First, the car market is crazy right now. A lot of dealers are sucking wind on getting new vehicles, and used car/trade-in prices are way out of whack (in a good way, if you're looking to trade). With that in mind, I was idly doing one of those "make your own deal" things online two nights ago, and found three '22 RDX models available at the local dealer (Leith Acura, Raleigh). Basically, I wanted to upgrade from my still-lovely 2020 RDX/Tech (white/espresso) for the many refinements in the '22s — and I've always loved the A-Spec look. Turns out, of the three cars I was eyeing, one was a demo model and not yet for sale, the other was an A-Spec/ADV that someone at the dealership was driving, and one was a nice Lunar Silver A-Spec — the one I bought — that had just come in and hadn't even been prepped yet. It's about as close to a newborn as possible, with a build date of 12/21 and 11 miles on the odometer when I picked it up.
After very little back-and-forth, I was able to get the '22 at MSRP (no ADM mark-up) and a really good price for my '20 trade-in that gave me a nice down payment. When all was said and done, I got the new RDX for $130 less a month than I was paying. So if you have the itch to upgrade, solid financials and can find the car you want, this is not a bad time to make a move. (I included a couple of pix because no one here has any idea what an RDX looks like from every angle, lol. /snark)

On the dealer lot....

In its rightful place, my driveway.

 

Congrats - enjoy the new ride.

 

Nice!! The trade in prices right now are Krazy, with a capital 'K'! Congrats and good luck. Silver looks sharp with the black

 

How does the road/wind/tire noise compare between the two?

 

I'd say I hear a modest improvement. It's not bank-vault quiet, but certainly less engine growl (except under heavy acceleration) and tire noise. I expect the A-Spec/ADV or Advance models would be even better since I believe they have more acoustic glass. Overall, the various refinements and changes really do make a big difference (and I wasn't unhappy with my '20). The Infotainment system boots up faster. Wireless charging and wireless Apple CarPlay are amazing. No sunroof pops or tailgate moans yet, either, lol. 10/10 would do this again.

 

Congrats on the new RDX. I am glad to see others starting to get their cars for comparison.

 

Congrats on the upgrade, any noticeable differences from 20 > 22?
Aside from the aesthetic differences of course

 

I have to go in to the dealer for a couple of things. I might just have to stick around for a test drive of a ‘22. My ‘20 has just about 12.5k on the odo…

 

Yes, and I'll try to explain, though many of them are subtle. This is generally while using the "normal" mode, which as I understand it is the old "sport" mode. Acceleration feels the same (Good). Brake pedal feels like it has a tad more travel and is slightly "softer" but not in a way that makes the brakes feel mushy. The steering feels lighter and surprisingly more connected. The '22 is slightly quieter than my 20. You wouldn't notice it, if you didn't listen for it (this is not a bank vault). The infotainment system starts up faster, noticeably so, and wireless CarPlay is awesome. Overall, there are lots of little things like this that add up to "refined." I really, really like the end result of a bunch of small improvements in numerous areas. If you want me to be more specific or weigh in on other areas, holler.

 

Highly recommended. That's how I started...just playing around with numbers and vehicles on the dealer's website!

 

I agree. The sum of all of the little things really makes an overall big change to someone who is used to the older model. Especially if you are coming from an A-Spec to an A-Spec Advance. Frankly, I am surprised how much more I like the new car

 

This! I'd have been happy with the tech upgrades (wireless CarPlay, ambient lighting, 16-speaker ELS -- my RDX/Tech had 12 speakers -- etc.) I wasn't expecting to notice a difference in the overall driving experience. But I do. And I like it.

 

After reading so many praises from 22 owners about the improved ride quality, I checked out some POV videos of 22 Adv/A-Spec, and sure enough, the ride quality appears to be quite refined. These are what I observed, compared to my 19 A-Spec:
- Normal mode: The compression response looks mostly similar to 19 A-Spec. But the transition from compress to rebound appears to be smoother, and the rebound seems better damped.
- Comfort mode: Looks like a different car compared to 19 A-Spec. The compression looks different from Normal mode - much softer but still damped well. The rebound profile is more in line with the one in Normal mode, only a little softer.

Overall, I am impressed by the ride quality refinements Acura made to the car. Must be even more noticeable when driving in person. Unfortunately, I could not find any POV videos other than Adv/A-Spec, now I am really curious if Acura also retuned the non-adaptive dampers...

 

Can you post the links of those videos?

Unfortunately, test driving one seems out of the question for now in my area since all cars are coming in sold.

 

This dovetails with what I've seen so far in my A-Spec (which does not have the ADV package additions). The ride is smoother, more compliant over bumps, but still very well planted, compared my '20. The steering also feels a little lighter than before, at least in Comfort and Normal modes. In Sport (the old Sport+) it does stiffen, though.

 

I negotiated a deal with Leith Acura online which I really liked. I tried to ensure that I had all my ducks in a row before taking a 260 mile drive each way from Flat Rock, NC. It was for a Lunar Silver Metallic A-spec/Advance which you may have seen while you were there. I am very anal about dealers putting the front license plate holder on the car when its not required in NC so I specifically asked about that. I was told while negotiating that no way, we do not do that here. So off I go this last Thursday and arrive at the dealer, I see the vehicle and right away noticed the license bracket on the front. I was immediately hit with disappointment. Another salesman greeted me and the were already waiting for me and said he would be taking care of finalizing the purchase and not the original salesman the I had been talking to. I stayed calm but asked him WTF? He stated that he and the general manager relayed to the original salesman that the one I'm interested in was a trade with a out of state dealer where front plates are required. I was told that they told my original salesman that he needs to call me and let me know that. Never received that call.

So, I said No thank you and walked.......

 

UGH! I have had similar. Sorry to hear, but good for you for walking. IF it was in fact a dealer trade from another dealer, that original dealer name etc will likely be on the window sticker for all to confirm.

 

That sounds very unprofessional of them. They probably hoped you wouldn't care about it so much after a 260 mile drive and had a strategy in place to pretend there was a miscommunication.

 

I moved to PA (no front plates) from NJ (front plates required).
I ordered bumper plugs painted to match from bumperplugs.com for my 2019 RDX.
They were pricey but, they were perfect.

When I bought my 2021, the dealer had to trade with a dealer in OH. Ohio requires front plates so I told my dealer to make sure they didn’t drill the front bumper. I thought it likely that they would have already attached the front bracket and I would need to get bumper plugs again.
Thankfully, they put the bracket in the trunk and didn’t touch the front bumper.

Sorry you didn’t get the car you wanted. Maybe they could get you another one at the same price.

 

Turns out my local dealer called next day and they just posted a new In Transit A-spec Advance Platinum Pearl White/Red Interior which btw is the same colors as my 2019 A-spec. I immediately without hesitation plunked down a $500 hold deposit. No markup and paying MSRP but get $750 for being a Veteran. Should be here within the next 2 weeks.

 

Extremely disappointing. For the amount of money these things cost, you should get exactly what you want. I never saw the A-Spec/ADV model on the lot. The only one they had available was the one I bought. If I remember correctly, the salesman said the owner's wife was driving the other one? (And a 3rd A-Spec in red was a demo and not available for sale.) Availability of the '22s still seems scarce. Sorry you did that long road-trip and came away unsuccessful.

 

Bumpy one

From WR