fabchef

Hello everyone, this is my first post here. I'm in the midst of looking for my next car purchase and stumbled on a 2007 rdx (turbo,4cyl). To be honest i didnt even think of acura, and thought, "let me take a look". I have to say, this little suv looks nice! from what i've read, they seem to be fairly reliable (there i say, rock solid?) vehicles. I was happy to read that it has a timing belt, not chain...YAY!
Is there anything i should look out for? I read that the turbos are pretty tough on these trucks.
What are the driving dynamics like? is it more rugged, bouncy truck-like feel? is it light and nimble? sports car like?
how does the awd system rank on this suv? we get quite a bit of snow here...we also own a forester, which is nice in snow!
any info would be great! thanks
fab

justnspace

iTrader: (1)

Hello;
the first thing about used cars is that they are used cars. buying a used car, no matter the make, is the same process.
it ALL depends on how the previous owner treated the vehicle. this means you shouldn't put all your eggs into this one car and you should start to test drive several of them to get a feel for how they drive. This way, you'll automatically know what the difference between a good car and a neglected car.

Furthermore; the first gen turbo RDX has a Timing chain.
2nd; the turbo rdx is a sporty ride! it's sporty! i suggest you test drive it for more than 30 minutes.

All in all, it comes down to test driving that particular vehicle and making sure it was well kept.

mrgold35

I have an 08 RDX since 2010 and have almost 150K on her. The RDX is a very sporty CUV with one of the best (if not the best bang for the buck) AWD systems out there. The only thing about the RDX is it is made to be driven hard to feel at home. If you are a hammer and everything you see are nails, then this is the CUV for you. If you drive the RDX like your Forester, you will really dislike it in a short amount of time because of its rough ride, upper teens mpgs, road noise, and slight turbo lag. These were the main reasons the 1st Gen RDX didn't sell well and the 2G RDX did.

I would test drive the RDX in both modes of Sunday driver and drive it like you stole it to get a feel for its performance envelope. I love driving my RDX hard and it didn't take long to convince my wife the joys of turbo TQ and sh-awd. I can't keep up with her if I'm following her in the our MDX. The RDX is my weapon of choice when I want to have fun while driving.

fabchef

Thanks for the reply gang. Well i went to see this 2007 and was a little let down and decided to pass on the offer.
Mrgold..maybe you can help me out...i was a bit taken back at the interior room of the rxd (a little snug in the back seating). How is the mdx compared to the rdx? is the mdx as "sporty" of a ride as the rdx? how is the engine reliability? easy to work on?
thanks

fabchef

also, im sure the spark plugs are easy to change on the rdx, is it hard to do on the mdx? do you need to take off intake manafold to get to them? or is it pretty easy? one of my gripes with transverse v6 engines...
thanks

justnspace

iTrader: (1)

the turbo RDX spark plugs are harder to get to because of a top mounted intercooler.

on the J-series 6 cylinder engine, the spark plugs are easily accessible!!!!

mrgold35

I'm 6'3" and 270lbs and find the front driver seat of the RDX seems to have a touch more room; while, the other RDX seating positions are tight for me. All four of the MDXs seats are equally comfy for me because the front passenger is 6-way power and the rear seats can manual recline. I've had zero issues sitting in the back seat for hours on road trips (when my 4'11" wife is driving) and feeling just as comfortable as the front seats. The MDX is very sporty compared to other 7 passenger SUVs. The RDX can out accelerate and out handle the MDX; but, I will still be in the rear view mirror of the RDX. The MDX does get better hwy mpgs of 22-24 compared to my RDX (never ever got above 22 mpg on the same hwy runs at 75-80 mph). The downside is the worst mpgs in my RDX was 16-17 with 100% city; while, my MDX can dip into the 13-14 mpg range. Other advantages I like about my MDX over the RDX are:
- less road noise
- less noise in cabin
- very smooth and comfy hwy ride at 75-90 mph
- more aggressive sh-awd tuning (can get up to 70% TQ to rear wheels on short inclines and more "sh" TQ vectoring to outside wheel on turns as slow as a right hand turn at a stop sign)
- upgrade in tech with the +10 MDX tech with faster hard-drive navi, bluetooth audio streaming, memory seats, Bluetooth upload of smartphone address book, rip CDs to hard drive, and USB/smartphone connection for music/streaming audio
- V-6 rumble when you hit VTEC
- 5000lbs of towing, just add hitch

I still love driving my RDX and mostly use it for work commute or running errands. I always take the MDX if I hit the open roads or need more space for stuff and/or passengers. No issues popping the hood and servicing the engine bay. I even upgraded the HIDs to OSRAM cool blue 5000K and didn't have to remove the bumper on my MDX like I had to when I did the same upgrade on my RDX.

fabchef

Thanks for the reply. Great info. Yes the drivers seat of rdx was ok, the rear section seemed tight. We have two young kids in car seats still, and think theyll be tight back there, especially on longer trips. I think the mdx might be a better bet. Seen a few for sale 2005-2007 year. Are these good years? Reliable? Issues? I read about people having issues the tranny/ torque converter problems. Thanks

justnspace

iTrader: (1)

I wouldnt TOUCH a 1st gen MDX.
during those years Honda had transmission woes on several different makes and models.

fabchef

Forgot to ask.. is the mdx somewhat of a sporty ride for an suv? We have a forester and I dont find it sporty. Does it drive more like a car or truck? I had a mitsu endeavor before and drove like a truck. One thing I would like is a quieter cabin.

fabchef

Hmm ok? So which years were better? Reliable?

justnspace

iTrader: (1)

the 2nd gen MDX (2007-2013) are pretty much bullet proof and as Mr.gold stated in another thread; the 2nd gen MDX will be truck based. it will ride like a truck and have a higher towing capacity.

justnspace

iTrader: (1)

interesting to note; wikipedia states that the 07-13 mdx's suspension was tuned on the Nürburgring race track

mrgold35

What helps with the sporty ride with the 07-13 MDXs is the sh-awd. It is tuned to kick in on almost any turn of the wheel and shift in vehicle weight to help rotate the MDX and stability. The MDX will ride like a smaller vehicle compared to other 7 passenger SUV of the same size. Another thing to think about is my youngest was in grade school when I purchased my RDX back in 2010 and it didn't take long before he was 5'11". The MDX will grow with your family with more space and very little hit on mpgs. We ended up taking longer vacations and taking more gear with us because we could drive instead of being stuffed in a smaller CUV or flying. I put around 17,000 to 19,000 miles per year on my MDX since I purchased used in 2014.

allenchasse

I have 2007 Acura RDX 124000 Miles strongly recommend you to buy one of these crazy cars.