Today I finally got the BRPII base fwd I ordered on April 6. Here are some random thoughts after looking it over, playing with the features and driving it 35 miles.

Very quite - much less wind noise than the demo I drove when I ordered the car. Road/tire noise is very low.

I like BRPII alot. Won't post any pictures since a couple of members have already posted very good pics.

The holes behind the license plate are not a problem for water intrusion when the plate is attached.

Love the bluetooth phone feature - imported my android phone book and voice tagged with no problems. The car must be stopped (but not in park) to set voice tags and non-voice dial.

The cowl over the info display sits lower than the cars with nav. I was hoping for that as I thought the cowl on the tech demo I drove was a bit high.

This thing is pretty fast.

Quality is very very good - no wrinkle in the headliner.

Solved the mystery of the VINs. Although the last 3 of the VIN is in the 700s it was built in May. The dealer said BRII were built late, techs were ahead of bases and VINs are assigned when the order is received.

Insurance is silly cheap. I have USAA and the cost difference between the 2001 Montana I traded in and the RDX (apples to apples same exact coverage) was $5 per month more for the RDX.

Overall verdict at this stage - quite good value for the money.

 

Congrats on your RDX and its nice to see that the wait is over. Despite what you may think that we don't want pictures...I would beg to differ! This would be the same as saying that I have seen a blond woman already so I don't need to see another one as I know what they look like...BOGUS...I want to see them all *lol*

So take that camera of yours, take some pics and post them so we can drool and lust over your BRPII...If not for me, do it for OSTRICH, he is a "color slut" and loves them all (lmao)

 

Congratulations. I think you will find, as I do, that the more you drive it, the more you love it.

 

Congratulations!! Wow, 7 weeks. The two dealers here each have about a dozen 2013 RDXs on their lots. I was beginning to wonder how RDX sales were holding up.

Jim

 

I'd like to know if you can feel the VCM activating/de-activating cylinders, especially while cruising on the highway.

 

I can't tell even when I am trying. As someone posted, you can sort of tell by watching the instantaneous gas mileage.

Jim

 

[QUOTE=hawkeye62;13810429]I can't tell even when I am trying./QUOTE]

That is the whole point of smart engineering....if people could tell when it turned on and off, people would be complaining on how horrible the ride experience is. The whole purpose of the cylinder de-activation is to reduce fuel consumption and that is it....The only evidence that you should be made aware is how less often often you need to refuel your fuel tank

 

When cruising down the hwy at a steady throttle speed you won't sense anything because the engine has "settled in" most likely running on 3 cyls, if under a slight push it runs on 4 cyls. But, I agree with "Weather"....Honda Motor Corp. has their engines down pretty well. The 4 cyl. engines are great as are the V6's. If you want to experience a great 4 cyl engine, drive an Acura TSX with the 201 hp engine.
I have this same engine, the RDX engine, in my '12 Accord Cpe. The only time I know the cylinder deactivation is happening is when the green Eco light comes on. It's an old idea that Honda has perfected. This engine is smooth, responsive and gets decent fuel mileage. I'll have my new RDX soon. Great forums and web site.

 

Forgot to add to my last post....no I'm not getting rid of my Accord Cpe. Just adding the RDX to the stable. I hope I don't offend anyone here that I have one car with an "H" on it instead of an "A." LOL! Then again, they are all Hondas. The '12 cpe with V6, auto with paddle shifters, like the RDX.....is a great car. The longer I own it the more I appreciate it. I also have an '11 CRV..loaded out. Great SUV overall. But, the RDX is moving up in class and overall ride and sound quality besides the options I can't get in the CRV. But, again, they are in different categories. The RDX costs $10,000 more. I would recommend the CRV to anyone needing an SUV in that price range. I've owned 3 of them. And, I'm sure most of you know, the basic undercarriage used by the CRV was used by Gen 1 RDX's, and is now being used by the Gen 2 RDX. Yes, some tweaks to the chassis, but, based on the '12 CRV.
Just thought of something about the AWD system. I know some are lamenting about the loss of the SH-Awd system on the Gen 1 RDX. The new RDX shares the AWD system that's on the CRV.
As far as getting around on snow and ice I can assure you my past 3 CRV's were absolutley fantastic with snowy roads. I tried to get it "out of shape" on an isolated road, just to see how it would respond. Excellent! I know the SH-Awd was better overall, but, the new RDX will be just fine.

 

The reason I asked the question in the first place is that VCM in a 2009 Accord I had drove me nuts. I don't know if I had a lemon, or if they really hadn't perfected the technology at that point. The VCM transitions were definitely not seamless. There was a perceivable interruption in the smoothness of power. It also seemed as though the slightest load on the engine (even from the wind of a passing vehicle) would cause the VCM to do something. The Accord also had a moaning/groaning noise at low speed.

 

I researched this issue on the net before deciding on the RDX. There are a fair number of complaints about the earlier VCM engines. Most have to do with early engine mount failures, higher than expected oil consumption and noticeable transition between modes. Many of the noticeable transitions were traced to motor mount failure in the 60k to 80k mile range. It is claimed these issues have been solved in the later iterations of VCM by redesigned motor mounts and going to a 3 phase operation (3, 4, or 6 cylinders active) instead of 2 phase (4 or 6 cylinders active). I can only tell you that I notice no transition between modes - you can only tell when it activates by the jump in mpg on the digital bar graph. The car is smooth and quite no matter what mode it is in. I am particular about driving dynamics, which is why I did not consider the competitors with CVTs and I am very satisfied with the RDX.

 

Last thursday I traded my vcm 08 accord in on a new rdx.The rdx was unloaded off the truck that morning and I signed the deal at lunch time.It had 2 miles on it.I got a fwd w/tech in graphite.My accord was a exl v6 w/nav.They accepted 24k and my accord.The vcm in the accord was quite annoying,the rdx is very quiet and silky smooth.Transmission shifts are hardly noticeable.My accord would turn 2500 rpm at 70mph,the rdx is turning 1900.I am very pleased so far.When my wife left for work this morning it only had 150 miles on it,but the average mpg was reading 24.5.I think that is great for a new engine.The only very small negative I have is the fuel tank is only 16 gal.I will update as we add the miles.