It's amazing the difference a good dealer can make. I bought my RDX at a dealer that made everything about the sales process horrible. Even though I spent less than I would have elsewhere (mainly because 2019 Advances were in short supply when I bought), they were so bad that I regret that I spent my money there at all. When I needed service and accessories, I figured the service department was a different entity and would be fine, but I was wrong. In all facets, this dealer was inept to an unbelievable level. I felt like this experience was at least partly a reflection of Acura's commitment to customers. It was a sharp contrast to my recent experiences at Lexus, Toyota, Volvo, Hyundai, and GM dealers.

Luckily, I decided to take my RDX to McGrath Acura in Westmont, IL. They patiently listened to my concerns on the vehicle, didn't act dumb when I brought up a well known issue, were completely honest about the RDX being a new vehicle with some problems they are still getting a handle on. It felt like they were genuinely on my team and wanted to do everything in their power to make me satisfied with the car. This left a positive impression on me about the dealership and also restored my faith in Acura as I realized my previous experience was 100% because of the other dealer.

I was just there for an oil change and to install some accessories - I didn't much expect them to do anything about some of the small production issues I had noticed on my car. Instead, they were intent on getting a list of things that were bugging me and were able to accommodate me on most of them. They loaned me a car and provided me with constant updates on what was being done on the vehicle. To be clear, I feel like most of this is what we should be able to expect at all dealers, but since that isn't the case I wanted to make sure I recognized the excellent service (which I have also done by giving them perfect survey marks, online reviews, and I've already referred someone to sales there). There were a few things they could have said no to and I wouldn't have batted an eye, but instead, they figured out a way to get them done. If you are in the Chicago area and having issues communicating with your current dealer, I highly recommend McGrath in Westmont.

 

Completely agree that the servicing is critical to the car ownership.

The car can be absolutely amazing but if the service team is complete , it will ruin your experience of ownership because you don't know what to expect and are jittery when it comes to fixing issues and/or just a routine maintenance job. Glad you found a good shop that met your expectations.

 

Can you share the name of the dealer you purchased from?

 

See bolded above. ;-)

 

Um, see bolded below.

 

The only thing we know is that the OP did NOT buy his car at McGrath.

Reading comprehension is a lost art.

 

Oops!

My mistake! Apologies.

 

No worries.

I thought I was wrong once - but I was mistaken

 

I had a bad dealer experience.

when asked, this is the e-mail I sent:

 

That deserves a Like.

 

I may be able to in a couple of days. I am currently waiting on a refund for something and want to have that in hand before I publicly put them on blast (which is going to happen one way or the other, just want to know if it’s going to include outright theft).

 

I was worried someone might associate any of the negativity with McGrath.

To be clear: my experience was amazing at McGrath in Westmont!

 

A good dealer service department makes all the difference. I'm fortunate to have a great service department at Leith Acura in Cary NC. They've been taking care of my 2001 CL since 2000 and now our RDX. Many of the same people (Service Manager, Service Advisor, etc.) have been there the whole time. Their Shop Foreman has been there 30+ years!

 

I wish we had that in Asheville NC......Everytime I go in they have a service advisor that's 2 weeks new from the Honda dealership next door. Bad thing is they both were very clueless. Makes for a very frustrating encounter.

 

My dealer (West side Acura in Edmonton AB, Canada) is also INCREDIBLE!!!! I've had an amazing experience there and not once did they treat me poorly. I actually miss owning an Acura because of how amazing the service department was. The service manager Chris is super hands on. He called another Acura dealer in another city where my sisters RDX was purchased to help me find the security codes for the Navi and radio when Acura Canada was of zero help.

There really is something to be said for a dealer who knows how to treat people. I would absolutely purchase an Acura from them in the future (hopefully an RDX Type-S) and refer friends to them.

 

Thats GREAT. I too had a great dealer in Albuquerque NM, Montano Acura and Valencia Acura in Santa Clarita CA. Both were incredible!!!! Apple Tree Acura in Asheville, NC not so much, falls way short in all areas. Kind of surprised me.

 

I can also confirm the pure awesomeness of McGrath (I use their downtown Chicago location). Not only have they been amazing with my RDX (addressed every single one of my concerns), but they have been a saving grace for my partner's 2015 TLX V6. Most recently, they have replaced the ZF9 under warranty because after just two visits with software upgrades and relearning procedures, the transmission was still slamming into third gear at 41,000 miles. They hooked the car up to a computer to monitor the shift points and took it for a spin. They captured the moment the transmission flared and slammed into third and a new transmission was ordered the same day. It is so refreshing to find a good service department, and can 100% echo how I feel that they are on my team every time I express concern.