oldguy00

Hey folks, my first post here, east coast Canada. My wife and I have both owned a few hondas over the past 20 years and have had wonderful luck with them, they just work.

That said, she is currently driving a base model 2014 CRV and I want her to treat herself to something nicer, so we are looking at the 2021 RDX Aspec (I think I like it more than she does lol).

I fully realize that you will naturally see people posting complaints on forums more than you'll see praise, and that every car forum you go on you will see lots of complaints. But it still kind of gives you pause...

Some of the issues that I seem to read a lot about here are:
1. Issues with infotainment
2. Oil dilution
3. Loose/rattling noises when going over bumps

Have some of these issues been taken care of for 2021 models? We plan to go take a test drive within a week, is there anything specific we should ask about in terms of updates? Should we gun it over a train track to see if it rattles (lol....kind of joking....sort of....)...

Thanks!!

DriverOne

1. Issues with infotainment
Keep in mind that "issues with infotainment" is based on user experience. For example, I have had maybe two glitches with my infotainment system in two years of ownership. But I also don't use Android Auto or Apple Carplay. So if you think you will be connecting different devices, then those may be the times you run into trouble. However, even in those instances, the issues appear to have been largely fixed. Certainly if you just use "base" features, like Sirius or the radio or navigation or just a USB with music files, then you won't have much issues. The main thing is to make sure you are OK with the Touchpad system to begin with. Some people on here just can't get over it. It's relatively intuitive after just a minute or two, but this is entirely user preference.

2. Oil dilution
I can't speak to this because I don't routinely check my oil levels. I read about it on the forums, but it doesn't seem to be an actual issue. I'll catch a lot of flak for saying that, but what I mean is that even if it happens I'm not aware of any major impact as a result. It just really bothers people who check their oil.

3. Rattles
This is entirely hit or miss and nobody on the forum can tell you how frequently it happens since most of us have only owned one 3rd gen RDX. Therefore, if it happens to them, they interpret it as "all RDXs have rattles." Mine has zero rattles. I also wonder if this depends on how aggressively people drive their cars. For example, when I come to a speed bump, I actually slow down. I see lots of people drive over speed bumps and literally not care it's there. I wonder if those people are complaining of rattles or whatever and they're completely oblivious to their driving habits. Anyways, regardless of what anyone here tells you, it either will happen to you or won't and that's true of all cars.

There's a lot to like about the RDX, but test drive it and good luck.

DriverOne

BTW, if I were test driving the RDX, here are the things I would check if I were you:

1) Do I like the travel of the brake pedal? It's well-known to be "soft." You have to push it in further before it starts braking.
2) Try slowing down to a stop and then starting again. This is the lag that everyone experiences with the RDX. It seems to want to encourage a full stop, so if you're into rolling stops at stop signs, you're going to hate it.
3) For a positive experience, take it around curves. You'll love the handling, I think. I haven't heard anyone even on this place complain about that.

That's pretty much it for actual driving experience. If you can tolerate 1) and 2), I think you'll be very happy with the RDX drive.

oldguy00

Thanks!
My wife tends to be a slower more defensive driver, and there is a good chance she will never use carplay etc. She would mainly just use radio and perhaps navigation.

For oil, I really never bother 'checking' the oil, I simply do our oil changes myself and if anything do them more often than recommended, so maybe the oil dilution will be a non-issue. Penzoil Platinum goes on sale all the time here for about $30 Can for 5L jug, so probably doing changes every few months. Knock on wood, our cars (14 CRV w/ 90k km's, and 15 Pilot w/200k km's) run like new.

Cheers

Ludepower

1. Infotainment glitches use to be a problem but updates have mostly corrected them. You'll have less issues if you don't use carplay/Android auto.

2. The 2.0t in the RDX doesn't have oil dilution problems. Those complaints come from the 1.5t found in the CRV and Civic.

3. I have no rattles in my 2020. I do have a moaning tailgate that needs to be addressed at my next scheduled maintenence.

This sub forums is very informative. Just spend a couple days reading all the topics and you'll quickly know everything about this car.

anoop

I very much doubt rattles are taken care of. I have experienced them in 2020 loaners as well. They are not bad, just irritating and eventually you stop hearing them.

russianDude

You missing one issue that impacts some cars “limp mode during acceleration in rain”

russianDude

maybe RDX does not have same oil dilution issue as 1.5 CRV used to have, but there are some reports here for people doing short trips that oil begins to smell like gas, which could be common issue for all DI engines. But does not seem to be anything big.

tecwerks

ZERO EVER (other than early on infotainment) issues in my 2019 A-Spec AWD.......

ackmonal

1. I used to have a reliable infotainment system, maybe 1 glitch every several months. i would dismiss people complaining about it as just having bad luck. but then as time went on, i starting getting them more often. oddly enough, the latest version has been the glitchiest for me. as some point it was getting at least 1 glitch a week. it comes at goes, and right now it's been relatively stable. but overall, i'm going to go ahead and say that yes, it is a problem.
2. I'm not aware of any widespread oil dilution problem. maybe you visited the forum on a day that it was getting talked about. but in general, i don't think this gets mentioned much.
3. Rattles are totally luck of the draw. I have one in the passenger seat headrest that can be fixed by pushing down on the plastic where the metal bar goes into. but i've never heard anyone else mention having this same problem. so it's just me.

CanTex

Zero rattles. I'm a bit hearing impaired so I can't judge on the sound system. I hate the touch pad system - this is my last car without a touch screen. Forget the nav system, use CarPlay and Google maps - the nav lady has a nicer voice than Acura's. But that aside, the RDX is an awesome vehicle. Superior handling, strong acceleration, good brakes (the long brake travel got fixed way back before the 2020 model), comfy seats that help engage you in the driving experience, firm-but-comfortable ride exactly to my liking. excellent rough-road handling with that reassuring controlled quiet thunk, better rear visibility than Gen 2, the safety nannies, the HUD (Advance). Lots of other things. We could have had a Caddy, Volvo, the German triad, etc., but this is the best as well as best value for the money.

markAZ

My impressions exactly (even down to the hearing impaired ). Our choice was between Lexus RX350 or the RDX. Once we drove the Lexus, the choice was clear.

russianDude

rx350 is nice, but so boring!!! And will cost more with all the features

CanTex

We had a 2007 RX350. That engine when cold was noisy and rattly. The soft ride was enough to put one to sleep, except it decided it didn't like staying on-center and loved to wander - we were exhausted after 8 hours driving, whereas after 10 hours (split driving duties) we were still in good shape in all our subsequent RDXs . The cruise control stick behind the steering wheel was beyond frustrating. The power/memory steering wheel was nice - I had to say something nice about it. Oh, and the touch pad on the newer models was a turnoff for us.

The RDX means business and that's just the way we like it.

leomio85

I have a 2020 A-Spec

1. I'm pretty sure the vast majority of the infotainment issues came in the early 2019 MYs. I haven't had any issues with the infotainment.
2. Oil dilution is probably only going to be an issue if you take a lot of cold trips. Also, while breaking it in, vary RPMs and don't be afraid to drive spiritedly from time to time once you reach operating temps. I have zero oil dilution issues with a bit over 12k miles.
3. Rattles are the biggest downfall on my car. I was very unlucky on this matter. Unfortunately, the rattles really only started at around 3k miles. It's just luck of the draw as people say.

If you can get a good deal on one, as it seems many on here are getting, it's going to be a far more enjoyable ride compared to the CR-V.

russianDude

Did you try smelling your dipstick? it smells funny on RDX, I have 8 year old ES350 lexus, the smell is totally different. I did have a raise in level, but then I dumped out excess oil, and level seems to stay stable. Will change oil at 50% again. I did do a lot of short trips in that time period, so i am keeping an eye on it

leomio85

A lot of cold trips? WTF? Haha, glad you understood I meant short trips, tho Honda attributes part of the oil dilution problem to the cold.

Back on point, yes, I've smelled the oil after hearing concerns about it on here, and there isn't even a hint of gasoline in the fuel from what I can tell. Smells like plain ol' motor oil to me. I try driving as far as possible when taking it out. I'll generally take the scenic route so long as I don't have to be somewhere at a certain time, and most of my trips are 5+ miles away. Wife's commute is ~12mi away, so I guess that's enough to get it up to operating temps. I also like driving, so I'll take long trips just to drive, which I'm sure helps.

Jfkmk

I have a 2020 Technology and am on the fence with it. I like the looks and the size, but find some things annoying.

The infotainment is so-so. I thought the touchpad would grow on me, but it hasn’t. A touchscreen is so much more intuitive and easier to use. The system takes forever to boot up, I can start the car, wait a few seconds, then drive half way down the street before it is fully booted and I can change the radio station. I have a small thumb drive that I have a collection of songs on. I used it in my previous vehicle (2012 Hyundai) with no problem, but half the time I try to use it in my RDX I get an error. Swapped it for the one in my 2018 F-150 with the same results. Speaking of the F150 (a lowly XLT), it allows me to tag an artist or song while it is playing and will alert me whenever that song or artist is playing. Not soon the RDX, so much for “technology”.

I’m not sure about the oil dilution, I’ve only changed the oil once. Allegedly, it takes 5 quarts with the filter. When I changed it, I got more than 5 quarts out, and that didn’t include some left in the filter. Overfilled at the factory or dilution? It remains to be seen.

Horrific rattles in the a pillar area. Ironically, the only other vehicle I’ve ever owned with rattle problems was also a Honda product. Luckily, the dealer was good and after two trips was able to fix the issue (fingers crossed).

I have had the limp mode issue. Not raining, but entering a highway accelerating to get around a slow driver it went into limp mode. Damn near got me rear ended.

It does have an annoying hesitation when doing a quick stop. Also, I always turn off the idle stop because to me it takes too long to start, about twice as long as my F150. I’ve actually had the car start to roll backwards as it was starting.

I also do not like that some “features” are only available on higher trim. Rear camera washer for example. Why do you need to get an advance trim model to get something that should be considered a safety feature? There are so many things this car does not have that many other “lesser” cars do. It should really be called the “Lack of Technology” model.

I bought the roof rails and racks so I could mount my ski racks. The Acura racks are ridiculously difficult to install compared to other racks I’ve had. And the rear rack is fixed and the front can only go in two places, not much adjustment there.

HATE the fake engine noise.

Sounds like I don’t like anything about the car, but that’s not true. As stated, it is a good looking crossover. The size is perfect for a couple or 4 people. The AWD is amazing. I love the panamaric roof. It handles reasonably well. Sport + mode is a hoot. The headlights are amazing, though the auto-high beams have a mind of their own. Not sure if I’d buy another one, but it will do.

DriverOne

The RDX has the full panel of Acura safety indicators on all trims, which is not typical for manufacturers. The rear camera washer isn't a safety feature, it's on the level of having miniature wipers on your headlights. I've used the rear camera washer zero times over two years.

Jfkmk

The only reason I’d call it a safety feature is the camera becomes worthless in the mist or rain. The ability to squirt it to give it a quick clean and make it usable is, in my opinion, safety related.