rdxtypej

Got 2010 RDX base FWD as a family and stuff hauler.
My other ride is 2007 BMW 335i.

I just got the oil change done with Mobil1 5W-30 and this is my initial impressions after 1,000 miles:

1. Space: Coming from small 3 series, there is so much room every where and it's very comfortable. I love that 60 portion of back seat can be still folded down flat even with the child seat in place. Cargo area is flat and very usable. Center console is so deep and huge. Rear floor is flat so my daughter can walk there without getting tripped over.

2. Power: This is my first honda and I read VTEC activates at higher RPMs. But I think the motor in RDX has usable torque download so I do not find myself revving the engine high at all. There is enough power to pass anything even without turbo/VTEC kicking in. At the same time, it's not as willing to rev as N54 in 335i even in S mode. I feel hesitation and it revs kind of lazily. I thought 4 cylinders engines were more rev happy but inline 6 in bimmer is more willing dance partner.

3. Technology: Even on base trim, I can't think of anything else that's needed. I actually like the back up camera on the rear view mirror opposed to bigger screen on the dash as it's more intuitive to look at the mirror when backing up. No rain sensing wiper and wiper speed is kind of hard to get the right speed (it's either too slow or too fast). No digital speedometer but you can see instant MPGs and other stats. I wish it keeps the stat you select on forever. Every time I restart the car, it blanks it out. I like how it tells you the life of oil too. So I do not have to guess when to change but change when it gets around 10%. I changed it at 40% as I was not sure if previous owner used synthetic or not. Mobil1 I heard is the only one to use?

4. Ergonomic & Comfort: I find the controls to be intuitive but few things I noticed are. Seat feels comfortable initially but it does not really hug your body like sports seats in BMW. BMW has lateral support around your waist whereas RDX has it around your shoulder to keep you in the seat during cornering. Head rest also sticks too far forward too. Steering wheel does not telescope far enough for people with short arms. Lane change and wiper sticks are too far from the steering wheel for people with short fingers. Blinkers arrow display should be located on the top portion of gauges as it is way on the bottom and you cannot see if it's on when you are turning wheels. It's also a bit loud when you are driving in highway but it's expected for taller car. Also wish there was a air vent for back seat passengers.

5. Quality: Mechanically I believe RDX will be way better in terms of maintenance. 335i has been a nightmare and costs a lot to keep it well maintained. But dash materials and feel of buttons/controls, etc... anything you touch is cheaper looking and feeling than BMW.

6. Sound: BMW logic 7 sounds better but RDX sounds pretty good too. I wish I can try tech package sound as base audio system is pretty good too so tech package sound system must be awesome.

7. MPG: I am getting about 19mpg doing mostly city driving. It's better than 335i and better than my expectation as I kept hearing how bad gas mileage it gets. I have yet to try all highway driving to see what kind of mileage you get for highway.

7. Tune-ability: I did not know there are things for RDX but I am excited about hondata flash and possibly CP-e intake. I am not sure what is the benefit of injector upgrade. 450cc seems sufficient for base hondata flash I think. Glad there are some aftermarket parts out there but I wish they sold RDX in Japan so there will be multiple aftermarket things to choose from. Any recommendation on which hondata is good for RDX reflash would be appreciated =)

That's it for my first 1,000 mile impression. =)

mrgold35

Congrats and good review of the RDX.

The utility along with the the sport aspects really makes the RDX a winner in my book. Extra room, better 360 degree visibly, easy to park, wide cabin, and lots of storage/hauling options. Road noise is one thing that is very loud compared to my TSX or MDX. New/different tires help; but, not by much.

Adding a 2" trailer hitch only takes about 15 mins if you need to haul bikes around for family outings. The RDX is the perfect city/commuter car for us.

hues10

Congrats. I purchased a 2011 FWD Tech last year, but my comparison was to a 2004 Saturn Vue V6 (Honda J Series). Guess which car I liked better, but old Betsy is still running, so RDX not the daily driver. Go with the Flashpro. I bought mine for $639, and people have been selling them for up to $600 on here. As far as the stereo, yes DVD-A sounds great. XM sounds like crap in comparison, but I listen to it for the variety. Worth the xtra $'s for the Tech package, probably not, but I have it, so live with it is my attitude. Enjoy the ride.

Jdrum1

Good little review!

I've had my '09 since last Thanksgiving, and love it. It's the perfect accompaniment to my sports car; practical, but with a little fun thrown in.

The 4Runner it replaces was so boring to drive, especially after driving the sports car. Sure, it was great off road, but almost everywhere I go in a normal day is paved

Mine has 145k, and still looks and drives like a new car (first owner was meticulous with care and maintenance). In the right hands, they seem to be super reliable.

DRR98

Welcome OP -

Correct- ONLY M1 5/30 "DEXOS 2" oil. Super easy oil changes, you can slip under without lifting the car if you DIY. (not enough room for a creeper though).

You can fully prime the oil filter due to its vertical mount. Prefilling the oil filter prevents a few seconds of no oil pressure on the first start after the oil and filter change.

Some quick light hearted comparison questions:

Price-

How much did that BMW cost new? We paid $30k for a new fwd. (ya get what ya paid for)

Performance specs-

'07 BMW 335i
Twin turbos- one for bottom end and one for top end.
HP- 306
TQ- 300
300 lb/ft tq at 1400 rpm. (wow!)
Wt- 3500 to 3900 lbs
HP to wt ratio ~ 12 lbs per HP (@ 3700 lbs)
TQ to wt ratio ~ 12.3 lbs per TQs (3700 lbs)

2010 RDX FWD
240 HP @ 6000 rpm
260 TQ @ 4500 rpm
WT- 4500 to 4650
HP to wt ratio ~ 19.16 lbs per HP (@ 4600 lbs)
TQ to wt ratio ~ 17.69 lbs per TQs (@ 4600 lbs)

The RDX giving a "feeling of hesitation and rev's kind of lazily", based on the above specs, makes sense in comparison to that BMW.

Seems like the BMW should be faster in both the 1/4 mile and 0 to 60 mph.

We are at ~ 89k mi on our RDX and have had only one serious malfunction - failure of front d/s output shaft at ~ 65 k mi. (warranty)

Also get frequent TPMS system malfunction alarms, after several trips to dealer - was told that our devices (phones & tablets) interfere with the wheel transmitters.

Lastly, our models ('10-'12) front fascia offers the option of a TRUE cold air intake through the d/s fog surround, using the stock filter and housing, and removing 2 90* bends and a restrictive resonator.

Search for my post of how I did it.

rdxtypej

I just installed CURT Class III hitch installed on my RDX as my first MOD! It was easy but I do not have a torque wrench so I could not do 110 ft/lb & 87 ft/lb torque tightening. I just tightened it 1 & 1/4 more turn after washer was flush with the hitch. Will post pics soon =)

rdxtypej

I am pretty sure I won't be doing any custom tuning so I think just reflash would be better for me. Anyone know a good reputable dealer to go through?

rdxtypej

Fingers crossed XD!!! I would be happy if it is relatively problem free until 145K! It has 45K currently.

rdxtypej

Shop I go to charges like $15 for oil change so I don't mind paying that I guess. I will just use M1 5W30. Easy enough. My bimmer uses M1 0W40 european spec anyways so M1 for the whole family.

I cannot afford new cars =( so I bought BMW used too. I payed $17,350 when it had 42,000 miles on it. Since then I payed a lot... to up keep it (turbo repair, water pump, thermostat, leaks every where (tranny, head cover, oil pan, etc...), front structs, etc). Maybe I should have bought new car instead!

domester

Good review rdxtypej..should be helpful for people looking to get into a used RDX. I'm coming from the german world also (BMW and Audi) and have been absolutely blown away with the performance out of the stock RDX. The stiff suspension, AWD and strong power numbers combined with the functionality of a smaller SUV is a real winner. On that note, it really bums me out the direction that Acura has gone with the new RDX. If they kept the sport-focused platform our earlier RDX's have I'd drive em for life. I'll need to drive a new one in a few years but from what I've heard I'm not optimistic.

mrgold, glad to hear the hitch install is easy. Mine didn't come with a roof rack so I priced a few out and wasn't happy about it. This sounds like a reasonable alternative.

I plan to do the flash soon also but after thinking about it I'd really recommend the flashpro. As long as a used flashpro market exists you should be able to sell it for $500 worst case. Now your net cost for the flash is $200 or less AND the car is back to a stock flash for resale. I know I'd be wary buying a used car will 100k that is flashed. And on top of it if you do add more mods you at least have the option to run a custom tune. Just my

TheWrench116

iTrader: (1)

get flashpro and 800cc DW injectors and a tune by VITVIPER and it wont be lazy anymore. I promise.

rdxron

Where are you getting these weight ratings from? That's seems pretty high iirc the shawd tech package weights around 4000lbs

Makordx

I just bought an 07 RDX with 22,000 miles on it. It is replacing a 1999 Isuzu Vehicross. I use this vehicle to tow behind my motorhome on a trailer. The Vehicross is unbielivable in the attention it gets and is a monster off road. The RDX is faster, handles better, gets better gas mileage and is quieter. The RDX does go off road and mainly on two track dirt roads, no heavy use because of the ground clearance. I live in Florida but travel all over the U.S. I wanted to turbo because of the high-altitude I travel to. I just got back from a trip out west where the RDX performed better than I dreamed about. It does have that hesitation but I will fix that with a tune. The Vehicross has a better off road traction system, but the RDX has a much better on road system. Here's the bottom line, the RDX is at least a decade newer technology with parts support and I am very happy with this RDX as a replacement for the Vehicross.

mrgold35

The RDX has about the same protection from debris from off road travel as a Honda Accord. The sh-awd system can over heat and shut down if it works too hard in certain off road situations like sandy conditions or a real slow going and slippery upgrades for long periods of time. You can only tow the RDX on a full trailer because of the sh-awd. Other than those limitations, the RDX is a very good high altitude vehicle. I've driven my RDX on I-70 in Colorado on the Eisenhower tunnel at 11,000 ft and the RDX kick some serious butt against V-6 and V-8 trying to keep up with me (had Hondata).

Jdrum1

I'm going to be driving mine to Grand Lake CO this summer. Can't wait to see how it does on some of the passes!

mrgold35

I had to shift into "Sport" mode to keep it from upshifting too much and losing speed driving up hills. Seems like the range to allow you to downshift feels wider in sport mode compared to being just in auto and using the paddles. I also got into the habit of downshifting before a curve to slow down and powering out to get the sh-awd to kick-in. No power on the curves means no sh-awd and you just another top heavy SUV on the road. You ain't pushing the RDX hard enough if you wife isn't swearing at you to slow down.

Makordx

Mr gold.
Thanks for the info about overheating the Shawd. Have you ever had it happen to you?
Mike

mrgold35

No issues in normal (or sporty) 99.99% hwy/city driving. Most of the issues/precautions are if you use the RDX like a jeep wrangler off road. I usually take my RDX/MDX places where most other sedan, luxury SUVs, or "cute utes" can go like ski resorts or improved dirt trails for biking/hiking. My brother-in-law has a decked out FJ cruiser and he does trail runs with a club. He sometimes has to use his winch when he is rock crawling sometimes. The RDX could only make it to the parking lot on that type of trip.

Makordx

I plan on only going on dirt roads that many others have traveled, no big rocks, no deep mud. I am too old to get stuck somewhere. I do plan on building a front receiver hitch that will accept my remote controlled winch. On my last three vehicles I have used it tear down trees and a house(hurricane) and pull my motorhome out of sand. I haven't had to pull my vehicle yet, just like to be prepared.
Mike

HBob

Agreed! And grabbing for the "oh-shit" handles!

rdxtypej

Quick update after 2,000 more miles. I took two long trips and several mini trips.

- Turning radius is quite big and I was not able to make a U turn in 2 lane road and it's tight on 3 lane road.

- Tried uphill and downhill driving and the mass of the vehicle really hinders fun. Going uphill, I feel their is not enough power even in Sports mode or selecting gear in manual mode. Going downhill, this thing will not really stop, brakes are fine in normal driving but it was not good enough on downhill driving. I had to resort to engine braking using manual mode. Sporty SUV but it's still an SUV Hondata reflash may make it better for up hill driving but I couldn't find any upgrade for brakes.

- Bluetooth connection is intermittent? It drops the connections and reconnects after the couple of seconds. I never had this issue with belkin bluetooth receiver. It's kind of annoying when you are enjoying the music and it suddenly disconnects. I tried different locations for the phone but it didn't really matter.

- Engine does not like to rev. This really limits the fun. It does have enough power down low so I do not really mind but when I tried to gun it, I feel like engine is really reluctant to play. I tried manual mode, sports mode, but it feels more like V6 engine than I4. This is my first honda car and I always had an impression that VTEC means high revving engine. Well, my N54 revs freely when I ask for it and it is glad to do it. K series engine feels slower to rev up and it kind of kills the fun.

- I went to couple of camping trips and it hold lots of equipments without problem! I really like having an SUV. I can barely fit a stroller in my 335i. This can easily accomodate. I also like the cargo shelf can be put on the cargo floor to make it flat. So when you want privacy, you can cover it but if you need more room, you just put it down on the floor.

- There is no power outlet in the cargo area? I see two outlets, one in the front and one in the glove box. But I would have prefered to have a third one in the cargo area.

- When reversing, the passenger mirror will tilt down just like my bimmer. Very useful when parking backwards so you can see the distance between car and the other object. The trick was to put the transmission in reverse and then adjust the passenger mirror to point down. When you change gear from reverse to P or D, passenger mirror restores to previous position. =)

- Roof rack install seems too hard/too much hassle so I gave up on getting a roof rack.

- OEM wheel looks pretty good, I keep searching tirerack to buy aftermarket wheels but it's not that much better than the stock OEM rims. Maybe Enkei CUV rims.

I feel like nitpicking but I am a very happy RDX owner =) I can't think of better SUV that's more perfect for me. Maybe Porsche Macan Turbo but ... too expensive.

Jdrum1

That's odd that you felt that it was under-powered in the hills. I took a trip to the Rockies this summer, and was VERY pleased with my '09's ability to climb. In fact, while crossing one pass, I got into a friendly little competition with an Integra (turbo!). He had me on the corners (no surprise), but I caught and passed him on every uphill straight!

I'm also surprised that you say the engine doesn't like to rev. I also have a Honda s2000, so I know what a high/fast revving engine feels like, and I don't think the RDX is a slouch. Sure, it takes a second to really have some fun (turbo lag), but compared to most 4cyl's, it's "revvy".

Between the lack of power and sluggish revs, maybe you have a problem????

On mine, I find the brakes adequate (even coming down the mountains), but don't like the braking feedback (numb). I'll probably do the same thing to my RDX that I did to my s2000; new vented/slotted rotors, new ceramic pads, braided stainless lines, and fresh fluid (probably ATE). I know vented and/or slotted rotors are somewhat controversial, but I've been more than pleased with them on my s2000.



I've never once had my Bluetooth cutout. Sounds like somethings wrong.

mrgold35

It might not be the engine; but, the 5AT hindering the revs. The 5AT gearing can make the RDX feel a little slow to respond with or without paddle use; sport mode helps a little. The RDX would really take advantage of a 6AT or the newer 8/9AT. The extra mid-range TQ can make up for the high rev HP most of the time. I would trade 20-30 hp for the same amount of TQ in my 5AT TSX.

I had issues with my bluetooth when I had a blackberry from work and iPhones from home in the car at the same time. They just wouldn't play nice together. Dumped the Blackberry because of budget cuts and 100% iPhone; zero problems since. Do you have different makes/models of bluetooth phones sync'd in the car at the same time? The RDX might be trying to sync/talk at random times jacking up the bluetooth streaming.

Kaputnik

^^ OP, you got it exactly right here. It is a 4000 lb SUV made to shlep stuff and people around, with a little fun thrown in.

The extensive comparisons with a BMW 335i aren't really relevant from a performance standpoint and seems to bias your opinions. Although tempting at times, it is about as relevant as when I make comparisons with my Honda S2000, other than being a Honda. Although I'm aggravated that the a/c in my S2000 blows much colder than my RDX. Hope the a/c clutch relay fixes the problem

Jdrum1

Mine is the absolute opposite!

Kaputnik

I've got the updated a/c clutch relay on order for the RDX. Hopefully that does it.

Ya, my S2000 will freeze you in about 5 min on those days when it is too hot in the sun to leave the top down. Go figure

rdxtypej

I tested 0-100kmh (0-62mph) using Torque Pro. The quickest I got was 8.0. I was using D mode not S. Also not using paddle shifters. VSA was off.

It did not feel fast so 8 sec sounds about right.

I am now experimenting with S mode and paddle shifters. The fastest it feels is in S mode using paddle shifter in my opinion.
I will confirm my theory by doing another 0-100kmh run sometime.

Car runs very smooth so I can't tell if it's not right running right.
I did buy used one with 45,000 miles so maybe I need air filter and new spark plugs.
I already changed the engine oil with Mobil1.

So want hondata flash but there is no dealer near me...

rdxtypej

I so want S2000. I never see one in the street where I am but I know a lot of people import it for track use.

Jdrum1

Check out these 0-60 times;

Acura RDX 0-60 Times - 0-60 Specs




The s2000 is a great car! I hope to have mine for MANY years!

DRR98

6.4 0-60 MPH '11 fwd

And that explains one failed L driveshaft assy @65k mi, now @90k mi same symptoms except feels like R side.

Except now out of warranty...

Any other FWD owners have the same failure?