Jordster

Hello,

My wife really likes the RDX and wants it in the top spec (Platinum Elite, here in Canada, or Advanced to you guys south of the border).

However, that model only comes with wood trim inside (or wood "paneling" as she exaggeratedly calls it it). I'd happily swap it for the aluminum in the lower models, but that is not an option.

I'm just wondering if anyone has tried changing this trim? I'm happy to pay for the parts and I can probably install them myself (assuming no major deconstruction is necessary). I have found lots of threads on here about replacing the exterior trim but nothing about the interior.

Thanks!

Madd Dog

Not to be fresh, or anything, but Hondas come the way they come, and messing with stuff like this has the potential for a large downside.

Jordster

I hated the Chrome strip on the front of my 2018 Accord Touring and I had it replaced, by Honda, with a dark black strip with a chrome insert. Car looks WAY better and I've yet to experience a downside.

Seems like a strange comment about some trim bits. I'm not talking about bolting on a Type-R turbo or anything.

Madd Dog

Replacing dash pieces can work their way into rattles and squeaks.

NooYawkuh

RDX10

Why don't you look into getting someone to wrap it for you? It's relatively cheap (probably cheaper than parts), you can pick whatever color or pattern you like, and is easily reversible.

Waetherman

I actually had the opposite idea - I like the wood look, but bought the Tech, so I thought I would look into whether or not a switch would be easy. I don't think it would be; from what I've read certain trim pieces are not removable, and others might require removing a lot of other parts. And I don't think "wrap" is a good idea on that wood, since I think it wouldn't look smooth (isn't that wood "open pore?") and may damage the wood. Personally, I think it's probably best to just accept the wood look if you really want the top trim package, or if you can live with the Tech or A-Spec go that way.

Final thought; talk to the dealer and see what they say. They may very well know how easy (or not) it is to replace those trim pieces.

RDX10

If it is open pore wood (which by the way how fricken cool is that in an Acura?!) then I wouldn't really recommend it. The glue from the wrap may stick to the wood or soak in and ruin it over time.

Jordster

Well ... seems like there are no good options. The wood isn’t that bad, just really not my style.

Now it’s between living with the wood, or an extra $8k for an X3 where I can pick any trim I want 🤔

Waetherman

Here's a thought; how do you feel about leather? I bet if you took it to an upholsterer they could wrap it with leather, either something matching or contrasting. And because it's leather not vinyl it would probably cover over any imperfections, and it would last longer. The adhesive would probably be permanent and damage the underlying wood, but if it's that important to you, it'd be worth it. And a lot cheaper than spending an extra $8k (plus higher maintenance costs) on a BMW.

Madd Dog

Just as a side note: BMWs are expensive to maintain, but they are not fragile and will not just blow up when the warranty ends.

I had a 535 from new to 11 years old and it was as solid at 11 as it was new. But it sure cost a lot to maintain and replace wearable parts. It was totally outmoded after 11 years, but drove as well then as it did when new. I used a dedicated BMW indie, and BMW parts.

Jordster

My last BMW (2015 X3) had a rattling pano sunroof that took 2 years and 5 tries to finally fix. I thought it was the end of the world. The electronics also randomly reset while driving , twice in 3 years. I thought that was bad. I mean, compared to the bullet proof 2008 Civic Si it replaced that was a lot of "problems."

But then I bought a 2018 Accord. Man. Problems. I love the way it drives (2.0T 10AT, just like a FWD RDX), but the infotainment crashes about every 5th time I start the car and needs a 30 second reset. CarPlay has a variety of different crashes. Sometimes it just dies and I have to unplug and replug my phone. Sometimes the audio just drops out and the rest of it keeps working. Sometimes the entire infotainment crashes and has to be reset. Occasionally, the whole system goes dead until I turn the car off and back on. Honda promised "over the air" updates and has, in 2.5 years, put out ONE update, and that was almost 2 years ago. Honda Canada was receptive to my complaints at first (the dealer failed to make any improvements in the situation, in fact the "recall" for the reverse camera is what started the startup-crashes in the first place). However, after it was obvious that it wasn't getting fixed, Honda started ignoring me.

So, BMW isn't looking that bad ... /shrug

I'll still probably end up with an RDX. The trick diff (AKA SH-AWD) is just too damn cool! And the stereo is AMAZING.

Anyway thanks everyone for the feedback/input.

anoop

That was old BMW. New ones are no longer as solid. I owned 2 F30's, both had rattles and of course the numb steering.

OP, surprised you don't like the wood. It goes really well with the beige interior. Maybe if you are getting grey or black, the aluminum may look better.

DrWoo

Our first choice for our advance I thought was going to be the blue with grey interior, but we really didn’t like the brown wood with the grey. Then we saw the espresso interior, and the combo with the wood is gorgeous.

DJA123

Personal preference... I got my Fathom Blue from 2 hours away to get the graystone interior. Brown on brown was too brown for me. To each their own.