Just curious if the RDX will change any as they put out the 2014, 2015, etc .... before the next generation. Do you think the paddle shifters will stay? Wonder how often they are even used? I'd like to see standard Xenon headlights. Rear vents would be nice too. If I knew if they'd ever standardize to Xenon - I might wait a year of 2 to trade in my Honda Crosstour. If not, I'm ready tomorrow. Not interested in the NAV enough to upgrade to that . . . yet.

 

Acura is rumored to be considering switching to a ZF-supplied 9-speed automatic in future models starting in 2014. (The same transmission that Chrysler is adopting for several FWD and FWD-based AWD models.) Nothing is confirmed, and the rumors conflict with reports that Acura has it's own "Earth Dreams" 7-speed dual clutch and CVT gearboxes under development. A ZF unit would improve both fuel economy and performance, but would no doubt come at a higher price than a Honda transmission.

 

To some extent the degree of mid-life change is affected by sales success, competition, and any problem areas that need to be refined. Also could be influenced by how much Honda wants to tweak pricing to accomodate more standard features or options. Change always occurs. Most common is cosmetics. My guess is that best chance of anything of interest will most likely be seen in year 3 of 5 year production life, but all this is more my speculation than any factual insight.

 

TLT...With all due respect, the RX is a full model change that just got introduced. I don't think you should be worrying about holding out until the MMC comes along if you want to get the RDX. This is a great vehicle and with respect to the comment about standard HID....anything Honda/Acura supplies as standard feature will be buried in the cost of teh vehicle. For example, in Canada, HID, fog light, splash guards and AWD are standard but trust me, its being reflect in the price we pay.

You can play the waiting game but you will find that when the MMC comes along, then you will be wondering if its worth waiting for the FMC which would then be within a couple of years....then when that FMC comes along, then you'll be wondering if the MMC will bring something worth waiting for....see where this is going *lol* Cars will always get better with time, its part of their scheme to keep us buying over and over again.

 

HUGE changes in 2013/14 and 15...keep your crosstour until 2016 just to be safe...

 

When Acura does a MMC, it usually involves minor refresh in body work, 1 or 2 exterior color tweaks, tech updates (adding hard-drives, improved navi, text option, internet radio, etc...) and minor to major upgrades to power train (power bump or 5AT to 6AT). I prefer to purchase an Acura after the MMC because the vehicle has 2-3 years to address any technical issues and there is some extra tech tossed in. I didn’t do this for my 08 RDX because I wanted a certain color combo that was only offered on the 07-08 model years.

I expect the 2014 will only see real minor updates and most of the changes will be unseen and come from the correction of technical issues from service bulletins.

I think Acura will save the new transmissions (7DCT and 9AT) for the MDX/TL sh-awd/RL for now. I'm still expecting there will be a RDX advance model by 2015 with only minor updates in styling and tech. I don't see a sh-awd model for the RDX.

 

We can always "expect" changes, but, whether they will be the ones we want is another thing. Of course, many of us want different kinds of changes. And, we all won't get our way.

There will always be "something" changed...if for no other reason, to help distinguish between the '13 model and the '14 model. But, this is a first year SUV and IF there are some common issues happening, they will most likely make adjustments. I've known Honda to make positive changes, but, some weren't known, since it was done inside the computer. Re-mapping.

Physically...externally...internally I doubt if we see much of anything with the '14 model. I don't know the 1st Gen. RDX that well, but, I don't believe they made too many changes in it's entire run.

 

I think whatever new tech and Acura family styling clues show up on the new MDX will trickle into the mid cycle change of the RDX.

LED tail lights, auto wipers (seriously what's the deal?) power something or others, etc... Oh wait, that's today's Kia/Hyundai...

And let's hope there's demand for a sport RDX (type S?) as opposed to a boring hybrid version. But we know that won't happen...

 

I know, as much as I love the Acura brand, the dealership I deal with, its always sad when I look at the stuff in the Kia/Hyundai and say, OMG, and my RDX or TL does not have this?! For example, the Kia Rio has a heated steering wheel, even power folding mirrors available. The Kia Optima I think has rear heated seats.

I know that some technology is just gimmicks and I am not saying I want it all in the Acura, but I still think Acura could give a bit more than they currently do. If Kia can do it, and for so cheap, I am sure Acura could do it without driving the price too high.

Bottom line, I would never trade my Acura for a Kia/Hyundai....but instead, supplement my Acura's with a Hyundai (The Accent) *lol*

 

I would love to see heated/cooled 6-way adjustable front seats. Heated rear seats and climate control vents/fan become standard or even an option on all MDX/RDX down the road. It was 7 degrees when I left the hotel to take the son skiing at Wolf Creek, CO, in Jan. It was +100 in Las Vegas, NV, several weeks ago (it going to hit 99-100 degrees in ABQ today). Poor kid is getting tortured in the back seat sometimes.

It would be nice to have adjustable pedals. My wife being 4'11", she sits just inches away from the steering wheel. I'm afraid an air bag deployment would cause more damage than help.

I would like to see more comfort and saftey and then tech.

 

I can concur with some of the extras that folks here are wanting on the RDX.....but, the more "stuff" the higher the cost. Then you're in MDX territory, and why not buy an MDX?? The point is to have vehicles at different price levels. You can't have a fully loaded RDX for the price it is now. For what it is...at it's price category...it's a well made, quality SUV.

When I'm fully retired and ready to travel the country, the plan is now, to buy a fully loaded MDX.

For now, I'm satisfied with the kind of SUV the RDX is and for what it cost.

 

I'd love to pay more for a panoramic moonroof, that actually upset me the most when I saw the new RDX came out, but then I realized all Japanese luxury brands cars don't have panoramic moonroofs.

I also think the RDXes should be equipped with at least 19" wheels with options to purchase 20"s to make it look more sporty.

 

I totally agree. I've thought about a ton of stuff that'd be nice - like the large moonroof or SH-AWD being available on a sport type trim. But once the price hits MDX territory it's not really in Acura's interest to pit their vehicles against each other.

 

good thread...I have a 2006 MDX and probably going to buy the RDX next (less cost/better MPG and I don't need the 3rd row)....I test rode the 2013 and really like it, but don't like that it does not have the "blind spot sensors" (most new cars have this), no air vents in back (not a huge deal to me based on size of vehicle), and a few other things people are bringing up....I am surprised these aren't at least options.
Anyway, I am thinking about waiting for hte 2014 to see if they add some of this stuff....does that normally happen? and when will the 2014 probably come out?

any thoughts?

 

Expect Rear AC vents in the MMC.

 

Any news or possible upgrades to the 2014 RDX will be around the Fall/2013. Acura does a pretty good job of keeping silent about new models until it is posted on Acura.com website. I would lean toward the changes being minor for 2014 since an all new RLX and MDX will roll out in 2013.

My guess will be to make real minor changes to the 2014 RDX and see if it still has strong sales. It seems to be Acura's MO to wait until the 3rd or 4th model year to up the ante in response to sales, style and new tech from other manufacturers (updated tech, refreshed styling, change in colors, maybe more safety, advance or sporty or hybrid awd model).

The good thing about waiting for the 2014 to roll out is it will drop the prices on the 2013 models (especially if they are not significant changes between the model years).

 

I really wish the RDX had a panaromic moonroof. I almost went with a X3 just for one.

Also folding sideview mirrors would be helpful on squeezing into my garage!

 

I feel you. I was in the exact same situation. Panoramic roof was one of the top luxury options I wanted in my next car. I drive with the roof open all the time. And I mean all the time, even if it's cold outside with the heater/heated seats on. Seriously considered the X3, Q5, and even Cadillac SRX because these specific cars had Pano roof options.

Even the Cadillac SRX has a Pano roof on ALL its different models (Luxury, Performance, Premium) except for the lowly base model.

But eventually the RDX's resale/reliability, power to mpg ratio, and overall value won out. But I still yearn for a Pano roof everytime I open the sunroof on my car.

Maybe on my next ride...

 

I love my 2013 RDX awd with tech, but the only changes I see coming are rear AC vents and maybe LED tail lights. Even if that was to happen, thats not enough for me to have wanted a 2014 model

LED tail lights could probably be swapped, and rear AC vents is not a big issue, once the car is warmed up or cooled down. If anything, a remote starter will help before entry to the vehicle to warm/cool

 

rear events would be nice, still cant believe they left them out. Rear LED tails would be great too, but I doubt it would be plug and play...these usually require different harnesses when going from incandescent to LED. Ultimately, I doubt we'll see much if anything. The car is selling well, and hit it's price point that resonates with taget demographics. Honda is conservative.

 

Tha panoramic moonroof is not safe at all.

 

Plus it adds weight to the top of the car, detrimentally raising the center of gravity.

 

We came from the XC60, which has a much larger moonroof. Can't say I miss it at all. The only 'person' in the back seat is the Scottie-girl and she would rather have her head out the side window.

Of course, if I need serious headroom, I'll take out the Volvo C70. As my darling says, "Life's too short NOT to have a convertible!".

 

Blah, blah, blah... It if it wasn't safe, why is it offered on most cars in this class and found on many other cars/brands as well? Are you kidding me? There's a panoramic roof option on basically every Mercedes Benz offered.

Maybe it's an age thing... Older folks (no offense) probably have different priorities than others. I recently drove my friend's Pano roofed GLK to the club and loved every second of it.

 

" Maybe it's an age thing... Older folks (no offense) probably have different priorities than others. I recently drove my friend's Pano roofed GLK to the club and loved every second of it "

Tell 'em brother Al, just had a similar convo. w/ a 20something salesman while taking delivery of my '13 RDX w/ tech.

He had some 2+ years prior @ a BMW store here, hadn't even noticed the lack of pano's available on Asian imports.

Don't know which I would rather have, adaptive HIDs, LED driving/tail lights or a pano roof. Hmmm....... choices, I would pay more for any of the three above, am I the only one here?

 

of those three, id pay for the pano roof. adaptive headlights are over rated. had them in three previous cars. the rdx HIDs are quite good

 

My experience with the 2007 TL suggests otherwise. The 2007 TL still had the cassette player in the stack, and everyone who ridiculed that fact on this forum was told it was simply because Acura don't change tech elements within a model line. I would have killed for a USB interface

btw, why did Acura go with a 'hard drive' solution this time around - requiring you to load individual CDs (!) through the CD player to transfer the music ... that seems utterly backwards in this day and age.

 

It's for the buyers that still have CDs. If Acura were smarter they would allow us to load anything on the HDD like pictures, movies, and mp3s.

 

Acura/Honda still tries to keep up with the techno junkies. Pretty much everything that was high tech with my 06 TSX is standard on current Accords 6 years later. Getting Navi for my TSX was cutting edge because high tech in 06 was a Razr flip phone or a slow clunky Blackberry with slower than 14Kbs dial-up internet. I imagine the upgrade in the tech on my 06 TSX was planned with the available technology in 2003 - 2005. The OEM tech has to reliable for 5-10 years afterwards. Can you imagine still using your laptop, Garmin, or cell phone from 10 years ago; but, I will still be using my 06 TSX Navi/entertainment systems well past that mark.

Any smart phone can run circles around any entertainment/tech installed in a vehicle today; but, smartphones are not built to last. I think Acura should build a smart phone interface and give us the option to use existing OEM tech or press the AUX button and use our smart phones and navi display for internet, apps, movies, music, navigation and games. I think MB (or BMW) have a polarized or holographic navi screen where the driver can only Navi info while the passenger can watch a movie on the same screen. I have an Apple HDMI connector for my phone and display everything on my iPhone on my TV. Provide the same type of connectors for the Navi screen or rear entertainment centers to future proof for changing technology.

 

It seems like a pretty straightforward move to allow tablets to interface with the vehicle's audio, even if you don't allow any control over climate or other vehicle management options. Definitely a good point that if a vehicle lasts 10 years it's older by that point than just about any other electronics most people have.

 

Fast forward to 7:20


Now that's pretty cool technology!

 

Slightly off-topic but I think Telsa did a great job styling that car. It looks great and it is a 5-door hatch back to boot. Honda/Acura has been designing cars for decades and they would not come up with something like this. Tesla does this on thier first sedan out of the factory. I don't think I'm going to spend $100K on a car, but maybe in 5-10 years, and with newer, better technology, an electric car might be in my driveway, especaily if it looks like this. Good job Tesla.

 

You raise some good points about the life expectancy of tech elements in a car. But I think their decision to release a car in 2013 that requires loading of media via CD (only) is pretty ill-conceived!

With the rate of change of this specific technology (GPS, audio, tablet, phone integration, etc), I think the car manufacturers need to move towards a generic interface in the dash - a 'monitor' perhaps, that allows '3rd party devices' to display their info. Having said that, though - this introduces huge liability issues if people (drivers) start watching movies/etc, and would also introduce 'support' issues when things don't work due to compatibility issues - so it's a very tough situation to be in. I'm leaning towards mounting a smaller tablet in the dash and using it for GPS, audio, phone integration, etc ... but then you have cable issues, and a host of other challenges.

Ironically, I think maybe the right answer is to get back to where we were a decade ago - design the dash with standard 'slots' (eg, double-din, etc) allowing the owner to install whatever they want in a reasonably 'integrated' manner.

 

Here a link to the dual view front seat sreen from MB:

http://www.benzinsider.com/2008/12/m...en-technology/

Use these screen and provide a HDMI type interface from your smartphone or tablet. Just add an extra HDMI type interface for the OEM MDX rear entertainment system and you are light years ahead of any OEM system offered on the planet. I would pay some extra $$$ if this was standard or optional for Acura vehicles.

 

I wish this were more true about Acura/Honda.
My wishes are:
1) Add HD Radio; very easy to do
2) more APP compatibility, not just Pandora
3) APPS to be compatible with mora smartphones; not just iPhones
4) two USB ports would be nice. I would always keep a USB drive connected and be able to connect smartphone when I wanted.
5) i agree with everyone, HDD should be much more feature-rich
6) Ability to add features/capabilities by updating software of the in-car systems; I dont want to buy an entire new car when a great new feature becomes available.
7) Ability to make NAVI transactions while car moving, but lock out this feature if nobody sitting in passenger seat. Passenger sensor already exists.

 

Haha Right on. Exactly. A fellow NO MA'AM er.

I also really wished athe RDX had LED tails/DRL's like most of competition. It would def be my number 2 wish. Especially since they offer it on the Honda Accord. WTF? Seriously Acura?

Pretty women make us BUY beer. Ugly women make us DRINK Beer! -Al Bundy

 

Led tail-lights, really? Good luck when those LED Tail lights go out when the car is out of warranty, the normal lights far cheaper to replace. I could care less about LED tail lights.