stockpicker1102

rdx or tl for sh-awd? or just plain ol tsx no awd?
i am new to the forum but thought the people in TL land might have insights: essentially am looking forward to buy an acura (i liked my fiance's cr-v but want a more luxurious vehicle) but deciding which one - these are my criteria in terms of importance:

a) reliability (not all models are created equal right?)
b) safety (does sh-awd really matter?) - live in the snow belt regions
within safety, i presume we can include handling as a subsection...
c) resale value / price (tsx gets the edge here as its cheapest, of course)
d) gas consumption (i guess rdx is bottom of this list!)
e) looks (ok very subjective)

still undecided as of now but looking to make the purchase within the next week or two... for "Value for $" the rdx looks good -- but i may be wrong ... what better way to get more inputs than this... thanks a bunch!

ps. posted this in the rdx threads... am posting it here and in tsx to get your views if it's ok...

docboy

Welcome to AZ!

Some thoughts off the top of my head:

1) Acuras on average have some of the most reliable autos in the market. According to Consumer Reprots, the RL is least reliable Acura (though still worlds better than say the A6 and 5 series). The TL-AWD, TSX, RDX, and MDX are "better than average" per CR. Little things happen here and there, but again, on average, Acura's are very reliable.

I had a 05 TSX, no problems. Current 4G TL 6MT is flawless thus far.

2) All Acuras are 5 star crash tested.

I purposefully got my TL for its all weather capabilities (the torque vectoring performance does not hurt either )

Living in the Pacific Northwest, the SH-AWD has been awesome thus far in the rain/snow. Subaru's and Audi's AWD system also works well.

IMHO, I would highly consider getting the SH-AWD model if possible. You won't regret it.

3) Resale value for Acura is top notch. ALG ranks Acura #1 in terms of resale value for all luxury brands.

4) TSX base 4 cylinder has the best fuel economy of all Acura products, given it's 4 cylinder engine and current lack of SH-AWD. I was able to get consistently 30 mpg combined commute in my TSX. In my current TL 6MT, I'm averaging 25mpg, which is quite good considering its 305 HP engine, SH-AWD, and ~3800lbs.

5) Looks are very subjective. People seem to either love it/hate it, esp the new "power plenum grill."

I personally think Acuras' exterior is unique and very refreshing. If the grill bothers you, there are mods to be had, esp for the 4G TL and TSX.

Definitely test drive all the Acuras and consider your needs and wants. Don't forget to drive the 6MT TL; you'll be grinning from ear to ear

jangkai

If your fiance already has a compact suv, I would go the sedan route.

TL or TSX, you couldn't go wrong with either one.

stockpicker1102

awesome! got what i needed! muchos gracias

jspagna1

It really depends on how much interior space are you looking for. A loaded TSX will cost you the same as a base TL. They are both FWD and if you live in the Northeast, snow tires will do the trick on either model.
If you are concerned about MPG then go for the 4 cylinder TSX.
Looks wise, I think the TSX is much improved. Whenever I seen one I have to take a double take because I'm not sure if it's a TSX or TL from far away.
Again, I think the bottom line in your decision is MPG & interior space.

mlb11

Thought I'd chime in because I've had both and really liked them. The RDX was a great SUV, absolutely no problems whatsoever. The SH-AWD is an excellent system and is invaluable in the snow belt (where I live as well). I lease and 6 months before my lease maturity I started looking. I had a nicked up corner of my bumper after a parking accident but still took the RDX to CarMax to see what kind of quote I would get for them to buy it back. To my surprise, they offered $800 more than Acura's payoff - this should give you an idea of their excellent resale value.

The main reason I went with a TL was for the ride comfort of a sedan, SH-AWD, and the design which I have always really liked. I thought at first it would be out of reach price-wise but I found that dealers were dealing more on the TL than the MMC RDX and the MF, dealer cash back, and residuals also helped to make the TL lease very close to the RDX.

I'm very happy with my choice as my MPG are also higher in the TL and the power & exhaust note from the J37 is simply awesome.

Either way between these two you can't really go wrong IMHO.