come sailing through intersections and across the center line.

Mrgoody

Check your tire pressure, make sure it is set at 220 kpsa or 32 psi

pdpgps

I have the 2007 RDX. Most first year model cars like the 07 RDX will have more issues that get resolved in later editions. 2004 TSX has more probs then later years.

I think the ride is a little firm, but I chalked that up to the sporty SUV design where the suspension will be a little tighter to improve performance. For a really soft ride, a sporty turboed SUV like the RDX wouldn't be a good choice. Just get a CR-V. You can't reasonably expect sporty performance on an SUV and a luxurious soft ride at the same time. Unless you get like an Audi or something where you can adjust the ride settings.

ikkoku

I just picked up a 2010 and find the ride fine and not rough at all. it's not as comfy as a luxury sedan but it's not a luxury sedan. I actually like that it rides a little firm.

Carbon2008RDX

Congrats on your 2010 RDX! I have a 2008 that I bought new and have loved it ever since. Yes, the ride is a bit firm but for a 4000 pound CUV it handles like a sports sedan. It's a blast of a drive (SH-AWD plus TURBO) easily out weighs the firmness.

frescagod

i had a 2010 RDX loaner for a few days and the ride was pretty bad, but its handling was quite impressive for weighing ~3800 lbs. or whatever. however, during my normal jaunt to and from work, it was significantly harsher than my 2010 TSX, and even my S2000 (no joke).

the new CR-V also has the same handling characteristics as the RDX...nimble, but extremely harsh over what would usually be innocuous bumps in the road. i don't think i could handle the RDX as a daily driver...it's basically a near-sports car masquerading as an SUV.

Carbon2008RDX

The S2000 weighs like half the RDX. It's actually a dream car of mine. Would love to have one as a second car. The RDX is harsh on the really rough pavement (or lack of) but otherwise not that bad IMO.

frescagod

curb weight is around 2,800 pounds, so like 1,000 pounds lighter. that's not the point though; there are 4,000 pound cars that handle extremely well, yet provide a pretty comfortable ride. the RDX only satisfies the first half of that equation. just going over those regular highway bumps in the RDX and the CR-V is jarring compared to many comparable-handling cars, as in, my entire body will get bumped upwards over each and every one, whereas in my TSX, it absorbs them much better. the TSX suspension is not perfect by any means, either.

however, as others have said, the RDX certainly does handle well compared to the camrys of the world. in the end, it comes down to what you want and what you can handle in a ride.

frescagod

i have had a lot of seat time in a new CR-V as both a driver and passenger and i can definitely affirm that its suspension is very similar to the RDX. i don't know how many components they share, but it's stiff and uncomfortable. the seats are also slightly less comfortable than the RDX's, which doesn't help matters at all.

go test drive. over bumpy roads that you're used to.

phineasboggs

Responses on this thread surprise me. I've just driven my '07 RDX for less than one tankful of gasoline, so maybe I'm still in rose-colored-love with the car, but I don't notice stiffness or bounciness or anything negative. My seat is comfortable and I'm comfortable. Could it be I'm jaded from years of an old VW Beetle? OTOH, I felt my Saabs and Passat were pretty smooth.

Please feel free to throw this message in my face in a coupla years when the dew is off the rose. (Gosh, I'm all super-metaphoric today!)

wspy

^^ Dont worry, you're correct, it rides just fine!!

bgillette79

+1

When you "test drove" what did you do?

To me a test drive is really something that you must do HARDCORE. Take it and PUSH the car/suv you want to buy. Take it on the HW, City, Paved, Rough, Corners, Hard Acceleration, Breaking...ect. Do EVERYTHING you think you might encounter. Even push it FURTHER than you would normally drive it!

phineasboggs

I tested a lot of cars. Different lots have different rules. They discourage much driving, and you have to almost beg. When I drove the Prius and a few other Toyotas, there was a certain route I had to take -- not much chance for trying out those cars. A Rav4 in Tampa got more of a drive, but still a circuit. When I drove the Muranos, it was a hoot. He let me go on the interstate (mind you--they don't let you take it alone usually!) but was not happy that I made a LEFT turn, as he said it was dangerous to do that. HUH?

The Sarasota Acura guy let me drive it a lot and try it out -- that began to turn me on to the RDX. They wouldn't negotiate at ALL, so that scratched them and their high mileage cars.

Finally, at Crown, in Clearwater, (if you're in Floridull, write for the salesguy's name--he was great to deal with) he encouraged me to go everywhere, and to drive by myself. He didn't tie me down. He gave me great freedom and I drove and drove and listened and sat in the car and checked the engine and all the moving parts. That salesman's allowing me to drive the car sold the car to me. I bought and now own.

Do the dealers think if we drive and test them we won't buy? I operate differently than that! Something about a pig in a poke.

bgillette79

If someone won't let me TEST a car that I'm going to pay 10k, 20k, 30k+ for...then I go somewhere else. That simple in my book.

Stylinhonda

I'm looking at a 2010 RDX and did not notice the stiffness at all. My S2K on the other hand is much stiffer. I guess it's all in the eye of the beholder.

cloud19

Coming from a Camry with leaky struts, the RDX's firm ride was a welcome change. There's nothing like nosediving while braking, excessive body lean, and the unsettling feeling of buckling wheels to make one appreciate the feel of the road again.

I LOVE my RDX!!!

vrflyer

The stiff ride IS what I liked about the RDX when I purchased it!

phineasboggs

I prefer to think of it as being "firm"

Triscuit

The 2007 had the firmest suspension setup according to Acura.

rrb

My wife loves her '09 RDX and does not mind the stiff ride. I sat in the back during our test drive and told her the rear suspension was too stiff; it actually launches you over highway dips, common here in VA. She likes a firm ride and wanted it, and the RDX is fine on flat, smooth roads like the kind you find in FL or CA. My daughter sitting in back complains every time she rides on the highway here and we hit a dip, or when we hit a rough patch of road that compresses the rear springs. There is a lot of impact harshness on highway expansion joints, and we have a lot of those. I am going to buy 17" wheels with 225/65 tires when our tires get down near 4/32 next fall. I want to replace the rear springs, perhaps with CRV springs if they will fit. They might, since the newer CRV was based on the RDX platform. I am also looking for different, high quality rear shocks but cannot find Koni or Bilstein yet.
Has anyone replaced rear shocks on their RDX? Did you find an aftermarket shock that improved the ride?

freddieb

I test drove the 2007 RDX and could not believe how bad the ride was and that no one else (besides my mother who is used to Mercedes-Benz's) noticed this. I was irritated because when the RDX came out I was very impressed by the engine and wanted one. I finally purchased the vehicle in 2009 when they fixed this. There was a big difference the day I test drove an 07, 08 and 2009.

phineasboggs

It's great that there are so many different cars and different suspensions. I really love the firmness of my 07 RDX.

(I just don't trust the dealer for repairs!)

Acura604

Getting the rear diffuser installed on the RDX. Got a 11' tsx loaner and the ride isn't much different than RDX. Maybe 10% smoother but still rough/stiff. You just don't get the jarring effect in the RDX.

rohit.

phineasboggs -- i purchased my '07 RDX from Crown Acura as well!

I agree about their service. It's disappointing.

kenaki

Does anyone have a suggestion as far as improving the stiff ride of the RDX? Now, I understand its not a problem for some, but to be honest I think it is sub-par for an Acura. I have yet to see one in this forum, but I am a newbie to the Forum. I own a BMW and an MDX, but my wife does not like the new MDX so I was thinking about the RDX for her. However, I bought my mother a 2008 RDX a couple of years ago and the ride was too stiff...for me or my wife. My mother loves the car. The stiffness felt like my '08 TSX ( i sold after 6 mo) which makes sense because I think they are of the same platform. That said, in order to improve the ride of my BMW's I have always modified the suspension by adding coilovers, subframe bushings, and sway bars. Would you recommend new (upgraded) springs, shocks, coilover kits, etc...?

I apologize if this thread is in the wrong place.

say what

One of the reasons why I chose the RDX was because of the firm ride and great handling. It's a relief to know that under some circumstances, I am able to swerve around without spinning out or losing control. I know this from experience when I spun out in a super soft Toyota Avalon. 07 models seem to be the stiffest but I don't think it's even that bad. My passengers, however, do complain about the ride quality since they're not used to it.

quincy011

I've been a critic of the harsh ride in my '08 as well. At 41,000 miles, I replaced the tires with a set of Yokohama Parada Spec-Xs. I can tell you that it's like having a completely new vehicle. The ride is more compliant, quieter and noticeably softer. The booming and thrashing over potholes/damaged pavement is noticeably absent. Handling seems to be the same, however you don't get much opportunities for spirited driving in Orlando traffic.

Other than major changes to the suspension, this seems to be the easiest and most comprehensive change you can make to correct ride issues.

mau108

Yes we switched our rubber to Yokohama Avid Envigor and it indeed is a much better ride then the worn out Michelins.

I was looking for the Parada Spec-X but was sold out in the entire North America.

OptimusRDX22

I recently bought a 2007 RDX AH-AWD with turbo and I had the same problem. When I got up around 70 or 80 mph it would start shakig really badly. Mine is due to the fact that I need new tires and that does affect the alignment as well. Its a super fun ride though, and I had a Legend before which rode just as good and smooth as my moms Lexus LS so going to something more stiff was different, but that's what you get when you supplement performance!

Congrats!!

poeycat

I have been test driving a 2012 RDX AWD with tech that is brand new and find the ride to be a little harsh. I ahve driven over city,, highway, bumpy paved roads and overall I like it,, but the ride seems very harsh to me.I currently own and 11 mdx and a 12 TSX wagon and find that both of those ride much better than the RDX. I enjoy the nimble handling of the RDX and the turbo power, but am not at all sure of getting this vehicle. I would be keeping the other two acuras I already own. Also I am contemplating making an offer of about 33,800 on it since the RDX is new, but is actually about a year old. I know the dealer has had it for a while, but my offer might be too low. What should I do?

Drdondc

I've owned my 2007 RDX for just over a year now and have put about an extra 10,000 miles on it. I agree the car has a very stiff ride. I think it improved a little when I changed my tires but even with 85,000 miles on the car those shocks haven't eased up! Still wouldn't trade it off for the wonderful handling of this little rocket!