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In my useless opinion, the A-Spec's lack of wood and chrome make it look "cheap". The dark wheels remind me of four spare tires. While this look might work on a Hellcat, I think it's unbecoming of a "luxury" SUV. There's no added performance to accompany the A-Spec trim, which is essentially an appearance package - not a performance package.
While the appearance of the A-Spec is not for me, I wouldn't have given up the features of the Advance even if it was.
In my useless opinion, the A-Spec's lack of wood and chrome make it look "cheap". The dark wheels remind me of four spare tires. While this look might work on a Hellcat, I think it's unbecoming of a "luxury" SUV. There's no added performance to accompany the A-Spec trim, which is essentially an appearance package - not a performance package.
While the appearance of the A-Spec is not for me, I wouldn't have given up the features of the Advance even if it was.
Your opinion is not useless at all! It's awesome to have so many points of view and opinions! I enjoy the debates and conversation personally. I used to be exactly like you, I hated black wheels because it reminded me of hubcaps with missing covers. But my tastes have shifted, except on wood trim, I still love real wood trim in my cars. Safe to say the RDX is a great package even as a base model. It comes pretty dang loaded so let's just agree that this is a awesome "problem" to have haha.
I understand the rationale behind the standard models design, the A-Spec can be polarizing for sure. But the only difference between Elite and Tech are the auto dimming side mirrors, heated rear seats, perimeter lights and maybe wood trim. So a whole ass trim level for 3-4 non-distinct features? Honestly makes no sense to me at all. To add insult the tech comes with nicer wheels IMO.
Wow is it actually that economical to transform a regular model into an A-Spec? I have to say I'm VERY surprised. Like very. I come from the German car world and this foray into non-German brands is relatively new to me. So I'm used to very small things like fender flares or fender lip kits costing in excess of a thousand dollars, nevermind whole bumpers. Hell, even badges on German models can cost $150. Yeah I would never pay the $2200 just for black headlights, I mean it's possible to even get a experienced shop to do it to the normal lignts. If it's really that cheap then I see no reason NOT to get a P-E and transform it into an A-Spec for roughly a thousand plus wheels. That is the MUCH better route honestly!
Hey man I was looking at the Canada RDX Trim Walk again and the Elite Trim actually has Perforated Milano Leather Seating, whereas the Tech only has leatherette. The Elite also has heated steering, hands-free tailgate, power folding mirrors, headlight washers. plus the few features you mentioned (no wood trim though). I think the Milano leather seating is the biggest difference here. For me, I feel like the additional features are worth the extra $3500.
The Tech and Elite come with very similar wheels. I think the main difference is that the inner part of the Elite wheels are gunmetal instead of silver. I actually like them better.
Haha ya I was browsing acuraoemparts.com for those prices! Yea, if you are considering this car and wanna get the A-spec look and E-P features, it's the way to go. It's much easier to do than getting an A-spec and trying to install HUD, adaptive dampers, etc.
But if you want the A-spec cluster and red seats...then that's more tricky and costly.
Hey man I was looking at the Canada RDX Trim Walk again and the Elite Trim actually has Perforated Milano Leather Seating, whereas the Tech only has leatherette. The Elite also has heated steering, hands-free tailgate, power folding mirrors, headlight washers. plus the few features you mentioned (no wood trim though). I think the Milano leather seating is the biggest difference here. For me, I feel like the additional features are worth the extra $3500.
The Tech and Elite come with very similar wheels. I think the main difference is that the inner part of the Elite wheels are gunmetal instead of silver. I actually like them better.
Haha ya I was browsing acuraoemparts.com for those prices! Yea, if you are considering this car and wanna get the A-spec look and E-P features, it's the way to go. It's much easier to do than getting an A-spec and trying to install HUD, adaptive dampers, etc.
But if you want the A-spec cluster and red seats...then that's more tricky and costly.
Hmm I thought the E-P had the milano seats, didn't realize the Elite also had Milano seats, also thought the power tailgate was standard equipment. If that is the case then I totally understand it now! I also thought the tech and elite rims looked way different, am I maybe visualizing accessory wheels? The ones that look to be 10 straight spokes.
Yes totally agree, trying to go back from E-P to A-Spec is WAY easier than A-Spec to E-P lmao. I'm actually going to wait till I graduate in a couple years (fingers crossed) and the Type-S is out (fingers also crossed) and the minor kinks are worked out (fingers still crossed lmao). I have a feeling the Type-S will meld the E-P and A-Spec features plus a much more potent powertrain. That is my dream RDX. So rather than get tied down and lose on trade in, I'll just wait till my dream RDX comes out and or the MMC to grab one. I think I am being a little unfair to the normal model, it's still a very good looking car.
BTW LOVE LOVE LOVE those wheels you put on your RDX!
Haha yea had to go look at the specs to find out the differences! Sorry the power tailgate is standard on all RDX. It's the hands-free feature (where you can do a kicking motion to open or close the hatch) that is the difference. It's a pretty handy feature for my family since we have a baby and we usually have our hands full...lol.
You are probably thinking of the accessory wheels or the advance ones? The Elite wheels are more of a variation of the Tech Wheels, and the Elite Platinum wheels are the same as the Advance ones.
Mine is a lease so perhaps when the lease ends, the Type S will be here!
Thank you! Those rims came from my 2007 RDX. They are heavy like the OEM ones though....
Hey man I was looking at the Canada RDX Trim Walk again and the Elite Trim actually has Perforated Milano Leather Seating, whereas the Tech only has leatherette. The Elite also has heated steering, hands-free tailgate, power folding mirrors, headlight washers. plus the few features you mentioned (no wood trim though). I think the Milano leather seating is the biggest difference here. For me, I feel like the additional features are worth the extra $3500.
The Tech and Elite come with very similar wheels. I think the main difference is that the inner part of the Elite wheels are gunmetal instead of silver. I actually like them better.
Haha ya I was browsing acuraoemparts.com for those prices! Yea, if you are considering this car and wanna get the A-spec look and E-P features, it's the way to go. It's much easier to do than getting an A-spec and trying to install HUD, adaptive dampers, etc.
But if you want the A-spec cluster and red seats...then that's more tricky and costly.
I’m in Canada and I think you’ve done a really good summary of different model features. I looked at the top three lines on the lot last week and actually think at this moment I would buy the Elite and save the dollars over the P-E. The Elite wheels are way nicer than the Advance/P-E (similar in styling but much classier than the Tech’s) and imho nicer than the A-Spec. I find the A-Spec dark headliner makes the car a bit gloomy. The dark wheels don’t do it for me either. Haven’t personally compared but some reviewers have said the 12 position seats are more comfortable than the 16. I might add the fog lights as an option to the Elite so the biggest loss for me would be the four extra roof mounted speakers.
Haha yea had to go look at the specs to find out the differences! Sorry the power tailgate is standard on all RDX. It's the hands-free feature (where you can do a kicking motion to open or close the hatch) that is the difference. It's a pretty handy feature for my family since we have a baby and we usually have our hands full...lol.
You are probably thinking of the accessory wheels or the advance ones? The Elite wheels are more of a variation of the Tech Wheels, and the Elite Platinum wheels are the same as the Advance ones.
Mine is a lease so perhaps when the lease ends, the Type S will be here!
Thank you! Those rims came from my 2007 RDX. They are heavy like the OEM ones though....
Reading comprehension!!! I misread hands free tailgate for power tailgate! Yeah totally gotcha, it was on an audi q5 loaner we had for a week and it was actually pretty cool. I could see it being very useful.
Looked up the wheels and you are 100% correct, tech and Elite wheels are different than P-E which are like the US Advance wheels.
I see, good call on leasing, both in terms of new model so you can get out if issues keep happening and also in terms of if the Type-S comes out you'll be prepared haha.
Originally Posted by 37tzee
I'd like an A-Spec exterior option like Audi's Black Optics package. Prefer the Advanced interior with wood trim instead of aluminum.
Do the non-Aspec trims get real metal shift paddles? I didn’t check when I was at the dealership.
I don’t think so. I think that’s an A-Spec exclusive like the drilled pedal. OTOH, when I looked at both interiors last week, I thought the color of the non A-Spec shifters was more subdued so it’s not like you have shiny plastic to worry about.
I’m in Canada and I think you’ve done a really good summary of different model features. I looked at the top three lines on the lot last week and actually think at this moment I would buy the Elite and save the dollars over the P-E. The Elite wheels are way nicer than the Advance/P-E (similar in styling but much classier than the Tech’s) and imho nicer than the A-Spec. I find the A-Spec dark headliner makes the car a bit gloomy. The dark wheels don’t do it for me either. Haven’t personally compared but some reviewers have said the 12 position seats are more comfortable than the 16. I might add the fog lights as an option to the Elite so the biggest loss for me would be the four extra roof mounted speakers.
Thank you! Yea, I wish the price jump between the Elite and P-E trims isn't as big. It's a 10% increase so I think that's pretty significant. The P-E does have adaptive dampers though. I never tried the Elite, but I tested both the A-spec and E-P. I'm not sure if the suspension on the A-spec is different than the other non EP trims, but it's a bit on the firm side with those 20" rims. I wonder what the ride is like on the Elite with 19" wheels.
Originally Posted by RDX10
Reading comprehension!!! I misread hands free tailgate for power tailgate! Yeah totally gotcha, it was on an audi q5 loaner we had for a week and it was actually pretty cool. I could see it being very useful.
Looked up the wheels and you are 100% correct, tech and Elite wheels are different than P-E which are like the US Advance wheels.
I see, good call on leasing, both in terms of new model so you can get out if issues keep happening and also in terms of if the Type-S comes out you'll be prepared haha.
Haha yea, actually had an accident a few days after picking the car. It's not a small one so if we'd bought the car instead, when we wanna sell it, it's gonna be more difficult and take a big hit on depreciation. Now, it's the dealer's problem haha.
Originally Posted by SebringSilver
Do the non-Aspec trims get real metal shift paddles? I didn’t check when I was at the dealership.
Nope. They are plastic and are smaller in size too. Having said that, they feel alright and using the paddle shifters isn't much of an issue. It's more of an aesthetic thing. At this price point though I think the material should be metal for all trims.
And my friend just helped me with wrapping the front grille and vent chrome pieces:
Last edited by iforyou; 11-11-2018 at 01:19 AM.
Reason: Add photo
Thank you! Yea, I wish the price jump between the Elite and P-E trims isn't as big. It's a 10% increase so I think that's pretty significant. The P-E does have adaptive dampers though. I never tried the Elite, but I tested both the A-spec and E-P. I'm not sure if the suspension on the A-spec is different than the other non EP trims, but it's a bit on the firm side with those 20" rims. I wonder what the ride is like on the Elite with 19" wheels.
Haha yea, actually had an accident a few days after picking the car. It's not a small one so if we'd bought the car instead, when we wanna sell it, it's gonna be more difficult and take a big hit on depreciation. Now, it's the dealer's problem haha.
Nope. They are plastic and are smaller in size too. Having said that, they feel alright and using the paddle shifters isn't much of an issue. It's more of an aesthetic thing. At this price point though I think the material should be metal for all trims.
And my friend just helped me with wrapping the front grille and vent chrome pieces:
HAHA sucks go be them!!!! What luck!! Glad you are doing ok! Also WOW I can't even tell that's not an A-Spec! I absolutely love all the blacked out chrome bits! Seriously improves the look to me! I definitely will go this route if a Type-S doesn't come out. I like your taste!
Thank you! Yea, I wish the price jump between the Elite and P-E trims isn't as big. It's a 10% increase so I think that's pretty significant. The P-E does have adaptive dampers though. I never tried the Elite, but I tested both the A-spec and E-P. I'm not sure if the suspension on the A-spec is different than the other non EP trims, but it's a bit on the firm side with those 20" rims. I wonder what the ride is like on the Elite with 19" wheels.
Haha yea, actually had an accident a few days after picking the car. It's not a small one so if we'd bought the car instead, when we wanna sell it, it's gonna be more difficult and take a big hit on depreciation. Now, it's the dealer's problem haha.
Nope. They are plastic and are smaller in size too. Having said that, they feel alright and using the paddle shifters isn't much of an issue. It's more of an aesthetic thing. At this price point though I think the material should be metal for all trims.
And my friend just helped me with wrapping the front grille and vent chrome pieces:
Just my two cents here. I have a modern steel Awd ASPEC (red seats). I wasn't too sure on the red seats or suede at first, but I actually really like it now and I've had many compliments on these touches. Unfortunately, it's in the shop now to fix an uneven hood gap (drivers side slightly larger than passenger side).
Anyways, I have a loaner, been driving it for a couple days. It's a 2wd advanced with black interior. I was excited to try out the extra tech.... The hud, top down rear view camera, and the extra seat settings. The seats are a nice touch, but I'm not impressed with the others. I don't need a heated steering wheel and I prefer the perforated steering wheel of the aspec.
Long stays short, I much prefer my ASPEC and I can't wait to get it back 😀. Also, the SHAWD is like night and day compared to the 2wd. My only gripes: lack of folding side mirrors and Android auto
I don’t think so. I think that’s an A-Spec exclusive like the drilled pedal. OTOH, when I looked at both interiors last week, I thought the color of the non A-Spec shifters was more subdued so it’s not like you have shiny plastic to worry about.
Originally Posted by iforyou
Nope. They are plastic and are smaller in size too. Having said that, they feel alright and using the paddle shifters isn't much of an issue. It's more of an aesthetic thing. At this price point though I think the material should be metal for all trims.
I rather like the fact that the paddles are metal, and I’ve been using them a fair bit. Are other Aspec owners also shifting for themselves? How many non-Aspec owners do that?
Just my two cents here. I have a modern steel Awd ASPEC (red seats). I wasn't too sure on the red seats or suede at first, but I actually really like it now and I've had many compliments on these touches. Unfortunately, it's in the shop now to fix an uneven hood gap (drivers side slightly larger than passenger side).
Anyways, I have a loaner, been driving it for a couple days. It's a 2wd advanced with black interior. I was excited to try out the extra tech.... The hud, top down rear view camera, and the extra seat settings. The seats are a nice touch, but I'm not impressed with the others. I don't need a heated steering wheel and I prefer the perforated steering wheel of the aspec.
Long stays short, I much prefer my ASPEC and I can't wait to get it back 😀. Also, the SHAWD is like night and day compared to the 2wd. My only gripes: lack of folding side mirrors and Android auto
You're literally the first person on here to say they have a red leather interior, I'm starting to believe it's a very unpopular color choice. I mean I can understand that it's very polarizing but you'd think someone going for the A-Spec package would go with red leather to maks it unique.
You're literally the first person on here to say they have a red leather interior, I'm starting to believe it's a very unpopular color choice. I mean I can understand that it's very polarizing but you'd think someone going for the A-Spec package would go with red leather to maks it unique.
Yeah my main draw to the ASPEC was the wheels and trim, and the sound system upgrade. I wasn't drawn to the red seats as much as I was drawn the exterior; and red is the only option available in the modern steel aspec. Now I'm loving it. Other than that, I would've gone with the AWD Tech with espresso interior. Looks really classy, and I think the wheels are much nicer than the advance.
I do as situations warrant - mostly for engine braking.
For the most part I find the trans works well for my driving. Once in a while if I'm accelerating a bit hard it will hold a gear longer than I'd like once my speed levels off and I'll up shift in that case.
Smaller, plastic paddles on the non A-Spec trims is kind of annoying. I wonder if they would be an easy part to swap. I have plastic paddles on my GTI and metal on my BMW and vastly prefer metal.
Smaller, plastic paddles on the non A-Spec trims is kind of annoying. I wonder if they would be an easy part to swap. I have plastic paddles on my GTI and metal on my BMW and vastly prefer metal.
This is one of those things that makes me scratch my head. Is there any RDX buyer out there who wouldn’t simply prefer metal shift paddles over the cheap plastic ones, regardless of trim level?
I rather like the fact that the paddles are metal, and I’ve been using them a fair bit. Are other Aspec owners also shifting for themselves? How many non-Aspec owners do that?
I use them to downshift and engine brake on downhill grades. Other than that, I have not found myself in a position to use the paddles for acceleration.
Yeah my main draw to the ASPEC was the wheels and trim, and the sound system upgrade. I wasn't drawn to the red seats as much as I was drawn the exterior; and red is the only option available in the modern steel aspec. Now I'm loving it. Other than that, I would've gone with the AWD Tech with espresso interior. Looks really classy, and I think the wheels are much nicer than the advance.
Lmao so we're still at zero here. For me one of the main draws to A-Spec is the red seats. I've wanted red leather seats my entire life.
Originally Posted by rdXD
Smaller, plastic paddles on the non A-Spec trims is kind of annoying. I wonder if they would be an easy part to swap. I have plastic paddles on my GTI and metal on my BMW and vastly prefer metal.
On VWs it's very easy to buy paddle adapter kits so you can change the size and shape of your paddles for a few bucks easily.
Originally Posted by SebringSilver
This is one of those things that makes me scratch my head. Is there any RDX buyer out there who wouldn’t simply prefer metal shift paddles over the cheap plastic ones, regardless of trim level?
It's a two-fold reason. First off they expect someone who goes for the A-Spec to like a sportier drive and thus more likely to use the paddles so they used metal. Furthermore it's a cost cutting design choice on the other trims so they put plastic. I of course think metal should be standard on all trims. I'm willing to guarantee that it's an easy swap regardless.
Modern Steel Aspec RDXs in Canada can be had with the black seats as well as red. This is another mystery to me. The US must be a more important market to Acura, and yet you guys keep getting short changed down there.
Modern Steel Aspec RDXs in Canada can be had with the black seats as well as red. This is another mystery to me. The US must be a more important market to Acura, and yet you guys keep getting short changed down there.
So weird.
I really do find that very weird. The US market is WAY larger than Canada and yet we have much more desirable trims anand features but not complaining!!! Our A-Spec is really well optioned here too!
On VWs it's very easy to buy paddle adapter kits so you can change the size and shape of your paddles for a few bucks easily.
That's what got me thinking about it. The aftermarket paddle replacements (full replacements, not stick-ons) for the MK7 seem pretty straight forward to install. I'd hope they would be equally as simple to retrofit on the RDX.
That's what got me thinking about it. The aftermarket paddle replacements (full replacements, not stick-ons) for the MK7 seem pretty straight forward to install. I'd hope they would be equally as simple to retrofit on the RDX.
I come from the VW world and my favorite part of VW's is how easy they are to mod. If you have a vagcom almost anything is doable at home!
HAHA sucks go be them!!!! What luck!! Glad you are doing ok! Also WOW I can't even tell that's not an A-Spec! I absolutely love all the blacked out chrome bits! Seriously improves the look to me! I definitely will go this route if a Type-S doesn't come out. I like your taste!
Thank you sir! Yes, I like it a lot too! I think that's in for now in terms of appearance mods. Looks close enough to an A-spec with these black trims and aftermarket rims...though I will swap back to the advance rims this weekend with winter tires.
Originally Posted by Coolguy
Did you use plastidip or something like that?
I used 3M Vinyl Wrap. I bought it from Amazon Canada, but it's similar to this:
I rather like the fact that the paddles are metal, and I’ve been using them a fair bit. Are other Aspec owners also shifting for themselves? How many non-Aspec owners do that?
It's pretty fun to drive using the paddle shifters in sport plus mode. Too bad I don't have too many opportunities to do this since it's my wife's daily. When I get to drive it, I'm usually with the whole family.
11-07-2018 | 11:17 AM
