Remorse for me! It's the last vehicle I purchase in the summer without testing one in the snow. I wanted a used RX but couldn't find one so I went with an RX, looking back the new RX wasn't a bad deal.. My RDX is awful in the snow.

 

No remorse.Love this car.Have 65,000 miles on it(2013).Gas mileage hwy is 30-32 and city is 24-28. We had a 2008 rdx before this and our present model is far superior.

 

Seems most buyer's remorse is on the AWD system and the VCM.

For the AWD, is this almost exactly like the one found in 2012 and newer CRV AWD models?

 

I don't know why and how but my RDX performed admirably in this last season of snows (nearly one foot on both occasions) and got us going every time when other cars were struggling on slopes/ by the road side and in ditches.
I'm guessing it's more of careful and sensible driving along with winter tires that'll help more in snowy conditions.
A good 4X4 system will help if you want to do serious off roading but again the RDX is not the right vehicle for that.
No regrets so far for me.

 

...overall, the RDX was never a bad vehicle and I never regretted buying it - The g/f wanted something smaller and more nimble to ride (no dirty comments here *lol*) so the ILX was more her thing.

We really disliked the lack of height adjustment (eventhough we knew about it going in) and the rear noise otherwise, it was a GREAT vehicle. I think the 2016 will be a great seller with great enhancements (minus the wheels)

 

Although many do state that the RDX AWD is the same as the CRV, RDX's engine is more powerful and therefore will behave different. Rather if it means it's an advantage then I am not sure.

 

I just can't stand the little shaking I feel when at idle in drive. They said it was minor and documented it 6 months ago. It is still doing it and find it very annoying. Another six months of this I will sell it.

 

i think mine didn't shake. what car will you be getting then?

 

The car has to "shake" for six months before he makes his decision.....

 

It should be fixed if it's still under warranty. Don't let them off the hook so easy. If it is indeed that bad. Mine doesn't shake at all at idle in gear.

 

The car has 13000 miles on it and a 14. The resale is not as good now as in 6 month or another year. Wife car and she is a bit less tolerant then I. I called yesterday and they will get the car Monday. BUT they will give me the runaround for sure. I have a rx350 and will replace the wife's rdx with another RX. I like the rdx for being very fun to drive when you aren't in stop and go traffic. I usually shift to neutral while stopped but a 38000 dollars car should not do this.

 

No remorse at all. Its value-to-dollar ratio for a luxury vehicle is insanely good.

 

Yep... AWD system is lacking though better than FWD models... Getting stuck for a seconds in front of the house in snow only 2 inches deep, I had to put in reverse then drive 2x to get it free. In my experience... Infiniti's Attesa AWD system is clearly better and even Toyota's on the Sienna is slightly better in my experience in the snow. all vehicles using similar quality tires with good tread life left. It wasn't a tire issue.

VCM.. one day when Honda gets it's right I might be back.. but not in the current forms... Vibration Cylinder management. Be lucky you aren't one of the ones that gets the VCM motors that fouls out your plugs and burns out your ignition coils...

 

I ruled out Acura being a luxury brand when my windshield washer fluid ran out without a warning because there is no sensor. Or when I shut the car off with the wipers on and they stay where they are rather than park.

Luxury cars would have these features. My old 96 Jeep GC had them, so did my old 88 BMW 325. The RDX is missing some of the key details that separate a basic car from luxury car.

Acura's are just overpriced Honda's.

 

I got windshield washer fluid warning with my 07 TSX. Which recent Acura doesn't have this feature?

 

I agree, esp in case with the RDX. You know something is wrong when a Ford Escape has more optional tech features than a new Acura RDX, LOL! Heck, even the Accord has more optional tech features... Hello Acura? At least for mid fresh RDX they are adding something that should have been in the 2013. If Honda offered the CRV with the V6 there would be no need for the RDX. Same platform and size. Too many cheap hard plastics in the RDX interior, the middle to bottom of the door panels is cheap plastic. Even infiniti which people criticize for not being luxury either, interiors are nicer than the RDX.

And.. NO REAR Air conditioner Vents for the backseat passengers.. in a luxury branded SUV? Really Acura? LOL! There wasn't in my old 2013.

 

I'm not sure I agree. You could've argued that with most of the pre-2016 Acura models (excluding the MDX). But the new ILX, TLX and RDX do a very good job of separating themselves from their Honda equivalents. To say that "Acura's are just overpriced Honda's" ignores the value the brand is providing in its vehicles - especially relative to the rest of the luxury segment. IMO, it's more accurate to characterize Acura as a "premium Honda" or "near-luxury brand".

 

Fortunately, they've seem to have addressed that for 2016.

There is no such thing as a free lunch. Yes, the Infiniti interior on the QX50 is nicer, but there's also significantly less interior space and it gets far worse mileage.

IMO, a valid criticism, yet that didn't stop Acura from selling more than 44,000 RDXs in 2014. (More than the Audi Q5, BMW X3 and Mercedes GLK.) Apparently, they're doing something right.

 

Well said. No matter how good the CRV is, the RDX still has its place and rightfully so. I believe in future they will have even more differentiation between the brands as automakers seem to realize that the premium brands bring them more recognition and profit than their workhorse brands.

 

It's interesting reading thru this thread, and seeing what some folks see either as unacceptable shortfalls or lack of luxury features. Between my wife and myself, we're now on our 7th Acura, as well as having owned a half dozen Hondas including our kids. The funny thing is that we don't really see Acura as a "luxury" brand, but rather a slightly more refined version of a Honda offering with a more attentive dealer network, bulletproof reliability, and much more sportiness than the Honda equivalent. Never has the Acura line really been on-par with Lexus, Infinity or other brands when it comes to "luxury" features. Acura was always targeted as upscale Honda if you carefully look at their line.

The 1st gen Integras and Legends weren't luxury, but were offering different features than their Honda counterparts - and were bringing Japanese and European variants to the US. The 2nd gen Legend was the first attempt at more luxury - but having leased a 93 Legend for 3 years, I can tell you it was more about the sportiness and creature-features than it was "luxury". And when the Legend got replaced with the 1st Gen RL, it was Acura's attempt to go upscale, and frankly it didn't get embraced by owners to the level the Legend ever did. And that bears out if you look at the 2nd gen RL, which went smaller, sportier and SH-AWD.

For me, Acura's bread-and-butter has always been the TL (which is surprisingly similar to that 2nd gen Legend). Sporty with a bit of luxury. But nowhere near as "luxurious" as their Infiniti and Lexus counterparts - it was a different target market. The MDX (1st gen especially, and largely the 2nd gen) were really just fancier Pilots - and if you researched you could tell that since stuff like the widespread wood accents and chrome everywhere wasn't in the MDX - but the better AWD system was - which really kicked up the performance dimension. The RDX overall is similar - take the CR-V and add some sportier stuff to it. The 1st gen tried the turbo, and the 2nd gen says give a v6 and a bit more size to the always-popular CR-V.

Of course, all the new Acuras have signature-type stuff (Jewel-Eye lights) and tech features that all the makers are doing. But none of them are "luxury" like the other upscale brands - they focus on the performance dimension.

IMHO - Acura is not a luxury brand. Never has been, and likely never will. But for what it does - at least for me - it does it well.

andy

 

Acura's are premium Hondas, but not overpriced. If you take the equivalent Honda and option it up to be like the Acura, the Acura actually appears quite the bargain for the money. Which is precisely the ultra-competitive market segment that Acura thrives in.

If an Acura design comes off as being a little too value oriented (such as the pre-2016 ILX), it gets panned for not being differentiated from the Honda (the Civic). If the price separation between an Acura (such as the RLX) and the equivalent Honda (the Accord) is too high, then the Acura is panned for not having the prestige and content to justify the price.

The popularity of the RDX shows that there is a large market for a compact V6 CR-V, something that is not offered by Honda. In this case, Acura's market research has hit a home run.

At the end of the day, both Acura's and Honda's are meant for the same working middle-class customer (if you could "afford" the Honda, you could probably afford the Acura, as well).

 

Acura is a luxury brand but not as high on the list as a Lexus, Mercedes, or Audi.

Acura is probably in the neighborhood of Buick. Lincoln is more Luxury but is also lower on the Luxury list because it has a bit of a niche following (Car service vehicles and mostly American buyers over the age of 50). Acura is probably also hurt by only being a North American brand where Lexus is world wide.

If looking at the mass production Luxury market you have (in no particular order):
- Lexus
- BMW
- Mercedes
- Audi
- Infiniti
- Acura
- Volvo
- Cadillac
- Lincoln
- Buick
- Jaguar / Land Rover
- Porsche (I really don't consider them in this segment as they are a refined / sportier version of Audi)
- Maserati / Alfa Romeo (FCA needs to determine how to handle these brands in their lineup with Dodge and Chrysler)

 

+1

While there were a few features on my wish list that weren’t available on the RDX, I would hardly consider it to be an “overpriced Honda.” The RDX offers a significantly better ride and better interior materials than the CR-X on which it is based. And to find a vehicle which includes all the bells and whistles that have been mentioned here (and elsewhere) would cost thousands more.

“Luxury” obviously means different things to different people. That said, I’ve always thought of Acura as a “near-luxury” brand - their models being a step up from their Honda cousins. As the owner of an older TL as well as the RDX, I think it hits that target quite nicely.

 

My wife and I were 99% there on a 2015 Acura RDX, We liked the ride, fit and finish, power, room and handling. What killed the deal for us was the lack of height adjustment for the passenger seat. We travel a lot and felt this was a oversight, something we could not live without. As for the price, We felt it very fair and the Std. V6 instead of a turbo (4) was a huge bonus. Still looking...........
Sumoto

 

For the price no remorse at all.

 

If you are still looking for a car, but liked the RDX, the solution is simple. Just wait for a couple months and test ride the new 2016 RDX. You indicated that the main problem as passenger seat height adjustment which apparently has been addressed in the refresh.

 

What car under $40k has passenger height adjustment?

 

VW cars.

 

Ford Escape Titanium

 

I agree....hopefully the 2016 will have cured all the deficiencies that have affected our overall ownership satisfaction of the 2014 RDX AWD. I am not holding my breath tho.

Our experience with the RDX has been well, so..so. The overall effectiveness or the lack thereof of the slip and grip AWD system (an opinion which is based on many hours of severe white out HWY driving conditions with new snow tires) its a major detractor for us. Yes, the RDX is fine for around town, but fails when it comes to matching any of the other vehicle in its class.

Yes, we were seduced by the price. Which of course as everyone knows is well below the so called competitors, like the X3, Q5, GLK, NX etc. So its pretty much our fault going in. I cheaped out. I admit it, so my bad. But then again so did Acura, and in many areas such as;

1. The lack of even a manual STD passenger height adjustment.
2. The lack of a good AWD system, equal to the others in its class.
3. The lack of a decent front/rear shock system that in winter sounds like lumber truck, for which there is no cure yet. its getting annoying after about 6 months of winter here! when warms its ok, but cold, sucks the big one!
4. The lack of any rear ventilation or heating vents or control.
5. The puny tow rating was a surprise. My bad for not checking, never assume I guess.
6. The lack of any common sense from Acura care. Makes it a useless service when you are 300 kms from the nearest dealer. In our little problems with the car, we have found Acura of Canada to be so rigid and unhelpful that they made us drive a total of 600 kms back to a dealer in winter to replace a 50 cent driver handle cable clip and wouldn't let the local Honda dealer do it! And that's after many calls for help etc.
7. The tech in the car is so far behind my 2014 accord V6 that's its staggering! That appears to be fixed in the 2016. we'll see.

So..do I have remorse for buying the RDX? Well....we had planned to go down to one vehicle with the RDX being that vehicle. Now, I really don't think that will happen. Unless of course all of the above have been corrected in the 2016 model which really doubt.



I find it incredible that Acura dropped the ball on this "just right sized" vehicle! It would have been so easy to make it a complete stand out star. A true winner against all the others. Ah well......lets see what the 2016 brings, but for me the modified CRV slip and grip system in the 2016 is a deal breaker. So sad to say yes, I have remorse, YMMV.


Cheers

 

Asking this question means you don't know much about other brands. Too many to list.

 

Yes, I'm aware of this although it's my understanding only 2016 RDX's with the Tech package will have this feature, a bit pricey to gain one adjustment. I'm not interested in the rest of Tech package features, on top of this, I don't care for the styling changes to the 2016.
Sumoto

 

That may be so, in that I'm primarily thinking about the 1st and 2nd tier brands (like Toyota/Lexus and Honda/Acura). Have to admit that 3rd and 4th tier nameplates, such as VW and Ford, have not been in my crosshairs.

I have to admit that it does suck when off-brands include features that the quality brands don't (such as Hyundai having way more features for the same price).

I recall that my 1999.5 VW Jetta GLS VR6 had a passenger height adjustment (but the rest of the car was a complete piece of crap). As does my TL, but the MSRP of the TL is over $40k.

 

to add to the list

Legacy/Outback 3.6R

Legacy/Outback 2.5i limited

personally I would choose the Subaru outback 3.6R with navigation and eyesight over the RDX 3K cheaper and more features...got to give up 17 hp but imho it's worth it.

 

This is my 2nd (2008) RDX w/Tech package. The 1st one was totaled in an accident. The RDX did its job that night and I walked away with minor injuries. The police and the EMTs said I was damn lucky - if I had been driving another car I'd be dead.

I'm looking at a 2015 RDX AWD w/Tech as a replacement for my current 2008 RDX. No regrets.

 

I've driven the 2015 O/B 3.6R, decent vehicle although the CVT transmission wasn't acceptable. I also drove a 2014 3.6R w/ the 5 speed auto and it drove much better IMO.
Sumoto

 

I like mtc46jwʻs assessment to what would have been nice in the refreshed 2013-15 RDX models. Do I regret buying my 2013 RDX? And my answer would be NO. Iʻm happy with my purchase and enjoy driving it. I bought it for itʻs sportiness and I liked the feel of it when I test drove it. I drove many of the competing models and brands and they really didnʻt give me that "joy to drive" feeling.

I donʻt really know what itʻs like to drive it in snow, but we do have sand and my RDX handles it very well. I donʻt go in the really deep and soft sand, but she hasnʻt slipped when driving through about 6 inches of it.

I also have a really steep and slippery parking ramp at my apartment, and Iʻve not had problems there either. While, I always see other cars/trucks having trouble trying to go up and down the ramp.

Iʻm happy with my purchase and I keep my vehicles for a very long time (10+ years), so my advice on purchasing an RDX or any vehicle is to try them out. Buy what makes you happy and always factor in how long you plan to keep it. I hope this helps anyone in purchasing an RDX or not.

 

In some ways, buying a car is sort of like buying a PC (or any type of electronics gear). When they first come out some of the bugs get worked out. But after they've been out for a while and they start getting more reliable and understood, some new redesign comes out with new bells and whistles that you wish you had. But since you just got that new phone or PC, you can't justify the cost (or breaking the 2-yr agreement), so keep longing for what you don't have.

To me, that's what it's always like with cars, especially with Hondas and their typical 3-6 year refresh cycles. To me, I'd rather get something near the end of it's run and know the kinks are worked out vs being an early adopter and being part of an extended beta test to see if the new stuff fully works or not. (And, yes, I've been in the computer industry for over 35 years and can draw correlations like this for hours. ).

so for me, getting a '15 RDX was actually more of a conscious decision, much in the same way that my wife is deciding to keep her '12 TL SH-AWD Tech after the lease-end since she's still not 100 percent behind the new design of the TLX.....

andy

 

We are on trip number two to the dealer for a severe drivetrain vibration that developed at 457 miles. We have 2100 miles on the car now and 33 months left on our lease. Thank goodness we leased!!

IMHO if the vcm was removed, they added sh-awd to the vehicle then you would have something worthwhile. I cannot recommend an RDX to anyone at this point.

 

No remorse at all. '13 AWD Tech. model and have loved it. Live in Colorado....I should know about the AWD and "getting around" in the snow and ice! Perfection. Always felt connected to the road..with sane driving of course!....and only worried about "the other idiots" who don't know how to drive in snow and ice.


'16 AWD Advance ordered and on the way!!