Hello,

My 2021 RDX A-spec was recently stolen and I've started the insurance process. I expect a check for approximately $31,000 in the next few weeks.. I don't want another A-spec, so I'm considering a 2022 W/ Tech. However, those seem to be incredibly hard to find (I want one that's " Precision Certified") and they are going to be more money than a 2021 W/ Tech. My questions:

1. Is precision certified worth it?
2. Is stepping up to a 2022 worth it?

I can get a 2021 W/ tech tomorrow, Precision Certified in any color I want for about $30,000. Those are easy to find. Thanks for any advice.

 

Yes, the step up to 2022 should be worth it. It was the refresh year so a few more bugs have been worked out of the car and I think the tech should include a wireless charger and wireless CarPlay/Andriod Auto. If you get used, go Precision Certified for sure!! The extra warranty is worth it. The warranty goes off the day the car was originally sold, so watch for that. i.e. try and buy a car that was sold mid to late 2022 for the most warranty time left.

Also, sorry about the 21' A-Spec. Any reason you dont want an A-Spec again? It will have all the features of the Tech and more.

 

If you were fine with the performance of the technology in your 2021 model then there is no real reason (aside from warranty) to go with the 2022+ models. IMO pre-refresh models look much better too.

 

Thanks for the feedback guys! Tough decision. Certainly plenty more 2021s out there to choose from. I can't say that I had an "Issue" with the technology in my 2021, but would be nice to have the wireless carplay and wireless charging. I also read that the car rides quieter because of more sound insulation...not sure if that's true or not.

 

If I am not mistaken all trims got some enhanced sound insulation but only the top trim got the acoustic glass all around. Someone correct me if I am wrong.

In the 2019 A-Spec model I test drove a way back I did not feel like the wind noise was excessive honestly, so I am not sure how drastically different the 2022's would be. Depending on how much you would save by going with a 21 you might be able to just add some insulation mats after the fact....they also sell wireless carplay dongles and from what I have read on here the wireless charge pad is trash.

 

Thanks. Yes, I'm leaning more and more towards a 2021 that's Precision Certified. They are stickering for about $31,000, with roughly 30K Miles, with Tech Package. With a little haggling I can probably get it for under 30K.
2022s on the other hand (If I can find one), right now there's only 1 within 100 miles of me, and it's NOT precision certified, 23k miles, Tech package, and is listing for $35,000. A 4k difference. ....

 

The fact they couldn't precision certify that 22 model is enough for me to RUN in the other direction.

 

Could be something not so great, or it could be seat weight sensor recall that many cars have. You cant certify a used car with an open recall and even dealers are having issues getting those parts. Last dealer I talked to said he had over 10 used RDXs on the lot that should be CPO except for the sensor recall.

 

We cross-shopped for the top trims of the 2022 vs 2021 when we got our 2022. Key features that sold us on the 2022 were the wireless Android Auto/Carplay, auto-folding mirrors (wife had that in her last two cars and didn't want to lose it), and the acoustic improvements.

Were you looking to avoid an a-spec because you wanted a sleeper look that is less of a theft magnet? If so then I agree a tech would be the same as an aspec without the looks.

There wasn't much change between 19 and 21, so if it were me I'd use the money to buy an older 19 Advance model, rather than a 21 tech, just because features like the 360 cam are really useful. Especially if you can get either certified.

 

Sorry to hear about your theft of your car, was it stolen when out and about or at home?

Acura has cellular and gps for every car, were they not able to locate it? Not sure if they will ping it if you don’t have a subscription, but worth a try.

 

When I was looking recently, there were plenty of 2021 and 2023 RDXs but I saw very, very few 2022s..for some reason

 

It makes a lot of sense to me, 2021's sit on the lot because they're not fresh, 2022's fly off the lot because they were the first year of a refresh, 2023's sit on the lot because again not new anymore.

 

Totally fair points, I didn't think that it worked like that!

 

I think there are just fewer 2022 models of almost ANY vehicle, because that was the height of the chip shortage.

 

I had a 2019 and now have a 2023 both Tech. The 2023 is slightly quieter (not by much, I doubt it’s even a 3 dB difference) but the wireless CarPlay that actually works is really nice. I never used my 2019 for navigation or CarPlay, always used standalone phone for directions, but always use CarPlay now both for navigation and music. The dials are also a little cleaner.

Also post refresh the parking sensors in the front moved out from the honeycomb grill so they don’t do false triggers like the 2019 used to with water or leaves getting stuck there.

 

Thanks to everyone who commented and offered feedback, appreciate it! I've been waiting patiently and finally got my settlement amount. 34k. It was a little less than I was hoping for, but it is what it is.
Unfortunately that leaves me with a tough decision. I either go into my pocket for 10K, and buy a used 2022 or 2023 with Tech; those are going to cost me around 43/44K with sales tax.

Or I could not spend a dime and get in a 2021 with Tech. I can get one of those easily for about 33/34k all in.

So the question as I see it, is the 2022 MMC worth $10,000 more?.....

 

Only you can answer that $10k question.

With all the new and used vehicles flooding the market, I bet you could easily negotiate a a sweeties price on a 2022 or 2023. Do a reverse search on car gurus to see which vehicles have been on the lot the longest. Most dealers hate to carry a vehicle for more than 90 days, as they are paying for that short term loan.

 

Don't know the specifics of where or how your car was stolen but what is the likelihood of it happening again? Assuming it was a relay attack, the keyfob tech is still the same and won't change until at least the MY25 RDX!

 

Are you saying there's not much difference between the 22 or 23? If so, I'd get the 23. I'd say that is worth $10k more than a 21.

 

BTW, I paid $20K to go from a 19 to a 23 and that was back when used car prices were quite elevated and I got $1K off MSRP for the 23.