ross7777

NBP04TL4ME

I've subscribed to CR for probably 20 years and believe it is a good guide. Perhaps "directionally correct?" I know others rely more heavily on automotive only guides or info where CR obviously tests and reports on a myriad of items.

neoshi

I also don't understand why people want to discount the infotainment system from reliability. It's like saying, yes, my car runs great, but the interior is totally broken, so yes, it's reliable (ok, might be far fetched a bit, but you get the point).

It's still a major system that you have to keep functioning and while the RDX has physical buttons for things like HVAC, if the infotainment breaks on say... an MDX... we have no way to adjust our fan speed manually! So heck yeah infotainment should be part of reliability.

acuraada

And, for folks to that thinks CR rates reliability because they bashed the infortainment on the RDX, it has nothing to do with what CR thinks.

Reliability is scored via subscriber surveys

RDX10

I think this just comes down to what people generally regard as reliable or unreliable. I think it's fair to say that engine problems are not equivalent to infotainment problems in terms of being stranded. However I also think you have a good point, is it fair to say a vehicle is reliable if the engine js good but the infotainment is a glitchy hot mess?

carson2246

Feel I have to add my 2 cents worth to the long thread. I just posted a "No Detour" and "Call Acura Customer Service" threads. I bought the RDX in January as an upgrade from a 2014 CRV for its safety features, which are great for the spouse. Didn't do the "do diligence" if this was my daily. Lane keeping, lane departure, bling spot, adaptive cruise control and collision avoidance make this a much safer vehicle to drive. What I find completely unacceptable is the Nav system. It can't beat a $150 Garmin in a features bench test. Can't name a Favorite, no Detour choice, hit or miss voice, input with the touch pad is still slow even with practice verses a Garmin screen. I understand that a touch screen is probably a long term reliability issue, but no excuse for fundamental features and functionality. Why no digital speedo without Heads Up yet there is a Min selection to show nothing? I use the digital speedo on my GLC 300 and seldom if ever look at the analog speedo. The RDX analog speedo is not particularly large and I find easier to read at night. Also why is a cargo cover an accessory on a $40K+ SUV? Would have negotiated as part of the deal but falsely assumed it had one. I believe much of the Nav and the digital speedo issues are correctable with a software update, so please call Acura Customer Service. Obviously many of you have already spoken through CR.

2019 Acura RDX
2016 MB GLC 300
2009 Porsche Boxster

skarface

Consumer Reports shows an average of 1% or less reported issues with each of the 17 items they research. Cars seem to be pretty reliable nowadays so Acura completely botching the infotainment system and then throw in everyone complaining about the brakes and maybe some goofy shifts from the transmission and it's not hard to tell why they wouldn't recommend the RDX. Still might be a car that goes 10 years with its engine and transmission going strong (reliable in the traditional sense) but not reliable in the way people probably want a car with 0 issues for 3-5 years.

Wander

@Carson,

Touchpad instead of touchscreen isn't because of potential reliability, it's for placement of the display high on the dash close to the view of the road. Other brands are experimenting with similar setups.

0% chance a digital speedometer will be "added through software".

Everything you cite is a design choice with which you don't agree, not a malfunction ( aside from voice input; its interpretations are pretty creative sometimes, but I doubt that will change ). So yeah, lack of due diligence, I'm afraid.

Having said that, I suggest you hook up an iPhone through Apple CarPlay to get more functional navigation software. No guarantee the built-in Nav will ever progress to what we would like it to be. And Siri has the benefit of a vast network of computing power to aid her comprehension of human speech. Same with Google.

Buy a $150 cargo cover and move on, if it's that important to you. You might get it for a little less through internet sales ( but shipping is a problem). The ones that came equipped with SUVs I have owned have decorated a garage space until I trade-in the car. I doubt I'm alone.

Wanax

Welcome to the Luxury car market. I think their motto is if you are willing to spend this much money on a car, then you are willing to spend money on accessories. This is not unique to Acura and I'd argue the other Luxury brands are much worst at Nickel and Diming you for features. I mean, BMW charges an annual subscription for enabling Apple Carplay.

My previous car was a G2 RDX with Nav. My experience has been all car Nav systems are junk compared to Carplay/Android Auto and get outdated with features within 2-3 years, so I didn't even bother with it this time around.

acuraada

Actually it's the opposite, high end luxury margin are so high they throw in the mats and covers. You don't even need to ask. (BTW, this is dealership issue, not manufacturer). If dealers starts to throw in free accessories without you asking, you probably didn't negotiate hard enough.

Welcome to near luxury.

Wanax

In my head, I like to think that I negotiated with them so hard, they couldn't afford to throw in a free cargo mat.

acuraada

Did they take the bus home?

R. White

I bet there won't be a recommend Acura on CR's April list.

acuraada

Someone said it earlier, I never thought I would see BMW and Lincoln beat out Acura in reliability

mlody

Drove 2019 QX50 and 2019 RDX as loaners when having our cars serviced. I am not surprised that QX50 is dead last, but I am surprised that RDX is only one spot above it. If Acura didn't make the stupid track pad as the only interface to interact with the infotainment, they car would hit all the spots for me. Everyone is used to touch, forcing an unintuitive input interface, is a huge oversight. Acura, please add touch interface to the RDX.

ross7777

Madd Dog

JB in AZ

While it isn't a Lincoln...we bought a Ford Escape Titanium in 2015. I suppose one could argee that the Lincoln is a Ford, but a Ford isn't a Lincoln. The Escape has been near perfect. 45,000 miles in the first two years. Wife wouldn't let me trade it for the RDX. I had to trade a 2018 CR-V. Which was also near perfect. Minor tailgate strut issue, quickly and painlessly replaced by dealer, and traffic almost NEVER worked on NAV.

But, having been an "Asian" brand buyer for a very long time, I have been very impressed with the Ford's reliability. Resale value, not so much.

CR has a tendency to react quickly to issues, then will later re-recommend as trends show that they over reacted.

I expect that the 19 RDX and Acura as a whole, will improve in most reliability ratings within the next year.

acuraada

Ya. Whatever happened to the reliability of the Asian brands? Or is it just Acura?

Just so we are all on the same page, the CR rreliability rating isn't their own opinion or experience, it's a survey conducted amongst 400k subscribers who own these vehicles.

​​​​​​Obviously correct me if I am wrong here

JB in AZ

I agree, CR's ratings are based on what their subscribers say. However, there aren't 400k who own 19 RDXs. My point is, and perhaps I didn't present it well, is that as more owners buy and report to CR about their experiences with the 3G RDX (trends), I expect the numbers will improve. The current "un-recommended" rating is based on a small group of owners, with a small amount of ownership time.

As I wrote: " CR has a tendency to react quickly to issues, then will later re-recommend as trends show that they over reacted.
I expect that the 19 RDX and Acura as a whole, will improve in most reliability ratings within the next year."

I could be wrong.

Wander

Well, the recommended status for "new vehicles" in reference to 2019 RDX will be somewhat moot once the 2020 RDX comes out. But CR will carry that reliability data forward to decide whether to give a "recommended" rating to new 2020 RDXs, and the reliability data for used 2019 RDXs will be tracked over time in response to the data gleaned from the CR member surveys. I have no idea what the timeline may be for revision of their Roman Emperor

It's worth noting that since CR only polls CR members ( subscribers), there is an implicit bias in their data. Dunno if voluntary response to their polls is biased toward owners with an axe to grind, or ecstatically happy owners, or generalized busy bodies.

HotRodW

Those of you questioning CR's methods now ... did you also question them when the RDX was on the recommended list? It's either always useful, or always useless. Can't have it both ways.

Personally, I'm no CR fan. I do find the information somewhat helpful, but there's always a political element to their reviews. I don't question their data so much as the way it's presented.

Wander

I'm not so much questioning CR's methods as recognizing their limitations. I find CR's reviews useful, in combination with reviews from many other sources.

And I happen to agree with CR's assessment that things aren't as they should be with 2019 RDX. Maybe we'll get there, maybe we won't.

I used to buy Hondas and Acuras with the expectation that I would never have to bother with getting them serviced, aside from routine maintenance. Now I factor in the convenient location of the service department.

Maybe this is part of an unfortunate trend with all the stuff that is getting piled into modern vehicles, and the increasing pressure to improve efficiency. The cutting edge ( or bleeding edge ) isn't often a good place to be in terms of reliability. Acura needs to do better with vetting their suppliers and testing their product.

Nates NJTL

JB, our '13 RDX w Tech has been very reliable. Only issue is transmission not as smooth as I would like but under a TSB and Warranty they reprogrammed the computer and put in new fluid and it works better. We have had Honda / Acura products for years and the quality has deteriorated. Our '11 TL is clearly more solid than the RDX: paint is better, leather thicker and fit / finish is better and overall materials seem to be more solid. Would like to sell the TL and get something that sits higher off the ground as the sedan is too low for me now but honestly, all the cars have their problems. In addition to poor build quality on the new RDX and the infotainment issues, I am not convinced that the 2.0 and 10 speed are not going to be problems down the road and the ZF 9 speed in the MDX remains a problem as does the supposedly fixed 1.5T in the CRV / Accord and Civic. May keep what I have, get a '16 or '17 RDX CPS or a hybrid to escape the entire engine transmission thing.

mcrompton

Sure, but if you are knocking reliability for glitchy navigation, I don't think that's reliability. It isn't going to leave you stranded on the side of the road. Previous Acura's got knocked for confusing dual screen infotainment. I had a 14 MDX and while the graphics weren't the best and it wasn't the most intuitive, I don't think that's a reliability issue either.

Snave72

I'm currently in a GLC looking at the RDX...I take it you feel like it was a large step down? The GLC is nice but the RDX has all the same features for a good bit less though not much help if they are non or partially functional.

acuraada

2019 RDX infotainment system glitches are more than just poor Navi directions. You are pulling things out of context and assuming that's why RDX got ding for reliability (which is surveyed more than just electronics)

If you don't believe me, just check the latest update release notes. The number of bugs is staggering but it feels good that they are being addressed.

acuraada

Yea, you get what you pay for. GLC definitely has a nice interior. one of the features I like on the GLC or X3 is the multicolor interior lighting....

Marino Moutafis

Wander

What, no fuzzy dice or spinners? I once saw a car with swivel bucket seats. Now that is cool.

acuraada

ya i would except it would probably squeak after 1k miles

Dishearten

In reading this post, it’s nice to see loyalty in a brand. I have owned 3 Honda’s with no issues, so I understand loyalty and working with someone to resolve issues. I believe what you see in the CR reviews is the frustration (including myself) of dealing with Acura to resolve the issues that are beyond what the dealer can do. Just a few examples: 1: Not resolving squealing / noisy brakes in 3 attempts over 6 months. 2: Spending $50K (out the door) on a car that rattles more than my 1971 Pinto did and having to hear that they “could not duplicate”. Ended up paying a local mechanic to work on it. 3: I only use about 25% of the features of the “infotainment” / “Technology Package” system and have more unresolved issues than space in this post. To list a few…. imagine having to turn the car off to turn down the radio volume or keeping a sweatshirt in the car to cover the display incase at night it starts flashing dark to light. 4: A navigation system that calling it rubbish would be too good. Acura's approach in not making the 2019 RDX right with early buyers is concerning. Yes, we are getting tired of taking the car in with no results (other than a free car wash) and we will continue to vent our frustrations in reviews.

EFR

I have received CR for 20+ years---I don't recall any survey for the 2019 RDX.

Wander

Nor will you ever see a survey for a particular product. CR doesn't keep track of what you buy.

But CR sends e-mail reminders to all their subscriber/members to fill out annual online surveys reporting info on autos they own.

If you send them cash for your printed copies of CR, you might not get a chance to do the auto survey. Dunno if they mail them out anymore.

EFR

Correct...meant I have not seen anything on reliability of 2019's yet sent to my mailbox. Doesn't mean I didn't miss it, but I fill them out every year as applicable and have not seen one for a while. Perhaps surprised that something would have already been published, mailed, returned, tabulated and printed, with adequate data to determine reliability,....already... for a 2019. However, and whatever...my 2019 RDX has been completely problem free. That does not mean there isn't anything I would change about it if 'I' was designing it. But, coming up on 6 months...and zero trips to the dealer. My wife loves driving it, I love driving it. It's not perfect...and no car is. If i had to re-test drive my initial list (MB GLC, Lexus RX and NX , Honda CRV, Subaru Ascent, Hyundai Santa Fe) the decision would remain the same....zero buyers remorse.