labatt

Reading through the various forums and it seems like there are a lot of people who love their RDX and others that are completely fed up by issues.

I'm coming from a BMW X5 (2009 - so older one) and have been looking at a 2019 RDX Advance with about 10k miles pretty heavily. It seems like a lot of the things people are fed up with focus on the infotainment unit - which is pretty important. Glitches, lack of Android Auto (I have an Android phone), HUD issues, etc.

Would you buy a 2019 RDX Advance today or not? And, as a side note, what are the common issues I should definitely look for?

Thanks!

Chris

Rob175

With so many other SUV's to choose from why would you want to become a "BETA TESTER" for Acura. With all of the issues with the "re-designed" RDX why would you be looking at one that's for sale with only 10,000 miles???.......to me that screams you're "buying someone else's problem"....... Check out the new Audi Q3 or Q5 to mention just 2.

labatt

I'm actually looking at the Q5. It just seems like you get so much more with an RDX. I test drove it for about 15 minutes and enjoyed it (the RDX), and I've read a ton of blogs and articles proclaiming it to be an amazing vehicle. And there are ALWAYS issues with cars. My X5 with its V8 engine is an awesome performer but is a horribly built engine and only seems to get worse from generation to generation (the service guy at the dealer this past Friday was like - stay FAR away from the current generation of BMW V8's).

So I'm trying to figure out... as a car enthusiast.. will I get totally annoyed at all of the RDX issues? Or will I enjoy it for the most part and just have to deal with some quirks? I know that's only a question I can answer.. but I'm wondering if from everyone else's perspective.. there are lots of threads with lots of issues, but if you look at the big picture - do you like the RDX overall? Or...

labatt

Oh.. acceleration (max at 0-60 6.9s but preferably lower) and handling are my number one and number two criteria. Followed by luxury feel. AND I'm looking for something around the $40k mark. I'm coming from having BMW's and Porsche's for the last 20 years (#firstworldproblems). That pretty much narrows down the field to the 2019 RDX Advance, the 2019 Audi Q5 Premium Plus (but a similar warranty to the RDX on this adds a lot more), and a higher mileage and older 2017 X4, X5 or X6 (I do not like the X3) - once again with a higher warranty cost. The RDX seems to hit the sweet spot.. until I read these forums. I just want to see the forest through the trees - is it a great vehicle overall.

fiatlux

You get what you pay for. If you wind up with an RDX that's problem free and you never have to deal with the service center, you'll be happy, but if you have any problems, you'll probably have a less than stellar experience if you're used to the BMW service experience. At least in my area, the 3 closest dealerships (a 4th recently closed down because they were so bad) are all subpar compared to the BMW/MB/Audi/Lexus dealerships in the area.

Rob175

Well......if after reading about the re-occuring issues with the RDX I personally would stay away until I read that some have been fixed, especially the ones that involve the electronics. I'm more confident about the mechanical issues being fixed than the digital ones.....and let's face it, these days the new cars are basically "computers". "Wrench-turners" and programers are two very different specialties. Having said that, I realize ALL vehicals have their issues, none are perfect, so my advice is to read, read, read and decide which issues, IF NEVER FIXED, can you live with after spending $40M plus. Happy shopping!

iHondaGuy

Just my 2 cents on this.... people come here to the forum to ask and write about issues that they are experiencing - that's why we read so much about them here. I made an account here to ask about some shuddering noise I was here on my 17 RDX - the car has not failed me though. I just jinxed myself.

How many Acura owners that are not experiencing any issues actually come and write here about their experience. Not too many I think. (I could be wrong.)

Anyways I think this is true for any auto manufacturer.

Gabriel Kag

I noticed my new 2020 rdx tech has moisture in the rear taillights

lights

Midnight Mystery

Time to pay a visit to the dealer.

Threeturbo

I don't think I would buy a used 2019 unless I could get an honest history of the car. But you might be able to get a new 2020 for not too much more. My 2020, albeit with only 3K miles, has been almost perfect. It is like night and day compared to some of the horror stories here. My only problem is the nav system on the HUD sometimes points the wrong direction for the next turn.

ed_k

Mine rattles in three areas, hard shifting between 2-3rd gear, sqeaky breaks,... i wish i would never get this thing... 10000 miles on it

Yumcha

The issues are concerning. What is your budget?

I would consider Lexus, Mazda, Audi, and even Mercedes...

gypzee

I bought my RDX Advance in June while I was in my Acura dealer waiting for an Oil Change on my 2016 RDX Tech Version(No issues with it at all and actually loved it until i saw the 2019. It was one of the first produced. I have had none of these issues that people are posting about. I am not saying that these issues are not happening to other people but my experience with my 2019 RDX Advance has been the "best" car I have ever owned. The handling is beyond my expectations. The True touchpad took me a day to conquer. It is NOT complicated as stated by many. The sound system is the best. I hate leaving the car when I am listening to it. The seats are unbelievably the best in any car I have previously owned ( I have owned many many cars) It does not feel like you are driving an SUV. As far as Acura's Navigation system issues, I had a few quirky things happen in the weeks after I bought it like the screen not shutting off after leaving the car but that was fixed in the first update. I like their navigation better than Android Auto now that I have it. I have noticed alot of these posts are old. My advice would be to look at the dates they were posted. I would definately recommend the RDX Advance over and Audi, BMW or Volvo. All three I have driven.

My "but" comes in when you say it's a 2019 with 10K miles on it. Unless it was a loaner car for the dealer I wouldnt recommend it. I wouldn't buy it only because as someone said in another post. No cars or car brands have absolutely no issues, I dont care what the make is. I would opt for a 2019 left over since it's the same exact car as the 2020 and "should" be cheaper. Or buy a 2020. As i said unless it was a loaner I wouldnt do it. You can easily check with a Carfax who previously owned it. Do "not" trust the car salesman.

To end this lengthy post, IMO you will absolutely love this car. (Unless it's someone else problem vehicle!

Pearl77

I have a 2019 Advance built in Sept 2018. I have no major issues with this vehicle so far (14K miles), other than I think that the infotainment system is more complex than necessary and Acura should buy an Audi and a BMW (or even a Ford) to see how they do it. I am taking it in to the dealer next week for a B 1 6 service and will also ask them to see if the transmission tech service bulletin applies to my vehicle. I have not had the hard 2-3 shifts others have reported but notice that if I back out of my driveway and put the car in Drive, it will drift back a small amount before actually going into first gear. Have never had this on any automatic transmission car before. Otherwise, I have been getting mostly between 23-25 mpg with 28 on longer trips.

leomio85

If I could do it again, I wouldn't buy an RDX in any trim. In such a competitive market, there are better choices. No major problems, but the build quality has proven to be rather poor. Only 4k miles and the interior has plenty of rattles. Not what I would expect from a pseudo-luxury vehicle.

labatt

Maybe it's a sign. I went to test drive a 2019 again yesterday at the dealer. We turned it on and I noticed a lot of smoke around the car. Salesman thought it was the wind blowing the exhaust. I didn't think so. We turned it off, popped the hood and there was a bunch of smoke coming from the engine compartment. Honestly it could have been as simple as some oil on the engine block from an oil change but I definitely won't be buying that one.

I've pretty much narrowed it down to the RDX advance vs the Audi Q5 premium plus.

RDX advance pros:

• More gadgets - Lane assist, adaptive cruise, hud
• More comfortable seats and armrest
• More storage room between the driver and passenger
• Less expensive
• Will be cheaper to repair in the future

RDX cons

• Seems to have a lower build quality
• Android auto not a full implementation
• Lots of common known issues on forums but Acura doesn't seem to address them
• Multiple issues causing the car to brake heavily on the highway or go into limp mode
• Brakes seemed a bit mushy

Audi Q5 pros

• I like the cornering better
• Engine sounds nice
• A bit quicker
• Virtual cockpit is really nice
• Seat heaters much warmer
• Overall build is noticeably nicer
• Full Android auto support
• Supposed to have the best AWD
• Really very little chatter on message boards about vehicle issues. Nothing even close to the level of the RDX.

Audi cons

• Thigh support on seats is short
• Overall driver comfort is less by a lot
• Very little storage for phones and miscellaneous stuff
• No adaptive cruise or lane assist
• More expensive by several thousand
• Maintenance cost will be similar to my current bmw - expensive

I'm having such a tough time lol. Do I go for features and hope I get one of the RDXs without issues. Or do I spend a bunch more, get less but get build quality. Long term maintenance costs are definitely being considered too as I usually keep cars to 150k-200k miles.

Ugh.

leomio85

If it was between those two, and ONLY those two, I'd go for the RDX again against the Audi. Audi's reliability is fairly poor, and the cost to fix is at a premium. If you're keeping it until 150-200k, I wouldn't personally go with anything European. All cars have things go wrong with age. European cars are just that much more expensive to fix. Not to mention a lot of their stuff is cutting edge, and it's usually what goes wrong since it's untested ... so that just compounds issues.

MarineOne

I bought my Advance in August '18. Zero trouble, love this vehicle!

russianDude

2020 might have a lot of initial issues (TSB) resolved avoiding dealer visits. Also, infoteinment just had major update which addressed a lot of issues.
Good luck with german cars!

wavshrdr

I will never buy an Audi again. When I had a real issue, Audi was miserable to deal with. I probably spent close to 500k with them over 7 years and all I got was the runaround when I had CEL they couldn't find the problem for. Nothing like getting stranded on the side of the road in the middle of a Minnesota winter with 3 small kids in the car. All because the car stalled while going down the road and wouldn't restart. All I had to show for it was the check engine light. Car was brand new and to the dealer about 8 times to fix it and they never did. Somehow they kept blaming me for the issue until I went to pick it up the last time and while bringing it from service it threw another CEL. Only then did I finally get them to buy the car back.

I thought about the Q5 anyway and drove one just in case it was amazing. I personally was underwhelmed. I like the seats much better in my Advance RDX. The sound system sounds so much better. The AWD is better. Build quality on my car has generally been quite good. No rattles, squeaks or anything really out of place other than I do have the brake squeal issue. I am pretty happy with the adjustable suspension in the Advance and the headlights were noticeably better than the Audi. Lastly, and this is subjective, I think the RDX looks much better than the Q5 and a lot of others in its class. My main gripe is with the off idle torque limitation which I assume is some sort of tranny nanny.

The RDX is a lot of bang for the buck. I can't say it is the best car in the class but I would have had to spend a lot more to get a much better car. I think it is the epitome of the 80/20 rule or diminishing returns.

labatt

Appreciate everyone's responses! We have taken the plunge and are picking up our new 2020 RDX Advance Monday or Tuesday. Keeping our fingers crossed!

JB in AZ

Congrats! Stay involved here, there are a bunch of great folks!