Mike_TX

With about 1500 miles on the RDX, we set out last week from the Dallas/Ft. Worth area for Phoenix, AZ. Others have weighed in with reviews, so I won't bore you with that ... but I thought I'd just share a few observations:

Ride and Handling

I personally think the ride/handling combination baked into the RDX is just about ideal. Any firmer in the ride area and it wouldn't be as comfortable, and any softer n the ride department and it might lose some of its handling. Out on the open road the ride is about as good as any car I've had, including BMW's and a Lexus LS460.

It's going to ride a little different from a sedan because of its center of gravity and overall weight distribution, but this is about as carlike a ride as you can expect from a CUV.

I also encountered some "canyon-running" on a scenic route east of Phoenix, and the body lean some refer to was not a problem at all. The RDX took the high-speed curves very nicely as long as I drove halfway smoothly. I'm sure it could get upset if it had to perform some unexpected or quick maneuvers. It ain't a sports car, but it did a darn good job of acting like a capable sedan.

Noise Control

Generally speaking, the RDX is one of the quieter utility vehicles I've experienced. It's not tomb-like, but it's also not noisy ... the tires seem to do a good job of going about their business without much sizzle or thumping, and the body is isolated from most other road noise. One small exception is the large outside rearview mirrors, which can funnel the wind and make some buffeting noises. This didn't seem to be apparent except in crosswinds.

Driver/Passenger Comfort

The driver's seat can be adjusted to suit almost anyone, and the padding and bolstering makes for a comfy place for hours on end. the seat caused me no problems with stiffness or back ache, nor were there any noticeable pressure points to cause discomfort. The side bolsters keep you in place without squeezing the thighs.

My wife made no mention of the low passenger seat, and I've not pointed it out to her. She seemed to find the seat plenty comfortable for long drives.

Gas Mileage

I was anxious to see just how well the VCM would do at highway speeds. On the outbound leg, however , we were plagued with heavy crosswinds and headwinds. They were sustained at 30-35mph and gusting to 40-45. On one part of our route on the second day, they were actually running 55-60mph (!)

Add to that the fact almost all the trip was at speeds of 75-80mph, with about 150 miles of 85mph. With the cross/headwinds and high speeds, I did well to pull 22-23mpg, and I was really disappointed. That's about the mileage I get in town. On the return trip a few days later, however, the winds were light, and I scored some 30+mpg tanks - in spite of speeds of 75-80mph. That's more like it.

Overall, I got 25.1mpg, which I think is pretty good considering the terrible conditions and high speeds.

I was curious about the "cut-off point" for the VCM, since some have reported it to be at about 75mph. That's probably about right, except that I got some slightly increasing mileage even at 78-80mph. I kept the display on continuous mileage readout, and it slowly increased at those speeds. Very slowly, but an increase, so I was still getting VCM benefit at those speeds.

The lesson I took from this run was that the RDX is capable of sedan-like gas mileage, but it is more sensitive to winds than, say, my TL. That's obviously a product of its higher profile and less-aerodynamic shape. It's still a quite credible highway vehicle.

Power

I'm finding the RDX to perform about the same as the 2012 TL I traded for it. It's no Lambo, but it has pretty good grunt both off the line and at speed. I drove on some two-lanes and had to make several passes of slower vehicles, and the RDX exhibited good getup and go. Here again, it feels just driving a car instead of an SUV/CUV.

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I guess the bottom line to me is that the RDX gives me SUV utility and sedan feel, performance, and gas mileage. That's a hard combination to beat.

dc5k20z1

good write up, I love my RDX. Mine is at the dealer getting the rear suspension checked out that some people have had; I am in a loaner ILX.... i fuggin hate it. Too small for me, lol

rsx2rdx

Thanks for the write up. After 2500 miles, sounds like it's time for a car wash.

I just finished a drive down from San Francisco to Los Angeles on Interstate 5 and averaged about 26.1 mpg on our AWD RDX. Interstate 5 is basically the most boring straight line road ever...it's just 2 lanes with semis on the right and caravan of cars on the left. The RDX was super smooth as usual and one of the nice things is how stable the car feels at higher speeds. I really enjoy using the paddle shifter to drop down a gear and get a little extra kick for a moment during hill climbs or passing.

Unfortunately, I got hit by a rock and now I have a crack running across my windshield so I'll have to replace it.

Don't want to hijack this thread, but I'm wondering if anyone has ever replaced the windshield with factory glass or if insurance only cover generic glass?

I assume the factory glass is somewhat better than generic. Does it cost more to replace with factory glass and can it be done through Acura dealership?

weather

Mike_TX....That is an excellent write up and share pretty much the same opinion as you with respect to the RDX. The one point that I am somewhat disagreeing relates to the passenger seat. I was sitting on that side once or twice (friend driving the RDX) and really felt small sitting in the seat...its too low and really annoyed me. I wish we had a height adjuster or at least, have Acura set it higher as a default setting.

rsx2rdx...I never had to have to replace the windshield of the RDX but I am 99% sure that the OEM replacement would be more expensive than an after market option. By how much? I am not quite sure as I never priced one but for an older car of mine, the difference between the replacement windshield was about 600$ (350 for the aftermarket but ~950 for the OEM equipment). That was 2002 Grand Am GT at the time BTW and keep in mind, I am in Canada

Colorado Guy AF Ret.

To Mike_TX....I appreciate the write up. My only comment with the fuel mileage would be.....I would not have been upset at the 22-23 mpg during those extremely heavy winds. That's a natural result from those conditions and I'm frankly surprised it got that good....considering the strength of the wind...some of them head winds....WOW....great job RDX!

Most insurance co's. I've had would accept the owner's desire to have the car manufacturer's windshield used rather than a company from Korea, China...or wherever. It's similar to how most are handling collision repair. You can choose who you want to do the body and paint work.

Dorsey

Mike - Good write up on the trip. We do not get much wind in Florida (hurricanes excepted) but when I demo'd an RDX before buying mine we were having big winds blowing cross-wise to the interstate. The noise from the right (downwind) side was very bad. I often wondered if it was the mirrors, misalignment of the passenger window or the underbody problem some have reported. Now I am almost sure it was the mirrors.

RSX2 - Almost all replacement windshields are US made. The cost of shipping is not worth the savings in labor. Your insurance Company will steer you towards whoever they have a national contract with most likely Safelite and they will plug it with acrylic if at all possible (sounds like yours is not). My experience with plugs has been mixed. IMO the windshield sold by Safelite et al are equivalent to OEM in thickness, tinting, cutouts for e-turnpike readers etc. However, I would be very particular with the outer molding that covers the gap between the windshield and the body (the RDX has only one at the top). This is an inexpensive part but the atermarket guys will try to reuse it, discard it entirely and use caulk or use a generic molding. Insist that they use a new OEM molding and you will be fine

Mike_TX

Yep, the winds we encountered on day 1 were probably more sidewinds that 100% headwinds, as they were coming from about the 10:00 - 11:00 direction. Still, they eroded the mileage very noticeably.

Two things I didn't mention in the original post are the A/C and the nav system. Suffice to say the nav was really annoying in that it has lost the ability to display multiple "nearby" POI's. Yes, you can get two more screens of four POI's (big whoop), but only for about 15 or 20 seconds before that screen greys out. You have to push the talk button again to get another 15 seconds before it greys out again. What a major pain in the butt.

I'll also say that the nav seemed slower to plot a destination that my previous Acuras. And once it just wouldn't set a destination from Previous Destinations ... it seemed to accept it, and even showed the little progress bar saying it was calculating, but then it failed. After trying 3 times and then giving up, it suddenly and mysteriously set the destination.

The A/C is another change from previous Acuras. In short, it was spastic, and required constant fiddling with the temp knob to keep me comfortable. Thanks to the GPS feature, it would abruptly blast the fan up (or down) with a change of direction, again requiring fiddling to calm it down. And sometimes it would blow hard and too cold at a given temperature setting, while at other times it would blow too softly, again requiring fiddling with the temp knob. Automatic temp control just doesn't seem to work as well in this vehicle. It may be in part because it has no rear vents and needs to work harder to cool the large interior volume.

I can deal with these things - well, maybe except for the nav - so it's not a deal breaker by any means. It just seems stupid to have to use my phone to find a restaurant or gas station when I have a $2000 nav system in front of me. And forcing us to use other devices is hardly a safety feature.

I doubt it will change anything, but I plan to let Honda know I feel about the nav. Stern letter to follow.

fleuger99

Hey,

I can answer that for you, I just replaced my RDX windshield two weeks ago after a crack appeared and spread to about 1/3 of my shield, from top to bottom.

I took it to my dealer as I could find no chip and was hoping I could get the dealer to replace it as a defective shield. I took it to my purchasing dealer and they scoured to shield only to find a tiny chip at the very top of the shield.

The dealer suggested an Acura OEM shield versus generic. Here in MA I pay glass coverage in my insurance which entitles me two two shield replacements per 12 month period based on renewal. So, the dealer ordered the shield for me, they only had two they said. I'm not sure if that is North East, USA etc. They then called a glass shop they use (Ace Glass) and made the appointment for me. I needed to call my insurance company and get a case number and provide that number to Ace Glass to cover the repair. I don't know price of OEM versus generic but my insurance agent told me that if the repair is in excess of $649 that Ace Glass must call and get their approval before doing the work. If it is not approved before hand then the max my insurance will cover is $649 and I will be on the hook for the balance. I got the number and called Ace Glass and passed along the case number and the $649 warning.

Ace Came out 4 days later to my home and replaced the shield. I don't know what the final cost was but all I know is I never payed for it, outside of my $100/yr glass coverage.

Sose

I too have been frustrated by the nav. I'm sure an update would make it much more useful if they do it right.

rsx2rdx

Sorry, wanted to correct the mileage...actually got 23.1 over 950 mile trip driving pretty fast. didn't want anyone to think there was something wrong with there car.

Rocket_man

This is not an error, it is by design. They are trying to avoid the Nav being a source of distraction while driving no doubt feeling that it is a potential source of liability to them. Or that federal regulations will come in if car manufactures don't act. All new Honda navs are like this.

I agree though that this is a bad trend. I makes the nav much less useful, and only encourages the driver to resort to a phone which is much harder to use while driving. Poor trade.

Roadie2000

@Mike_TX
Sounds about right. I've noticed some pretty bad gas mileage in heavy winds too, pretty typical. You have to take into consideration elevation difference too. I get much better mileage through flat terrain than through rolling hills. And if you're driving up into the mountains or something you'll obviously get poor mileage getting there, but much better mileage coming back. Most of the time you won't even notice it by looking out the window but you'll notice it in gas mileage.