Hi

I going to buy but having a hard time deciding tech or no tech.

I love how quite and comfy the rdx is and the price is great except for the one option - tech package .....hid lights and cool gps.....for 4000.

How do you guys like the hid lights, gps, and other tech features. Useful or something else to break?

thanks
Al

 

My wife likes the power tailgate. I like the better audio system. There are a lot of complaints about the navigation system -- I don't use it much other than having the maps on the screen, which is sometimes handy.

I think you need the tech package to get the ability to use voice commands, which may be important to some, but I don't use them, at least not yet. In addition to the HID headlights, you also get fog lights.

Gregg

 

Probably not but (hopefully) it'll help the resale value eventually. We were planning to not get the tech pkg but my wife talked me into it. The power tailgate is definitely cool. The nav is OK, at least it works fine for us but other folks have issues with it (see some of the threads in the nav/tech forum). I think it depends on how you use the car. If you live in the car the other do-dads might be of more use but we don't drive all that much so haven't gotten that much use out of them so far.

 

Many, many threads on this, but... Stereo is great, same for HIDs, and power tailgate is occasionally handy. People beat up the nav system, but I use it a ll the time and it's fine, does the job, gets me where I asked to go. There are fancier ones out there for sure, I just need to know what exit to take. I'd say it's worth it, HID's alone for the aging RDX demographic make it hard to pass up. Figure resale will get back some of the price...

 

i wouldn't have bought it without tech. The rdx is short on bells and whistles as it is. It really depends on what your needs are though. If you are just using it as a grocery getter then the tech package may not be necessary for you. The power lift gate comes in handy more than i thought it would and the nav in my experience is nowhere near as bad as some people claim. Granted i've only had the vehicle for a few weeks and used the nav half a dozen times...
You should test drive both and play around with the features, That's really the only way you will know if you want them or not.

 

I also didn't think much about the power lift gate in back when i bought, but find it one of my favorite features now.

And yes, when i traded in my MDX, first question asked was 'does it have the Tech Pkg'?

 

I have a 2014 RDX tech, in my opinion it was not worth it. Growing up in the 70's our olds custom cruiser had a more techie tailgate ( window went up tailgate went down ) electrically. Power tailgate should be a standard on the RDX. Premium audio systems should also be a standard in this car as they are in every "entry level luxury" car. As far as navi - it's certainly not high tech. We have a 2013 lincoln MKZ, there is absolutely no comparison. The lincoln navi is so far ahead of the RDX it's actually funny. A tech package should include lane departure warning, adaptive cruise control etc. in other words current technology. The RDX "tech" is at least ten years old - as is evident in my brothers 10 year old accord with touch screen and voice commands. It is a comfortable ride however.

 

Good feedback - thanks for the input. I neglected the tailgate when your hands are full.

 

I can get a 2013 awd with tech with 12000 miles for 8k less than a 2014....any thoughts on new vs used

 

I'm glad I got the tech package and would do it again, but the GPS leaves MUCH to be desired. If that's the main thing you're looking for, you'd be better off saving $4000 and getting a Garmin.

Peruse the " Audio, Bluetooth, Electronics & Navigation" section for more info.

BTW, a lightly used RDX would probably be a good choice.

 

What sort of features are folks talking about where the nav falls short? I'm thinking a portable model needs to secured, and mounted, with power cords running around, which is a pain. As for the functions or display, don't they all give you directions? I get that not being able to change things while in motion, but we would all be better off focusing on driving when behind the wheel.

Seriously, what am I missing in other nav systems?

 

I would not have bought it without the tech package and we have no regrets. The nav system is fine, and I believe that most people who talk it down simply don't understand how to use it properly, as well as use the voice commands when necessary.

 

If the GPS is meeting your needs, great. However not being able to input info while the vehicle is moving is a major issue for some people. The voice input is horrible. It would be a lot safer to have the passenger enter info than for me to try and spell a location out loud:

https://acurazine.com/forums/2g-rdx-audio-bluetooth-electronics-navigation-405/tale-two-navs-896589/

And the way the GPS deals with “unverified areas” is ridiculous:

https://acurazine.com/forums/2g-rdx-audio-bluetooth-electronics-navigation-405/unverified-areas-what-am-i-missing-896133/

No debate necessary. As I said, if it’s working for you, fine. But it isn’t working for everyone. And it’s not just because people don’t understand how to use it:

https://acurazine.com/forums/2g-rdx-audio-bluetooth-electronics-navigation-405/how-bad-nav-895052/


Those who are going to spring for the tech package should be aware that the GPS will NOT work like the portable Garmin you might be used to.

 

I think the a major shortfall for me is lack of touch screen. To me it's so much more intuitive to enter info on the touch screen. It's very clunky putting an address in for instance. Not really different with the voice command. You have to spell out every letter and hope it picks it up. Half the time I get the screen that indicates that it didn't pick it up so it gives me a list of words that correspond to the letter it missed. So my eyes are on the screen anyway. In the other car we have the voice command recognizes entire phrases. It will simply ask what is the city? What is the address - I can say "1234 Main Street". No spelling required. It will say "pardon me can you repeat that" if it doesn't pick it up. You don't have to press the button to speak constantly. It's more of a conversation so to speak. I will say that other than that I really love everything else. I just wish I spent 36k instead of 40k. ( for the tech).

 

I decided against the tech package and have no regrets. The $4000 price tag is ridiculous; for nav, pick up a good GPS for $125 instead. Many report problems with the nav system; can't input while moving, 'unverified areas' is a downside, it's far less user-friendly than a standard Garmin dashboard unit.

I love the RDX, but without the tech package.

A question - how long do you intend to keep your current computer, laptop, tablet, smartphone? My point -- the RDX tech setup will be obsolete long before the car is.

sorry to be negative....:-)

 

Currently in the same dilemma. Not interested in the Nav and HID's (would go aftermarket), but the ELS stereo and power lift gate are the two things that have me on the fence.

 

Wife and I got the tech and the power lift gate is awesome. We never had one and she was hesitant but now she uses it ALL the time. Also the stereo is very nice and the HID's are good as well. Nav is actually useful to us every now and then to glance at (to see if we can bypass traffic) but we rarely use it for actual navigation.

 

Power Tailgate, and audio make it worth it.. is it alot of money for that with the HID & Navi thrown in yes... but if you want to be more practical then you can get a fully loaded CRV for 30k

 

This is a well discussed subject. The tech package vs non tech package is not as drastic in the RDX as it was in my 2010 TL but for me the Tech package is worth every dime as follows\;

1) The HID lights to me are a necessity for this level of vehicle and are very good.

2) The Navi to me is very good and I would never do without it. I do hate you cannot program it on the fly, but with distracted driving being a real problem, I see why they are doing this, as typing in an address on the fly is dangerous. I know the passenger can do this if you have one. Pull over and put it in. I have had a touch screen in my 2 previous MDX's and prefer the toggle. Those fingerprints drive me crazy on the screen, and it is hard to put a hood over a screen that has to be up close so you can touch it to keep the sunlight off it. Also the screen is much bigger, and this helps with a much larger back-up camera, and the display in the navi version for things like stereo display are much more comprehensive not to mention a larger display. I have driven the non-nav and to me the screen is too small and is simplistic. And oh yeah, the stereo is so much better.

3) The power rear door is very handy, in fact when I drives my wife's 2011 RDX I really miss it along with the keyless system.

Well that's my 2 cents worth.

 

i don't think anyone here paid msrp for the tech pkg. it invoices for around 3400. that said, its totally worth it. even if you would rather use a garmin you will still love the big maps screen that the tech offers.

 

Interesting... what is the with and w/o tech package screen size, anybody knows? Thanks.

 

They're the same. I think he was comparing it to another car.

 

Of course, if you choose the package, you have to pay for it; but it's one of those options that will return a sizable percentage of its cost upon trade-in or resale down the road. We don't have concrete numbers on the Gen II I reckon, since they're so new; but it would be interesting to figure what Tech is worth on a three to four year old trade in(like so many of us will face).

I haven't driven with non-Tech headlights, but I'm not all that impressed with the output on our '13 w/Tech. They're fine, but no better than our C70 with Halogen. Our XC60 was Halogen and the RDX really doesn't seem all that different. I like the power tailgate since this is our third vehicle with it; but I use the manual approach over half the time. DW 'needs' the stereo upgrade and we're used to wacky navs(after two in Volvos); so, Tech was definitely a 'must-have' for us.

At 10% of the vehicle cost, it's nothing to sneeze at; but I would be disappointed to have such an otherwise nice vehicle withOUT the Tech features...reckon I've been spoiled

 

It's funny, I could have sworn reading that the 2013 Tech had a 8" (and my non-tech has the 5").

 

That is correct, the Base has the smaller screen...not sure where the "they are the same" comment came from.

 

Well, we drove both and the screens looked to me to be the same size. I didn't measure them, tho, so my eyeball must be out of calibration. Sorry for the misinformation.

 

Since all I wanted were HIDs and fogs tech wasn't worth the price. From having driven many different types of Acura loaner vehicles I can say I didn't like the gps at all and there was very little difference with the ELS upgraded sound system. IntelliChoice has the base with or without awd listed as excellent retained value. The tech with or without awd listed as above average. The bottom line is what's important to you and how much you're willing to pay for it.

 

So lack of a touch screen plus not being able to look away from the road while driving to enter an address seem to be the zings on the Nav? I'm getting old I guess!

 

Being old shouldn't prevent you from reading the feedback others have provided about specific issues with the nav (outdated database, poor response from voice commands) vs. sarcastically summarizing and simplifying them in order to discount the complaints that others have.

If the nav's shortcomings don't affect you, just state your opinion. But the OP, as well as others who have found their way here while researching this vehicle, should be aware that not all owners are happy with it. And I think valid reasons have been presented very clearly.

 

There were no doubts when I looked at the RDX not to purchase it without the Tech package. I wanted a power lift gate, HID & fog lights, and a bigger nav screen. The upgrade in the speakers was a plus but not a deal breaker for me. Everything comes down to how much you are willing to pay for extra options.

IMO, I don't like the RDX without the fog lights. I don't understand why Honda decided to make fog lights standard on all models.

 

Exactly. I'm a few short months away from getting one and every each way I slice it - it's not worth it *to me*. Some of its keys features I just don't need but I'm sure they're a must have for others. The only item I need out of the tech package is fog lights. Gonna have dealer install it when I get it. I'm guessing 500-600+ or so. Would've liked to have a bigger backup camera screen but I'll take it as is since my current car doesn't have it anyways. Looking forward to RDX with or w/o a tech package.

 

tech pkg is an additional $3700.
-Navi with larger screen and voice control
-GPS/Solar sensing dual climate control
-ELS 10 speaker stereo with HDD
-HID headlights
-Fogs
-Power liftgate

What's this pkg worth to you? If none of this is important to you then get the base model. It doesn't matter what other people think since YOU are the one that will be driving the car.

Does the navi have it's annoyances? sure, but dont' they all? The navi in my MDX is stupid when it comes to routing the shortest distance to my destination (in town or traveling). I always print a mapquest direction list since they seem to actually give me the best route over what the navi gives me anyway. You guys must have missed the story of the 3 ladies that got lost in death valley b/c they relied solely on their trusty Garmin to find this attraction they were looking for. They never found it and were lost for 2 days without food/water and gas for the car.

personally for me the ELS system is a must have, but I enjoy listening to my music with a great sound system. Everyone needs to determine what is important on their must haves list regardless of what the population thinks. remember, YOU are the one driving the car. I'd rather have it and not necessarily need it, but when I have it, I'm glad to use it.

 

I decided to go with the whole enchilada this time. The Tech Package has some great features, see Tlgirl's list in the previous post. BUT, if you are buying the Tech Package for the Nav System, forget it and buy a Garmin. The Acura Nav System is awful. I know how to use the Acura Nav and I know how to use my Garmin. The Garmin is state of the art. The Acura Nav is clunky 1960s software. Acura sent me survey a few months ago about how to improve the Nav users manual. I gave them two responses. First, it doesn't matter how good or bad a users manual is when the Nav System is so bad. Second, Acura should hire a few Garmin engineers to redesign the Nav System from the ground up. (End of rant)

Regards, Jim

 

That'll all be fixed when IOS 7 for cars comes out. Acura has apparently signed up for it but I'd be surprised if it's backward compatible with existing hardware.

 

I got the base model. A high quality HID kit is only $170, most of the other stuff I didn't care for. The only feature I really miss is the power tail gate.

Having said that, the tech package at $3,700 extra is actually less than that. If you consider resale pricing, you'd get some of your money back anyways.