thephantom

I should have asked this before I purchased the RDX, but how is the RDX AWD? I had a RL prior to this and the SH-AWD was awesome. The technology allocates up to 70% of the power to the rear wheels, and up to 100% of the 70% can be transferred to one rear wheel.

The RDX has a 50/50 distribution and I am wondering if it's enough to get around.

yobbo

I have only done 1 test drive in the snow and it was Ok. Not as good as the '05 Outback I had previously, but if like me the majority of your running will be plowed/unplowed urban street and runs to the ski hills with similarly plowed/unplowed country roads then it will be more than adequate. You would only need more if steep muddy/icy hills are part of your driving.

My biggest concern was the horrible slippage in the front wheels you get on AWD on demand systems before the rear wheels hook up. Although there, it is not too bad (remember the 1st series CRV as being terrible for this).

After all this I still bought one - even in Canada - AWD is only really needed a couple of weeks a year whilst I enjoy the fuel savings of a simpler system all year long.

thephantom

Thanks, Yobbo! My concern is the city I live in had the highest amount of snow fall last year in the US and I have a newborn arriving in January. My RL with SH-AWD handled the snow last year like it was nothing, but I know the RDX has a 50/50, and wasn't sure how it's going to perform in the snow.

Has no one else here driven their RDX in the snow last year?? I would love to hear additional experiences.

CharlieZ

This is a great question. I've looked on youtube and not too much there. I have a cabin in California Sierras and need a AWD at times. Hopefully my new RDX will work out okay.

Sculldog3

Worcester?

BLEXV6

I expect with a good set of snows you will be good to go. I have not had a winter yet with mine. My TL SH-AWD was great.

mwachel

I live in Alaska. Bought my 2013 in July of 2012. As of now I have almost 30,000 miles on it. Last winter I left the all seasons on it and it did alright but the tires are more for summer than winter. The car is great but I think the tires could be better for winter. I am having a set of blizzaks put on tomorrow (they made a world of difference on my wife's Pilot).

Colorado Guy AF Ret.

You, sir, and others, do not understand how the '13 RDX AWD system works. It is NOT 50/50.

Here is part of how it works from Acura.

The system is known as AWD with Intelligence Control, operating a high degree of four-wheel drive sophistication on paved, dirt, as well as in inclement conditions as rain or snow. The system can operate at all speeds when needed, but, when torque transfer to the rear wheels is not required..when cruising....drive to the rear wheels is decoupled. When accelerating from a stop, AWD with Int. Control sends power to the rear wheels while constantly communicating with Vehicle Stability Assist (VSA) and the new Motion-Adaptive Electric Power Steering (EPS) to detect any traction issues.

So, what all that means is this: The system can actively apportion power based on specific road conditions.

When starting on snow the system sends power to the rear wheels right from the start which minimizes the potential for front wheelspin.

So, in summation....the system, again, apportions what it needs to the front or back depending on input from all the systems mentioned above.

I went through a fairly rough winter last year...and the RDX was outstanding...on very icy roads too. Yes, you always have to take it easy..watch your speed, etc....but, it does great and that was on the all weather tires. I'm sure in very heavy snow conditions the Blizaks would be warranted...and I would most likely put them on.

I hope this helps. Many say just because it doesn't have the old SH-Awd system that this system in no good. I disagree.

s40 driver

I wanted AWD because I hydroplaned on the highway in my last car and I hoped that the AWD might help me out in the future. I was supposed to be moving to Seattle but instead am going to southern California lol.

GRDX

AWD will not help with hydroplaning as it is when the tires "ride up" on a layer of water due to the inability of the tires tread to evacuate the water underneath them and therefore loose contact with the surface.

Two solutions to reduce the chances of hydroplaning are to reduce speed and choose a tire that is rated high for traction in the rain.

rosen39

From the Acura web site:

All-Wheel Drive with Intelligent Control System™
In normal cruising, the system operates as an efficient FWD vehicle with 100% of engine torque being directed to the front wheels.
During moderate acceleration or when front wheel slip is detected in dry conditions, 25% of engine torque is transferred to the rear wheels.
On a wet or slippery surface, wheel slippage will cause a reduction in engine output to the front wheels possibly to a point where torque is distributed 50/50 between the front and rear wheels.
Systemic efficiencies allow the AWD system to have a combined EPA fuel economy rating of only one mile per gallon below the front-wheel drive model.

CharlieZ

Actually, after reading all of this I am feeling much better about the AWD system.

Colorado Guy AF Ret.

Actually..."thephantom" made a statement that the system was a 50/50 system...as I understand the way he wrote it. I answered him straight from Acura language and mine to clarify.

Seems to me you as much said the same thing only differently. Not sure why. But, in any case...I'm sure "at some point" within the drive force vectoring"...there would be a point of 50/50 distribution. But, the main point is this...it is NOT a 50/50 drive split designed system.

It is as I described in the earlier post. Those are Acura's design team's words.

Colorado Guy AF Ret.

No system will counter hydroplaning. You must have tire to roadway contact to have grip so the designed system can function. Answer to the water and hydroplaning issue..slow down! Yes, some tires disperse water from the tire treads better than others.....but, there comes a point when no tire can overcome..."swimming" on the roadway! LOL!!

ceb

The ONLY thing connecting ANY car to the roadway is the tires. AWD won't help steer or stop if those tires have no grip. Equally, the best AWD system won't help if there is a layer of water between your tires and the roadway.

Here a few videos you'll want to watch

Summer, all season and winter tires

All season vs Winter

While this one is about FWDthe theory is still the same as AWD will not help you steer or stop. It will only help you get more traction on startup.

backwoody

Several posters mention that winter tires will help a lot. I agree. I do a lot of winter driving in the mountains of Idaho, and have no problems with RDX AWD using winter tires. I have a set of 65 profile Blizzaks, because I like a taller tire for higher ground clearance. Matter of fact, I'd buy a 70 or 75 profile tire if a good winter viersion was available.

You should have no problems with the RDX; in doubt, buy a set of winter tires.

ViperZ

It's just started snowing here in Saskatchewan with -16C temps and polished ice roads. I have not yet put on winter tires and have been running the OEM Michelins... So far its seems to handle the ice roads very well. The traction control only cuts in if I tromp on it, otherwise it's pretty sure footed grip.

I also own a Nissan X-Trail with Nokian Hakkapelliitas R Ice tires, So far the RDX seem almost as good with 4 season tires. However would be much better I suspect with ice tires.

I do notice slush ice tends to build up between the door jams up front, where the front tire packs it in. So a person should be sure to wash that out cleanly each time when at the car wash. I have the running boards, and I'm not sure if it adds or minimizes it.

thephantom

Ding, Ding, Ding... Are you familiar with the area?

thephantom

I didn't mean a 50/50 symmetrical AWD like in a Subaru; like my mentioning of the RL's 30/70, it's what it's capable of when needed. However, the RL delivers 20% more power to the rear and up to 100% of the 70% to one single wheel (if needed) helped me get through a lot of snowy conditions without any issues. I hope the 20% less distribution in the RDX will suffice.

s40 driver

Thanks for all of the feedback. People are often so helpful on AZ compared to some other message boards (The Wrangler Forum comes to mind ).

Dimcorner

In the review they TRASHED the RDX in a mud and rain course and commented that after a bunch of car reviewers ran the course in the RDX, it came out with no squeaks or rattles. The engine bay was filthy BTW.

thephantom

Thanks, Dimcorner!!

thephantom

Here's what I found:

Sculldog3

Boston area

hand-filer

It handles snow and ice just fine. More importantly it heats up quickly and keeps you nice and warm when the temperature dips below -20F.

CharlieZ

Well, after driving my 2014 for a month, I really like the way RDX drives, that may be it's best quality. I don't want to have think too much about it headed down the road. Being an ex military pilot, that's all behind me!

Airtroop

Nice video 'thePhantom". This will be the first winter with my RDX up here in Canada. I have to drive 100 km to work (60 mi) every day, and I am hoping the RDX will handle well in our great white north weather. Previously drove a Subaru Forester, and it was great in the snow.

thephantom

:bump:

Anyone have any input??

cdev

We survived pretty well through a Minne-snow-ta winter. Granted, it was fairly mild and didn't snow a ton. My previous car (VW Passat) was an absolute tank in winter and only ever had trouble if the snow was pretty deep (5+ inches). That being said, I've never had trouble getting going in snow or ice, and I will...test my ability to break-out the back-end much to my wife's chagrin.

thephantom

Found a couple more... CRV videos:

stuhFAN

We just "survived" a pretty heavy blizzard here in Calgary, and our '14 AWD performed admirably. Adding some snow tires would be even better, obviously, but so far I'm pleased with the performance of the stock all-seasons. Don't drive like a butthole and you'll be fine!

thephantom

Thanks for the update!!

yobbo

Well we just got 30cm of snow so I am now in a decent position to comment. I am currently running Blizzak WS70s on Andross Spec D 18" wheels.

Well, the RDX is no Subaru Outback that I had previously (2005 with Bridgestone Revo 1s) even my wife, who is in no way mechanically minded noticed the difference. Biggest difference is the lack of LSD in the RDX, basically making it a 2WD V 3WD when things slippery.

The RDX works well enough on flat surfaces, but starts to struggle if there is a decent incline. Our driveway is somewhat steep (guess 1:10 gradient) right at the cross over and this morning with 30cm of unplowed snow the RDX took a couple of goes to get up it. Had to disengage traction control and get some momentum up to make it.

Overall it is what I expected at purchase when looking at the spec sheet. Alright for plowed roads and moderatly deep snow on the flat and probably on par with most other CUVs but not upthere with the better AWD systems.

YeuEmMaiMai

it takes 9+ inches to stop my CL Type S.... I am hoping the RDX does better

RDXChic

iTrader: (1)

After getting some good snow fall, the RDX is a dream to drive in the snow. My driveway is 275 feet long, which is all gravel, except for a small 12 foot concrete slab at the top of the driveway. To give you a better idea of my driveway, it is narrow and only big enough for one car to get in / out at a time, has a hill drop-off on one side (people have hit our house in the winter by sliding off the driveway), and has a gradual hill towards the road. ( I don't have any current photos of my driveway uploaded but will get some later for a better visual. )

I currently have 2"+ of solid ice in my driveway. I am running the OEM All Season tires on my RDX and haven't had any issues with 7" of snow. The RDX is handling my driveway better than my old Subaru Forester did. I don't have to do a "running start"; start at the end of my driveway and go until I'm out on the road.

I wish we had more snow so I could go out driving.

Doug's RDX

There seems to be a lot of chatter about the handleing of the RDX in the snow, it's good, as good as the Subaru it replaced, but with snow tires it should be amazing. The all-season tires are not "snow tires".
I am surprised no one complained about the icing of the wiper blades!! I am replacing my 2014 blades with Trico winter Chill blades. I'll update on the comparison.

YeuEmMaiMai

yeah i only use blades that have the rubber coverings. the OEM wipers are crap in the winter months as are any of the other non winter blades... (ice just loves to stick to any exposed metal painted or not)

dgerry2

Noticed one issue which I did not last winter. Went into a slight slide on some snow at the end of our road (couple of inches of snow on the road) while going around a slight corner. This was at low speed, say 5 MPH, and with no brake or gas applied. When I did this the car made a horrible chattering noise, almost like the rear end was binding up (posi-traction kind of issue). Not sure if it was anti-lock brakes, stability control, or all-wheel drive kicking in, or a combination of it all. Anyone out there have a similar experience? This has happened a couple of times, and only when sliding in the snow.

blSwagger

If you weren't applying the gas or brakes, then it couldn't have been the AWD kicking in. If the stability control system detected the slippage, then it could have engaged your ABS.

dgerry2

Good point on the AWD. Definitely didn't have foot on the gas or brake. When the car started to slide as I went around the corner (I was turning the wheel), the chattering (best description I can come up with) began. Once I put foot on the gas and traction was regained, it went away. It was quit loud and unexpected though.