e-man22

Like the title says, I am wondering whether anyone considered a second generation RDX before purchasing a third generation. I am currently looking at another number of certified preowned RDXs and my biggest concern with the third generation are the noise concerns expressed on this forum.

Is the second generation RDX more luxurious and quieter than the third generation?

NooYawkuh

No.

DriverOne

You would have to be high on crack to buy a 2G if you can buy a 3G. If you're worried about noise, test drive it and see if it bothers you.

jmhumr

That cheesy dual-screen is enough to keep me away from 2G. That's the main reason I won't even consider an MDX, even though the deals are great.

Madd Dog

Not at all.

SH-AWD is only in gen 3, and that was a major factor in going with the RDX.

The gen 2 is FWD with a slip and grip clutch for the rear wheels, so most of the time it drives, and plows, like an FWD car.

e-man22

Thanks for all the responses everyone. Very helpful.

JB in AZ

Nope! Based on a (now) two Generation old CR-V. Pass.

RDXWiz

I looked at late model 2G because they could have been had for a good price. After driving them back to back, there was no comparison between the old and new. The old one had price and its engine (IMO) going for it, but didn't outweigh the new features such as panoramic sunroof, larger interior and of course real SH AWD. However, I honestly believe that a majority of people will never use SH AWD as it was designed. Most folks tend to lift their foot off the gas or brake during turn in.

NooYawkuh

I love to see those chevrons light up on the rear wheels on the SH-AWD display. The torque-vectoring.is wonderful. I feel sorry for people who just went with the FWD . They saved themselves some money but they don't know what they're missing.

AcuraGuy2016

I've actually owned a 2G RDX, and the road noise from the 3G RDX is terrible, much worse than the 2G. That was the primary reason we did not purchase one. We do a lot of driving on high speed concrete highways, so that is an important feature.

We test drove several 3G RDX. While the vehicle is otherwise decent, the powertrain is great for city driving, but lacking a bit for higher speed acceleration, the road noise was terrible. Close your eyes and feel like you're in a cheap mainstream vehicle. The high road noise alone killed the luxury experience.

We bought our 2G RDX after test driving a Honda CRV. The CRV road noise and slow acceleration were deal killers - the 2G RDX was much quieter and accelerated faster than the 3G. The 3G road noise reminded me of the last gen Honda CRV.

We were happy with the 2G RDX and didn't want to buy a vehicle that soon, but we knew we needed a new vehicle within 5 years, so we test drove a 3G RDX to see if we liked the generation enough to get one years down the road. We were so upset with the terrible road noise, unrefined power train, and frustrating track pad, that we bought a MDX Sport Hybrid years earlier than we wanted. We love the MDX SH. That is a true luxury vehicle, even quieter and more refined than the 2G with an easy to use and responsive touch screen infotainment.

supafamous

I test drove a 2G before settling on the 3G. As I like my cars sporty the 2G was a huge disappointment - I'd rather have bought a new CR-V for the money (or more likely the CX-5 Turbo). The V6 is nice but it was only marginally nicer than a new CR-V IMO.

DriverOne

So you were happy with your current car and didn't need a new car, but went to test drive a car that you might want to buy 5 years from now? And then you were so angry at how bad it was that you went out and bought a different car before you needed to? That's some next-level decision-making right there.

AcuraGuy2016

Agree the 2G is not that sporty, but it was a great value for a compact luxury SUV. We bought a 2015 6 years ago. At the time, it was the 2015 CRV, which the 2015 RDX AWD Tech (highest RDX trim at the time) was MUCH MUCH better than the CRV at that time. That CRV was SLOW and NOISY. I know as we test drove them extensively. We ended up getting the 2015 AWD Tech for only $2K more than the CRV AWD Touring. That CRV had relatively uncomfortable seats and a terrible audio system as well.

Agree the current CRV generation is much better than the previous. If current CRV gen was out at the same time, we may have found it acceptable and got it. We only looked at the 2G RDX since we hated the 2015 CRV. Budget was much tighter back then, but with the deal on the 2G RDX, we were thrilled.

Still the 2G RDX is much faster, comfortable, quieter, and with a much better sound system than the current CRV. 3G RDX is actually very sporty and "fun to drive" around town. Turbo kicks in at low rpm. Sound system is great and it is comfortable. But, and I mean this, the road noise is TERRIBLE. If Acura can address this, I would have bought a 3G RDX, but to my ears, it is really bad and a dealbreaker.

e-man22

AcuraGuy2016 — thank you so much for taking the time to post your feedback. This is exactly my main concern. We have test driven the 3G RDX and had one for an extended period of time while our 2020 MDX was being serviced. It is truly a fun car to drive but my concern is that the fun factor will wear off very quickly particularly when driving on the highway which is part of the reason why we are looking to get this car. It may also be used as a college car to go to and back from school and may remain on campus for a semester or two.

AcuraGuy2016

Would have been more like 2-3 years - we didn't buy it then, we waited a year and got a 2019, as we thought that would be the last MY of the current gen. Really liked the MDX and was concerned, maybe rightfully so, that the next gen MDX would be larger and not fit in our garage and also be considerably more expensive, and possibly have cost cutting measures that increase road noise. We actually really liked the MDX when we bought the 2G RDX, but it wasn't in our budget then.

I thought the 2019+ Sport Hybrid MDX were an incredible bargain for all that vehicle offers vs. the competition.

flames9

you test drove it....was it too loud?? If you were happy with the noise level, you are good to go. If unsure, go for another test ride on the roads u travel, you dont have to go the route the sale person tells you to go..it is your $$$.