jbinnyc

The east coast hasn't had any real snow fall yet & I have been itching to see how my RDX will manage in the snow. So I'm asking for any RDX owners in the Denver area how their new RDX is performing (or anyone that used it in snow greater than 6 inches).

Rdxowner

i did in Montreal Yesterday..My Rdx was driving on the snow and then it like crushed under the car..i tought it broke something..but when i went out to see it there was nothing ^_^but it drives well in the snow!

bgreenard

Just test drove a RDX 2 days ago ihn Colorado springs. It was driven hard on curvy roads. I was very impressed with the stability and handling.

B

Animagix

yeah, we're getting an inch of rainfall in the northeast... yippee...

jbinnyc

hey guys, i still would like to hear from more owners that actually have driven their rdx in some good snow. like animagix said, we have gotten nothing but rain on east coast. we haven't even had snow flurries yet in nyc! the rdx feels like a solid build vehicle & i am hoping it will perform well in 6-12 inches of snow. but i am nervous because this is my first acura (in fact my first foreign car!) after owning 4 four wheel drive jeeps in the past 15 years!

Animagix

I used to own an a4 quattro. the AWD system is amazing on that thing. I did fine in 12" of snow with summer tires on. I too am curious to see how sh-awd performs under harsh snow conditions.

Rdxowner

well look,there is alot of snow in montreal.
So the thing that i dont like To Happen To the Rdx is:
-When the road is slippery,the salt truck comes and the salt may rust your car.
-If too much snow or too slipery and you can't see nothing,you may have an accident.
-your Rdx get dirty -_-
What do I like About snow with the Rdx:
-Great Control of your car with the SH-AWD
-If your stuck,Just accelerate a bit more and the turbo will help you
-You are driving a CrossOver Suv So dont worry,its kind of good
-no worry to make too much accident.
-The Wipers Are Great On The Rdx
here is my opinion=)
R-Owner

Tripp11

My parents have a new RL with the SH-AWD system and they've driven the RL in Midwest snow last winter here in Indiana, and my father thinks the RL faired as well as any 4WD or AWD vehicle he's driven in the snow - his words, not mine.

I do know he keeps the 4 season tires on it year round and does NOT utilize snow tires.

Over his 75+ years on this Earth, he's driven plenty of vehicles (RWD, FWD, AWD, 4WD, etc...) and he wasn't worried at all with the RL. The only thing he mentioned was ground clearance with the standard sedan, but with the increased ride height of the RDX, I don't think this would be an issue.

c_hunter

I don't know what the RL has for clearance, but the RDX ground clearance (6.3") is about the same as most other cars -- so it's not going to have much benefit like some SUVs do. The RDX actually has 2.4" less ground clearance than my Outback wagon. Every little bit helps in deep snow.

Tripp11

5.7" RL
6.3" RDX

Interesting... I would have thought the RDX would have had a bit higher of a clearance; obviously not a typical SUV clearance but something a bit higher.

Thanks for the insight chunter - much appreciated.

swimpunk

We got about 4 feet total of snow in the past two weeks where I am.

I didn't drive it much in the bad weather; I saw no reason to tempt fate. When I did drive, it handled the weather very well. I didn't slip at all in the snow, but did slip some when the snow on the roads compacted into ice.

I noticed a 4wd explorer having alot more trouble in an icy parking lot than me. But it seemed all the outbacks were more sure footed than I was.

It seems to me the supension is stiff, and I felt (and heard) every bump in the ice more than other SUV's I've driven.

jbinnyc

interesting. thanks for the comments. i knew there had to be one rdx owner from the Denver area! i know that it is lower than most suvs, thus i wouldn't want to be four wheeling in several feet of snow either. but it sounds like it manages just fine between 3-12 inches or so. you are the second person that mentioned feeling & hearing it while driving (must be due to the height). i look forward to my chance!

Rdxowner

well In Montreal,December 22 '06 we had really really Bad Glaze..it was so Damn F*****g slippery that i diddnt wanted to put my rdx outside of my garage..but i had to cuz i had family from New Hampshire who came that night.So i leaved my Rdx outside in front of the garage and then the Rdx went backwards alone..i pissed in my pans..lol..so that night i had to go at the grocery store for beer..so i diddnt Drove My Rdx But I Drove My GMC Savana..
with The Savana..It Was Much Worst..I made An 360 + 180 degree angle..
never drive an Sexy Crossover when its bad weather-_-

PANG_CO

<----Denver owner.

Performed very well in the snow and icy roads. I did get stuck backing out of my drive way into the 4ft snow though lol.

bgreenard

I bought a RDX after test driving one almost two weeks ago. Traded my wife's 2005 TL, which was a very nice car but didnt handle well in wet/snow/ice. So car I'm impressed with the RDX's road manners, seems very solid in the last snow storm in Colorado. I do miss the TL's sportiness but the RDX is nice for a small SUV and fairly quick.

B

TJDenver

I currently own a TSX 6 spd and love it! I need more space with two dogs and the RDX really appealed to me with the great handling and good engine. Here are the things that I didn't like:

1) the cheaper plastics used in the interior (silver painted door handles) and flimsy back seat.
2) I can push in the rear and front bumpers. Not much support behind the plastic.
3) The bottom half of the back hatch is all plastic and seems cheap.

The biggest of all is what you are all talking about here. how does it do in snow and ice for an AWD car? Well, this is big for me, becuase I have gotten stuck in my driveway with my TSX. If there is ice, the traction control cuts the engine power and applies the brakes. So, I need to back out and get a running start to make it up my driveway. I like the traction control in most instances, but getting up my driveway in winter is frustrating. I just discovered the RDX does the same thing on ice in an incline. instead of being able to crawl up an incline in ice, the car shuts down the power to the wheels. So, if you are sitting on I-70 (or any highway) with an incline and approach an icy section. You are pretty much stuck (in an AWD car!).

Read this article to learn how bad this car is in the snow (and dangerous if there is no power to the wheels when all 4 wheels slip):

http://www.portlandtribune.com/accel...51423897199600

For me, I am debating the RDX with the RAV4 Sport (better gas mileage, stronger engine, more storage space inside, but econo car interior and not as well designed exterior), and the FJ Cruiser (for more of a truck, but bad blind spots). The RAV4 Sport allows you to lock the 4WD system up to 20 mph (to get up icy slopes) and has a nice sporty suspension with a VERY strong engine. I'm just not sure I can live with that interior in it.

I will wait until VW introduces their new cross over that is a bit smaller than the Toureg. Should be coming out soon.

For me, the RDX's AWD system killed my interest in it. Yeah, the handling is awesome. But, if I get AWD, I sure hope it can get through some snow and ice.

AbovePrime.

As far as SH-AWD goes in the snow, Its not better than one that would have a 50/50 split, or 70/30 split.. most of the reviews I've read said that the AWD was "Adequate". With my CX-7's AWD(full-time, diverts up to 50 percent of the power to the rear when necessary, so FWD until slippage occurs to help MPG) it was just good in rain, no slippage, but the better tires helped with that dramatically.

AbovePrime.

Also the RDX's ground clearance screams do NOT take me off road, it sits very low to the ground, almost wagon-like.

Lrpba300

I love the handling of the RDX in snow. It's more than the SH-AWD that takes care of that. Some people love to read reviews & take it as gospel as to they're findings. I'll give you a personal version. It did great in the snow / ice this winter. If your driveway is any worse than mine. you're in trouble. Mine goes up at about a 35% incline & the RDX went up it like it wasn't even up a slope!
I purposely took a corner at a faster rate this winter more than I would normally, (no one around & a WIDE corner) & it was great how the VSC help straighten it right out, & SH-AWD seem to keep everything under great control. The Michelin tires aren't the greatest, but were adequite. Goodyear Fortera's would def. be a big plus.
Overall, it is one of the best I've ever driven. I had an Infiniti G35x & it was great in snow also. I just felt it "breaked wheels" to much to gain control.
The SH-AWD does split it up to 90-10, can go to as much as 30-70 & 100% of that 70 goes to the outside wheel to accelorate it through a corner. It is an awesome feature that has an amazing control of an SUV cornering. You'll get up your driveway just fine.

TJDenver

Thanks for the notes. I do believe I will get an RDX. but likely this summer.

I've read answers to my concerns about what I felt were cheap body panels.

Acura's reasoning for the bumpers that can be pushed in is they are able to absorb more impact throughout a larger area, and not one central point of contact. I felt like it was a lack of attention to detail to me to not have a solid feel behind the bumper. This reasoning makes sense a bit.

Acura's reasoning for the plastic back hatch (lower part of the rear hatch) is it can easily be replaced. Similar to the Wrangler and FJ Cruiser using plastic bumpers in areas that are likely to get more wear and tear. Instead of replacing metal body panels, plastic body panels are much less expensive to replace. Acura's thinking is the back hatch goes down to bumper level and has a higher risk of damage. So, a plastic panel on the lower part of the hatch is less expensive to replace. Honestly, I think the truth is they were saving costs in production and plastic is lighter to lift up and open (like the Nissan Murano using a plastic rear hatch, it is much lighter to open).

I still would rather have the same aluminum parts used throughout the entire interior, as opposed to painted plastic to look aluminum in some areas and real aluminum in other areas. But at $32,000, it still has the best looking interior of the other SUV's in this price range. So, by having the best interior (the area you see the most when owning the car) and a great driving experience, I will definitely pick one up. I just hope the SH-AWD won't need any major servicing in 5 years. All that computer gadgetry makes me a bit weary after the warranty expires. Time will tell.

scottRDX

All of us Denver folks should be giving our RDX's and SH-AWD a nice workout tomorrow as 4-8 inches of snow is forcast for tonight and tomorrow.

If you really want to see how well SH-AWD works, then go to an empty parking lot, turn off VSA, and see what happens when the turbo spools up, lol!

missjennieb

I was disappointed to see the storm pass so quickly! I thought it was supposed to snow all day, so I couldn't really play with the SH-AWD I'm definitely headin up to the mountains this weekend. They got tons of snow!

scottRDX

Ditto!