Acura reliability
10-25-2018, 02:13 PM
#1
Three Wheelin'
Thread Starter
Acura reliability
Consumer reports doesn't seem to think very highly of Acura & Honda in terms of reliability. Audi and BMW rate higher!
https://www.freep.com/story/money/ca...ts/1750950002/
Complete list is available at above link.
I hope they are wrong. I have tended to think of Acura as a brand that builds very reliable cars.
https://www.freep.com/story/money/ca...ts/1750950002/
Complete list is available at above link.
I hope they are wrong. I have tended to think of Acura as a brand that builds very reliable cars.
10-25-2018, 03:01 PM
#2
Moderator
I think Acura is trending up after working through the issues with the TLX from a few years back. Honda is taking a hit from the all new Accord I would assume. Next year at this time Honda should be back in the top 10.
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kurtatx (10-26-2018)
10-25-2018, 04:18 PM
#3
Azine Jabroni
Yup. It really is that simple. Especially for a brand like Acura with 5 models. It doesn't take a lot for them to shoot up the rankings but it doesn't take much for them to fall, either.
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37tzee (10-26-2018)
10-25-2018, 08:25 PM
#4
Honda is going to take a huge hit with their oil in gas issue, on the gen 5 CRV, that they just recently acknowledged. I'm waiting to make my decision between the RDX, Q5 and X3, until the RDX goes through the cold months. The RDX seems to be the best "bang for the buck" vehicle in the group.
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37tzee (10-26-2018)
10-25-2018, 08:47 PM
#5
Here is the whole list.
https://www.consumerreports.org/car-...reliable-cars/
2019 RDX
Mostly positive for the RDX. They weren't fans of the new infotainment controls and the push button tranny. Then again they dinged the infotainment system on the MDX so they don't seem to like the old setup either. Could be worse. See Volvo.
https://www.consumerreports.org/car-...reliable-cars/
Acura: The past few years have seen Acura—Honda’s luxury brand—add new automatic transmissions and infotainment systems, and they caused reliability headaches. These problems have been worked out on most models, although the MDX is still below average in these two areas.
Honda’s premium brand makes cars and SUVs positioned above the mainstream but below Lexus and the European luxury competitors. The engines and transmissions combine to provide good power and fuel economy. Ride and handling are sound but they aren’t standout qualities. Acura’s controls and touch screens tend to be annoying and unintuitive. The MDX and RDX SUVs, and the TLX sedan, scored well in our tests. But we were entirely unimpressed with the ILX and RLX sedans. Reliability, once a strength, is now positions Acura as the lowest-ranked Japanese nameplate, mostly due to problems with transmissions and infotainment systems.
The third-generation RDX gave up the previous model's V6 engine in favor of a 2.0-liter turbocharged four-cylinder that is paired with a 10-speed automatic transmission. It's an energetic powertrain once it gets past its initial hesitation. We got 22 mpg overall. The RDX is enjoyable to drive. It feels lively and engaging, and has nimble handling. We did, however, find the controls to be extremely distracting. They use a touch pad to interact with the center screen. That forces drivers to divert their attention from the road. The RDX is also saddled with a cumbersome push-button gear selector. The seats are comfortable and interior room is on par with the class. All RDXs come standard with the AcuraWatch safety system, which includes forward-collision warning and automatic emergency braking; blind-spot warning is optional.
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mechonit (11-04-2018)
10-25-2018, 09:12 PM
#6
Reviews are different from Reliability *Survery* It has nothing to do with how CR thinks about the seats comfort or how unintuitive the new infotainment system has become. The impact of 2019 RDX probably hasn't hit the survey yet, even if it did, it is a small sampling.
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10-26-2018, 08:56 AM
#8
Azine Jabroni
Sure, but the survey gets impressions of what people think. You may be more educated than the average driver re: cars, but your impressions likely fit within a distribution. reliability and customer satisfaction are BOTH credible at consumer reports. The rest...not so much.
10-26-2018, 09:43 AM
#9
I bought a '99 Jeep and had a number of problems. Several years later I read an article in CR about reliability and looked at the owners data. It was right on the button. CR even had an article about don't buy used Jeeps in that series and listed all the problems I had. Now I look at the reliability data. Don't read the reviews.
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Curious3GTL (10-26-2018)
10-26-2018, 09:44 AM
#10
Reviews are different from Reliability *Survery* It has nothing to do with how CR thinks about the seats comfort or how unintuitive the new infotainment system has become. The impact of 2019 RDX probably hasn't hit the survey yet, even if it did, it is a small sampling.
10-26-2018, 01:18 PM
#11
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10-26-2018, 02:24 PM
#12
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10-27-2018, 07:54 AM
#13
The problem with many reliability surveys/reports is they treat all issues as being equal. So things like infotainment issues, even benign issues like how menus are arranged causing user frustration with what is otherwise a normally functioning unit, weigh as much as major engine/transmission problems. As an example, I’ve owned quite a few cars with infotainment units that had horrible reviews but I got used to them and after a while they are a non-issue. What I really care about as a consumer as far as reliability is how will the major/expensive components hold up over time and will I need to pay out of pocket at some point to replace them? Infotainment menus arrangements are what they are and as long as it works I do not think that “problem” weighs as much on reliability as an engine/transmission that needs to be replaced.
Now I’m not saying Honda/Acura doesn’t deserve some of the negative feedback. The 9-speed ZF transmission had several YEARS of poor reviews and problems and yet they still decided to put this into the MDX/Pilot. Several years then goes by before they actually reengineer anything about it. I don’t know if that’s just being lazy or cheep or both. That said, I own a 2018 Pilot with the 9-speed transmission. Would I say it’s the smoothest transmission ever? No, but I do not find it’s shifting to be a big deal day-to-day and as long as it lasts I could care less. Now if someone put a survey in front on me and it asked about the transmission? Sure, I’d mark off it’s not perfect.
Point is all of these reliability surveys must be taken with a grain of salt IMO.....
Now I’m not saying Honda/Acura doesn’t deserve some of the negative feedback. The 9-speed ZF transmission had several YEARS of poor reviews and problems and yet they still decided to put this into the MDX/Pilot. Several years then goes by before they actually reengineer anything about it. I don’t know if that’s just being lazy or cheep or both. That said, I own a 2018 Pilot with the 9-speed transmission. Would I say it’s the smoothest transmission ever? No, but I do not find it’s shifting to be a big deal day-to-day and as long as it lasts I could care less. Now if someone put a survey in front on me and it asked about the transmission? Sure, I’d mark off it’s not perfect.
Point is all of these reliability surveys must be taken with a grain of salt IMO.....
11-02-2018, 06:12 PM
#14
I guess my question would be CR's sample size in relation to total owners - meaning what percentage of owners of any vehicle actually will take the time to complete a survey. Do they specify the sample size and compare that to the total number of owners. I have a hard time trusting CR completely because I believe at one point in the past few years they were caught doing some sort of pay for good reviews thing...but i am not 100% sure & a quick google search yielded nothing of substance...
Personally I love the 3g RDX for its mechanical properties (driving, engine, etc), but the infotainment, in my opinion is in an Alpha or Beta state and is not nearly ready for public consumption. Some of the foolery that has happened to my system is fine because i am fairly tech savvy but if these things happened to my mom or dad, the battery would be dead, there would never be an iOS device connected and the car would just sit.
Personally I love the 3g RDX for its mechanical properties (driving, engine, etc), but the infotainment, in my opinion is in an Alpha or Beta state and is not nearly ready for public consumption. Some of the foolery that has happened to my system is fine because i am fairly tech savvy but if these things happened to my mom or dad, the battery would be dead, there would never be an iOS device connected and the car would just sit.
11-03-2018, 07:47 PM
#15
I guess my question would be CR's sample size in relation to total owners - meaning what percentage of owners of any vehicle actually will take the time to complete a survey. Do they specify the sample size and compare that to the total number of owners. I have a hard time trusting CR completely because I believe at one point in the past few years they were caught doing some sort of pay for good reviews thing...but i am not 100% sure & a quick google search yielded nothing of substance...
Personally I love the 3g RDX for its mechanical properties (driving, engine, etc), but the infotainment, in my opinion is in an Alpha or Beta state and is not nearly ready for public consumption. Some of the foolery that has happened to my system is fine because i am fairly tech savvy but if these things happened to my mom or dad, the battery would be dead, there would never be an iOS device connected and the car would just sit.
Personally I love the 3g RDX for its mechanical properties (driving, engine, etc), but the infotainment, in my opinion is in an Alpha or Beta state and is not nearly ready for public consumption. Some of the foolery that has happened to my system is fine because i am fairly tech savvy but if these things happened to my mom or dad, the battery would be dead, there would never be an iOS device connected and the car would just sit.
11-03-2018, 10:26 PM
#16
Instructor
One thing that makes me really happy about this particular car is how easy it is to get to components. As an amateur mechanic I feel I could fix a lot of the parts of this car since it's easy to get to.
Oil changes looks to be a breeze as the drain bolt and the oil filter are close by each other -- not hidden in weird ways. Changing out stuff like the differential fluid, transfer case fluid, etc.
Recharging the AC if need be looks easy. Pretty easy to get to the other components like the spark plugs.
Overall, pretty happy with the components. As long as you take good care of the fluids and components, I think this car will last a long time.
Oil changes looks to be a breeze as the drain bolt and the oil filter are close by each other -- not hidden in weird ways. Changing out stuff like the differential fluid, transfer case fluid, etc.
Recharging the AC if need be looks easy. Pretty easy to get to the other components like the spark plugs.
Overall, pretty happy with the components. As long as you take good care of the fluids and components, I think this car will last a long time.
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