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I take CR and Car & Driver, JD Power ratings with a grain of salt. Long term reliability is what stands out for me and some of the vehicles on the list of “recommended” does not deserve to be there.
Yes, our RDX have issues with infotainment, quality & fit control and so on but nothing is serious from a mechanical or safety perspective. Yes, it annoys me to waste my time at the dealer in the waiting room or even using a loaner car. Any new technology go thru this cycle and will get better overtime. I still pick Honda/Acura over any European brand any day.
I take CR and Car & Driver, JD Power ratings with a grain of salt. Long term reliability is what stands out for me and some of the vehicles on the list of “recommended” does not deserve to be there.
Yes, our RDX have issues with infotainment, quality & fit control and so on but nothing is serious from a mechanical or safety perspective. Yes, it annoys me to waste my time at the dealer in the waiting room or even using a loaner car. Any new technology go thru this cycle and will get better overtime. I still pick Honda/Acura over any European brand any day.
I agree that none of the issues seem catastrophic but is that we're we put the bar? So it's a good car with nothing to worry about and these ratings are all crap because the engine and transmission haven't exploded but it's really poorly put together with a buggy infotainment system? That's a pretty low bar IMO. I guess my other way of thinking about it is other manufactures do it better. Honda/Acura should do it better.
We seem to only cite CR recommendation when it's good for us.
Whether you trust it or not, it is a general indicator based on owner surveys. Tesla pointed out that while their customers have encounter quality issues, their owner satification is high.
This seems to be the case of 2019 RDX here at the forum too. The tolerance for problems is high here but folks can't seem to be objective on reliability.
I won't tolerate a jerky shift if I am dropping 50k on a car.l. I have had that on my old Nissan and sure enough it translated into transmission replacement within 30k miles.
Again, if you are leasing, you probably won't care about reliability in the long run.
Let's not forget we are still talking about two but related issues - engineering issues (10-speed auto, suspension noise and infotainment) and assembly issues (misaligned body panels, trim pieces, rattles and squeaks). The assembly issues are pretty unforgivable because the problem is right there for them to see during manufacturing and their QC system either addresses them or says hey it's not perfect and it's good enough - that just comes down to systems in place and manufacturing philosophy/tolerances. The engineering issues can be more complex and those can take time. I think it's when you put these two issues together the perception of Acura's reliability plummets.
They want to charge more and I agree you get more the money compared to a Honda but if they want to be taken seriously in this market they have to be better engineered and built than a Civic that cost less than half as much.
I think CR was too enamored with the all new RDX at first; then reality set in. I watched their latest issue of car reports on YouTube and it seems they are trying to improve their ratings to reflect real world experiences. However, they still rely on consumer responses to their limited number of surveys, which seem slanted toward the negatives. The RDX is a great road machine, but let’s face it, their new infotainment system is junk. Just my 2 ˘.
Just to put things in context, not only is Acura ranked last in owner satisfaction, RDX is also ranked low in owner satisfaction, beating out only QX50.
Porsche Macan
Audi Q5
Jaguar F-Pace
Mercedes-Benz GLC
BMW X4
Lincoln MKC
Cadilac XTS
Lexus NX
Buick Envision
Acura RDX
Infiniti QX50
Just to put things in context, not only is Acura ranked last in owner satisfaction, RDX is also ranked low in owner satisfaction, beating out only QX50.
Porsche Macan
Audi Q5
Jaguar F-Pace
Mercedes-Benz GLC
BMW X4
Lincoln MKC
Cadilac XTS
Lexus NX
Buick Envision
Acura RDX
Infiniti QX50
Just to put things in context, not only is Acura ranked last in owner satisfaction, RDX is also ranked low in owner satisfaction, beating out only QX50.
Porsche Macan
Audi Q5
Jaguar F-Pace
Mercedes-Benz GLC
BMW X4
Lincoln MKC
Cadilac XTS
Lexus NX
Buick Envision
Acura RDX
Infiniti QX50
I own both the GLC and RDX, both loaded with similar goodies. For the money, the RDX is killer IMO.
I love driving my RDX, and I like driving my GLC.
Also, each CUV on this list is pretty awesome. My 4 closest neighbor have the MKC, XT5, Q5 and X3 in their garages. I don't think any of us picked a bad car.
I own both the GLC and RDX, both loaded with similar goodies. For the money, the RDX is killer IMO.
I love driving my RDX, and I like driving my GLC.
Also, each CUV on this list is pretty awesome. My 4 closest neighbor have the MKC, XT5, Q5 and X3 in their garages. I don't think any of us picked a bad car.
I don’t know if it’s a matter of good vs bad. More like happy vs sad? They may all be good vehicles but apparently some make their owners happier than others.
And there is always the value, or price of entry to each vehicle. Many on the list are way more expensive than the RDX similarly equipped.
A friend has a 2018 MKC, he is sorry he bought it. His mistake, yes. His trade in value is horrendous so he will grudgingly keep it another year or two. It's sad to be unhappy in a car.
Just to put things in context, not only is Acura ranked last in owner satisfaction, RDX is also ranked low in owner satisfaction, beating out only QX50.
Porsche Macan
Audi Q5
Jaguar F-Pace
Mercedes-Benz GLC
BMW X4
Lincoln MKC
Cadilac XTS
Lexus NX
Buick Envision
Acura RDX
Infiniti QX50
Specific to 2019 RDX, which now has a reliability rating 2/5.
2016-2018 RDX have reliability rating 4/5 and retain "recommended" status as used cars.
But owner satisfaction is 4/5 for 2019 RDX vs 2/5 for most 2nd-gen RDX's except 2017 which is 3/5.
Soooo 2019 RDX is fun to drive, but the infotainment system is a POS?
Those numbers make sense to me honestly. The 2G was MUCH more solid (but only because it was archaic as hell) but boring as HELL!!!! This new 2G is kinda all over the place but undoubtedly a MUCH MUCH funner vehicle.
Just odd that infotainment system complaints = unreliable.
Did you notice why the Odyssey isn't recommended anymore? Infotainment screen lockup. Yeah, makes the car very unreliable (and they do make comments that the fastest growing area of complaints is infotainment and electronics.
And wow, Toyota isn't doing well too, whereas in JD Power, it's really good. Who do we believe?
Just odd that infotainment system complaints = unreliable.
Did you notice why the Odyssey isn't recommended anymore? Infotainment screen lockup. Yeah, makes the car very unreliable (and they do make comments that the fastest growing area of complaints is infotainment and electronics.
And wow, Toyota isn't doing well too, whereas in JD Power, it's really good. Who do we believe?
Yeah I definitely don't think an infotainment glitch and an engine meltdown are equivalent but what do I know. I do think this RDX has too many problems that should not have made it passed initial tests. However I do also believe that they will have a majority if not all kinks worked out in the next 6ish months. I don't think it's neccesarily worse than any other complete brand new overhaul though.
Infotainment issues can be very frustrating for those who are not used to newer tech. My wife is 100% not interested it all the tech in cars these days. She test drove the RDX and felt there was just too much going on with all the buttons on the wheel, screens and touchpad. She has a 2013 Highlander and is completely satisfied with it. She just wants to listen to a couple FM stations and occasionally bluetooth. I couldn't imagine my mom being able to figure it all out.
I'm sure these are the types of people who give bad reviews due to infotainment/tech issues. It may not necessary mean it's not reliable.
Infotainment issues can be very frustrating for those who are not used to newer tech. My wife is 100% not interested it all the tech in cars these days. She test drove the RDX and felt there was just too much going on with all the buttons on the wheel, screens and touchpad. She has a 2013 Highlander and is completely satisfied with it. She just wants to listen to a couple FM stations and occasionally bluetooth. I couldn't imagine my mom being able to figure it all out.
I'm sure these are the types of people who give bad reviews due to infotainment/tech issues. It may not necessary mean it's not reliable.
Well said. Just because the infotainment system is buggy doesn't mean the vehicle unreliable. ,, or maybe my definition of reliability is different
Infotainment issues can be very frustrating for those who are not used to newer tech...
So true. My wife falls in that category big time. I overheard a conversation between her and her brother a few weeks back where she was saying the neither of them would be able to drive a new car like the RDX. I'm sure that's her primary reason for not wanting to upgrade her Honda.
She also finds excuse after excuse to not drive the RDX - not a problem for me personally but I'm thinking about a situation where we're out somewhere and for whatever reason I'm not able to drive. Getting familiar with a new vehicle can be stressful enough without having to do it while under stress for a different reason at the same time.
Haha I'm sure my parents would be the same, that they would hate the infotainment system. They have trouble using an Android phone after all, and would often be asking me for help. They will say the phone is not working when it's working perfectly fine.
Not saying smartphones don't have issue, in fact, the cimpleco opposite. But it's sort of how they work in a sense that once in a while, you do have to reboot the phone. With the infotainment system being an android device, it probably is the same. It will take time for people to understand and for the bugs to be ironed out. That's sort of the price one has to pay to get updates.
But in case we feel like RDX is being unfairly vilified by CR, here's their take on the Lexus NX. This made me laugh.
With a snout borrowed from a large-mouth bass and a body with more creases than a churro pastry, the NX is the most un-Lexus Lexus we've tested. From a brand that made its bones building vanilla-mobiles, the NX is a swing in the other direction.
OTOH they gave it an overall score of 79 vs 67 for RDX.
@Majofo Have John Smith create a voice over of this in a British accent, please...
With a snout borrowed from a large-mouth bass and a body with more creases than a churro pastry, the NX is the most un-Lexus Lexus we've tested. From a brand that made its bones building vanilla-mobiles, the NX is a swing in the other direction.
Well said. Just because the infotainment system is buggy doesn't mean the vehicle unreliable. ,, or maybe my definition of reliability is different
One concerning thing is that if these infotainment problem made it through the QC process, who knows what else made it through. It could very well be a symptom of other issues.
Same with build quality. Sure, misaligned taillights or panel gaps don't affect the functionality of the car, but it could be a symptom of a larger systemic problem during the assembly process that could one day manifest in issues with the powertrain.
This is only good for owners and future buyers. Excuses dont sell cars, whether you agree with the findings or not Acura isnt going to be able to ignore it.
The infotainment system crashes, brakes squeak, transmission is laggy, fuel in oil, panels don't align....but Consumer Reports and JD Powers don't know what they are talking about, we're just breaking the car in...lol
I've been a reader of CR for years and still am, but I don't like that infotainment has been factored into "reliability." When I car shop, I want a car I can trust won't break down on a road trip. To be that's reliability. So while I can understand why people would be frustrated with confusing infotainment setups, I think that problem is rather secondary.
Infotainment is expected to work as it should. If it doesn't, then the vehicle's reliability scores should definitely be dinged. It's a great way to put pressure on car manufacturers to get their act together and not release these buggy electronic nightmares upon consumers to beta test. That's, of course, in addition to owners pestering their dealers and Acura customer service.
Infotainment is consider in car electronics and should be absolutely be considered as reliability scoring. In fact, anything that can break should be included. You may be thinking about weight of the scoring being a failed light bulb shouldn't be scored the same as transmission failures.
That I would agree but we don't have details how these surveys work. A proper one would have taken weights in consideration
Infotainment is consider in car electronics and should be absolutely be considered as reliability scoring. In fact, anything that can break should be included. You may be thinking about weight of the scoring being a failed light bulb shouldn't be scored the same as transmission failures.
That I would agree but we don't have details how these surveys work. A proper one would have taken weights in consideration
Or at least broken it out by area (powertrain, interior, exterior, infotainment, etc.), but I suspect that the number of positive data points would be far too low for that level of granularity.
Infotainment is consider in car electronics and should be absolutely be considered as reliability scoring. In fact, anything that can break should be included. You may be thinking about weight of the scoring being a failed light bulb shouldn't be scored the same as transmission failures.
That I would agree but we don't have details how these surveys work. A proper one would have taken weights in consideration
Yes it should be reported of course, but I don't think it should be weighed equally as you mentioned.
From Consumer Reports:
"To check on the reliability history of a particular year's model, start with the Overall Reliability Verdict Score. This score shows whether the model had more or fewer problems overall than the average model of that year, calculated from the total number of problems reported by members in all trouble spots. Because problems with the engine major, engine cooling, transmission major, and drive system can be serious and expensive to repair, our calculations give extra weight to problems in those areas."
02-22-2019, 07:57 AM
