I guess it is fair to compare the RDX to the soon to be released (2020) Tesla model Y, since both appear to be similar class vehicles and of similar size, similar price, and both are touted as semi-luxury. Would you trade your RDX for the Model Y?

 

I take delivery of my 2020 RDX today so I cannot speak from experience but for what it’s worth, and it may not be worth much as this is highly subjective, I just do not like the exterior styling of the Telsa. To me, and again this is a matter of personal taste, it looks frumpy. :-)

 

Not quite similar price. Model Y's price is a tad higher. Tesla's site by default subtracts the estimated gas savings cost in the price. Select Purchase Price when quoting the price to see actual price. Though, in a couple more years when electric cars and infrastructure for them are more mainstream, I would probably go with the Model Y or similar all-electric brand/model.

 

While I mostly expect my next vehicle to be electric, and I really like the feature package of Tesla, I am leery of them as a car company when it comes to everything else about a car. Fortunately, my timeframe for my next car is around 4 or so years, at which time more of the e-vehicles will have been rolled out and there is more experience with running and repairing them. I hear it is hard to get things fixed on a Tesla.

https://fortune.com/2018/07/24/tesla-repair-damage/

https://www.sfgate.com/cars/article/...r-13796037.php

 

Not at all comparable in cargo capacity. Look at the roof contour at the back. There's nothing "Utility" about Model Y. Or Model X for that matter. It's a "crossover" only in the sense of having AWD.

What kind of roof rack would you put on that?

I know the low-slung roofline is for aerodynamics, and that's the only way they can get any kind of driving range with the batteries, but it's not the same as having a substantial cargo area like an SUV. You couldn't even put a dog bigger than a Chihuahua in that so-called cargo area. And forget loading anything bulky through the back "hatch". It's really a fastback.

So if an AWD fastback coupe suits your needs, go ahead and buy one, but RDX has capabilities this thing clearly lacks. Tesla is playing games calling this an SUV. It's not.

 

You said a mouthfull here. Tesla/Musk is a master of playing games...marketing, advertising, hype, using press releases for free publicity.....I dont trust them at all.

 

It appears there is a petition before the Hague to address this egregious crime:

https://jalopnik.com/lets-all-agree-...art-1834553558

( And I plead nolo contendere to my own transgression above... a fastback coupe is like a sports car SUV... err wait a minute... ).

 

Only a Chihuahua? Nay. A nimble Yorkie can fit as well.

 

I am like many here. I like the idea of an all electric vehicle, but don't much care for Tesla as a company. I have ridden in a Tesla and don't care for the huge screen in the middle that controls everything. The new Tesla truck makes me wonder where they might be headed in the future. I like the Rivian truck. It reminds me a lot of the Ridgeline in that it has some odd storage locations.

Billy

 

It's a legit comparison, but I think the Y is going to be higher in price, better in performance, but worse in cargo space, and lower in quality. I'd prefer to have an electric vehicle, but because I live in a city, I don't have the charging infrastructure that would make that an option. And I'd still be worried about the range since my travels outside the city usually take me to the upper limit of a Tesla, with no charging station at the other side (without additional expense or significant hassle). So it's ICE for me for now, but in 10 years when I get rid of the RDX, I expect I'll be trading it for an electric vehicle.

 

Ford's new Mustang Mach-e should be on the list for comparison. Looks like a winner

 

I thought the Model Y has around 66cf of cargo space when seats are folded. Isn’t that nearly the same as RDX? I understand the mouth opening is small though. The roof rack does appear to be a problem, though I haven’t used a roof racks for any of my cars so far (but I understand the need for others to do so).
It definitely has some disadvantages when compared to RDX or other ICE but it has some advantages as well which will keep it going. Not having to worry about filling up gas and not having yearly service visits, able to have frequent wireless updates for many issues (which some ICE cars have started offering on a limited scale nevertheless) are some of them.

From what I hear the Rivian SUV is likely to be a dud since it has nearly double the price of Tesla, less range and performance and no proven track record as well as no charging infrastructure as of now. The only saving grace is that Amazon has signed up for their vans. Would you plonk $70-100 k for a car when there are proven cheaper alternatives? Yes I understand the styling perspective but it goes only so far.
looks like a decent offering from Ford but still falls short of the performance metrics set by Tesla. However the brand pedigree should pull it through for now.

 

Again looking at the pictures, is there any reason to believe that the rear hatch opening will be small? As you know this is potentially offered with 7 seats so the cargo area can’t be that bad with a 5 seater or with third row folded down.

 

Maybe you should get out in the real world and look at one in person instead of immersing yourself in online marketing BS.

Oh, I forgot. There are no dealers where you can actually look at one before you buy it. Funny that.

As for cargo, I gave up on "specifications" years ago. They are at best a rough guideline to narrow the field.

Now I show up at the dealer with my biggest luggage, my dog crates, anything else I might want to stuff into the thing. Better yet, swing by home on a test drive and go nuts.

 

its higher, actually. I think the RDX has just about 60. But Tesla’s figures include the frunk. That’s fine, since the frunk is similar in capacity (and probably more usable) to the under floor storage in the RDX. But it’s not the seats down measurements that matter most, it’s the capacity with the seats up. I don’t think the official figures are out yet but I believe I read that figure was in the low 20’s, which is understandable considering the steep roofline over the cargo area. Most of that 66 is going to be in the headroom of the passenger area.

Seats folded measurements are fine if you’re going to Costco by yourself and loading up with bulk toilet paper. But in the real world, what matters more is hauling cargo and passengers at the same time, whether that’s a weekend camping trip with friends or a family weekend with the kids to grandma’s house. That’s why I chose the RDX over something like the Q5 or pretty much anything else in this class; others only had half the behind the seats cargo space.

 

Totally agree with what you said. I thought I read somewhere that the RDX has 79 cf cargo space but I may be wrong.
I’m using my current RDX as a commuter car only. We have a Pacifica minivan which we use for all other long trips and sams club visits (yeah it’s impractical otherwise- three small kids ).
BTW Tesla has showrooms in several cities, where I can sit and check out the available cars (as we all know Model Y isn’t available yet). In fact I’m visiting Columbus currently and there’s one within walking distance of where I’m staying right now.

 

According to Acura website:

Cargo Volume (cu ft) (Max): Behind First Row: 58.9 [46] (79.8 [47])

That’s footnotes 46 and 47, after the cargo and max cargo space, but I can’t see what those footnotes mean. Anyway, in most press reports they cite 60 cu ft.

Ive read that every mfr uses different methodology to measure, so it’s hard to tell for sure.

 

The 79.8 includes the underfloor cubbies and the space by the floor between the 1st-row seats and 2nd-row seats, "with the 1st-row seats moved forward". This is one of the ways the manufacturers play games. Some of that space is useful for cramming in small stuff for a college move ( for instance ), but meaningless for sliding in the furniture you bought at Ikea or found at an antique store. Or even a decent size dog crate. And how often do you want to put the 1st-row seats all the way forward? Ouch.

BTW, if you haven't figured it out, this is a pet peeve of mine after shopping for family road trip vehicles for a couple decades. RDX is a downsize from a string of MDXs and Pilots, and we still have a couple MDXs.

To be fair, Acura includes that space in this measurement cuz the other guys do, and they are relatively transparent about what they are doing.

https://www.acura.com/news-and-press...ticle=10388-en

 

Frunk = front trunk?

Speaking of cramming stuff in, in the time before kids my wife and I once went camping in Maine out of my 1st-gen Toyota MR-2, which is a tiny mid-engine 2-seater with a front truck that houses the spare tire.

We stopped at the LL Bean flagship store in Freeport, bought a second sleeping bag, and proceeded to take it out of the box in the parking lot and cram it into the front trunk. We got some very puzzled looks as we were doing this.

 

Just had to take this picture while I had a chance.

 

Wow, it's a unicorn!

Teslas are like weeds around here, but I don't have a clue where they get them. Looks like the closest "dealer" is Chicago area.

 

There's a ton of new electrics about to hit in the next 2 years:
https://www.caranddriver.com/news/g2...c-cars-trucks/
In addition to the Model Y, I'm eyeing the:
Mach-E (300 miles, $45K base)
Nissan Ariya (300 miles, $40K base)

But I refuse to do the pre-order thing. Need to see one in person and test drive before I hand over any money.

 

I'm gonna have a cow. How can Porsche call a pure EV a "Turbo"?!!!

I hope it's pronounced Porsh Taycan Turbo, cuz otherwise Ferdinand Porsche is gonna come back from the dead and kick some butt.

 

Intel has turbo boost in its processors, so why not?

You have dishwashers with turbo dry.

 

Don't try to soothe me. All is lost.

I'm gonna go cry myself to sleep.

 

Porsche has to do something with all the left-over Turbo badges they have from the 911s they make that have turbos but aren’t labeled as such.

 

I have 2019 RDX and am thinking of getting the 2021 Model Y. I think the Model Y will be a great car for local driving and RDX will be used for long drives....

 

When my lease is up on my RDX in 2021 I'll be cross-shopping the Y, the Mach E, and a used Model X. Would consider the CyberTruck but no way is that fitting in my garage.

 

Surprisingly you can return a tesla within 7 days or 1k miles. The fact you need to bring all your crap to the dealer is itself an absurdity. I hope other brands will at least learn from that.

 

LOL. Not all, just the bulkiest items I might want to schlep.

It was a bigger issue ( literally ) when family National Park road trips were more of a thing, but I haven't forgotten.

Some reviewers have gotten wise to this game, and do things like expand a plastic frame in the cargo area to measure contiguous dimensions and volume.

If you want to return a Tesla, do you call the mothership to beam it up?

 

You can have any number of electric cars but does it matter at all?
None will measure up to Tesla on all aspects. Read this funny article.
The Tesla Conspiracy... or Am I a Dead Whistleblower? - EVTV Motor Verks

 

It does to me. I care about range. I see lack of autopilot (safety issue, I don’t want to pay to be a beta tester) and excessive use of technology (promising ease of use but actually invading my privacy) as pluses.

I don’t like smart anything, and the model 3/y while beautiful is a bit too minimalistic for my comfort. I would prefer an instrument cluster in the regular place and some physical controls.

 

This Model Y is 70k to 85k canadian. How is this even a fair comparison to the RDX? I can buy plenty of gas for years with the price difference.

 

That's an interesting sermon, but it's not surprising from an evangelist. And I'm having trouble separating the sarcasm from the evangelism.

Let's just say I am suspicious of cults.

Which is not to say that I think human-caused climate change is a myth, or that some form of electrification isn't the way forward ( assuming the power comes from renewable sources ). But I would prefer that there be a lot less hyperbole and a lot more recognition that this is going to take time and there will be sacrifices along the way.

To sorta get back to the original topic, one sacrifice will be vehicle capacity. The traditional SUV body style is an aerodynamic nightmare, but some people need that capacity, or at least they need it some of the time. To make do with less, or commit to multiple vehicles or alternate forms of transportation, is a sacrifice. To limit trips, or confine them to narrow corridors with electric charging stations, is a sacrifice.

For the record, I am disappointed that my decision to downsize to RDX yielded very little improvement in fuel economy over my previous vehicle. If I were willing to sacrifice some sportiness, which is a luxury, I could do better. And that is probably the direction I will go with my next vehicle purchase. And it will almost certainly have some form of electrification. YMMV

 

I don’t know which trim are you comparing to the RDX but the base price of a model Y is pretty close to RDX( maybe a little higher but not too much). The savings are not just in gas but in service costs as well. My friend who is a model S owner since 2012 , close to 100,000 miles, has spent only $23 on the car so far (on some broken switch). He has free supercharging for life and has a solar electric charging at home. Yes he does he use some electricity from the grid as well.
All internal combustion engine cars would have higher servicing cost as well as maintenance for engine, transmission, brakes etc. electric cars will have none of these issues. The brake pads will apparently last 5 to 15 times longer due to regenerative braking. There are no regular scheduled maintenance visits.
I don’t even want to compare that to my Mercedes.

 

With autopilot its 75k canadian not including tax. That's 50% more than the RDX. The cost is unrealistic for the average family no matter how you sugarcoat the maintenance and gas savings.

 

And it gets much worse if you look at the AWD version, which is most comparable to RDX SH-AWD. That's one hell of a carbon tax. Or anti-carbon tax. Or whatever.

It always amuses me when salespeople try to tell me how much they will be saving me. As they try to get me to spend all kinds of money. Riiiiight.

Speaking of scams, skip the damn "autopilot". It's not self-driving, and it's outright fraud that it's being advertised as such.

 

The way I drive cars nowadays, I would probably only need to charge it on a road trip two or four times at most. Otherwise, it would be charged at home. Never going to a gas or service station has some appeal.

 

So does a banana.

 

Here ya go, don’t smoke it.