vmetayer

Good Morning guys, I'm glad to see that there is a community out here for the RDX. I went into the dealership yesterday looking for a 2012 tsx tech package. I currently own an 04 3 series 5 speed. However, it is starting to act up and I'm a recent college grad entering the corporate world, I thought the look and feel of an Acura seemed just right, I didn't want to leave bmw and didnt see any other car, but once I saw the new tsx, I fell in love. I walked into the dealership yesterday to test drive the tsx, but I saw the rdx, its unlike me to get an suv/crossover, but this car looked amazing when I saw it. I have a deposit on an AWD tech package in crystal black pearl with an ebony interior. How do you guys love the car, I like it, but I feel like one thing is missing but I cant quite figure it out.

madrye28

I love my new RDX. It gets good mileage for an SUV, the size is perfect to me; it drives like a compact car, yet feel very roomy. Good choice for color combination! Well, compared to a 3 Series, the only thing that you may be "giving up" is the sharp handling. The RDX has good handling, but not 3 Series precise. Not even the NEW 3 series is all that precise. BTW, are you looking at a 2012 or 2013, because that make a HUGE difference, lol. The 2013 is the new design and the 2012 I'm not a fan of....

vmetayer

2013 RDX

weather

vmetayer....I also love my RDX (2013)...This vehicle is refined, quiet, exceptionally fuel efficient for a vehicle this size and practical. As madrye28 said, it will not give you the razor edge steering/handling that the 3 series gave you (the 2012 would have been closer) but it is still an amazing vehicle. I can see how going from a 3 series to a CUV gives you a little hesitation as you are dealing with 2 separate beast altogether but I had a TSX (2009) and it is a great vehcicle too but much prefer the smooth power of this V6 (unless you get the V6 TSX), and the interior is more updated. I also have a 2012 TL SH-AWD and that thing is just OMG fun to drive.

I do not regret the 2013 RDX one second and doubt that you will too...take it for another test drive and see if you can convince the dealership to let you have it overnight. There is something about taking a car out in the evening, waking up and seeing in your driveway and then take it for a morning ride...(man that almost sounded like how I met my last g/f *lol*)

EDIT...Oh and I forgot....Acura's reliability too eventhough most other car companies are making great stride at increasing their reliability (don't wanna get flamed again - LOL)

digitalusa

OP welcome to the board.
Put the trans to S mode and use the paddle shift, like F1 drivers, and you won't miss your 3 manual.lol.

Domm

The RDX will be nothing like your 3 series. I think the RDX lacks steering feedback, but it is extremely capable for a crossover. I was shocked at how well it handles for its size and the V6 engine was a plus for me compared to the TSX. The suspension is a bit rough and theres quite a lot of wind noise, but you should be used to stiff suspension in your BMW.

weather

See, I am surprised by this because I have read it in a few places and I for one, am super anal about wind noise (and most everything else) and I do not detect any wind noise whatsoever. I wonder if varies from unit to unit, I mean test drivers for various car magazine comment on how quiet this thing is...

Domm

Well, everyone has their own opinion/standards. Test drivers can say anything they want, but it doesn't give you a sense of how quiet the car is. The RDX is a quiet car for its size, don't get me wrong, but there is some wind noise compared to some competition such as Lexus and Mercedes.

madrye28

The road noise complaint is interesting to me as well. Forget road test reviews, I owned a Lexus, and my RDX is MUCH quieter. Its even quieter then the Lexus RX that I test drove. I also agree with weather on the reliability, Acura/Honda are consistently high and that's an invaluable asset to have on a car . Nothing against our German Automakers and friends who own them, but sometimes their technology can be overkill and because they want to be "first" I feel that sometimes they are not properly tested before brought into production. There is a such thing as overkill in my opinion and that's why I love my new RDX and Acura/Honda. They will not add a new technology until is is tested and proven to be reliable, even if naysayers say they are "behind" on certain things. "Access without all the excess" as they say. My partner has a 2012 3 Series sedan and well....it has quirks that he never had with past Hondas/Acuras. The "Rain sensing" wipers have about a 10 second delay, his entire instrument panel turned off the other day for like 3 seconds, I-Drive is complicated and annoying. I do like, however the 8-Speed tranny. Hopefully the engine's fuel pump doesn't go after 20K miles like the other turbos from BMW. They go at a 21% rate within 3 years according to consumer reports. He has the new 2.0T engine, hopefully they fixed that issue.

weather

That must be one of my best quote! I like it alot. I also agree with the statement that there is some technology out there that in my opinion, is just plain overkill and the consumer is paying for that to be developed. Don't get me wrong, there are still a few thing Acura could have put into the RDX but we would have had to pay for it....

Domm

To each his own, I'm just expressing my personal opinion after a 200 mile drive at night with dead silence and comparing it to my Mercedes, which I also drive the same route with. One of the Acura salesman whom I have a close relationship with even mentioned that Acura is trying to compete with Lexus for road noise, Lexus being the leader. Thats why Acura has the noise detection technology in its MDX. I say this, not to be a "naysayer" and I apologize if I offend anyone, but its just a personal opinion and anyone has the right to object!

BMW on the other hand, I agree that reliability has always been an issue with BMW even though their power train/handling is brilliant.

weather

Domm...By no means should you feel the need to apologize, like you said, everyone has their opinion. I am certainly not trying to come across as "I am right and you are wrong" because, well frankly, that will never go anywhere. My only reason for bringing it up was because I have the most "zero tolerance" when it comes to wind noise, creaks and rattles...Maybe not that I have zero tolerance but an extremely acute sense of "this is not right". I have read other comments on wind noise in the RDX here as well and my question is if there is a wide range in the individual units that could create one being whisper quiet and others more prone to wind noise.

I am not an engineer by any means but I am curious if a slight (minuscule) difference in production unit could create a different wind aerodynamic situation that some are noisier than others.

Just curious,,,,

madrye28

Sorry, I didn't call you a "naysayer". I was referring to those who say Acura/Honda are behind the times with respect to cutting edge technology. You have every right to your opinion, just as anybody else does without apologies.

Domm

Glad we can all remain civil. Some users on car forums take opposing opinions as a sign of disrespect when it was never about that.

Stay classy Acura owners :thumpsup:

jason330i

good lord i hate those maintainence & repair costs!

GaryE

According to our Acura salesman, the addition of the roof rails significantly increases wind noise on the RDX. Our RDX doesn't have them, and the vehicle is remarkably quiet.

BLEXV6

I too had the 2009 TSX Manual Tech. We tried the V6 and did not really like it. I absolutely love my 10 TL, everytime I get in it. The thing that struck me about the RDX is how much it is like the interior in my TL which I love. I am starting to see many RDX's and I really like it. I will be getting an RDX in a couple of years for sure. It is the perfect vehicle for me. I guess I should test it first though. PS, my wifes 11 RDX is good, but the 2013 is much more what I am looking for.

Carazy

I like the new RDX a lot ! It has been my daily driver for 3 weeks now. It's easy to get in and out of compared to my '04' 996TT which was a daily driver for 8 years. I carry 2 boxes full of stuff and if I need more space, just drop the rear seats. The roads here is chewed up and riddled with pot holes with which the RDX feels way better than a stiff sports car. I am planning to amplify the sub and also change out the subwoffer.

Rocket_man

My 1G TSX is not very quiet to me, so my next car (I'm hoping will be a TLX) will be 'quiet.' I noticed on the ILX I looked at over the weekend that there is a second weather strip on the bottoms of the door panels. I thought it may be a 2nd row of water seal but it did not seem to be made for that. I suspect it is there to help with road noise coming up into the car.

Senagal

I think there's considerable amount of wind noise at 60+ mph, it is interesting because I'm coming from a Suzuki Kizashi, which is sadly undersold in this market, and I thought had less wind noise than the RDX. Kizashi had more engine noise at idle but as quiet as the RDX at speed.

I traded-in the Kizashi because I needed more space.

Acura says that they have increased the width of the side windows to better control wind noise , so I hardly doubt it is a "unit to unit" difference, although everything is very subjective, although Insideline does test dB at idle/speed.

Here's the data:

RDX
Sound level @ idle (dB) 42.6
@ Full throttle (dB) 73.5
@ 70 mph cruise (dB) 66.2

JX35
Sound level @ idle (dB) 40.5
@ Full throttle (dB) 74.3
@ 70 mph cruise (dB) 63.4

'12 CRV
Sound level @ idle (dB) 39.3
@ Full throttle (dB) 76.3
@ 70 mph cruise (dB) 65.3

'11 Edge
Sound level @ idle (dB) 38.4
@ Full throttle (dB) 86.1
@ 70 mph cruise (dB) 71.1

Obviously lower the decibel, less noise in the cabin. JX35 appears to be well insulated at cruising speeds.

The other tech that the car has is noise-cancelling which I think it's just linked to stereo, I have it at maxed settings to increase the volume with [/U][/B]speed.

digitalusa

I don't know about other cars, but I test drove CRV before buying RDX.
And I don't know how the decibel meter works, but to me RDX is definitely alot less noise than CRV. Something is not right with that test data...

weather

Hey Digitalusa...Keep in mind that the decibel scale is not a linear scale so a small chnage in the number can be more significant than it appears

the_razor

I test drove the 13 RDX as my TSX was getting wheel alignment and I must say I fall in love I felt like trade in my TSX and get the RDX nice interior smooth V6 didn't feel like I was in CUV felt more like a spacious 4door sedan. Loved the steering huge improvement from my 09 TSX. the AWD is not bad but good for every day driving and should be enough for our canadian weather I missed that display on MID where it shows each wheel torque.

Rocket_man

38.4 db is really really quiet. What was the source of these numbers? I have a sound pressure meter and it won't even register under 50 db.

Domm

I think the source is insideline

Senagal

Insideline, search for "full tests"

Colorado Guy AF Ret.

As I mentioned in another thread on this site, I also appreciate the civility with which we can "agree to disagee" without someone being offended.

Weather..you've been pretty good with all your posts, but, I did sense you might have been a "little put off" and a little defensive. But, that's OK...we are all human. I get that way sometimes too. Trying harder not to. On some other sites it's hard to be civil when there are some who actually do want to "fight it out" over their opinion. I think we've been "good!"

As far as wind noise. Here's what I do know...and true, everyone's "feeling or hearing" of wind noise and road noise can be different. I've owned 3 CRV's. An 07, 09, and currently own an '11 that will soon be history when my RDX arrives. I can certainly say that wind and road noise ARE for sure an issue/problem for the CRV's. It's really a known fact. Everyone in the industry talks about, laments about it, etc.

I drove the RDX and one of the first things I did notice was how quiet it was and how well it rode. There is no doubt...in my mind...that the RDX IS quieter than the CRV. As for the other vehicles mentioned here...I have no idea. But, for me, this RDX makes for a great SUV. Is it perfect...nope. No car is. And I will soon own my 60th vehicle. I have always found "something" that could be better in all of them. But, for me, the "like list" must be much longer than the "don't like" list.

As I have tossed around before somewhere on this forum, I do know...for a definite fact, that roof rails/racks cause much more wind noise vs. the same vehicle without the rack. It's pretty much the case no matter who the manufacturer is. The CRV's were/are well known for the extra wind noise with the racks....and they didn't need any more noise as they are already inherently noisy.

I've never heard of a decibel meter that reads "pressure." Not reading less than a 50.....never heard of that either. They are made to detect much lower than 50 decibels.

Weather ...has a point. The definition of reading decibels is...."measuring relative loudness of a sound." So, it takes a real pro with those meters to give accurate reportable figures.

And, just to add about comparing one vehicle against another. This I do know...from owning so many cars, and playing with different makers of tires, etc. Tires make a huge difference on how much road noise you hear. I have change out factory tires for those that I thought, after research, would be better, and were on different cars and SUV's I've owned.
Just so many factors that come into play.

And weather....I'm not on board with your suposition that maybe some like RDX's just sound different. Probably not the case. Apples to apples their build tolerance are extremely high and matched. Honda Motor Corp. and Toyota Motor Corp. have set the standards for fit, finish, build tolerances, etc.
Lexus vehicles have more "stuff" to make their cars more quiet than a Toyota badged car. But, you pay extra. Same goes for the Acura vs the Honda badged. All great vehicles in their own right.....and the Honda CRV has been the highest selling SUV for some time...so something is right about them.

We, Acura buyers, are looking for more refinement. For that we pay more. $10,000 more over a loaded CRV for example.

Sorry, so, long, but, I hope it is food for thought for all the great folks on this forum.

My best friend in So. Cal. has been a private dealer and broker for 30 yrs. Name it...he has either owned it or driven it extensively. We used to talk about the reliability of different cars. BMW's...no offense to owners here....but, the fact is....they are expensive to keep up, break down much more, in general, than a Toyota or Honda product. He admitted that to me...but, since he never kept one too long, he could always get another new one. We used to comment about all the "broken down" Mercedes on the side of the roads...waiting for a tow to get to the dealership. And I'm not talking older models. Fairly newer or new ones. It was almsot laughable. And how many Lexus or Acuras did we see broken down waiting for a tow?? Virtually none. So, over many years of driving in So. Cal, the car capital of the world you get a real sense of what holds together and what does not.

Anyway...I have a VIN # and hopefully I'll have my Pearl White AWD tech RDX fairly soon. I'm ready!!

weather

Colorado....Just curious...was this comment really intended for me? I am not sure because I certainly didn't feel "put off" in any way and my apolagies to anyone here if that came across to any of my posts. In fact, I tend to be always the joker and the least confrontational person but then again, I am aware that sometime, the tone of the message comes across properly. I re-read my posts here and could not really where I may have come across that way and curious if this was really me you wanted to intended by this comment. In any event, all Acuraziners, please know that I was not upset in any way and just enjoy spending quality time with all of you guys

weather

Colorado...Your explanation about the built tolerance is very valid and you bring up a good point. I am certainly not an expert and just giving a "could this be" scenario as I have read a wide range from people saying its really quiet and those finding the RDX prone to wind noise. It could just be a personal thing.

As far as your RDX, White Diamond Peral tech....I see we share the same passion as mine is that combo too. In Canada, we have the option of beige or black for interior so I chose mine in back. Given the choice between both colors (if available), which one would you have chosen.

PS...Also, with reference to the post I replied earlier...English is my second language (French is my primary language) so I am curious if maybe my language barrier may have cause this perception that I was "put off" (lol)

In any event, I agree that this forum is loaded with great people with great advices. I learned alot from amazing folks and now trying to given back to the forum as others gave to me.

bh9712

I've had my 2013 RDX since April 2, and there have been a handful of times where I have noticed "wind noise" - a couple where I was in a 40+ mph cross wind. But there have a few times where I really thought I was hearing wind noise only to look over and see I was being passed (usually by an SUV or pick-up) and as soon as the car passed, the noise went away. So I'm assuming the sounds was either coming from the other car, or the other car was buffeting the air causing it to hit my car in a way the wind tunnel wouldn't predict...

Has anyone else noticed this?

Just a thought, and I just wanted to add how much I'm enjoying the board and everyone's attitudes.

Colorado Guy AF Ret.

To weather....thanks for the notes. Anytime I have owned a white car/SUV I have had the parchment or tan leather interior. I keep the leather cleaned and conditioned and it stays looking nice. For me personally I just don't like sitting in a "dungeon." Too dark and dreary for me. Honda and Acura does a nice job with their mixing of colors on the parchment interiors. There usually is some black and silver accents. Carpets are black, usually.

To bh9712.....I just can't imagine any vehicle being "quiet" inside in a 40 mph crosswind!! I personally think we are going off the deep end here. There comes a point, depending on wind speed and direction, you are going to have wind noise inside your vehicle. I would expect it in a much more expensive vehicle than the RDX.
You bring up all the "other than normal" situations...and expect the vehicle to keep displaying the same "temperment." Hope that makes sense.

My house is pretty well insolated and I normally don't hear much what's goind on outside when the doors and windows are closed, BUT, when the wind picks up, or the crazy neighbors jack up their party music....I will hear it. Nothing is absolute in this world. Well, other than we won't live forever, and I'll go to jail for not paying my taxes! I'm sure you all can come up with a few more.

I did a short "drag race" with an Audi 2.0 turbo. I thought I could take him.....hmmmm, I wasn't able to. My 3.5 V6 naturally aspirated vs a 2.0 4 cyl turbo that pulls hard!! I used my paddle shifters and I had him for awhile, but, when his turbo started spinning faster he pulled away. Damn Audis!! LOL!!

dcwolverine

I moved from an 06 325i to an 2013 awd w/tech. My 325i handled better and I liked the tighter steering. But in the 325i, I loved feeling connected to the road, but I could feel every pothole and imperfection in the road. The RDX is much more comfortable I don't feel as connected with the road in the RDX, but the rdx is noticeably quicker in straight line accelerate and passing....and the 325i was no slouch. I picked the RDX because I needed something bigger than the 325i. I wanted something with as much or more power than the bimmer and I wanted AWD for driving in bad weather with kids. I literally looked at and considered every luxury cuv (q5, x3, q5, xc60, evoque, rx 350 etc). We picked the Acura because we genuinely liked it as much as the rest and we've had good luck with Hondas in the past.

I've put about 1000 miles on my RDX and I have no regrets about picking it over other cuvs. I do occasionally miss driving the BMW, but I don't miss the maintenance issues (and costs) that seemed to plague it every few months.

dcwolverine

I moved from an 06 325i to an 2013 awd w/tech. My 325i handled better and I liked the tighter steering. In the 325i, I loved feeling connected to the road, but I could feel every pothole and imperfection in the road. The RDX is much more comfortable. Though I don't feel as connected with the road in the RDX, the rdx is noticeably quicker in straight line accelerate and passing....and the 325i was no slouch. I picked the RDX because I needed something bigger than the 325i. I wanted something with as much or more power than the bimmer and I wanted AWD for driving in bad weather with kids. I literally looked at and considered every luxury cuv (q5, x3, q5, xc60, evoque, rx 350 etc). We picked the Acura because we genuinely liked it as much as the rest and we've had good luck with Hondas in the past.

I've put about 1000 miles on my RDX and I have no regrets about picking it over other cuvs. I do occasionally miss driving the BMW, but I don't miss the maintenance issues (and costs) that seemed to plague it every few months.

advant123

+1 - I traded in my 2009 335xi for my RDX and have never looked back. The maintenance costs of a BMW outside of warranty are just rediculous (paid $2000 for a water pump on my 09 3335).

bh9712

What I MEANT was that I have not experienced any unusual wind noise. When there has been any real wind noise, it was because of high cross winds or it was coming from the car next to me. I was trying to explain that the wind noise others are complaining of may be coming from sources other than poor build quality.