Between my wife and I we have owned 12 Acura's over 25 years. We went over to Lexus five years ago. Can not beat their reliability and cost of maintenance. We were considering trading in her 2015 Lexus RX450h for a 2018 newly design Lexus NXh. So glad we did not pull the trigger since seeing this RDX. No comparison. Lexus has no Android Auto or Apple Play. Has no HUD or panoramic roof. Never liked the front grill on the Lexus SUVs with that large mouth grill. Do not like Lexus's two tone seats or only black dash that shows every piece of lint. RDX has a much better looking modern shifter, medium gray dash, much better mouse pad. Does not have the cheap plastic around each wheel well. The SH AWD is all wheel drive on steroids. If this comes in with the hybrid option around $48,000 it will be a huge success. The MDX hybrid with every option list at $58,000.

 

Lexus can excel on every metric and attribute, but I can't stand the predator grill. It's not elegant, period. I prefer the superman grill, albeit Acura needs to tone down the size of that emblem. The new CRV and RDX are simply better looking vehicles inside and out compared to their Toyota/Lexus counterpart, and it will be interesting to see how Toyota responds in the next few years.

 

Hi Fred,
Great points. I've been looking at the 2018 F-Sport (the only trim where I like the front end) and agree with your critique. I previously owned an IS and my dealership and service experience with Lexus has been stellar. The new RDX checks almost all the boxes I'm after, more so than the NX. Since you've owned so many Acura's, would you mind tell me how your dealer/service has been-as in how easy is it to deal with Acura on service compared to your Lexus? Whichever I choose I want to keep the vehicle for a decade, so I'm even willing to custom order to get exactly what I want, though that's not ideal. Fully loaded F-Sport pushes $50k, so if the RDX ends up there or a little less I think I may be sold on Acura, until this hits lots and we getting a better idea of handling and whatnot. If it ends up being a little less, even better!

 

I nearly bought the second gen RDX twice. Each time I was negotiating, I just couldn't bring myself to buy it because I wasn't feeling it. It didn't have the turbo and SHAWD that the first gen had, and the interior wasn't up to par for the price. Road noise was also terrible.
I ended up with the Lexus NX 2015 F-Sport and I've since loved the car.

Looks are subjective, and the looks of the Lexus grill is quite polarizing, but I've always really liked the grill on the NX and I still really like it to this day. The new RDX grill is a lot better than the old shield grill that I just couldn't fully attach myself to. It was always a sore point on my TL from the day I got it until the day I got rid of it and beyond.

Anyway, feel free to read up on my pretty detailed post about the NX vs RDX https://acurazine.com/forums/second-.../#post15651783

What I would look out for if I was interested in actually buying the new RDX:
My family has owned several Honda and Acura cars over the years, and while they've mostly been very reliable, I've noticed that their reliability has gone down over the years. I'd see what problems come about on the new RDX.
I'm most weary of their transmissions as Acura has had transmission issues on many of their models. There was a small transmission issue that I read about on the 2nd RDX which made me slightly wear.y
The road noise between the NX and the RDX second gen and the overall cabin quality were far apart, but if the new RDX interior looks anything like what pictures show, then they're more comparable.

Another thing to note: the Lexus NX interior cabin space and carrying capacity of the NX is severely understated in the manuals and stats because they used the European measurements where they only report the capacity under the toneau cover (which is why so many reviewers compare the NX to the X1, GLA, Q3, etc) when it's exterior dimensions are nearly identical to the second gen RDX. The second gen RDX has slightly more interior cabin space than the NX though, as I feel that the NX has more noise dampening.

 

 

I have to say dealer with two Acura dealerships and now one Lexus dealership because we moved out of state 10 years ago the dealers are very much alike. Lexus does have more perks and a nicer waiting rooms etc. but that never impressed me. Most of the time, I take both our Lexus's to a closer Toyota dealership. It is about 30%-40% less than the Lexus dealership. As stated based on looks, options etc. this RDX will be IMO a huge success. The test will be when the reviews are out and how it drives. I drove a 2015 RDX when we bought my wife's 115 RX450h and thought it drove just as nice and was just as quiet in the cabin. If the MDX hybrid with the advanced package is $58,000 than my guess will be a 2019 RDX non-hybrid advanced will be $46,000ish. Acura will not make the RDX and MDX to close in price.

 

I am 6:4 and feel cramped in the NX. The trunk is to small. I was with a friend who was test driving one and she really liked it. I said you will never be able to get two kids, beach chairs etc. in the trunk a take a trip to the beach. You point on reliability is spot on. What sold me on Lexus is the six years straight #1 by J D Power on reliability. Consumer Reports also ranks them #1. Five years or so ago Acura was #3 or #4 and always in the top 20% ranking by J D Power. In 2017 Acura is 22 out of 31. In 2016, Acura was 8th out of 31. In 2014, Acura was 4th. This trend is alarming and certainly shows something has happened at Acura in dependability. What I have read though is the problems seem to be in their sedans. J D Power ranks the 2017 RDX as #2 in reliability in the premium small suv class behind a Mercedes. The transmission problems in the RLX and old TL models showed up fast. This transmission for the 19 RDX is the same one in the 2018 Accord. Hopefully we will not hear of any problems.

 

I likewise like Lexus quality, but the styling is a bit over the top for me, and I have found many of their vehicles that I would be interested in to be very tight inside. Looked at the IS but the cabin is very tight and extremely low. Likewise with NX regarding size. I rode in the back seat of an RX and was surprised how crammed in I felt.....sure this is why they created the L version for another row.
Really hoping that the RDX hits the sweet spot. Right size with more upscale feel than previous models. I love the prototype just hope that they don't change too much. Would prefer a shifter vs buttons, but I guess that is the direction Acura is going. Just keep the price reasonable and they should have a big hit.

 

I believe it's a bit early to comment on the new RDX but based on the prototype that we have seen, RDX seems a huge winner not just against NX but other similar SUVs. I think NX is very small and I wouldn't compare it to RDX.
RDX is more comparable to Q5, GLC & QX50.

I won't buy a brand new car so this year is a write off for me, but I will most like pull the trigger in 2019 for a year old RDX

 

 

 

 

What I would look out for if I was interested in actually buying the new RDX:
My family has owned several Honda and Acura cars over the years, and while they've mostly been very reliable, I've noticed that their reliability has gone down over the years. I'd see what problems come about on the new RDX.
I'm most weary of their transmissions as Acura has had transmission issues on many of their models. There was a small transmission issue that I read about on the 2nd RDX which made me slightly wear.y
The road noise between the NX and the RDX second gen and the overall cabin quality were far apart, but if the new RDX interior looks anything like what pictures show, then they're more comparable.

Another thing to note: the Lexus NX interior cabin space and carrying capacity of the NX is severely understated in the manuals and stats because they used the European measurements where they only report the capacity under the toneau cover (which is why so many reviewers compare the NX to the X1, GLA, Q3, etc) when it's exterior dimensions are nearly identical to the second gen RDX. The second gen RDX has slightly more interior cabin space than the NX though, as I feel that the NX has more noise dampening.[/QUOTE]

Thanks for the feedback. I was gone over the weekend, so I haven't had time to read up on the link you sent yet. As far as the road noise went, are you saying the RDX was noisier than the Lexus? That's one complaint on the 2015-2017 models and the quieted the 2018 some. The boot is small, but not overly small. I'd be concerned fitting two car seats in the back. I'd like to start a family in the next several years, so that's on my mind as well. If Lexus widens the NX a tad and adds some of the features of the new RDX, then I'd probably swing back to Lexus. I'm hoping they bring the pano roof to the US soon as well as some more storage areas, CarPlay, etc. If they don't, then I hope the RDX continues to lead Acura in reliability. Definitely not buying anything until after it's been on the road a bit to judge, and probably the second year it's out to hopefully solve any issues with the first year redesign.

 

I had a caliper seize and a cylinder fail on my IS and all was taken care of under the extended warranty with Lexus, and the process was really easy and stress free. I had them look at a couple other things, always with the caveat "we charge $120 if we don't find anything wrong with the car (labor)," I complained about the window motor being loud, but they said it was fine and they never charged me the $120. All other routine maintenance wasn't done at the dealer. I've owned two Honda's in the past and those dealerships were terrible, in both the buying experience and the service, so I was hoping Acura was on par with Lexus there.
I actually went back to CL to look for the RDX post, and realized you were the poster! So, thanks for recommending it be taken a look at it. I agree, I think the RDX has the potential to be huge success, but time will tell. Looking forward the Alex on Autos review. He seems to be one of my go-to reviewers, especially since he tests car seat space as well. I may want to start having kids soonish, so that'll factor into my decision.

 

I'm glad that you found my old post useful! I was actually quite torn between the two cars back in the day, especially when the Acura dealer was willing to give me the RDX tech below invoice. But in the end, I felt like I had enough with my 2012 TL, and I didn't want to take anymore chances. Ironically, I took my chances with the NX, a first year model, and Lexus's first turbo four banger to boot, but the foolish faith I put in Lexus turned out to be alright. The car has been phenomenal. I'm not saying Acura's reliability is bad, but I was tired of worrying about my torque-converter, potential oil burning, and several rattles in the hat shelf and dashboard.

My wife and I are starting to consider having kids and the NX is giving us a bit of worries there if we end up with two eventually. Likely, no small compact SUV will be large enough and we'll end up getting a larger SUV (Highlander, MDX, XC90), but the 2nd gen RDX would be a bit better than the NX.

 

Not sure about the NX, but the 2018 RDX barely fit 2 rear-facing car seats for us (Nuna Pipa & Rava).

Strange thing is that the Tesla Model 3 - a compact sedan - fit both car seats better than the 2018 RDX (was going to be our next car before Tesla delayed our delivery window AGAIN; we cancelled our reservation a few weeks ago). Really anxious to see how well the XC40 and 2019 RDX handle our car seats.

 

This is very strange. I thought RDX has enough space for 2 car seats. I hope the 2019 is better.I am aiming at it and I need two car seats to be fit perfectly.

 

Isn't the new RDX closer in size to the new CR-V? Alex on Autos shows 3 seats fit in the CRV, albeit they're very specific seats. He also has a car seat video on the 2015 NX, if you're so inclined. Perhaps the new RDX will be able to fit 3.

 

 

That seems to be the kicker for me. The compact SUV's are too small, and the larger SUV's are too big/expensive for me/too high MPG for my liking. I prefer the interiors of the larger/more expensive variants, but naturally you can't get a lot of that stuff in the smaller segments. It seems like the new RDX might be Goldilocks, especially if it's the size of, or a little bigger, than the current CR-V's. Hopefully the RDX remains Acura's most reliable vehicle. Glad the Lexus worked out for you! It can be gamble. My Lexus had a few issues, but the ease of getting them taken care of under the extended warranty was a breeze. Sounds like Acura is pretty good there, too.