Here we go..
https://cars.usnews.com/cars-trucks/...y-compact-suvs

 

The RDX is a small pup running with some big dawgs. Woof!!!

 

Definitely hard to overlook the RDXs value.

 

I drove the I-Pace...very nice and blindingly quick. But then again, for $80k+, it should be. Honestly at that point I'd get a Tesla.

Also, I'd be very wary of actually buying any electric vehicle but rather lease them. The moment battery technology makes even a modest leap, the residual value of the car will plummet. They are coming out with battery improvements almost daily.

I'm going to give the Q5 another look. When I sat in it, it didn't feel very comfy but I liked everything else about it.

 

Seats were the only reason I didn't purchase the Audi. Got a fairly reasonable priced model as a 4 day test drive, I could not get the seats to support my 6', 180lbs frame. I REALLY wanted to get the Audi...but alas my RDX seats are perfect for me.

 

 

 

Love love love the new Q5! It drives soooooooooo well. Granted my loaner for the week was an S-Line model. It handled SO well, and the acceleration was downright effortless. Felt like I was driving a small go kart. The one issue I have with it (and pretty much ALL Audi products) is the seats adjust in this weird way. Like you can't raise it high enough or angle the back side low while keeping the front end up. I was still comfortable for hours though. I loved it. Every single button is amazing! Satisfying heavy click to EVERYTHING! That digital dashboard is also SO COOL!!! It's absolutely a show stopper!

When it's time for me to purchase I'm going to have a very very hard time choosing between the Q5 and RDX. Maybe Q5 for me and RDX for the wife!

 

Audi Q5 S-line with the virtual dashboard? Yeah, I'm sure it's nice. But then you might want to cross-shop a Porsche Macan. And then you might want the Turbo or the GT-S. And before you know it, you're at 70-80 kilobucks and climbing.

This game has been played as long as there have been cars. The German brands have price creep down to a science. More like price gallop.

 

That is what we did.

I am spoiled. This AM I drove the RDX. This afternoon I took the GLC.

Overall, happy with both cars. One is fun, the other more fun.

 

I'm keeping an eye on Mercedes as well for digital dashboards. The MBUX looks really good. It has a touchpad, steering wheel touch button and the screens are still touch capable. This gives users a choice in how they control everything plus voice control. The new GLE is pricey but if I can limit the options to just a few things I absolutely want then it might be doable later in the year.

Here is the Acura concept from 2016. You can see some elements already in the new RDX. I would expect the digital dash in the next TLX or MDX.

 

Price gallop is more like it . It's the same thing with Volvos these days. Start off at like 55k and before you know it I'm at 90k and wondering what the hell I did to get there. So then I start cutting off some options, a snip here and a snip there and next thing you know I'm at 70k and wondering wtf I'm even getting for that money! This is why Acura is brilliant for staying in that niche between mainstream and true premium brands.

That is my goal! Hoping the wife will like something sporty and will give me at least a little control over what she drives. That way we can both drive something nice and switch up when we feel bored with either one hahah. I always see those couples who both drive the same car and I'm like what a missed opportunity to try something new!

I initially wasn't a fan of the new GLE but it's grown on me tremendously. If you could find a way to keep it cheap it would be a really nice vehicle too but I'd personally rather a loades RDX than stripper GLE.

I always like when they give you the option to use either the touchscreen or a knob...etc. Granted in many vehicles the nav is too far away for that so it's pointless. I definitely definitely expect the next gen MDX to gave the virtual dash and I'm pretty sure the updated 2022 RDX will also have it!

 

 

You can get the digital dash in a Tiguan, throw in a tune and you got a Q5-lite...lol

 

It's going to take more than a tune to turn the Tiguan into anything resembling a Q3, let alone a Q5. Such a disappointing vehicle.

The days of VW's being affordable Audis is essentially over. There's still the GTI, and the Arteon shows promise (if it ever arrives), but the rest of VW's US lineup aims no higher than mediocrity. We'll see how they do with the upcoming ID family of EV's, but it's hard to be optimistic.

 

The digital dash available in VW's is nothing like the digital dash in Audi's. Way lower resolution and doesn't use google maps/allow for full screen map display like on the audi. Also as Hotrod mentioned, VW has fallen WAY downhill now. Horribly cheap inside.

Sadly you are fully correct. Not to mention the Touareg is also gone too now so the VW in USA is just a bunch of cheap watered down American/Mexican made trash. The build quality would have ferdynand piech rolling in his grave (if he's still alive, then he'd have a heart attack).

 

Seems like a pretty good tune...
https://www.goapr.com/products/ecu_u..._gen3_mqb.html

 

I just priced out a Q5 that would match my RDX: $57,490. Since I wanted beige seats, ventilation is not an available option on the Q5. The cargo space is 5 cu.ft. less and it has lower hp. It is made in Mexico and the Audi CEO is in jail, all of which confirms choosing the RDX is a no-brainer, which is confirmed in this USNews ranking. Yesterday in a rare instance of my inattention while driving in the rain, I put on my turn indicator to change lanes to the right. My RDX immediately warned me with a sound I couldn't ignore that there was a car there. I have never felt safer in any other vehicle.

 

A no-brainer for you maybe, but since we all look for different things in a car, there is no such thing as a one-size fits all product. There are plenty of reasons the Q5, GLC or XC60 is the "no-brainer" for somebody else.

 

 

Regarding the cargo space number, it's actually a fair bit of gamesmanship on the part of Acura marketing. They measured it by including the rear seat footwell and moving the front passenger seat all the way forward. If you measure it the same way all the other manufacturers measure, the cargo space is actually 59 cu. ft which is smaller than almost all of its competitors.

https://www.autoblog.com/2018/05/31/...00-volvo-xc60/

 

Exactly, I just bought a XC60 T8 and very happy!! A no-brainer for each of us is different..pretty boring if we all drove the same cars.....then all we would have left to discuss is what oil to sue and reg vs premium gas!

 

[QUOTE=fiatlux;16392160]Regarding the cargo space number, it's actually a fair bit of gamesmanship on the part of Acura marketing. They measured it by including the rear seat footwell and moving the front passenger seat all the way forward. If you measure it the same way all the other manufacturers measure, the cargo space is actually 59 cu. ft which is smaller than almost all of its competitors.

I'm talking cargo space behind the second row of seats. This is what is important to us for everyday errands and when there are 4-5 people in the RDX. The Q5 has 25, the RDX 30.

 

I'm glade you had the extra $30K. Where was your XC60 made?

 

Extra $30,000 how do u figure? MSRP was 69260,I got it for j$60260.....Plus I get a $5000 federal tax credit on my 2019 taxes and will get another $1100 back from Maryland., so brings it down to 54000, and the RDX I was quoted on at the end of Oct was $44500....So $9750 difference! I can charge it for free at work.....Yes I will never recover that $9750 nor was I looking to. It was made in China....which I have no issues with....Actually a guy on SwedeSpeed posted a XC60 made in Sweden and another he bought 6 months later, which was built in China....and the 1 in China had better alignment....Vehicles are made to specs....And the Chinese people I know are much smarter than I...yes not hard to do. RDX is a very nice vehicle and if it wasn't for the wife, I prob would have had 1.....We all have our likes/dislikes

 

Actually that cargo space is the area where the RDX comes up short for me. Not a criticism of the vehicle because it is what it is, just that I misjudged how I would be affected when downsizing from larger crossovers - my bad.

 

I read somewhere, and believe I also watched it in one of the video reviews, that the Acura stated RDX capacity includes the hidden areas beneath the rear cargo area floor. Nice to have this space, but I fear I will often forget that I put something in there.

 

 

Cars.usnews is one of my top sites to check vehicle ranking, reliability, cost and safety. The fact that they use multiple sources to provide you the data makes the credible to me.

Acura RDX is definitely at top at the moment. At this price point, no competitor can beat it. The RDX got good look, amazing engine and pretty decent tech.

The sales numbers prove the success of RDX.

 

My parents just picked up a Mazda MX-5 Grand Touring. It lacks a bit of power compared to the luxury compacts, but otherwise I think it actually stacks up pretty well particularly against the near luxury vehicles like the RDX and Buick. It has pretty much every feature I would want, comfortable, handles well and looks good. Unless you are planning on drag racing or canyon carving, it has plenty of power too. It appears they have a turbo GT Reserve and Signature models out above the GT as well that will probably give the Luxury brands even more headaches.

 

"Extra $30,000 how do u figure? MSRP was 69260,I got it for j$60260"

When my wife and I first looked at the XC-60 a year ago, the dealer had a T8 in the showroom at $82, so I apologize for not being up to date. That day the Volvo set the standard for what my wife wanted for an interior, which set the bar very high. When I first sat in the RDX six months later, I knew the comfort and ergonomics would make her very happy (she still would have liked the massage feature, however). That got me off the hook for spending an additional $10K. I love the look of the front end of the XC60 and would be proud to own one, but $52K was my limit. When I found out last July that the Volvo was made in China, it took away the dream of getting the XC-60. We all have many things made in China, but I don't think I'll ever choose the China option when an American made product will give me the equivalent satisfaction at a lower cost. The 17 mile electric range of the T8 eliminated any thought of considering it since our average driving distance is much more than that.

 

My commute is 20 miles on the dot, and so far I have managed to stay on the battery. There are soem made in Sweden still coming to the USA....and I believe that could be increasing due to the China Tariff situation....I didnt get the air suspension (cool weather issues and $$ to fix) and didnot get the $3200 stereo upgrade, but did get the top tier Inscription. You can get it even less if you went the momentum trim .2020 T8 is suppose to be over 35 miles I think.....Nothing wrong with the RDX, its a sharp and great vehicle and $$$ in the bank! Enjoy.

 

Yeah looking at the lower trims of the Volvo, I'm not seeing that big of a difference in price with the RDX. They offer some interesting options, but those are things that aren't even a choice with the RDX so it's not really fair to say the Volvo is more expensive if you're including features you can't even get on the Acura.

 

the lower trim T5 (without polestar tuned).....its not near as fun to drive as the RDX, less HP/torque...you need to jump to the T6 at least

 

One of my top choices was the XC60, T5 FWD inscription. I obviously eliminated it, for a few reasons. The MSRP of the one (2019) I was considering was about $53k. They were offering it at a $6k discount online, before any negotiations.. But, it just didn't feel right to me. It was undoubtedly a nice car, but it was unexciting. Kinda like Lexus (but better looking) and Toyota. Felt more like an appliance than a true driver's kind of car. I just never felt like I wouldn't enjoy it for several years. After my last test drive in the XC60, I went directly to the Acura dealer for another test drive. That's when I knew for sure, while the Volvo, was a very nice car, the RDX was for me.

I have absolutely no regrets!

 

Just picked up a BMW M340i (x3), and I gotta say its definitely the better buy over the RDX. Can't comment on the others, like F-Pace, but I would imagine it would be hard to top BMW's luxury, power and just overall build quality. Not to mention the unbelievable tech.
Just a FYI, the M340i is good for 355hp and 369ft/tq

 

Congratulations on the x3 m40i! What was the MSRP and how much did you pay?

 

 

maybe 10 grand more, depending on the dealer of course. Ours' was considered a demo, with only 70km on it (44 miles) and we walked out with a killer deal. I even had the balls to negotiate further lol

 

Nice pick up with the M340i!

That engine alone, puts this in a different class, more of a Sport-UV and Car-UV. Similar to the AMG, Polestar, Alfa, and Macan Turbo. Once you step past the $50k mark, one should receive a significant amount of performance and luxury compared to the RDX.