electricview

Hey Guys, Let me start off by saying i'm asking this question here instad of the MDX forum cuz at this point i'm SLIGHTLY leaning towards the RDX.

Here's my question and want of your opinions. I'm a single guy don't have kids or anything, and I was originally considering an MDX, but I saw the 2013 and newer RDX's get amazingly better gas mileage than a 2010 MDX. I realize the 2014 MDX gets the same gas mileage as these newer RDX's but my loan max approval is 35k at this point and base 14' MDX is like 42k (and WA sales tax is INSANE like 10-11%). My trade in is gonna be a 02 accord with a tranny that's starting to lag between 1-2 and 2-3 gear when shifting (yay thanks Honda for @#$@# transmissions!). I just got my new job after a long hiatus and I'm tired of having the Honda its been 8 years and i'd rather get rid of it before the tranny completely falls out. Anyways I just cant swing the NEW mdx because after taxes (and if I wanted Tech which I think I do) i'd be up near 49k, which is toooo much..

So my question becomes this. A 2013 RDX has the gas milage I'd like and they have one with 22k miles down south for 37.5k (but says price is negotiable) (link http://seattle.craigslist.org/tac/ctd/4227430866.html and http://seattle.craigslist.org/tac/ctd/4230264806.html) Not sure if that's CPO or not though its a Honda/acura dealer in one. if I could get him down to 34k or less I might consider that one.. But otherwise if he doesn't come down much, seems like its worth it to just get a brand new 14' RDX with tech for 39k if I really wanted to push my limit (and could swing it) at least over a used one that's only 2-3k cheaper. There's another used one closer that has only 2.2k miles but its pearl white and they want 38.5k (with tech and AWD) just seems silly to me when a new one is only 1.4k more.

BUT for around 31-33k I can snag a 2010 MDX with probably 30-45k miles on it. Why did I choose 2010? I just wanted to get new enough to get the 6 speed transmission which seemed like a pretty good upgrade right after the 09's and might give me a better chance of avoiding the bad torq converters... So that's 31-33k vs probably something like 35k(if i'm lucky and get the dealer down on that 13' RDX) to 39.5k for a 14 RDX TECH AWD). To me that's about 4-8k savings on the loan if I just go with a 2010 MDX. (and cant get the 37.5 down below 35k)

After doing the math of having to use premium fuel and the MDX's gas milage vs the RDX, I estimate at about 12.5k miles a year (which is about what I do roughly) It would cost me 448 dollars MORE a year to drive the mdx the same distance as it would the RDX with better MPG. at that rate i'd have to own the MDX for around 13 years to make up a 6k difference in price. Now that's with current gas prices I know if the price goes up , which it will, it will shorten that by a few years, but that still seems pretty long to me..

I realize there are other factors to consider like a 3 year newer car and such. I just thought i'd ask opinions here.. The upside of not having to get the loan maxed out at 35k means I can probably pay it off sooner and not feel quite so under water (i.e. my monthly payment would be 100 bucks cheaper roughly!).. But the RDX started to seem to suit my needs a bit more, Do I REALLY need the 3rd row seating since I have 0 kids, and don't plan on having any? The extra space may be nice, as I will skiboard (think micro sized ski's don't need a roof rack for, just fit in trunk easily) in the mountains, and probably take 2-3 friends, I still think I could probably fit everything snugly in the RDX.. And i'm not wild about the turbo 4 cylc models of 12 and older...

So Please people chime in on your thoughts. I know I post a lot of information, but i'm really indecisive.. Oh yes I've test driven the '14 rdx (the dealer had no 13's up here i'd have to drive 1.5 hours south to test drive that 13 with 22k miles on it) and the difference I felt was just that the RDX felt like it had a bit more ZING to it, where as the 10' MDX I test drove kind of felt like driving my friends 4 runner where you hear the engine roar just to get the thing moving (ok not quite that bad, but it felt a tad more laggy than the RDX did) and I probably slightly (only slightly) prefer the zippy feeling of the RDX, but then again, saving 6 grand and paying it off sooner is a nice feeling.. also I consider that old adage, a brand new car loses 2k value as soon as you drive it off the lot.. that's the nice thing about buying used 'usually' is that you already got that big drop in depreciation gone.

also is REALLY only worth it to stick to acura certified CPO? I know you get that extra 1 year/12k miles or whatever on the power train right? does that cover engine AND all tranny issues?

I plan to keep the car for probably a while, at least 5+ years I tend not to get new cars until things start to go terribly wrong with current ones (hence the tranny getting laggy on my accord and it will cost more to fix than the car is worth!) and Most usage will be day to day drive to work (around 7 miles each way) and some free way driving twice a week 50 miles round trip), then trips to the mountains every 2-3 weeks for 4-5 (70 miles one way) months.

So please chime in! Sorry for the long winded post! I always felt more information was better than not enough for peoples opinions!

YeuEmMaiMai

2010 car should be closer to 30K vs 33K espcially since it is 4 model years old.

stuhFAN

My opinion, look at something more affordable. Sounds like you'll be stretching yourself thin with either option. But if you're set on these 2 choices I'd go with the RDX. I just view it as a better vehicle for a single guy.

electricview

round Washington state they are asking 31-33k for 2010's some 2011's can be found for 34-36k though.. I'm anticipating being able to talk them down a little bit, hopefully 2k ish.. but maybe not...


And it's not stretching me too thin, It's bit more of a leap than the Honda was (twice the price I paid for it), but I can swing it, and I don't have much else in the way of debt or bills much anymore. and i'd probably be making double payments each month to pay it off quicker.. I just figured if going with a 3-4 year older MDX could save me 5 to 7 thousand dollars over a new (or 13) RDX maybe its worth just saving the money and paying it off a year sooner since BOTH cars will be substantial upgrades to what I have now and maybe the money saved on gas milage on the RDX isn't as important vs the money saved up front between the two vehicles.

RDXed

Its an interesting thought. One thing to consider is the re-sale value. Say you keep the vehicle for 5 years. So, you should compare the cost of 5 yr old RDX versus 8 yrs old MDX.

electricview

Yeah that definitely is something to keep in mind as well...Although then I start thinking math.. 5 years depreciation at that point for each car, which would hold its value better and depreciate less, true the MDX would have already had a head start, but being a more expensive car to begin with, it might depreciate slower? Then again I do not know the general trends with what depreciates a car more (time/age or milagage or options/luxury).

YeuEmMaiMai

oh and one thing I forgot to mention is that you really have to get your foot into it to get the MDX moving that beast is HEAVY....the new RDX on the other hand offers acclleration on par with my 2002 CL type S and that's a BIG plus

electricview

Yeah! that's kind of what I was feeling when I test drove the 13 compared to the 10mdx.. the 10 mdx just felt like it was heavier and more SUV'ey' which is not a bad thing, I didn't really slam the throttle, the sales guy was sitting between the two seats almost hanging over us.. kind of made me less willing to really try opening it up, and honestly we were only on the freeway for about 3 minutes, then took back roads home.. actually the whole test drive was under 10 minutes.. I think I need more time than that. Is that unreasonable?

mt266

I was looking at 2011-13 mdx's and happened to look inside a '13 rdx. The interior of rdx made the mdx feel outdated. And I am a single guy, which made more sense for the smaller vehicle.

YeuEmMaiMai

Ask them nicely if you can take a loaner for a drive over 2 days. If you have a good rapor with your dealer, this should not be an issue...

mindanalyzer

this

... I was considering trading (or better say entertaining the idea) my 2013 Rdx with tech by a brand new 2013 Mdx with tech and it happened that I had to take my Rdx to the dealer due to some vibration at 80mph plus some VCM rumble noise. Well, it just happened that I got a 2012 Mdx with tech free loaner with 15k miles. I drove it for 2 days, more than enough to realize that I was about to do something very stupid. The old model Mdx drives HEAVY, it is not agile at all, the Nav is very laggy (and I had this idea that the one in the Rdx was subpar but it turns out that the one in the old model mdx is much worse), and that thing is THIRSTY (11.7mpg in spirited city driving); ... in the end, after 2.5 days, I couldn't wait to get rid of that.

When I got my Rdx back it felt so much better that right there I had my answer.
Luckily my Rdx is driving much smoother now and I have not felt the VCM crap

Now, if we talk about the 2014 Mdx ... that's a different story. that thing looks good inside and outside, you can get it with Sh-AWD, offers excellent mileage, the front and rear lights are beautiful, ... but it costs serious dough !!!!

KJW73

It's been a few weeks; did you buy the RDX or MDX?

I actually had the same problem. I recently (12/19/13) traded in my 05 TL Navi for the 14 RDX Tech AWD - and the RDX was definitely NOT my first choice by any means. I really, really wanted the 14 MDX SHAWD Tech but at the end of the day, I couldn't afford a $54,000 vehicle with my 05 TL as the trade in (not enough value even with one owner, relatively low mileage and dealer service). So, after about three months of debating… something finally happened: my TL had a flat and needed new tires ($1200), needed rear brakes ($300?), the passenger side HID bulb went out (after just replacing the drivers side at $160), and it had 94,000 miles and would have needed a timing belt soon. I took that into consideration, along with 0.9% financing for 60 months… and rather then get my beloved TL repaired after 8+ years of ownership… I settled for the RDX. I say "settled" because like I mentioned, I really wanted the 14 MDX… but after seeing the 14 RDX in the showroom, I could barely tell the two apart. Mu hubby and I are the epitome of the target buyer: double income no kids. I didn't really "need" third row seating or the extra room; the only thing I wish the RDX offered was the dual screen and LED headlights (but I'll be sure to get that in my next ride!). To sum it up… the RDX it was! And I have no regrets (other than having to give up my TL, which I loved, loved, loved).

Keep us posted!