Al Bundy

I've owned my black RDX for about a year now and it's been pretty much a positive experience this being my first Acura/Honda product. However, since day one of owning the car, I've had somewhat mixed feeling about the styling of the RDX and it's bothered me ever since.

In my opinion, the car looks very good from some vantage points, but not so good from others. For example, from a distance, the car looks pretty nice from the profile (direct side view). The dimensions look very sleek from that perspective, which is probably the best looking shot of the car. (Surprisingly though, I still don't see that many 3rd gen RDX's on the road today.) However, up close standing right next to the vehicle, the car definitely looks less appealing and pretty fugly IMO.

Also, the front 3/4 angle looks pretty decent, which is something I noticed in that one RDX TV commercial that spoke about overall quality of the vehicle. The gray colored base RDX that was used (I think it's silver moon) that's in motion throughout the entire commercial, have you noticed that most to all the shots of the car in the commercial are from the side or 3/4, to emphasize the best angles of the car? Obviously that was by design.

However, I do have some gripes about the front angle of the car. Areas like the Acura shield are not that big of deal in my opinion. It's pretty muted for the most part compared to other Acuras. I just think the car needs a thicker, more aggressive front end, like you see on a Q5 for example. Front LED's like the Q5 would definitely help. As a matter of fact, if you look closely at the inside of the front headlight lenses of the RDX, you can see an indentation line that curves almost like an Audi LED would. I just wish it was an actual LED there. Shoot, don't get me started on Acura's cost-cutting. With factory 18's as the only wheel size and no LED treatment for the front and rear on a 2013 NEW MODEL "premium brand" vehicle (and not to mention all the interior cost-cutting as well). Matter of fact, even entry level cars like the Nissan Sentra, low-end Kias, etc. have LED tail lights. Are you serious Acura?

I guess the point I'm trying to make is that I still have mixed feelings about the exterior styling of the car. At certain angles, the car does have a pretty decent, premium look, as it should being a premium brand, but for other aspects, the car looks exactly the opposite. And it's at those times that I sometimes wish I had gone with another vehicle (and I know, first world problems).

And the thing is, I do like the car overall (minus a few areas). The engine is solid, reliability is top notch, interior space is very good, good mpg's for its class, etc, etc., and I probably plan to keep it for some time for many of the aforementioned reasons, but the styling of the RDX has always bothered me somewhat. But I guess it's just not enough for me to swap it for something else just yet with the other things the car has going for it.


Anyways, my fault, just my and a little rant about the car that's always been bugging me.

Rant now over...

ostrich

I think that the RDX is a very nice looking vehicle!

If I have to nitpick, I would like to see more trim pieces around the vehicle, to make it more "premium" looking. For instance, a nice chrome trim around the lower end of the body below the doors (like the RX) would make it look so much better. Also, more refined trim design around the fog lights would be nice too.

I guess that goes with most Acura vehicles - somehow they just don't use enough "premium" looking trim pieces for their exterior designs. Just look at BMW, MB, Audi and how they have clever use of their trim pieces to make their cars look expensive.... Acura needs to catch up there.

kirkland715

[QUOTE=Al Bundy;14687079]I've owned my black RDX for about a year now and it's been pretty much a positive experience this being my first Acura/Honda product. However, since day one of owning the car, I've had somewhat mixed feeling about the styling of the RDX and it's bothered me ever since.


I've had my black rdx w tech for about three weeks and i feel the same way about the exterior! i feel like if it were a few inches higher and a few inches longer it would look much better. it looks a little strange because of the overall size. I'm not suggesting it should be as long as the MDX but a few inches would help the overall styling a ton.

I have also been doing some costco runs and the trunk space is a lot smaller than it actually looks. my infiniti sports sedan has more trunk space.

The good news is Acura has a great resale value so if you are really unhappy with it you can unload it and not kick yourself too hard. I think i'll keep mine for a year or two and see how i feel. overall i'm pretty happy but the little things like no power steering adjustment or compass are just slowly starting to bother me more and more. If i never had these things i probably wouldn't mind... or adjustable passenger seat... or auto down on all windows... or a sun visor for front and side.. or ventilated seats...or auto cruise..or a backup camera where the lines are actually functional! ok ok sorry i'm getting carried away...

davisinla

Not to turn this into a general "what would I change" thread, but I agree with this.

But turning back to styling, I think its looks are fine, but I'd pay money to get that gigantic silver mustache out of the grill.

CoachRick

[QUOTE=kirkland715;14687116]I think the RDX looks fine, if not all that interesting. After a year, I still have trouble picking ours out of a 'line up'...say a shopping center parking lot. There are certain cues I can spot, but it sure blends in more than our XC60 ever did. I'd take the XC60 exterior over the RDX in a flash...but the RDX is pleasant enough to look at (in white, the graphite/dark gray looks really sharp...not sure I've even seen a black one).

Mike_TX

I agree with the OP - the RDX is, frankly, bland-looking.

It takes some work to make the basic tennis-shoe shape look exciting, but just look what Hyundai has done with it with their Tucson's and Santa Fe's, or Mazda with their CX's. And LED tails and running lights are not a real cost issue - in fact, LED's are relatively cheap now. The cost could be baked into the overall price and not affect the MSRP by more than a few dollars. And the bling factor it would add would be worth much more.

Ditto for a discreet trim strip on the rocker panels.

I think Acura is just trying to keep the RDX humble so it doesn't cut into MDX sales. I'm not sure their strategy is the right one, though.

5 Acuras

iTrader: (1)

A friend had to have his LED taillight replaced on his Lincoln, $400 bill since you can't replace just one of the lights when they burn out.

BLEXV6

Firstly, to me I love the looks of the RDX from all angles. That said, comparing it to an Audi Q5 is not reasonable as the cost is different. If you want to pay more then go for the Audi or BMW.

I will give you one good reason the car is a little bland, because Acura got carried away with it's designs and they simply did not look good. Prime examples are the 2009 - 2011 TL. (I had one and did not like the front end at all), the ZDX is just horrible
looking, and the updated 1st gen RDX front end was also horrible looking (2010 - 2012). I have one and like it but the front end stinks. The 2007 to 2009 were better looking front ends.The 2nd gen RDX is so much better than the 1st genI cannot believe it.

Sculldog3

Pretty much all small SUVs / CUVs look remarkably similar. Dimensionally they are close on w/l/h, and with the intended packaging, there is only so much you can do. The Evoque breaks that rule, but you pay for that roofline with reduced functionality. X3, RDX, Q5, etc, all small boxes with four doors. They all have similar spoilers mounted high on the back, have the same sort of rear window treatment, etc.

Not sure if it's safety requirements, aerodynamics and drag coefficients, mileage requirements, etc., but all vehicles these days are pretty similar looking. 4 door luxury CEO express..to basic people mover, it's fairly bland out there.

That all being said, I like the look, a LITTLE more fluid and streamlined than some, and I only buy cars I like the look of. If I thought I'd dislike the look and knew I'd be looking at it daily for ten years, would've been hard to sign that paperwork!

Mark 7

I disagree. The car doesn't have to be more expensive to have a more aggressive front end. The RDX does look wimpy up front. Case in point, the Ford Edge has a very meaty front and looks very good, but with a starting price for much less money than the RDX. I frankly like the Ford Edge's styling, which is one of the major reasons why you see so many on the road today. But I do agree that the current RDX is a huge improvement over the the first generation car in terms of styling.

Type X

Wheel wells are too big IMO & from the front wheels back I love it... from the fenders forward... not so much.

I would have loved LED tailights since Acura seems to be behind the times on those, i'm hoping in the 2015/16 its a swappable option that i can rewire easily

BLEXV6

To each there own. Although I like the look of the Edge, it's a Ford, I have always been a Honda guy, and Ford had so many crappy vehicles, even with their new vehicles, seemingly much better, I just won't buy one. They completely dropped the ball for my generation. (I am 50).

Mike_TX

Individual LED's CAN be replaced, but I suspect Lincoln uses the tactic of replacing the whole assembly as a sealed unit, instead of just the emitters. That's wasteful and unnecessary.

Two points, though -

1. It's unusual for an LED to "burn out", since their service life is measured in 10's of thousands of hours.

2. $400 for an entire tail light assembly is actually pretty cheap! Have you priced repair parts lately? I've seen tail light assemblies going for twice that in some cases. I tried briefly to find the cost of a 2013 RDX tail light assembly, but didn't have time to pursue it.

In any case, the cost of an LED unit vs. a tungsten bulb unit at the manufacturer level is insignificant. Acura just committed itself to certain suppliers and processes when they redesigned the RDX and will have to change in order to go to LED's.

Dimcorner

It depends on the setup, but if the individual LED's are soldered on a PCB board then it's just a PITA to do, especially if the board itself is sealed into the assembly.

http://www.caricos.com/cars/a/audi/2...4x768/157.html

That said I would think it would be covered by warranty since LED's are supposed to last the life of the car.

hand-filer

Although it's not a stand out in a sea of CUV's it's far from being fugly.

markAZ

I think it's fine. They all look pretty much alike anyway.

seaguy

yeah, like 07 TL bothered me always ,some angles are great, some others like a knife in my heart. Acura's designers are weak in the front face design.

McMilli501

Personally, I think the first gen RDX looks better. Second gens remind of a CR-V the way the D-pillar slopes.

CharlieZ

I really like the way my 2014 RDX looks from all angles!

weather

I agree with the OP that from certain angles and distances, the RDX looks really good but once in a while, I'll view the RDX and say...OUCH that is not a flattering view.

I was testing driving a Touareg R line TDI (white) today and that was a FINE vehicle with amazing handling....64K is alot of money though!!

s40 driver

I think its as boring as a Santa Fe, MX-5, Q5 or any of the others. I still like it. It feels like a slightly larger, slower version of my 2010 TSX.

davisinla

After living with my RDX for a few months, I'm liking almost all of the styling. I think the front is the least successful in terms of styling.

The headlights and general shape are fine, but, as mentioned above, I don't like the huge mustache in the grill, and the sheets of fake black plastic grill/mesh surrounding the fog lights look real cheap to me - especially when trying to get bugs off of them .

I think the side profile, as well as the rear 3/4 view, is pretty sharp for what is essentially a station wagon.

ViperZ

After 2 days of ownership of my 2014 RDX-Tech in Diamond White, I found myself thinking to myself while walking out to it from work "Man, that's a great looking unit! Is that mine?"

LOL

When I had purchased it last Saturday, I was telling my wife I wasn't really too overly excited about it, as it was more something we needed, rather than wanted... It seems I have to recant that now as I find I I'm really excited about this rig now.. Who'd have thunk?

It looks very muscular, with out being overly pudgy like the MDX, I like it!