Cheque

I know it's still early for this comparison since there are unknowns about the RD-X's engine size. But what do you guys think, so far? Would you choose the RD-X over the X3?





Does the X3 drive like a truck-based SUV (i.e. Nissan Xterra, Honda Pilot) or a car-based SUV (i.e. Nissan Murano, Lexus 330)?

From what I've seen so far, I actually prefer the X3. I think it looks very nice but I'm not sure how it drives.

ostrich

Has the X3 been a success? I remember reading lots of negative reviews on it. In fact, I thought the C&D writers really did not go for it at all... there are not many X3's in my area - more X5 than X3. Also, I thought the X3 was priced surprisingly closed to the X5 too. Anyway, IMO it's really too hard to compare them before we even know what the production RDX will be like...

SpartanTodd

Hi, I am brand new to this board! I am down to the TSX and the RDX as potential next vehicles. I admitt it I love cars. All makes and all models. Acura and Honda though are definitely near and dear to my heart but, living in Michigan (west side) I have yet to find the ideal vehicle....regardless you might find this interesting.

I have a buddy who is a Bimmer lover and actually just bought a X3 3.0 liter. We drove to the Motown show in his new X3. Ironically the weekend before I went with him to drive a whole bunch of vehicles. We drove the XC 90 Volvo, the Vdubb Toureg and the X3 both models. The X3 out of all of the vehicles seems to be the most Honda like. He was looking at this class of vehicle for his wife. His vehicle is a 325 Xi auto. As I said above he is a Bimmer lover. Regardless, the X3 has a lot of the typical things that Honda usually includes in its vehicles ie, great visibility, nice layout, good ergos. My opinion is that the RDX needs to be priced in line with the X3 2.5. The 2.5 reasonably outfitted sells for 30 to 37 g's. The 3.0 is more like 36 to 45g's.

My buddy bought the 3.0 auto with leather, HiD's and Navigation with Sirius prep. The 3.0 is definitely the vehicle to get comparing these two. First the 2.5. I drove both the( 5 or 6 speed (can't remember)) and the auto. I was surprised how much of a dog this vehicle was. Even with the manual it was slow. The drive line was not smooth and there appeared to linkage engagement cheapness . I was surprised by this as it is nothing like the 3 series manual. The automatic had the manumatic design that was similar to the Acura and the orthe Bimmer tranny's. It is smooth but, not for me. The ride was rough in the 2.5 as well with more road noise than the 3 series. Another, surprise was the door weight in the X3. The doors were light and tinny. The 3 series has heavier doors that sound like a vault when closed. The X3 doors kind of sound like my 99 Civic Si when closed. Handling is good. I would not personally buy the 2.5. For the price I think the G35X or the 3 series X would be better purchases in the same price range for AWD. Or better yet any of the Subaru's....

As I said above, my buddy drove his new X3 3.0 liter. The diference in engines is like night and day with this vehicle. The 2.5 has 187hp and the 3.0 has 220hp. Torque obviously is much better as well in the 3.0. 220hp really makes this a better vehicle. The 3.0 is very smooth engine. The handling is good as the wheels were 18 inch. The ride was same as the 2.5 firm (similar to my former 94 Probe GT) rough (especially on Detroit's winter roads) . For Acura fans, picture worse than a TSX. To make this quick and painless I will list the things I like and did not with the X3 3.0.

Like:
*3.0 engine, torque and HP were right for this class and size vehicle
*Moonroof....Very nice. Huge, wide, long and convertible like. Picture the Subaru Legacy Wagon...Nice!
*Stereo system...Ok for those who don't want dual 12 inchers in the trunk.
*Handling. Good for an SUV.
*Seats...Typical Bimmer
*HID's - Excellent. Due to ride height and vision I have not seen better.

Dislike:
*2.5
*2.5 gets worse gas mileage than the 3.0. We averaged 17 mpg in the 3.0....My opinion this is terrible compared to others making more HP and doing better. Look at the Pilot for example.
*Ride...Should be better for 42 g's
*Price....Not worth it. My buddy paid like 41 or 42
*Navigation system. No touch screen. Difficult to manipulate. Small nobs forget about wearing gloves.

There ya have it. I am sure without a doubt that Acura will roast the X3 in sales when it comes out. The X3 will most likely get the new 3 series engines as upgrades down the road. I believe the next generation 2.5 will be around 210 to 220 hp and the 3.0 will be in the 250 to 260 hp range. What gets me though is the price. Acura could do its vehicle guaranteed with a 3.5 with 270 + AWD with all of the other luxury stuff for 38 to 40 g's. I don't think this will happen though. The price point and market is too small considering they could use a smaller engine and still out perform everyone else in this class. Handling and Ride should be excellent cosidering the double wish bones. I am guessing but, I bet this vehicle will be priced at 30 to $35,000. My

ostrich

Thanks, Spartan Todd! That was very helpful. You also hit the same points that the C&D people mentioned, and it's great to hear it from a consumer first hand!

At 41-42K, there are so many other choices - no wonder why the X3 has not sold as well as I thought it would...

SpartanTodd

There are just so many other options out there for the consumer. Would you believe that my buddy traded an 04 Pilot with Navigation for the X3 3.0? He is nuts in my opinion. He sold the Pilot because he hated the fact that the switches for lights and wipers were opposite his 325Xi. Like I said nuts.....

I see the RDX competing with the following:

Direct competition:
X3 3.0
FX35
Murano
RX300

Boy I sure hope Acura prices this thing so I can afford it. I love the RL but, don't think I would ever spend 50 large on a car.....I am not poor but, try to be realistic with my cars considering I like to drive.

heyitsme

I'm not really too impressed by the x3, sat in one when they first came out and felt like I was in something for the 20k suv market. Exterior styling goes to Acura imo, I would most likely bet the interior materials/features will also go to Acura. Depends a lot on price, if it goes deep into 30k then you get into a lot more suvs.

SSN_FT1(SS/DV)

Is there any truth to what i heard about BMW not even designing or building the X3? I heard that they have a 3rd party company do all of the manufacturing for it....not sure but someone will squash it if I'm wrong

jaobrien6

It's definitely not built by BMW, but by Magna Steyr in Austria. I'm not sure what the exact development process was for desgining the X3, but from Magna Steyr's website:

"The BMW Group and MAGNA STEYR have signed a cooperation agreement covering the development and manufacture of the new BMW X3 Sports Activity Vehicle. The detailed vehicle concept worked out by BMW engineers was forwarded to MAGNA STEYR for serial development and production at Graz. The first X3 rolled off MAGNA STEYR's assembly lines in the beginning of 2004."

They build a few other cars such as the 9-3 convertible, and a couple of Diamler products.

http://www.magnasteyr.com/

John

vicpai

......because it hopefully will not have the HORRENDOUS reliability record of the X5 built in ALA-BAMI!!!!

SSN_FT1(SS/DV)

Thanks....that's what I thought. My only reply is, when I ask for a BMW and pay for a BMW...I want a BMW!

SpartanTodd

X3 taint worth it. Whether it wears the bimmer propeller or not. The 3 or 5 series are much better cars. These are real BMW's.

Personally, I would rather buy the TSX and pocket the change......And this is what draws me to the RDX.

Cheque

Wow, I'm surprised with lots of negative feedback on the X3, especially the 2.5 L which was the one I had in mind due to budget constraint.

Sounds like I should wait for the RDX to come out first before making my decision.

How about exterior comparison? What do you think about the X3's exterior?

SpartanTodd

One recommendation.....hop in and sit down in a 3, 5 or 7 series and shut the door. Then do the same in the X3......I think you will understand. It does not shut like any of the other German vehicles and I am not just talking about BMW. I was seriously thinking the same thing on the 2.5L but, after driving it against the 3.0L and the 3 series and then driving home in my wifes CRV......The CRV with its 4 will run circles around the 2.5 L. The CRV does not handle like the X3 but, for 10g's less you sure feel a lot better driving down the road and at the gas pump.......I think and hope Acura nails it with the RDX as it will one up the quality as well.

SpartanTodd

Looking at BMW exterior.......Personally, I think the BMW exterior is starting to look a little dated. The X3 looks more modernized than the current 325Xi. I really like the X3 moonroof.....it is huge. Compared to the RDX, I think it will be interesting to see what Acura does to the front end. It will defintely require new head lights. I do see HiD's but it will be interesting to see if they follow the MDX lead or the TSX. The MDX's current look is not for me. I think it is ugly. I prefer the look of the Murano over the Bimmer sport utes. I know that others hate the look Murano but, to me it is pretty nice. Not real fond of the FX35 either.

If you are looking for a fun to drive AWD vehicle, do not forget to look at the Subaru Legacy GT. The Outback and Wagon versions also have huge moonroofs if this is what you are looking for. The turbo is a blast to drive especially in automatic which was very surprising to me as I am a typical 5 - 6 speed person. The interior quality is very good as well and I have heard from a good source that all of the Legacys will be offered with Navigation among other things as of April or May of this year.

BluesMama

It definitely drives more like a car than an SUV, a sedan it is not however, hence the their calling it a Sport Activity Vehicle. Unfortunately, it does affect the overall comfort of your ride around rougher roads. If you will be the primary driver, then the 2.5 will be fine for your needs. If you plan on hauling people on more than just an occasional basis, you will probably want to opt for the 3.0L engine. Although the X3 got lukewarm to bad reviews (keep in mind the X5 didn't get rave reviews either at first), they are all over my neighborhood and have slowly replaced the likes of other SUV's of similar size. So much for the reviews. Who know how long this will last though. I believe it's perfect for the active (in an outdoorsy way) 30-something with some expendable cash. You could also look at the Subaru or Audi but they all have their pros/cons. Go out and drive one. i test drove everything and I chose the X3. I love the X-Drive feature standard on all X3's. I love the panoramic moonroof.

ilitig8

LOL, you are right it is the Southeast but you missed by about 500 miles, it is South Carolina, you are mixing it up with Mercedes.

Vandy

hans007

my mom drives an x3 3.0. i suppose she thinks it is bad luck because she thinks it accelerated on its own and she hit a parked car in it.

it also has had like 4 recalls and alot of service time.

i think its a nice looking car, apparently the 2006 versions have painted bumpers (i actually think the unpainted black ones are more rugged and more rugged and tough looking but whatever) which makes it look a lot like the x5 in looks.


i suppose for its weight and the engines it has, it is decently quick. she has the 5 speed auto btw. i'm assuming they will eventually be putting the new engines in though the ones with 215 and 255 hp that the new e90s have. so it would help it there too.

now it handles like a car she says which is nice, she traded her 2001 lexus rx300 for it which well handled like a boat with wheels made of marshmallows.

the exhaust note on the bmw is well far nicer sounding than my tsx, but when i got my tsx she saw it and given her troubles with the x3 she was like... do they make an suv like that with all those features. which is how i found out about the rdx actually and she plans to take a look at it.

for a woman who drives all city, i think the rdx would actually be better for her if it is basically a tsx suv , and would have better gas milage. the x3 also costs a lot. i know when she bought her 04 x3 3.0 it was something like 38k+ tax and it does not have even a cd changer, or nav, etc.

i would say if the rdx is anything like the tsx it will be better than the 2.5 x3 even with the new engine , especially for city people if you can buy it without awd. the 3.0 is probably a better car though. also the x3 (as with the new e90) seems to have a slightly cheaper interior than say an e46 or e39 bmw.

ostrich

I saw my friend's X3 which had lots of "upgrades". I hate to say it, but it looked plasticky in and out (look at the bumper and the moldings, as well as the materials inside!). The leather did not feel luxurious though it was upgraded already. I did not ride in it so I couldn't tell you how it felt. Oh, yes, the interior was SMALL.

I am dying to see the production RDX!

AcuraJim

I own an X3 and an 05 RL. It seems like most of you are talking about personal preferences when it comes to a decision on the RDX vs the X3. As far as driving the X3 and the ride, it seems to be very close to the 3 series we owned before. In my opinion, it is still very BMW Anyway, if any of you have question's about the X3, I would be glad to answer them for you as best as I can





P.S.- My wife drives the X3 and has already told me she wants the RDX as soon as it is available