2014 RDX - Should I Downgrade?
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3rd Gear
Joined: Oct 2017
Posts: 3
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2014 RDX - Should I Downgrade?
Hi, I wasn’t really sure as to where to post this question. I checked other threads but couldn’t find anything similar. If this is the wrong place, I’m assuming the moderator will move it over.
Anyways, I purchased 2014 RDX tech 6 months ago and so far am loving the handling, the sporty ness with the practicality of an SUV.
But now I’m starting to wonder if I should downgrade to a TLX instead. I’ve driven SUV’s all my life and actually prefer them over sedans especially when it comes to going camping, road trips, or snowboarding. My concern is coming from the cost of fuel and having more car than I need. 80% of the time I’m just using this as a daily to and from work and other around town errands. I do occasionally do the activities I mentioned above bu I feel I might be able to get away with a sedan. I only use premium fuel (91) and am getting approx 14 litres/100 km (Canada) which is about 20mpg. On a full tank I get around 350-400 kilometres.
As fellow RDX owners, do you guys think it would be worth it to go down to a 2015 TLX, maybe the 2.4 litre 4 cylinder or even the v6 sh-awd (a little bit better on gas and lower payments) or should I shut my mouth and keep my RDX as it’s running great and maybe throw some new black wheels on it and call it a day?
any opinions or criticism are all welcome. Just need others opinions on what I’m thinking is a good and practical or am I being an idiot and be happy with what I currently have. Needs vs wants arguments as well lol.
details:
2015 TLX tech I’m looking at is approx $25k
2014 RDX tech I currently own trade in value $23k
upside down on loan approx $4k
Anyways, I purchased 2014 RDX tech 6 months ago and so far am loving the handling, the sporty ness with the practicality of an SUV.
But now I’m starting to wonder if I should downgrade to a TLX instead. I’ve driven SUV’s all my life and actually prefer them over sedans especially when it comes to going camping, road trips, or snowboarding. My concern is coming from the cost of fuel and having more car than I need. 80% of the time I’m just using this as a daily to and from work and other around town errands. I do occasionally do the activities I mentioned above bu I feel I might be able to get away with a sedan. I only use premium fuel (91) and am getting approx 14 litres/100 km (Canada) which is about 20mpg. On a full tank I get around 350-400 kilometres.
As fellow RDX owners, do you guys think it would be worth it to go down to a 2015 TLX, maybe the 2.4 litre 4 cylinder or even the v6 sh-awd (a little bit better on gas and lower payments) or should I shut my mouth and keep my RDX as it’s running great and maybe throw some new black wheels on it and call it a day?
any opinions or criticism are all welcome. Just need others opinions on what I’m thinking is a good and practical or am I being an idiot and be happy with what I currently have. Needs vs wants arguments as well lol.
details:
2015 TLX tech I’m looking at is approx $25k
2014 RDX tech I currently own trade in value $23k
upside down on loan approx $4k
Carbon Bronze Pearl 2008
Joined: Jul 2008
Posts: 684
Likes: 48
From: Connecticut
I think you answered your own question. You said you prefer an SUV over a sedan and love the practicality. As for gas mileage... who cares? Not a huge difference. Love the RDX for what it is and save your money.
Drifting
Joined: Feb 2001
Posts: 2,637
Likes: 118
From: Ontario, Canada
Personally, I have a 14 and 17 RDX and when I went in for service I had a TLX. I do not like the cramped feel and they way it sat so low. I have had a lot of Sedans and SUV's and will never go back to the sedan. As for the mileage, I get 9/per 100 KMs, mainly HWY on my RDX. Not sure what the sedans get but it can't be much better.Its a preference thing but can't see changing for me, ever.
Suzuka Master
Joined: Dec 2014
Posts: 5,533
Likes: 959
You’d be making a HUGE mistake going to a 2015 TLX. The 2.4 TLX is nice but they don’t come with AWD and with the snow we’ve had here in Edmonton I would never want anything that was not AWD (and yes I know about tires, I use winter tires on my AWD car). The V6 TLX comes with AWD but also comes with one of the worst transmissions in history. Go read up on the ZF9 transmission. Multiple people have had to have their entire transmissions replaced and many have sold/gotten rid of their TLX’s before their lease/finance was done because Acura was too slow to fix it. More recent ZF9’s are supposed to be better but due to the physical design of the transmission you will always have this horrible lag and strange shifts. So my advice, keep your solid and proven RDX and buy those black wheels!
Thread Starter
3rd Gear
Joined: Oct 2017
Posts: 3
Likes: 0
I appreciate everyone’s response above. You guys are definitely giving some
sound advice. From my perspective seems like all of you are saying stay from the 2015 TLX because of tranny issues which actually make a lot of sense because I’ve seen a lot of TLX’s on the market recently, some with as low as 15k km’s On them which seems very suspicious (who trades in a car that early)..
Also, SUV practicality is too good to give up. I’ve test driven a TLX earlier today and sat in the back middle seat, noticed my head was grazing the roof and I’m only 5’ 8”. Taller passengers would probably complain. And to fuel mileage, you’re right, not a massive difference I’m assuming I’ll only be a few mpg better, especially when it comes to the v6 TLX. I had to get out of my own head lol was more of wanting a new toy vs actual need.
Alright, well, I’m probably going to keep my RDX and start customizing it to my liking. Opinions on the below mods are welcome as well. Thanks for everyone’s input!
mods considering for my pearl white RDX:
black 19” or 18” wheels
window rain visors on all 4 windows
mod overkill?
plasti dip or 3m film on the beak grill
plasti dip rear RDX and AWD emblems
i also have these plastic guards attached onto my doors near the bottom. They’re for tight parking spaces so someone doesn’t smash your door while opening theirs. Thinking about taking them off because they’re kind of ugly lol.
Roof rails if I can find a good price for OEM or after market
Black plasti dip side view mirror covers?
K&n air filter
possible suspension upgrade?
anythingg else you would do to yours?
sound advice. From my perspective seems like all of you are saying stay from the 2015 TLX because of tranny issues which actually make a lot of sense because I’ve seen a lot of TLX’s on the market recently, some with as low as 15k km’s On them which seems very suspicious (who trades in a car that early)..
Also, SUV practicality is too good to give up. I’ve test driven a TLX earlier today and sat in the back middle seat, noticed my head was grazing the roof and I’m only 5’ 8”. Taller passengers would probably complain. And to fuel mileage, you’re right, not a massive difference I’m assuming I’ll only be a few mpg better, especially when it comes to the v6 TLX. I had to get out of my own head lol was more of wanting a new toy vs actual need.
Alright, well, I’m probably going to keep my RDX and start customizing it to my liking. Opinions on the below mods are welcome as well. Thanks for everyone’s input!
mods considering for my pearl white RDX:
black 19” or 18” wheels
window rain visors on all 4 windows
mod overkill?
plasti dip or 3m film on the beak grill
plasti dip rear RDX and AWD emblems
i also have these plastic guards attached onto my doors near the bottom. They’re for tight parking spaces so someone doesn’t smash your door while opening theirs. Thinking about taking them off because they’re kind of ugly lol.
Roof rails if I can find a good price for OEM or after market
Black plasti dip side view mirror covers?
K&n air filter
possible suspension upgrade?
anythingg else you would do to yours?
The inconvenient truth
Joined: Apr 2017
Posts: 1,467
Likes: 453
The grass is always greener on the other side....
If you had a tlx youd probably be asking if you should get an SUV because of the before mentioned reasons....
Be thankful for what you have and enjoy it. Looks like a nice list of mods.... its a slippery slope. Some of us have lost our minds with endless modding.
And I hope we never find them!
If you had a tlx youd probably be asking if you should get an SUV because of the before mentioned reasons....
Be thankful for what you have and enjoy it. Looks like a nice list of mods.... its a slippery slope. Some of us have lost our minds with endless modding.
And I hope we never find them!
Suzuka Master
Joined: Dec 2014
Posts: 5,533
Likes: 959
The grass is always greener on the other side....<br /><br />If you had a tlx youd probably be asking if you should get an SUV because of the before mentioned reasons....<br /><br />Be thankful for what you have and enjoy it. Looks like a nice list of mods.... its a slippery slope. Some of us have lost our minds with endless modding.<br /><br />And I hope we never find them!
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Advanced
Joined: Mar 2013
Posts: 81
Likes: 11
Hi, I wasn’t really sure as to where to post this question. I checked other threads but couldn’t find anything similar. If this is the wrong place, I’m assuming the moderator will move it over.
Anyways, I purchased 2014 RDX tech 6 months ago and so far am loving the handling, the sporty ness with the practicality of an SUV.
But now I’m starting to wonder if I should downgrade to a TLX instead. I’ve driven SUV’s all my life and actually prefer them over sedans especially when it comes to going camping, road trips, or snowboarding. My concern is coming from the cost of fuel and having more car than I need. 80% of the time I’m just using this as a daily to and from work and other around town errands. I do occasionally do the activities I mentioned above bu I feel I might be able to get away with a sedan. I only use premium fuel (91) and am getting approx 14 litres/100 km (Canada) which is about 20mpg. On a full tank I get around 350-400 kilometres.
As fellow RDX owners, do you guys think it would be worth it to go down to a 2015 TLX, maybe the 2.4 litre 4 cylinder or even the v6 sh-awd (a little bit better on gas and lower payments) or should I shut my mouth and keep my RDX as it’s running great and maybe throw some new black wheels on it and call it a day?
any opinions or criticism are all welcome. Just need others opinions on what I’m thinking is a good and practical or am I being an idiot and be happy with what I currently have. Needs vs wants arguments as well lol.
details:
2015 TLX tech I’m looking at is approx $25k
2014 RDX tech I currently own trade in value $23k
upside down on loan approx $4k
Anyways, I purchased 2014 RDX tech 6 months ago and so far am loving the handling, the sporty ness with the practicality of an SUV.
But now I’m starting to wonder if I should downgrade to a TLX instead. I’ve driven SUV’s all my life and actually prefer them over sedans especially when it comes to going camping, road trips, or snowboarding. My concern is coming from the cost of fuel and having more car than I need. 80% of the time I’m just using this as a daily to and from work and other around town errands. I do occasionally do the activities I mentioned above bu I feel I might be able to get away with a sedan. I only use premium fuel (91) and am getting approx 14 litres/100 km (Canada) which is about 20mpg. On a full tank I get around 350-400 kilometres.
As fellow RDX owners, do you guys think it would be worth it to go down to a 2015 TLX, maybe the 2.4 litre 4 cylinder or even the v6 sh-awd (a little bit better on gas and lower payments) or should I shut my mouth and keep my RDX as it’s running great and maybe throw some new black wheels on it and call it a day?
any opinions or criticism are all welcome. Just need others opinions on what I’m thinking is a good and practical or am I being an idiot and be happy with what I currently have. Needs vs wants arguments as well lol.
details:
2015 TLX tech I’m looking at is approx $25k
2014 RDX tech I currently own trade in value $23k
upside down on loan approx $4k
While a 2014 RDX is getting very long in the tooth I think the responsible financial decision would be to stay with it if since you are $4K upside down on a loan. Try to pay off as much as the RDX as you can and then address getting a new car. The 1st gen Turbo was a mistake by Acura since turbo tech and reliability was just not as good as it is today. Obviously Honda has made huge leaps in turbo engines since turbos will be in all new Hondas soon enough and the 2019 RDX will use one. Living in Canada I am not sure what leases or the used car market is like but when the 2019 RDX are released you should have a flood of people trading back their 2nd gen RDX or you can score a good deal on a 2018 lease. Again financially the best decision is to keep what you have until you become more flush with your loan.
Advanced
Joined: Mar 2013
Posts: 81
Likes: 11
The grass is always greener on the other side....
If you had a tlx youd probably be asking if you should get an SUV because of the before mentioned reasons....
Be thankful for what you have and enjoy it. Looks like a nice list of mods.... its a slippery slope. Some of us have lost our minds with endless modding.
And I hope we never find them!
If you had a tlx youd probably be asking if you should get an SUV because of the before mentioned reasons....
Be thankful for what you have and enjoy it. Looks like a nice list of mods.... its a slippery slope. Some of us have lost our minds with endless modding.
And I hope we never find them!
Well not really, I would gladly take a 2018 TLX A-Spec V6 SH-AWD IF Acura didn't put that stupid ZF9 speed in it! I love the 3.5 V-Tech but damn the 9 speed is so wonky and hard to trust. Having owned a 8 Speed DCT ILX I liked the quick shifts when it worked, but there still is gear hunting and power response is no where a good as the 3.5 6 speed combo on the 2nd gen RDX which just has instant torque and above average speed for it's size.
Advanced
Joined: Oct 2014
Posts: 50
Likes: 7
I never considered my 2016 TLX (V6 - Tech Package) a downgrade from my 2013 RDX (V6 - Tech Package). Not sure why people would consider it a downgrade outside of the small price difference.
I personally do miss the RDX a lot, it was a really comfortable vehicle with a ton of utility. I've never felt less fatigued after a 5 hour drive than when I was in the RDX. Unfortunately, mine suffered from door panel misalignment, a collapsed suspension, fine swirl marks (some idiot at the dealership hand washed / dried my black beauty without my permission) - which left a bit of a sour taste in my mouth prior to getting rid of it. I like my TLX because it has a lot more bells and whistles than the RDX did (heated rear seats, lane departure warning, heated steering wheel, blind-spot monitoring) , and the 9-speed tranny is great from a fuel efficiency standpoint. What I don't like is the fact that the car vibrates any time my speed reaches or exceeds 100 km/h. The dealership has been absolutely useless at resolving the issue and they sold me the car knowing there was a defect on it that would require a future recall / fix. Balancing, alignment, and even a brand new set of rims / tires didn't resolve it. 1 TSX, 1 RDX, and 1 TLX later, this is the last Acura product I will own. If I was you, I'd do myself a favour and shop outside the brand. At least until the new RDX comes out. That one might be worth a look...depending on if Acura fires the idiot that heads up their quality control department.
I personally do miss the RDX a lot, it was a really comfortable vehicle with a ton of utility. I've never felt less fatigued after a 5 hour drive than when I was in the RDX. Unfortunately, mine suffered from door panel misalignment, a collapsed suspension, fine swirl marks (some idiot at the dealership hand washed / dried my black beauty without my permission) - which left a bit of a sour taste in my mouth prior to getting rid of it. I like my TLX because it has a lot more bells and whistles than the RDX did (heated rear seats, lane departure warning, heated steering wheel, blind-spot monitoring) , and the 9-speed tranny is great from a fuel efficiency standpoint. What I don't like is the fact that the car vibrates any time my speed reaches or exceeds 100 km/h. The dealership has been absolutely useless at resolving the issue and they sold me the car knowing there was a defect on it that would require a future recall / fix. Balancing, alignment, and even a brand new set of rims / tires didn't resolve it. 1 TSX, 1 RDX, and 1 TLX later, this is the last Acura product I will own. If I was you, I'd do myself a favour and shop outside the brand. At least until the new RDX comes out. That one might be worth a look...depending on if Acura fires the idiot that heads up their quality control department.
Suzuka Master
Joined: Dec 2014
Posts: 5,533
Likes: 959
I wouldn't call that a downgrade per se since the TLX is a more modern up to date car. The 4 cylinder 8 speed DCT has really quick shifts and is probably one of the best dual clutches out there but on the TLX it just isn't enough HP and Torque for my liking. Since you live in Canada I would recommend the V6 SH-AWD version BUT that would mean gambling on a unit with a ZF9 transmission which was recalled and a lot of people find it wonky due to the dog clutches and poor tuning. Personally I am not a huge fan of the TLX. It was based on the last gen Accord yet it has the interior space of an ILX (TLX rear legroom is only .5" more than ILX), which is sad since Accords have so much interior space.
While a 2014 RDX is getting very long in the tooth I think the responsible financial decision would be to stay with it if since you are $4K upside down on a loan. Try to pay off as much as the RDX as you can and then address getting a new car. The 1st gen Turbo was a mistake by Acura since turbo tech and reliability was just not as good as it is today. Obviously Honda has made huge leaps in turbo engines since turbos will be in all new Hondas soon enough and the 2019 RDX will use one. Living in Canada I am not sure what leases or the used car market is like but when the 2019 RDX are released you should have a flood of people trading back their 2nd gen RDX or you can score a good deal on a 2018 lease. Again financially the best decision is to keep what you have until you become more flush with your loan.
While a 2014 RDX is getting very long in the tooth I think the responsible financial decision would be to stay with it if since you are $4K upside down on a loan. Try to pay off as much as the RDX as you can and then address getting a new car. The 1st gen Turbo was a mistake by Acura since turbo tech and reliability was just not as good as it is today. Obviously Honda has made huge leaps in turbo engines since turbos will be in all new Hondas soon enough and the 2019 RDX will use one. Living in Canada I am not sure what leases or the used car market is like but when the 2019 RDX are released you should have a flood of people trading back their 2nd gen RDX or you can score a good deal on a 2018 lease. Again financially the best decision is to keep what you have until you become more flush with your loan.
Advanced
Joined: Mar 2013
Posts: 81
Likes: 11
Where are you getting this COMPLETELY FALSE information from? The 1G RDX had a SOLID powertrain and was 10X as reliable as the 2G is. We didn’t suffer from vibrations due to VCM issues and I have yet to hear of anyone who’s turbo failed or had turbo issues. Many people have well over 150k miles on the original turbo with zero issues. So no this is an utterly false statement.
Suzuka Master
Joined: Dec 2014
Posts: 5,533
Likes: 959
Turbo lag, even turbo failure in some cars, harsh ride, poor MPG, quirky looks. No the 1st gen didn't have any notable recalls but why do you think it took Honda/Acura over a decade to put a turbo back into an RDX? Turbos have come a long way and I am sure the next Gen RDX will be great but the 1st gen was far from perfect. Maybe your experience is totally different and I am not saying the RDX is some ticking time bomb in terms of reliability, but Honda?Acura have had some problems when adopting new tech
It took Honda so long because they changed the mission completely to be the “eco friendly” brand. Why do you think they hid all the exhaust tips on all their cars? It had nothing to do with reliability. The 2G RDX sold better than the 1G because it was more plain looking and also because it’s a soft marshmallow. I’m not really debating anything else about either car though, I am just debating your statement that the turbo was unreliable.
Advanced
Joined: Oct 2014
Posts: 50
Likes: 7
Agreed. Sporty handling and lack of utility gets old real quick lol. Drove a RAV4 and RDX for most of my post-college life. In a car right now. It's nerve wrecking driving in snow and not being able to see if there is a random curb hidden in a pile of snow. The aesthetics of sporty cars are great, but they get out of your system real quick if it's your daily driver.
Advanced
Joined: Mar 2013
Posts: 81
Likes: 11
The turbo lag thing is way overblown. I owned a 100% stock RDX and there was zero lag. It felt like a normal V6 engine. Smooth and normal. Like I said turbo failures are extremely rare and I have never seen one failure in the 4+ years I’ve been on the forum. Forums are usually where people with issues gather so if it was a problem it would be common knowledge and it’s not. Harsh ride? Again not true, rather people who purchased luxury cars expected a numb marshmallow (like the 2G RDX). I was seeing consistent 19-20 pure city MPG with very hard driving so that’s very subjective. I will give you the quirky looks though, definitely not the best looking car.
It took Honda so long because they changed the mission completely to be the “eco friendly” brand. Why do you think they hid all the exhaust tips on all their cars? It had nothing to do with reliability. The 2G RDX sold better than the 1G because it was more plain looking and also because it’s a soft marshmallow. I’m not really debating anything else about either car though, I am just debating your statement that the turbo was unreliable.
On poor MPG, 19/24 AWD w. 240 HP and explaining why Honda ditched turbos
https://www.cars.com/articles/2012/0...he-rdxs-turbo/
"The 240-hp turbo-four is a bit laggy, but strong once the boost arrives." Car and Driver
"Acceleration is quite snappy once the turbo kicks in, but there is quite a bit of lag before that happens..." Consumer guides
TrueDelta found that 22% of 2007 RDX's repairs were engine based
Trust me there are plenty of posts on here where people have had or suspected Turbo failure, I am no saying it was an epidemic and usually it happened on higher millage cars, but engine failure wasn't an issue for the 2nd gen
Also the idea that Honda tried to become a eco brand might be true but explain Acura who has never been a class leader in MPG. Simply Acura did it because other luxury brands were either hiding or recessing exhausts and because their target demographic changed:
"On the SUV front, the 2013 Acura RDX redesign is aimed squarely at double-income childless couples and empty nesters. Acura’s market research found that these demographic groups were more likely to purchase the RDX than single males, which had been the traditional target in past years." and "Apparently, what the intended audience for the RDX wants are handling and horsepower, notes the Toronto Star. The 2013 rendition features a 3.5-liter V6 with 273 horsepower, replacing the previous 2.4-liter turbocharged four-cylinder with 240 hp." CarDealExpert
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