das1996

Hello.

I'm considering the 2021 rdx, but have been reading about this loss of power issue. Is this still a concern in 2021?

Reading way too many owner's comments has left be rather confused to the point of abandoning buying the car at this time. Some of the other owner complains of rattles, infotainment bugs and other issues appear to also exist but are not as significant IMO as the loss of power.

leomio2.0

Infotainment bugs seem to have been primarily with the 2019 models. My infotainment works fine, the only thing that I've encountered was audio drop out using Car Play. If you're patient, it starts back up on its own after a few seconds ... maybe 10-15 at the most. But, these are few and far between. I own a 2020 and it was one of the early models as they were just beginning to arrive on dealer lots.

Rattles? Yea, not gonna defend the car in this regard. I'm probably its biggest critic in this regard. Rattles from both the A-pillars, from the driver's B-pillar, headliner above driver's seat, sunroof windguard, panoramic sunroof frame, under the passenger side dash, rear cargo area, clicking steering wheel, squeaking seat and an intermittent one coming from the infotainment area seems to be happening going over bumps. Also intermittent noise when it was cold from the lower control arms that I couldn't replicate consistently to waste my time bringing it in to be told it couldn't be reproduced. All this in 16k miles.

So, yea, really not a fan of the build quality of the car.

But ...

I've probably taken this car into triple digits 30+ times. Yes, on open straights where the only person I'm killing is myself or a deer. I rarely launch the car hard though ... I prefer top end pulls. I'm not bragging, I just enjoy speed ... but my point is, my car has never gone into limp mode. I guess take that for what it's worth. Acura is aware of the issue, and it appears the main culprits may be faulty fuel pumps that effected more than just Acura and/or condensation building up in the intercooler system. Any car has the potential for problems.

Drive it and see if you like it. Then test drive anything and everything else. The new NX looks fantastic, though it's noticeably smaller. The Genesis GV70 is quite an interesting vehicle as well. Heck, the new Santa Fe is pretty damn appealing as well. Then you have all the Germans and domestics. Maybe stop by an Infiniti dealer and surprise the sales people there that somebody actually walked in. This is literally the largest segment in the car market today. If your heart keeps coming back to the Acura, then I'd say go for it. If you find something else that tickles your fancy better, go with that and don't look back ...

das1996

Thanks for the response. Sad a $40-50K vehicle is subject to such nvh in such a short amount of miles.

My '12 G37S (6mt) had some rattles when cold, but was relatively silent in warmer temps. Sold the car 2 years ago with just under 38K miles. Driver came from 4 states away to pick up.

My cars get relatively low miles per year, so hopefully the issues will build up slowly. I thought about the GV70 but that's over budget. A past poor experience with kia has left a bad taste for the brand too. Granted that was 10 years ago. Infiniti is out. All their crap is now cvt. No thanks.

I think I might be cramped in a NX. I test drove a cx5 and felt squashed. Seems the center stacks keep getting wider and wider. I had the same issue with a '18 or '19 honda accord.

We have a '15 accord exl which fits well, but is beyond boring to drive. We'll play the numbers game and see what they offer. Car has 25K miles and is in tip top shape (new tires, battery, all fluids changed not too long ago).

Re rdx, folks complain about mpg. How has that treated you?

leomio2.0

Gas mileage is pretty poor, but again, I don't drive it gingerly. Power = air + fuel. The more of the powerband you use, the more fuel you'll inevitably consume. I was a bit surprised at how low the MPG was though, even with numerous top end runs ... the vast majority I'm driving fairly tamely. I hover around 21MPG combined. There are others here though who fare better.

Leaf 68

I bought an April 2018 build ‘19 RDX A-Spec in July of 2018. From the day I drove it off the lot I experienced 6 issues in the first year that have been fixed now with updated Parts/TSB’s..so having said that, I myself would feel confident buying a later year build 2021 model RDX because of the updates. The limp mode intercooler issue I believe has been addressed by Acura on Newt 2021 models with updated parts…see TSB’s on this forum and PRL Intercooler Install in Acurazine Performance Parts section https://acurazine.com/forums/3g-rdx-...lation-994657/. Gas mileage is not great but for the size/comfort it is comparable in the class. I don’t mind the infotainment system as I don’t use apple car play..I have had two small dash rattles that I fixed from help on this forum. The transmission can be a little jerky in 1st gear at stop signs but have come to live with that. I too looked at the NX but felt cramped inside. Take it for another long test drive and go with your gut instinct…

das1996

^^Thanks

Even more disturbing is this - https://acurazine.com/forums/3g-rdx-...soline-977992/ . As more thought put into this, the conclusion seems to be keep what I have until there a genuine _need_ for replacement. Yes it's a bore to drive, low power, inadequate suspension, but is paid off, mechanically sound, sips fuel.

So tough to make decisions these days with car forums and social media

markAZ

Keep in mind that what you find in forums like this is often lots complaints and negative experiences that people have. You don't often hear from people who are happy with their cars. We bought 2021 Advance, our second RDX, in October and have had zero issues with it. Sure, there are things I don't particularly like but they are fairly trivial overall, nothing that I can't live with (the auto idle stop comes to mind) but you'll find that with just about any car you buy. Different people have different priorities and expectations for a car.

Overall we're quite pleased with the car and think it's a great value for the money. But by all means test drive one and some others and make up your own mind.

rdevillers

Our 2020 has been rock solid except for an occasional sunroof creak. No other squeaks or rattles anywhere. The sunroof issue is so infrequent that I am not gong to try to get it fixed. The thing drives great. We are very happy with it.

Madd Dog

My 2019 purchased in August 2018 had a fair amount of teething problems with the electronics, but it always drove well and as I expected, with fuel economy lower than I would like. It has been a year since I had any issues.

We just drove a round trip to Maine of about 350 miles each way, using Carplay for maps and Apple music for sounds, and we had not one glitch.

steady at around 65-70 mph got us about 26 mpg, the best I ever got.

fiatlux

I would keep what you have right now, unless you're able to sell it for a substanial amount. It's a seller's market right now; you can barely get any dealer discounts these days other than the manufacturer incentives. Not too long ago with a little legwork you could buy a 3G RDX for up to 20% off sticker.

das1996

Test drove another one today (closer to home so relative could sit in back, try ingress/egress). This was a tech model, previous one was advanced.

Today's car felt heavy in terms of acceleration, steering, and braking. The advanced seemed to shift faster too. Tires were properly inflated (over inflated even,42/43 according to tpms). Maybe this dealership is running regular fuel instead of premium. That might account for the sluggishness but not braking. 20 miles on the advance vs 150 on the today's tech. I'm not talking about hammering the throttle either, just normal driving.

The drive train on both is the same, no. Only difference is the electronic suspension which shouldn't affect performance (other than corning).

I miss the standard shifter and parking brake.

JB in AZ

I NEVER ran premium in my '19 Advance and I can tell you, it WAS NOT sluggish!

Drive train is the same in both. Different tire sizes.

leomio2.0

Could it be that the car was in Comfort or, for whatever reason, Snow mode?

das1996

@JB in AZ

Both tech and advance ride on 235/55/19 tires, only a-spec has the wider tires.

I played with the different drive modes, trying them all. Made no difference. It almost seemed like timing was retarded a few degrees. I did see a pumping station on site, so fuel quality might still be the variable. Braking required more effort. I would imagine if the engine is not running in spec (vacuum leak?) the some CEL would come on. The first dealer has another advance in the color of my choice. I think I will go back there and try that one before working numbers/trade.

Does the rdx use any type of learning transmission. Quite a few people must have driven this one with 150 miles on it, so maybe I was driving it too gingerly.

FWIW, I did try some on/off ramps at a fair clip. It handled those quite well considering its an suv. I think where this vehicle would probably lack is on S type curves (transitions) given the heft. I'm of the school, when in doubt give it more throttle.

amcobra

My 2021 RDX Advance also no major problems except for minor rattle in rear. Fixed with the help of a friend. MPG aground town 24.5 and 31 on HWY. Admittedly i am no longer into racing of any kind. Been there and done that. Car is well built and a great ride. Start / stop does not bother me as I know I can turn off if needed. Otherwise I just drive to enjoy my RDX. The navigation is weak so I use WAZE. Car pay is also great for listening to my tunes.

Jfkmk

Since Acura knows the cause of the limp mode issue and has issued a TSB for it, I would think they’ve addressed it on the newer models (at least I would hope they did). While limp mode might not be prevalent, it is scary as hell when it happens! I gunned it after entering a highway to get around an extremely slow driver. There was a truck in the middle lane, but way back, and I had plenty of room to pass. Imagine my horror when I pulled into the middle lane, giving it the gas and having the car go into limp mode! Topping out at 35 mph with a truck barreling down on you at 70 is no fun!

Besides the limp mode issue, I’ll have the fuel pump replaced and the MOST issue addressed. While the vehicle is relatively fun to drive around town, I wouldn’t buy another. I do not like the touchpad infotainment. Thought it would grow on me but it hasn’t. The electronics are glitchy. The usb input works.....about 50% of the time. Why is there only one usb input? Every other vehicle I’ve been in recently has multiple inputs. The infotainment takes a long time to boot and pair with my phone. Granted, it’s not like I have to place a call the minute I get into the car, but in my other vehicles pairing is almost immediate.

Besides the tsb’s and recall, the vehicle had a vicious rattle in the a-pillar, which was inexcusable for a car with this price tag. It was intermittent, and I was glad I recorded it so the dealer could troubleshoot it.

I hate the fake engine noise. Around town it isn’t so bad. Nail the gas to get around someone and it is overbearing!

The dealer has been very good. I’ve never had an issue with any of their work, I just wish they were a little closer than 40 minutes away.

Waetherman

I believe it does. There is a procedure for resetting it; https://www.youcanic.com/guide/reset...e-transmission

This is another example of the car being too clever by half. Like most folks on this board, I’m an older driver, and all these bells and whistles seem unnecessary or even intrusive. But every now and then the car does something I didn’t expect and I am impressed - like turning down the AC fan so there’s less noise when I answer a phone call.

As for my overall impression of the car, I like it a lot. I have not had any major problems and really enjoy driving it. The infotainment system is slow to boot up, but other than that I haven’t had issues. I love the dual screen setup and the nav works fine. My dealer experience has been great, and I would 10/10 buy another Acura.

Madd Dog

My 2008 535 had a learning transmission, so they are not really that new.

das1996

@Jfkmk What year is yours?

I agree, all this tech is excessive. I learned to drive on a early 90's conversion van and first car was mid 80's taxi cab caprice. No nannies, just learn to use mirrors (those little stick on blind spot mirrors still go on every car I own) and pay attention. Seems today's cars are more about rolling computers. Coming from decades on 2 wheels and cars with 3 pedals, it's more about the driving experience than how well music on my phone plays and bt integration. In fact, 99% of the time my phone is in air plane mode when driving.

What they ought to do is use the engine from the tlx type s in this vehicle. The 2 L turbo is reasonable but not great.

Waetherman

I agree that the 3 liter engine would be a nice option, but I’m not sure I would have considered it even if it had been offered in the 2020 because of the nearly $10k price difference. I am still considering some performance upgrades though.

das1996

Performance upgrades such as?

Waetherman

Hondata tune to start - that seems to give about 7% boost with stage 1 and double that with stage 2. Intake, down pipe and a few other changes - I specced it out once and it seemed like you could get a decent performance gain with about $3k. Graham Rahal also has turbo and exhaust options for even more gains, but I’m not looking to go overboard/decrease fuel efficiency/increase noise that much.

Waetherman

I just found my previous post with this info;

Intake ($350/+11 hp)
Downtube ($400/+16 hp)
Exhaust ($2000/+13 hp)
Intercooler ($700/?)
Tune ($700/+30 hp)

So that’s just a little more than $4k, for a total of 70 hp gain. Now keep in mind that all of those numbers, except the Hondata tune, are claimed hp gains that are not verified so take it all with a grain of salt. But Graham Rahal did get their SEMA build up to 345 hp so it does seem possible.

As for my own mods I’d probably just go intake/downtube/tune, for a cost of about $1500 and 55 hp gain. The exhaust seems like a cost effective option, but one person in this forum who got it said it was annoying loud - had to sell it after he went to pick up his wife just after it was installed and she told him she wouldn’t be seen in it (or something to that effect).

das1996

If I were to make any such mods it would be after warranty ends.

Used to have a motorcycle with a 2bros pipe. Could be heard from 1/2 mi away. Neighbors loved me

Really my biggest concern with increasing boost on a 4 cyl is engine longevity. It's already asking a lot of a 4 cyl to produce 300 hp.

Waetherman

True. But the Civic Type R makes 300+ hp with a motor that’s basically the same. That’s why mods to the RDX should be pretty reliable.

das1996

Took the accord on a somewhat long trip (~150 miles) north and west of chicago. Hit some nice windy (by chicago standard) backroads. Came to the realization that I won't be happy with something less than closer to 400 HP. Cargo space of a suv is nice, but im also after the driving experience. Maybe tlx type S. Unless im mistaken, it's a new engine/platform so will have to wait a year or two for the bugs to shake out. Maybe we'll see this engine in the rdx too. For now, the accord ('15 ~26K miles) is fully paid off, has new tires, battery, fully serviced (coolant, brake fluid done within the last year). All that's left is the cvt fluid. Will prob do that this fall.

Maybe a kia stinger.

Jfkmk

My RDX is a 2020.

Waetherman

If you think you need 400 horsepower to enjoy driving, the RDX is not for you. It’s spirited for an SUV at $40k, and the SH-AWD does give it great handling, but it’s not a sports car or even a sports SUV. I’d shop Porsche, Jaguar and BMW for higher powered SUV options (at $20k more expensive). TLX Type S could be good too, but still $10k+ more expensive than an RDX. Kia Stinger…well sure, that’s an option but IMO that’s just a cheap car with a big engine. There’s no such thing as a free lunch or an inexpensive luxury sports sedan - corners must be cut.

Jim7707

Go test drive a Tesla Model 3 LR or Performance. They will definitely put a smile on your face if you have a need for speed and instant power.

fiatlux

The RDX (or even a hypothetical RDX Type S) is not going to tickle your fancy if you want 400HP. I'd take a good hard look at the X3 M40i or Macan S.

das1996

No way am I getting an electric car. I'm a firm believer of fossil fuels

Maybe a tlx type s if the dealer is willing to deal. Seems msrp is what those in the area are offering. The beauty of this whole situation is I don't need a car yesterday. The right deal will happen sooner or later.

Sat in a stinger today, interior was eh... They haven't improved visibility from 3 years ago. My rear seat passenger wasn't too thrilled about ingress/egress. You literally fall 'into' the seat.

Jim7707

I didn't say you should get one, just test drive one for yucks.

das1996

If I didn't live in the land of grid and broken roads, I'd keep the sedan and get this for my speed fix.

https://i.imgur.com/psf0N7w.jpg
160hp, 130 lbft, 6 gears, 700lb wet

Now that's a rocket.

das1996

I want to thank all you of you who've responded in this thread. I was eager to to try to work a deal today but the dealers are just not having it. I got as far as a reasonable negotiated price on the advance (44,4 USD)+ttl, but they were giving me crap on the trade in. I'm just not motivated enough to get into a new car right now unless the deal is worthwhile.

One dealer threw a curve ball with regard to appraising the trade-in. They insisted on doing a test drive without me present. Deal breaker there. If I had no intention of keeping the car I might have agreed. Frankly, I think it's unreasonable to expect a sales person to go with buyer on a test drive but not the other way around on a trade in.

Another dealer was asking msrp. Told him we are oceans apart, got up and left. I was in the parking lot speaking with another customer when the sales person approaches trying to salvage the deal. Their offer was still higher than the $44,4 above. I'm not completely averse to keeping the accord another year or 5 until something else comes along.

Showkey

The last three cars I traded the (Honda Acura)dealers did not test drive…………they said no need.
I had no issue with the value in all three cases.

mlody

It appears that limp mode is still not resolved in 2021 model year based on some reports on nhtsa.gov, but some here said that the issue was resolved

https://www.nhtsa.gov/vehicle/2021/ACURA/RDX/SUV/AWD

russianDude

The limp mode goes into 2021 up to certain win number, you can see in TSB. The TSB was updated and says normal warranty applies, so they not going to pay for it if you experience it after warranty

mlody

Thanks for clarifying! This makes sense now.

das1996

Maybe the 2022's will be better sorted. I reviewed my extended warranty on the accord. Looks like there's coverage through 2/2023 through honda care. More reason to hold on to it. So probably a good thing the deal didn't go through the other day.

mlody

We are also waiting for 2022 to see what kind of changes Acura brings to this SUV, but seeing how MDX, didn't really get much more advance technology that what RDX currently has, my expectations for 2022 are fairly low. I would like to see bigger center scree, wireless CarPlay, and ideally touch screen.