KrylonBlue

I had a 2012 RDX with SH-AWD but due to paint issues traded it in for a TSX. I miss having AWD and I'm curious how this compares? I realize it's not a 24/7 system so I'm talking more or less for rain and snow tests. Does it handle just as well in these situations? I love that the new RDX is better on gas so I have no regrets if I do it but I'm just curious.

weather

KrylonBlue...The AWD in the 2013 RDX is different than that of the 1st Generation but it is still a very good system. The AWD will provide you with enhanced traction in snow and rain and will be even better if you have the proper tires on the vehicle....especially with snowy conditions. The AWD in the 2013 is not as fun as the SH-AWD would be, however you should not worry about having a system that will leave you feeling unsafe. Keep in mind that AWD is there to enhance, not replace, your driving experience. You should never develop a sense of over-confidence and drive in an unsafe manner thinking the AWD will correct any poor judgement from the driver.

Rest assured that this is a great vehicle and sure, there are a few little quirks but so far, there appears to be no significant problems with it. I am very delighted with the RDX and sure you would appreciate the refinement the 2nd Generation brought over your first. That being said, the TSX is great car too....had a 2009 model and loved it.

dcpc08161992

Nobody really have a real chance to drive the 2013 RDX in really deep snow yet (unless you live in the midwest right now). So, we all are just guessing how it would perform.

If you ever own a recent model of CRV, then you probably have a good feeling of how the RDX would perform similarly since both AWD systems are basically identical from what I read.

I am still waiting for snow ... I have been scouting for a big open lots in my area just in case I have a chance to take it for a good spin whenever there will be a decent amount of snow.

KrylonBlue

Thank you. Please update me when you get a chance to mess around in a snow fall.

And yes, I know AWD is no substitute for good tires and cautious driving. However, I am curious as to how it holds up even with stock tires compared to either the old RDX or FWD only. I'm sure it's better than FWD only (if the FWD has stock tires) but is it worth it?

My main reasons for wanting an SUV again is my mom is getting up there in age and it's easier for her to get in and out of. AWD would probably seal the deal again if it's worth it.

weather

KrylonBlue.....When it comes to any areas where it snows, there is no doubt that the AWD will be worth the money, especially when you are considering the well being of your mom. Even in the rain, the AWD will still be better than the FWD keeping everything else the same. I can understand how some in a warm climate would decide to opt out of the AWD, but if you live in a snowy area, there is just no second guessing yourself. Get the AWD.

KrylonBlue

Thank you.

Just need to make sure I'm good on my car and money wise. It's a 2012 TSX and I owe 24K on it right now. I have almost 5K miles on it so I'd probably just break even but definitely not upside down. Need some down payment money.

weather

^^ Good luck and keep us posted on how you make out.

CoachRick

You might want her to 'try' the RDX...it's pretty tall, even with the seat in the lowest position. Something along the lines of an Subie or Volvo XC70 might be at a better height.

From a financing standpoint, swapping that 2012 might hurt more than you want. With the current interest rates(money factors), you might consider leasing with an eye on buying the vehicle at the end of the lease(sign and drive or first payment only lease). With the interest rates under 2%, it can work out IF you buy the vehicle...not so great if you swap again. This is from someone who has, for various reasons, swapped vehicles in 18-24 months MANY times over the past decade or so. NOT a financially prudent way to approach personal transportation needs, I reckon!

KrylonBlue

Isn't the 2013 similar in height to 2012? I sat in a 2013 and thought so and my mom preferred the RDX and had no issues. She is having issues with my TSX though. Her issue isn't even getting up from a stand still that much but rather it's hard to get low and than try and lift herself up from the seat when she is getting out.

And yes, I would take a hit and that's what I'm afraid of. I may wait a little bit, pay it off more since I'll now only be working 4 miles from home rather than 25, and than go from there within a year. May be the best bet financially .

boogerdood

ive only tried the AWD in the rain and its fantastic. Off the line i tried to get a little wheel spin, and as long as you arent smashing the peddle, the car just grips right off the line. Very happy with it and feel safe.

Colorado Guy AF Ret.

I recently had to drive some very bad winter conditions...hard packed snow/ice, very low temps, windy snowing, etc. The RDX was GREAT! On a lonely straight, at a slow speed...and yes, I was careful....I pushed the gas to see what it would take to break the traction. Didn't happen!! Stayed straight and true. I also used the braking on..again...a deserted street that was frozen over. Very little sliding at all...very short...this is a function mostly of the tires...using the stock Michelins. Did great. Have to know how the vehicle will respond....so you have to test it where it's safe.
I did this when I bought my new CRV's. Don't want any suprises that I wasn't necessarily expecting.

Overall....so far...I feel my RDX does great on snowy icy roads. No system will keep you out of any kind of "trouble" out there on bad roads....but, my "tests" told me it holds the bad roads pretty well. I know by driving on them with way too much speed etc, I could "lose the RDX" to a spin out....but, sane folks don't drive like that. Normal, carful driving showed me that the traction was very good and dependable...good to know yes???

KrylonBlue

Thank you.

Sculldog3

They keep promising snow here in Boston, got mostly rain today, a few random flakes. Should have a few inches this weekend...want to see for myself how the AWD does and and see how the Michelin Xi3's do!

KrylonBlue

Those snow tires?

SlowLane

I heard that we're not going to have any significant snow this year. At least that is what I hope for. Just take a spin up to New Hampshire if you want to test your AWD/tires.

weather

I hate seasonal weather forecasts....they have very little usefulness. But then again, what do I know

Sculldog3

Isn't easier in Canada?Cold and chance of snow....

weather

^^ LMAO.....You took about 5 seconds to figure out what took me 5 years of Physics at University.

SlowLane

I was just being a smart ass. We had a really mild winter in Boston last year. I'm hoping for a repeat . So far, we've had little snow.

KrylonBlue

I don't think I've gotten an inch of snow in my area yet. My buddy across the border in Wisconsin has seen nearly 3 feet of snow just from two snow storms.

dc5k20z1

we got some wet snow a few days ago, about an inch... Some of it stuck to the road. The RDX performed like normal, no wheel spin, road grip was good. Nothing seemed out of the ordinary and the car felt grounded.

But then again, it probably wasnt enough accumalation to really notice anything

Ukalum

My AWD tech handles brilliantly in the snow with a set of Blizzaks. That probably isn't a surprise, but I feel very confident in the snow with this vehicle. Doesn't spin from a stop and very secure overall.

I have notice one potential issue with the AWD, but can't recreate it on command:

When going around a slippery corner in the snow, twice I have heard a loud grinding noise from the front right. It seems that the differential may be engaging, causing a short, unpleasant grinding noise at first. Has anyone else experienced this? Any other ideas as to the cause?

boogerdood

Those noises are usually the traction control. I finally got some snow to play in and was impressed with the awd system. The tires are quite good as well, no need to get winter tires IMO unless you get tons of snow in your area.

QN52

I've heard the same noise around a few corners. The last time I checked my dash and the traction control light was on and went off when the noise stopped.

Sculldog3

Yeah, had considered the blizzaks, but went with the michelins, in large part for the tread warranty, which was unusual for snow tires.

Sculldog3

Getting some snow here in Boston, predicting 3-6 inches, so will see tomorrow. Doing a 250 mile round trip road trip tomorrow, should be a good test!

Sculldog3

Reminded me of an old Steve Martin movie where he plays a weatherman in Los Angeles, and every day the forcast is hot and sunny....easiest job in the world till he pre-records it and they get socked with a storm...funny stuff!

KrylonBlue

You need to find out the name of this movie. I must see it and I can't believe I have not yet!

Sculldog3

L.A. Story

backwoody

Today's skid testing:

on 2 inches of fresh snow and an ice layer underneath, took the RDX with Blizzaks to an empty parking lot this morning for a test. Handling under hard maneuvering was very good - no slipping or sliding, even under hard acceleration and max turn, attempting to get the rear end to break away. This is a testament mostly to the grip of good studless snow tires. Braking test - at 20, 30, and 40mph going straight ahead, I locked up the brakes with full pedal deflection to test the anti-lock brakes. Function and handling were good, with excellent stopping power and no significant side-to-side drift, with some steering still effective although limited.

All in all, today's testing gives me more confidence in the RDX's snow&ice handling, especially with the Blizzaks. A test I still need involves deeper snow, perhaps 6-8 inches uncut, ideally on a hill.

That will tell me what I want to know about the effectiveness of the traction control and AWD systems (how the rear wheels engage, etc.).

Has anybody done that?

weather

Hey...no worries whatsoever. I wasn't offended at all in fact, I was just joking too so its all good. I am the least offendable person you'll ever come across.

its_ikon

i am on the fence about how good the AWD system is. it was fine on a plowed road, but when i tried to venture off into snow that was 4"-8" deep it didn't seem to confident. It made it around decent, but i did try to back out of an area just to see how reverse would work and the front tires spun. i put it in drive and eased on the throttle and made my around where i was driving. i wasn't looking for an all out assault machine in the like my past FJ and 4Runner was, but now i know i will need to limit or be cautious where i go. i was by myself so i didn't want to try to much to test it out and get stuck.

Vividsi

I dont think either setup for the RDX is meant to go through anything too extreme just SH is a little better.

its_ikon

I agree with that, but when I head up to the mountains to go snowboarding or to a friends condo that is not always plowed then I want to be able to not worry about getting stuck. I would do winter tires, but I live in Vegas and the cost isn't justified when I only head up to the mountains a couple times a month. One day when I have people in my car and with another group I will test it out to see what it can do in case I do get stuck. I know some people will go the route of flashy wheels with performance tires, but I am thinking of going for less flashy wheel and more tread on the tire.

weather

^^ Do you have winter tires? You know that All Season tires are not geared for deep snow handling. Its a "jack of all trade" of tires......

Colorado Guy AF Ret.

Tires will make a big difference. Blizzaks are great I hear. Never needed to own them myself. I wrote an earlier piece here about my experiences with the factory all season tires. Continental makes some of the better "all season tires" that have high ratings for snow and ice conditions. When I wear out the Michelins....or close to it, I will put some Conti's on. Have them on my new TSX Spec. Ed. Took the Michelins off and stored them. Figured that was a good move on a 2 wheel driver. I don't drive the TSX much at all....but, did experience some snow covered roads on a "have to take it out" day....and found my Conti's did very well.

Remember this too: When pulling away from a dead stop....on really slick road conditions....you can put the shifter into "S" and use the paddle shifter to put the tranny in to 2nd gear....so you will start off in 2nd thus limiting the tire slippage due to starting off in a higher gear.

KeithL

So I want to bump this thread. I had. TL AWD and loved the SH-AWD and now the girl friend wants and RDX. We are in Georgia, but we do get the occasional snowy weather of heavy rain that I would love SH-AWD for, I know they ditched it in the RDX, big mistake if you ask me, but I would be interested in anyone with a 13 AWD RDX if they feel it is worth it in heavy rain or heavy load? I also have a steep driveway and her old FWD 10 RDX would always slip the front wheels going up the hill due to the weight shift to rear. I read that the new AWD description says it will shift power to rear wheels under heavy acceleration. I am fine with the 1 MPG loss most of the time if it worth it some of the time. Any first hand experience would be appreciated.

weather

KeithL....Here is my 2 cents. I agree with you 100% that dropping the SH-AWD on the RDX was a mistake, not just for the performance but also from a marketing point of view. People have really grown to love the SH-AWD and then yanking it away does give the impression that Acura is downgrading the appeal of their vehicle but that is not necessarily accurate. Sure, the SH-AWD would have allowed the RDX to feel like it was on rail and would have increased its prowess on dry roads for cornering and pushing the vehicle to more of its limits. That being said, this is a CUV/SUV and not really intended to be a sport sedan so I don't feel the SH-AWD was a must (except for the image that the SH-AWD does bring). The AWD on th3 current RDX is more than adequate for providing traction in snow and rain, but in snow, winter tires will provide the peace of mind you will need. I know I won't teach you anything but not system is bulletproof so in snow and rain, one always need to be vigilant and not put all the faith in the vehicle, but the driver itself. There is NO DOUBT in my mind that in your situation, I would NOT omit the AWD system for the RDX. Sure, on dry roads, you will not be able to push the RDX as you would have it was equipped with the SH-AWD but keep that for when the TLX comes out. Hope this helps...

weather

Further to my previous post....KeithL...please keep in mind one thing, the RDX will NEVER handle like your former TL nor your current M so before you decide to get the RDX and drive it for a year or two until the TLX comes out, jut make sure that this will not drive you crazy. I guess there is always the option to drive the g/f's TSX but again, a FWD will never handle like your TL AWD (nor your M). I just want make sure you don't have serious buyer's remorse if you get the RDX to tie you over. Don't get me wrong, the RDX is a great vehicle and I love driving it but it ain't no SH-AWD TL

KeithL

Agreed, I know it will not handle like the TL or even the TSX and that the TSX will not handle or ride like the M37 or the TL, the good news I would be saving $120 a month to make the TLX down payment better. I am still debating and may decide to ride out the last 6 months of my M lease and do an RDX then and hope it will be for only 6 months, and I like the TSX for what it is, it will make me that much more appreciative of the TLX when it comes. My main question is, will the 13 RDX AWD be beneficial at all, especially since it is not that much of a price premium or just go with the FWD.