Rocket_man

He may have made a mis-statement and they 'edited' the audio track. $hit happens. I never see a teleprompter, and he is not reading anything in his hand. I wonder if he memorizes that, or maybe he has something playing in his ear. But I can't blame the guy for expecting a DI engine in this thing. Most of us did too.

Rocket_man

This may be the new RX.

2016 Lexus RX Rendered, Styling Goes All Funky ? News ? Car and Driver | Car and Driver Blog

The MKC with options prices pretty high. It may get discounted but for me the RDX as a package is the better value for me. I'll just have to avert my eyes when I see those wheels. Or maybe I wait for the '16 TLX.

wildeklave

when is the official version due out in the show rooms? That is when we will probably get all the facts. Plus around the same time the press (ie. Motortrend and Car & Driver) will give their reviews after driving the vehicle. They will probably mention the MKC and NX as comparison vehicles.

CoachRick

C'mon guys...really? You want someone else deciding when your wipers operate?...or when your high beams are working? Really???
The auto high-beam-dimmer was on a '67 Cadillac...not exactly new technology(since many members seem to think the RDX 'needs' all new tech gizmos)...I'm 100% sure I want to be in control of my headlamps and wipers, thank you.

HotRodW

As I said, I don't want or need help with my high beam control. Wipers are a different story. Constantly adjusting the wiper speed to accommodate changes in rain or snow levels, road dampness and traffic can be a hassle. We don't all live in Texas, after all. I suppose you don't think much of AWD, either, but it doesn't make it any less useful for those of us that can benefit from it.

KeithL

Rain sensing wipers are awesome. When you are driving in an out of light rain or varying rain constantly having to turn your wipers on or off and adjust the wipe speed is frustrating when I should be concentrating on driving. Having the car do that is great. Current and last car had them and there are plenty of other features I would give up before rain sensing wipers.

JohnEnglish

Rainsensing wipers and highbeam assist are awesome. I've had them on several cars and I love it.


You just turn on all the features and then the car just activates them as needed. It's fantastic.

weather

Put me down for a non fan of auto headlights and auto wipers but I respect those that do, it is just simply not my thing.

guytdt

I think people Are lazy to wish for rain sensing wiper. But until I have it, I want it on my next car buy. Those don't like, just never have it before or live in non-rain area.

CoachRick

You folks are killin' me! It's called "DRIVING"...not 'riding'.

geocord

So coachrick, I tend to agree with you most of the time but do you still have crank windows or what????

CoachRick

I'd consider them for some vehicles(like our former Miata); but my power windows aren't automatically activated because some sensor tells them to go up or down. I'm in control.

And guess what...I don't want my car to park itself, either.

HotRodW

Following that logic, things like power seats (especially those with memory), radio presets, auto climate, remote start, bluetooth, power liftgate, etc, are all bad, too? I mean, they're all about comfort and convenience, and not the "driving experience". As long as I can turn off the features or choose not to use them, I have no problem with them. That includes self-parking/self-driving cars. Will I ever use it? Doubtful - at least not in the immediate future. But if the option of letting computers handle the driving for the attention-challenged texting and social media addicts I seem to be dodging on a daily basis, I'm all for it.

smarty666

I've have two cars currently, both with rain sensing wipers and I absolutely hate them. They are so grossly inaccurate its not even funny. Barely on a low intermittent speed when its pouring rain (prompting me to turn the stalk to low or high) or moving at a high speed when its barely misting/drizzling outside (prompting me to have to turn the stalk to low intermittent setting). Having to do this really defeats the entire purpose of having them. If they are going to start putting these on all the cars then they need to upgrade and get better sensor technology on that front windsheild for them as right now, the current ones suck balls and can't ever function properly without having to turn the stalk anyway to another setting!!

Speed sensing wipers are so much better IMO.

JohnEnglish

Ah yes because moving a stalk to turn on the wipers or turning a dial to turn on the headlights is just so integral to the driving experience. You can still control the wipers and headlights manually if it's that important to you.


After having driven cars with those features and things like low and high speed automatic cruise control I really wouldn't want to buy a car now without them.

JohnEnglish

I don't know about the Acura, but other cars I've driven have the ability to adjust the sensitivity of the rain sensing wipers. You usually only need to do it once when it first rains and after that it's set it and forget it. The cars I've seen with rain sensing wipers also had speed sensitive wipers too.

wildeklave

I have seen a few articles recently that compare cars to cell phones. One was an article in favor of leasing for this reason. They were all saying that the engine improvements are decent but take 4-6 years while the tech improvements are every 2-3 years. They were saying more car buyers cared about the infotainment system more than the horsepower. These little comfort features are important for attracting buyers. That is why some buyers prefer to lease and get a new car with new features each 3 years. I have a friend who went from a BMW to a Ford because they got more features for the amount spent with a strong enough engine.

You will have some buyers who just want the base model but others care about the heated seats, heated steering wheel, ventilated seats, power lift gate, power folding rear seats, new safety features, parking assistance, etc... While the press has discussed the rear cameras being to save the lives of children I think the real reason the insurance industry wants them is because they reduce number of claims since backing into another car in a parking lot by mistake, backing into a pole while parking, or backing out of your garage incorrectly can be limited with these cameras saving lots of rear bumper claims each year.

I drove a 10 year old car without any of these safety features and had a close call while backing out of a spot in a Target yesterday. I am relying on my mirrors for available space but came within a few inches of another vehicle. With a camera I would have had a higher level of confidence. On the highway over the years I have had a few close calls because of a blind spot while switching lanes. Again this is easily corrected with modern tech.

Some of the newest features are cars that are also an internet source (think Audi and some GM vehicles have this), laser headlights, 360 degree rear / front cameras, self parking (Ford has had for a few years), Google / Apple infotainment systems, double infotainment screens, cameras instead of side view mirrors (Tesla wants but the feds are not allowing it yet), spark plug less engines, improved performance hybrid engines, remote control from your smart phone, and much more.

The luxury German manufacturers seem at the forefront for a lot of this. The Japanese are not far behind. Lincoln and Cadillac also offer some of this.

I am sure Acura is looking at all of this and comparing to their customer profile to see which they should offer.

bzb123

Funny thing is the new CR-V has a side mirror camera option, but I didn't hear anything about it on the new RDX.

ElmerJrG

The "lanewatch" camera on the CR-V is for the blind spot and not as a side mirror replacement. The RDX gets full blind spot indicators instead on both sides which will make that camera redundant.

EzeE1o

Plus, lane watch is a honda brand thing, no acuras have it

bee-man

I think the Blind Spot Information should be a standard feature, but it is shown on the Tech Trim according to the slide posted in post #155. Am I reading something incorrectly? Is BSI truly a non-standard feature?

guytdt

As JohnEnglish mentioned, you can control sensitivity, just like auto headlight. But then not all car created equal. Blind spot monitor in Santa Fe is not accurate and slow and make you wish not to have this feature. That feature in Avalon and Mazda3 is dead perfect. Let see how Acura does it to RDX.

Rocket_man

Most people have their side view mirrors improperly adjusted. I know I did for most of my driving life. Maybe 10 years ago I learned how to adjust them properly. After doing so and yes it takes a little getting used to, I no longer have blind spots. I can track cars behind me and to the right and left rear.

I do wish that cars could replace side and rear view mirrors with cameras and displays right in front of the driver on the dash. It would make driving more safe. I'm sure the governments concern is that cameras and displays can fail, mirrors seldom do unless they are broken off. But the majority of mirrors are mis aligned so they are not effective.

beach109

Blind Spot will be a Technology package level and up feature, as on the MDX, TLX, etc. now.

With Blind Spot, having a camera showing an image of what's in your blind spot (as on lower cost Honda's without Blind Spot) is redundant, and the BLIS is more functional and less distracting.

wildeklave

here is a link to the article where Tesla has petitioned to replace sideview mirrors with cameras.

http://www.autonews.com/article/2014...s-safety-fears

CoachRick

I've had BLIS on a few vehicles...right now, we have one with/one without. I could turn BLIS off and never miss it!

bzb123

Totally agree. I've just recently discovered how to adjust my side mirrors properly and no longer have a blind spot. I do like the idea of camera's on cars for better perspective though. I remember reading about Nissan working on a rear view mirror that used a camera to duplicate the image you should see in case the actual mirror's view was blocked by cargo. A lot interesting technological possibilities.

lmacmil

I wonder if the 2016 will find any of the 9 cu. ft. of cargo space the 2013-15 RDX lost in being converted from the CRV? That's just about a deal-breaker for me.

JohnEnglish

The RDX was always based on the Civic/CR-V.


The 2016 is the same as the 2015, it's just "facelifted". You'll have to wait until the 3rd gen RDX to see if they increase the cargo capacity.

rbreeze

As good as all the welcomed feature additions are for the '16 RDX, I believe Acura has made a mistake by not offering a heated steering wheel as well as better looking wheels (ideally in 19 inch size) for the vehicle, as part of the optional Tech or Advance packages. In offering these two items Acura would have been capturing even more sales from segment competitors for m-y 2016 (keeping well-equipped segment competitor vehicles in mind such as the Lexus NX and Lincoln MKC). It makes no sense for Acura to "hold back" on stuff like this, particularly nowadays where vehicle choices for buyers are numerous.

Meanwhile.. Honda announces it will replace its president following the airbag fiasco.
> Link to story: Honda to replace its president following air bag fiasco

ceb

I don't think that either is a dealbreaker. I've had heated steering wheels on several cars and they are nice but I wouldn't not buy a car because it wasn't there.

As far as wheels, beauty is in the eye of the beholder and there is always the possibility of getting a Honda/Acura wheel that fits or the aftermarket option. Most people don't even look at wheels.

wildeklave

I agree. While a heated steering wheel or certain wheels may help the hot items now are:
- power tailgate
- remote starter
- heated / ventilated seats
- power passenger seat
- rear vents
- LED lights
- new safety features (BLIS, Lane Keeping, Collision , etc...)
- rear camera

The things listed above can definitely deter sales. The heated steering wheel mostly affects northern sales. In NJ it is only needed for about 20-25 days per year and may not be needed if someone uses the remote starter to start their vehicle for 5 minutes before entering it.

CybrRdr

I used to live up North and I would much more prefer Remote Start over heated steering wheel. If its cold enough to need heated steering wheel then most likely you have to deal with ice/snow as well. Scrapping ice/snow off the car before you went anywhere was such as pain in the ass. It would've been nice to have remote start back then and let the car interior warm up/windows defrost before you headed out.

I agree the wheels are not the best looking, but take a look at the best selling vehicles on the market. I don't think wheel designs are what drove those sales since they are no better looking then what's on the RDX.

rbreeze

^ Re heated steering wheel.. the importance of this feature largely depends on where one lives. I live north of the 49th parallel, and having a heated steering wheel (I have this on my '11 Cadillac CTS Premium) has been great, especially given the last two winters we've had. This feature not being available on the '16 RDX is not necessarily a deal breaker, but it is giving me pause to consider other same-segment vehicles, all or most of which offer the feature.
Note the new '16 Honda Pilot will be available with a heated steering wheel.

As far as wheels go, the terrific looking polished 19 inch factory alloy wheels on my CTS really enhance/complete the look of my car, and I wouldn't want to have lesser factory wheels applied (they all pale by comparison). IMO wheels help make the look of the car. Having boring or ugly wheels on a nice new vehicle is like putting on a sharp new suit and then wearing scruffy old shoes with it. It just doesn't work - certainly not as well as otherwise.
Regarding Honda/Acura accessory wheels or aftermarket wheels - true, that's an option, but not one I'm real interested in after paying roughly CA$49K+ for a '16 RDX Advance (to be called the "Elite" here in Canada) then forking over another $2000+ to make the vehicle look like it should have looked right from the factory.
If in fact most people don't look at wheels (as you say) - if they are that unobservant - then they should probably be buying a cheap(er) plebeian vehicle for their transportation needs, not a luxury segment vehicle.

ceb

Sure, a heated steering wheel is nice but there just so many other things going for Acura that most buyers will overlook a few missing features.

Like I said, beauty is in the eye of the beholder. Personally, I find the polished wheels on the CTS unattractive and far prefer the non-polished wheels of lesser models. One can always re-use the OE wheels for winter tires if you don't like them.

MisterZDX

A heated steering wheel is nice, but I don't really get the big deal about Acura not offering one on the RDX. If it's cold enough to need a heated steering wheel, then it's probably cold enough to wear gloves.

rbreeze

^ Au contraire - there's a good number of buyers will not overlook some missing features (Acura notwithstanding) and will look elsewhere to obtain them - both within and outside the specific segment. And the arguably bland/boring styling of the RDX might help encourage them to do just that, despite Acura's reputation for goodness. Look how many people, for example, are buying the recently released Lexus NX - although to be honest I'm not a fan of that styling.
Having a heated steering wheel available on the '16 Honda Pilot and not on Honda's luxury-branded '16 Acura RDX is just plain silly, imo. If we can't agree on that, then we'll never agree on anything.

You're quite unique in your dislike for the optional FE3/FE5 19 inch polished alloy wheels on the 2nd gen CTS, as everyone who has ever had a look-over of my 2011 car has made a point of saying how much they like the wheels. You're right though - beauty is indeed in the eye of the beholder.

In reading some other comments in this forum and elsewhere I know I am not alone in criticizing the look of the new 18 inch wheels on the '16 RDX. Acura could have and should have done better in this area.

With all this said I still haven't crossed the '16 RDX Advance (Elite) off my list of vehicles (in the small-midsize luxury SUV/CUV categories) I am interested in buying. I'm waiting now to see what new reveals will happen at the New York auto show that's coming up in a few weeks time. I'm guessing the all-new 2016 Lexus RX, Cadillac SRX and Mercedes-Benz GLC (formerly GLK) will be introduced at the show.

rbreeze

^ MisterZDX, it's not really a super big issue, but once you've enjoyed the use of a heated steering wheel for a good while it's kind of hard to do without.
And if I can expand just a little on what you said... if it's cold enough to need heated seats, then it's probably cold enough to wear thermal underwear.
Myself I'd rather stay with standard underwear and have heated seats.

Comfy

Then the problem remains, cause during summer those ugly wheels will adorn your living room as wall decoration....

ceb

Might improve the look of my living room...