Based on a lot of the topics, discussion, complaints, recommendations from current 3G users and previous generations, l have decided to start this thread and see what a perfect RDX would look like if we were to start all over from scratch. Of course this is my opinion only, based on my 30-40 years of automotive experience.
This would truly be a global sports SUV fun to drive and with a high reliability rating. Yes I did not include USA where it is currently made. This is an all new global RDX. Also note I did not include brands like Ferrari, Lamborghini, Bentley, RR.....etc as they in a different league and price range. I also chose to give Acura the task for the 3 main components as they seem to know how build them but maybe not integrate seamlessly like the Germans do. Anyway, I welcome all other suggestions.

1. Japan - Honda/Acura to build 3 components, the engine, transmission and SHAWD
2. Germany - BMW Automotive engineering including safety. Also map The ECU and integrate all other settings related to above 2.0T, 10sp tranny. Yes we can also include Merc and Audi
3. Italy - Alfa Romeo to design all interior and exterior.
4. Korea - Hyundai to build and program infotainment.
5. Japan - Toyota/Lexus all final assembly

 

6. Nissan - Pricing
7. Mercedes - Dealership experience
8. Kia/Hyundai - Warranty

Truthfully I would not want Honda/Acura to build the transmission. If this company has one achilles heel, it is their transmissions. Would love to have Porsche jam their PDK into this car.

I'd also rather have Volvo handle the safety aspect, not BMW.

 

Yes agree. I also forgot to add France - Michelin tires

 

I think Honda 10sp transmission is great, assuming it has good long term reliability.

 

I think everyone would agree the ZF8 is better (yeah yeah I know it wouldn’t work with the transverse motor, but all this is blue sky anyways).

 

I dont know, never driven one. Just saying that 10sp feels good in RDX, if it still works like it does now when it has 200k miles, I will be happy 😃

 

Honda/Acura had tremendous reliability problems with using the ZF 9HP transmission in the TLX and MDX; the new 10-speed was developed completely in-house as a result. I doubt we will see them using an outside transmission vendor again any time soon.

 

Who made their famous 5AT in early 2000 that was going bad?

 

Themselves.

Honda does not have that good of a track record with their transmissions. Like I said, it's their Achilles heel.
https://wheels.blogs.nytimes.com/201...em-to-persist/

Until very recently, they used unconventional designs that didn't use planetary gears in order to avoid paying license fees for the patents that other companies held. So while others ponied up and were able to use more traditional tried-and-true designs, Honda was forced to come up with new designs to save on cost.

This is purely anecdotal, but one of my colleagues who spent some time doing operations consulting for Honda mentioned that there's a clear hierarchy in the engineering culture at Honda. The best and the brightest get to work on engine development. Next up is chassis, suspension, and packaging. And way down at the bottom is transmission development. Take that for what its worth.

 

Hopefully they got 10sp right this time. Its 3 years in the market, dont think I saw a single failure in Accord forums or here. 3 years not much time, but I would think problems would emerge by now.

 

The Honda 5AT had/has some torque converter issues ( shudder ), but AFAIK the ones that outright die are mostly killed by a faulty connector at the radiator. This allows intermixing of ATF and engine coolant because of the liquid-to-liquid heat exchanger internal to the radiator. Water destroys the clutch material in automatic transmissions.

I got bit by this bug in one our 1st-gen MDXs, long off warranty, so I played it safe and replaced the radiator in the other one and the transmission and the vehicle are still going strong at about 120k miles and 15 years, much of it mixed-driving commuter duty.

Actually, the 5AT is commendably smooth and predictable in contrast to recent "modern" transmissions. Same with the Honda 6AT that propels our 2014 MDX.

But I think the problem with the 10AT is mostly software tuning. Although I can't rule out the software being funky to protect the AT from getting more torque than it can handle.

Anyway, +1 for French Michelin tires.

Hate to say, but that faulty radiator is a Japanese Denso product. Along with the fuel pump that is failing in some RDXs.

And the Italians can make beautiful cars when they want to, but would you willingly drive a Fiat on a date? Outside of walking distance?

 

guess what, 5AT trans in 2001 TL was made in japan, while car was assembled in Ohio. 10sp is american made, time will tell

 

No manufacturer is immune to production problems regardless what industry it is. The question is how quickly they react to fix the problem. Denso has reacted much better than Takata who decided to hide the problem until it was too late. Basically sank the ship.

As far as the Italian design goes here is my answer to your comment. Fiat is the mother ship and she is getting old. The two daughters, Ferrari and Alfa are still hot and would gladly take them out on a date. I am not Italian.

 

I haven't had any transmission issues with the 10 speed (knock on wood), nor did I with the 5 speed my old '09 TL had. You do get the general sense however that the focus is always on efficiency and not sport performance. This may simply be a result of the nature of a transverse transmission; in the case of a longitudinal design such as the the ZF 8HP you have a lot more space to work with.

 

A few comments;
1) These is and has been for quite some time an interplay between all the primary automotive sources in Design, manufacturing - components and final assembly, engineering and location.
2) There is no perfect car. "perfect" (no complaints from any owner/buyer)

Side note Michelon:
As of 1 September 2008, Michelin is again the world's largest tyre manufacturer after spending two years as number two behind Bridgestone. Michelin produces tyres in France, Serbia, Poland, Spain, Germany, the US, the UK, Canada, Brazil, Thailand, Japan, India, Italy and several other countries.
Source: Google

 

+1 for Michelin

After a miserable OEM set on my old Integra (borderline dangerous in the wet), they've been nothing but aces since then. The Pilot Super Sports on my Mazda are every bit as good as the hype.

 

Ah yes, for comfort it's hard to beat nice, soft, non-runflat Michelins. Dunlop tires are pretty good too in my experience. On my last car I was stuck with low-profile Pirelli run-flats.

I'm sure most Acura fans remember the infamous Yokohama sport tires that came factory-standard on the original 1990's NSX; they had a remarkably short tread life, resulting in numerous accidents. Many US dealers would replace the Yokohama's with Michelins or Bridgestones prior to sale.

 

I can only wish that I experienced the crappy OEM tires on the 1990's NSX, like most of us here, I suspect.

 

Infotainment: Acura
Wheels: Chevy
Paint: Nissan
Engine: Dodge (there'd be a Hellcat engine in it eventually)
Transmission: Chrysler
Drivetrain: Ford
Interior Design: BMW
Interior Materials: Any American Automaker
Exterior Design: Mitsubishi
Assembly Engineering: Audi
Technical Engineering: Any Korean Automaker (they're all the same company anyway)
Reliability Standard: Any British Automaker
Safety: Fiat
Marketing: Infiniti


Get those checkbooks ready, boys.

 

Good one, leomio85! I can't stop laughing....Oh wait, maybe this wasn't satirical? No, after the first line, I knew better.

 

I actually wasn't sure until I got to the British for reliability. That defines satire.

 

Laugh it up, but I actually like Dodge's HEMI engines. You could do a heck of a lot worse when it comes to engine development. The Hellcat V8 has amazingly been pretty reliable based on what I've seen from the Mopar forums, and the 392s even more so.

 

When I bought American cars, nearly everything was up for grabs to fail or fall off, but engine (GM V8s) mechanicals were rarely a problem. But, I NEVER bought first year engineering.

 

It wasn't really a knock on the Hellcat engine ... well, they do put out some terrible engines, but the Hemi variants are stout. I just find it hilarious (in a good way) that they're literally throwing the Hellcat in everything. I'm waiting for the Hellcat Grand Caravan. LoL. Honestly, I'm more apprehensive with a lot of other automakers when it comes to engines. BMW is one of them. Right now, my attainable dream car would be a lightly used M5. But the E60 and F10 variants have such issues that put me off with potential catastrophic engine failure issues. I'll wait a few years to see if the F90 M5 suffers the same way as its predecessors before pulling the trigger on one. If it does have issues, likely look at a TLX Type S (assuming Acura doesn't lay a goose egg with that as well).