KeithL

So the gf had a 14 RDX AWD Tech that in 2 years she racked up 30K miles. I was pocking up a 15 TLX AWD Advance and she decided to get a 16 RDX AWD Advance as well. She was very pleased with the 14 RDX, only complain was constant rear shock issue. I am hoping they switched that part in the 16 RDX and form the way the 16 rides I have to believe they did. The 16 ride is so much more refined than the 14. It is smoother and much more compliant over bumps and road irregularities. I always keep the tires at 37 psi and on the 14 it produced a noticeable harsher ride especially over bumps and irregularities. The 16 at 27 PSI is very smooth.

The new front/rear fascia treatment is a nice move in making the RDX look a bit classy and a little aggressive. The new LED headlights, DRLs and turn signals really give the RDX a more upscale look. The dual screen layout is nice and while some quirks and redundant screens exist, it is reasonable easy to get used to. The steering feels a little better on center. The new motor mounts really make the interior smooth as no engine vibration makes it near the cabin.

As for the AWD being more engaged in the 16 than the 14, I am not sure how to tell, I do know that going up my steep driveway it still bogs a tad as I suspect it is confused and trying to disengage AWD while under load climbing my driveway. When the 3G is released they need to bring back SH-AWD! Acura needs to stand for something and AWD seems like a good place. get it in the RDX and RLX and then you have something.

Overall very pleased with the 16 RDX and I can see why it sells so much, it has not real direct competition that is comparably priced. The Koreans offer similar features for lease, but not as refined. The other luxury brands woudl be $5-$10K more for similar features.

kareshi

thank you for your post. i was considering trading in my 14 for the 16 too, not sure if it worths the extra money for some new features but essentially the same vehicle

RDX-Rick

It is certainly true that reducing tire pressure will result in a softer ride, but for your own safety I think you should consider the following.

Car manufactures specify tire pressures for a good balance of comfort, handling, fuel economy, and tire life.

You may recall the story about tires disintegrating on the Ford Explorers causing accidents and deaths (click here). One of the possible causes (and the one I believe is responsible) is that Ford specified 26 PSI pressure in the tires, to provided a softer ride. The resulting tire flexing caused the tires to overheat and break down.

Another problem with low tire pressures is that steering becomes less precise and somewhat "sloppy" as the sidewalls flex and the tires roll sideways more during cornering. The early signs of this is noticed as tire squeal during cornering. I experienced this squeal with my own RDX set at the factory settings of 35/33. After changing to 35/35 the squeal problem seems to be resolved.

With regards to fuel economy, a harder tire simply offers less rolling resistance and better fuel economy.

And finally tire wear. The tires will wear more evenly with the proper pressure. For example too much pressure will cause wear in the center of the tread , and too little will cause wear on the edges of the tread and the sidewall cracking mentioned earlier.

Of course you can fine tune the pressures to suit your own preferences. For example increasing pressure to increase handling if you are willing to shorten tire life. But decreasing pressure to provide comfort at the risk of causing total tire failure is not a compromise I would recommend.

KeithL

I run them 4 PSI over based on temps in my garage, now as winter approaches the tires will be a few PSI lower at the end of the work day in fall and winter. Also there was a story a few years back in one of the car mags that interviewed a Michelin engineer and he stated it is safer to be a few PSI over vs. under. During honest tire temps I see them get up to around 39-40 psi on a hot day while driving extended periods.

RDX-Rick

I guess I am a little confused. In your original post you said that you set the pressures to 27 PSI, but in your last post you say you set them to 4 PSI over. The recommended cold pressure is 35/33.

Yes I agree completely with the Michelin engineer, tires can be safely inflated up to the maximum pressure listed on the sidewall. In the case of our factory Michelin tires, this is 44 PSI. We already know from the Ford Exploders what lower pressures will cause.

The proper procedure is to inflate the tire to the proper pressure after it has been parked for several hours, preferably overnight. As you mentioned the pressure will drop during the colder weather and more air must be added to compensate ( and air needs to be removed in warmer weather). When you are driving the car, you will see the pressure (on the MID) increase beyond the recommended settings, but these readings should be ignored, unless they go beyond the maximum pressure of 44 PSI.

KeithL

My apologies! Damn, typo on my side I meant 37 all around, sorry about that. I always run my tires 3-4 PSI over on every car. I have the TLX to 36 the RDX to 37.

rockyboy

Very good review of the 2016 RDX. I have about 1500 km on the RDX now and noticed it drives smoother and breaks even smoother than when it was under 1000 km, even though it was already really smooth at under 1000 km. I think it is broken in now.

I'm really happy with this $51,000 (Canadian fully loaded, all-in) vehicle. It really does give you features that are comparable to vehicles that cost 50% more. When I'm driving, the comfort and how smooth it goes over bumps is awe-inspiring.

RDX-Rick

That's better, I was concerned that you may have been putting yourself at some risk. I have been experimenting with the pressure in my own RDX, and I think that I may also end up at 37 PSI. It makes the ride only slightly firmer, but does seem to improve the handling a good amount.

hand-filer

KeithL,

Good to hear that Acura has made strides with the suspension issues.
Once they add more sound insulation, insulated side glass, heated steering wheel, heated rear seats and a panoramic sun roof, well then they will have closed the gap on the top level Korean cars for feature content.
Having owned both brands I will respectfully disagree with your opinion on refined but there's obviously some bias on your and my part.
The main thing is that the girlfriend gives it a

KeithL

I actually like Hyundai and Kia and they do offer a lot for the money. I really wanted a new Genesis sedan, but it is too heavy and did not handle as well as I would have liked. I respect everyone's opinion and I think Kia and Hyundai are very disrupting and Acura and Honda need to stay on alert as they the Koreans are nipping at the Japanese makes more every year. IMO I think they are competitive in some areas and still have catching up to do in others. Hyundai blew it by not spinning Genesis off as a brand. I understand why they did that, but it is just not the same dealer experience you get with the luxury brands. And yes part of what you pay for in a luxury brand is the dealer experience besides the vehicle.

hand-filer

^^^
Totally respect your views and opinions KeithL.
I hope you're enjoying the TLX.

Jim7707

I'm curious as to why you keep visiting the Acura forums after you sold the car. Do they not have Kia forums where you can beat your chest and disparage the POS Acura trash? Are you that insecure that you have to come here and spew forth your same tired sales pitch over and over and over and over and over and over again?

Your endless spiel is beyond old.

hand-filer

Hey Jim,
Just here to provide balance to some of the ridiculous opinions and assertions of some of the fanboys here among other things.
And if I really piss you off that much, well that's okay too!
You can always use the ignore list or go back on your meds.

Mr_MDX

I recently spent several hundred miles each in a (new) RLX & Genesis. Both were loaded models. (v6 in genesis)
I put about 1000 miles on the RLX and about 300 on the Genesis.

My opinion is this: RLX is clearly more refined in every way except for the human / machine interface. My biggest gripe is mostly having to do with the center screen display and meter.
The drivetrain, steering, brakes, chassie, visibility, seating comfort, ect.. of the RLX is significantly better.

If acura took the HMI out of (just about any other make) and put it in their cars they'd have it just about spot on!
The interface in the genesis was pretty nice actually. It took a little time to figure everything out. But... I didn't have to crack a book or google search anything. I 100% figured out how to use the car just by stepping through all the options once or twice. Ever try that in an acura?

KeithL

I left Acura in 2012 and just came back, but visited these board from time to time. I always wanted to keep up with the Acura family and such and see the opinions of Acura owners. I sold my Audi but drop by there every so often as well. People will tend to defend and praise their decisions, that is human nature, we being Acura owners typically love our Acuras. I have done my fair share of ragging on Acura, part of why I left for 5 years and drove and Infiniti and Audi since then. Even though I am back I recognize Acura as a brand has several key issues that need to be addressed, some marketing, some product based. I will be the first to say the Koreans have changed the game, just like the Japanese did in the 80's and 90's for the Americans. My family drove Fords my entire life, now with my parents, sister and nephew have been driving Hyundai for over 10 years with virtually no issues.

I am a huge fan of Hyundai/Kia and think they have made huge progress the last few years. IMO they are not there yet. They are very competitive with some of their products, but their suspensions tend to be not as good as the competition. They do a great job of hiding where they are saving costs form the consumer.

Comfy

We really need the balance here these days. .
Your opinions are always welcome.

Comfy

Just interested to hear from you why made you leave the Audi?
Did you experience any serious issues, or something else, or was it a fallout of the emission scandal?

KeithL

I left due to the ugly 4G beak and lack of real silver. I bought a 4G TL SH-AWD in Palladium Metallic and thought it would grow on me, but after 18 months I was sick of looking at it. It was an amazing riding car, built like a tank and no problems in 18 months at 21K miles. I do believe the 4G TL felt built tighter than my TLX. I will say this, other than buzzy back decks on all my 3G TLs and some rattles in my 07 dash they were all trouble free, but them only my 04 made it over 30K miles before I traded out.

hand-filer

Thank you. I'll try to behave myself.

KeithL

Sorry I answered as to why I left Acura and just realized you asked about the Audi. I loved the A6, really great riding car. Loved some of their tech better than the TLX. It was purely a practical decision, I am not driving as much as I used to and the A6 became a daily commuter and for the monthly payment I pocketed over $350 by moving to a TLX. I would like to think I may go back to the next gen A6 say in 5 or 6 years. I am hoping for a Type-S TLX in 2 years.

JT4

^^ I agree, this is where they dropped the ball..

2012wagon

Keith


With the $350 a month savings, I imagine you got the TLX+RDX < A6

RDX10

While I cannot argue as to whether or not the genesis is better than the RLX. I have to agree that the koreans always seem to miss the point in some regard or another. If it isn't the suspension, it is the steering, if it isn't the steering, it is the overall quality.

A relative had a 2011 sorento, simply amazing steering (true hydraulic) but good god the suspension was the worst I have ever seen, INCREDIBLY hard. The 2016 top spec genesis I drove for a couple hours also had an AMAZING suspension, but the steering kind of dissapointed me and chassis control, although good, was not good enough. Our 09 santa fe has a good suspension, but chassis control is terrible and steering is just adequate. I haven't yet driven the new sorento, but from what I have read, it seems that they finally hit it on point.

For me, it isn't the point that the Koreans are good or that Acura is bad, it is that we are sitting here comparing kias and hyundais to acuras....THAT is the problem. Not to say the koreans are bad, but that Acura really isn't good enough right now. The 2016 tech mdx that I drove around for a couple days and put a good amount of mileage just didn't strike me as a luxury car. I didn't feel like I was piloting around 60k. Mind you, that is the newest car I have ever driven (both the age and only 5k miles).

Now with all the salt water thrown at Acura, I currently own an 07 RDX and love it, and am considering selling and buying a 07-09 MDX. I still respect them as a company, just wouldn't pay what they are asking for their vehicles new.

KeithL

Actually I saved $350 going from A6 to TLX SH-AWD Advance. And considering how well the TLX is doing on fuel I will save probably 15-20% on fuel at least. The RDX for her was more a wash, she traded her 14 in got the 16 AWD Advance and her payment went up $20 a month, well worth it for the refinement and improvements.

mrgold35

I like how they updated the +16 RDX to keep it current with the rest of the line-up. I still might have to go with a +15 MDX Adv because I can get more use out of sh-awd compared to 16 RDX awd in the southwest all four seasons. Maybe Acura might go back to sh-awd eventually for the RDX on the next model run.

RDX10

I also hope they make the return of shawd, just when I thought Acura finally got it and was producing cars with their own twist, aka shawd. They go and rip it out and give us a v6 plain car.

rockyboy

The fully aspirated V6 in the 2016 RDX AWD is better than a 4 cylinder with SH AWD. Making a V6 SH AWD would be nice but would add considerable cost to the vehicle.

KeithL

They bragged about how more cost effective the SH-AWD latest gen is so I can't see it adding that much. The TLX Tech with PAWS vs. SH-AWD is $2200 difference. The RDX Tech vs Tech with AWD is $1500 difference. Really $700, give me SH-AWD any day for $700 or basically a 1.7% price difference.

rockyboy

In Canada, the difference between the TLX and SH AWD TLX is from $2200 to $5000 depending on the trim selected. What Acura might do in the future is add the SH AWD as an option perhaps along with turbo or supercharging.

mrgold35

My SWAG is the MDX profit margin % is much wider in the MDX compared to the RDX. There is no reason why Acura can't add sh-awd or at least 3500lbs of towing to RDX other than profits. I think a lot folks would of down sized to the RDX if it had the exact same features as the MDX at a cheaper price. I'm about to become DINK (Dual Income No Kids) in 7 months when the kid graduates from high school. The RDX size is perfect for us for what we need daily; but, sh-awd is a nice sporty and safety feature I can use every day compared to Acura watch stuff.

ceb

You're not a DINK until you kid has completed college, gotten married, has had a steady job for at least a year and has moved across the country. Up until then, keep your fridge stocked, your wallet stocked and the guest room empty.

mrgold35

Wife and I talked about selling the house, moving to a studio apt across the country after changing our names and plastic surgery so the kid can't find us and move back in.

rockyboy

They say 50% of children were by accident... the other 50% were unplanned...

Kaputnik

Kind of weird how Acura has been chipping away or redistributing the RDX amenities. Of course SH-AWD being the big one. The original RDX base model was really feature-laden for that time (SH-AWD, HIDs, fog lights, leather, heated seats, cargo cover, spare tire etc) - things now moved to higher option levels of the current model. I guess it is about having more price points.

ceb

So you constitute 100% - unplanned and an accident

RDX10

I agree, the original RDX was rather amazing for a base model, it also included power driver seat and sunroof. Pretty good for its' time.

Acura is trying to move upmarket and by doing that, they are dividing their price points further apart. They want customers to purchase their higher trim models for the features (I see 1 tech for every 3 base 1st gen RDXs)

I can see them making an RDX with leatherette an a couple grand cheaper and then raising the price of the top end RDX by 2k in the next generation

Joe Las Vegas

What about the lack of tint strip on the windshield of the 2016 RDX, doesn't the sun bother you when facing it?

KeithL

The more I drive her 16 AWD RDX Advance, the more impressed I get. The refinements over the pre-mmc make this drive like a substantially better vehicle. I have to believe the revised the front and rear suspension tuning as well as the shocks. The pre-mmc was more jittery over rough roads transmitting much more into the cabin. The engine refinements as well as new motor mounts really isolate the engine the rider is so silky smooth. In some regards the ride is more refine that my 15 TLX SH-AWD Advance. Kudos to Acura this MMC RDX is a huge home run.

RDX-Rick

As we discussed earlier in the thread, I have been experimenting with tire pressures. Yesterday I had my tires set to 38 PSI and I took a trip on a winding road that I frequently travel on.

The RDX was amazing. I was taking curves at over 100 KPH that I had found difficult at 80 KPH in my RAV4. I felt the handling was even better than my wife's Subaru Legacy 3.6 Limited, but that's probably because I don't drive that vehicle often enough to feel confident in it. The increased tire pressure didn't seem to cause any ride harshness, and the RDX seemed to wander less even when traveling in a straight line.

mrgold35

I usually set my tires about 2-3 PSI higher in the summer and about 3-4 PSI higher in the winter to Acura recommendations using an exterior gauge. Also depends on the types of tires and type of ride feels the best for your driving habits. Being at around mile high in altitude, the TPMS reads 1 1/2 - 2 PSI off from a hand gauge calibrated at sea level. 32 PSI by hand shows 29-30 PSI on TPMS (really cold mornings shows alerts of 25-26 PSI on TPMS). The extra PSI is mostly to avoid TPMS alerts in winter and higher elevations. A bonus is the vehicles ride a little better in the handling department and a slight mpg increase on long hauls.