NJMaverick

As I have discussed in other threads, all the criticism I saw for the RDX here (and in Edmunds) did give me pause about buying my RDX advanced. Now 10 days in, I have to say:

1) The auto hi-beams works great and I love it. It just turns on and off as needed and just lights the road better without any input from me
2) I don't know what all the complaints are about the backup camera. I have the advanced with the 360 camera setup. The backup camera works exactly how I need it to work, it allows me to see what's behind me day or night.
3) I have yet to have a bad shift with the transmission, so I don't know that that's all about
4) Plenty of stopping and I have yet to have a problem with the feel of the brake pedal (or any brake squeal for that matter)
5) The infotainment system works just fine for me and that includes using Apple Car Play and it's not hard to work
6) The ride is very nice in comfort mode, I don't know why some reviews said the car rides rough
7) The engine provides more than ample power without any sort of hesitation, I don't understand how others are having an issue
8) I am still in the break-in period but the MPG is looking to be where I expected it. I had a 3.5 L 2011 Ford Edge and I was getting 17-18 MPG in regular use. With the RDX it's looking like my MPG will be in the low 20s.
9) I thought I had a rattle, but it turned out I didn't have the sun visors clipped in. Did that, and the car is rattle free
10) Engine noise is there (even in comfort mode, although much less). It's hardly annoying and if anything it sort of adds to the "fun factor" of this vehicle

Madd Dog

There were definite infotainment problems with the early builds. I picked up my car on August 1st, and had a few. I have had none since the February upgrade, and that is what you have, I suppose. Be that as it may, infotainment instability is/was a valid concern.

The brakes? Honda brakes are usually grabby, and if that is what you are used to, these feel different. My wife drives a Honda (at least one of which has been in my driveway since 1981, and all were a bit grabby), so when she first drove the car, she thought the brakes were poor. I told her to press harder, and she got used to them. IMO, grabby brakes would be a problem with all the driving aides, so they toned it down. My BMW’s brakes were not grabby, so there was no transition for me.

I like the auto high beams, but I live in the suburbs where many of the roads are dark. But there are still a few time where they go on when I would not choose to do so. On balance, I like them, but there are environments where they could be a problem.


In short, while I certainly hope your car (and mine) remains trouble-free, the problems other people have cited are real.

achong507

I am 2 weeks in and loving it. Well learning to love it.
I had a 2007 Odyssey prior to the 2019 RDX, and my wife has the 2016 RDX so I am used to the instant power of the 6 cylinder. I am getting used to the 1 second hesitation of the turbo lag if I need instant power to cross a busy intersection with no traffic lights. I am learning how to overcome this.
I had to turn off the auto high beam feature. In Panama it is dark with not much street lights in some areas. The high beams would come on and blind the car in front of me. No good.
I am waiting patiently for Android Auto but I picked up a cheap iPhone 6 in the mean time so I can run Car Play with Waze.
My infotainment unit froze up on me yesterday. I was driving using Car Play when it beeped and then nothing worked and it would not turn off even after you shut the car off. I found the post in the forum and was able to do the 3 finger reboot process. I had to do 2 reboots to get it going again but it worked like a charm.
Yes there are a few quirks but overall I still would have chosen the RDX over the competition. It looks great, runs smooth and has the power.

ULEWZ

The infotainment use is different, but not a show stopper. No problem with my brakes knock on wood. The transmission does shift funny when cold, but once again not a show stopper. My only gripe is the mashing of the gas pedal lag, it is there and sometimes dangerous if you count on a quick getaway like changing lanes when cars are moving fast behind you in your intended lane. Everything else is great and I do not regret my purchase.

Ken1997TL

The brakes on the 3rd gen RDX remind me of the 2G RL ('05 - '12). They're powerful but you do have more pedal travel verses other Honda products. When you really need to brake you have to press down a lot further. So to the 'average' driver the braking performance may seem less responsive and 'grabby' than it really is.

RDXRSXTL

Seven months on my SH-AWD Advance - zero problems.

The only thing I can't agree with you about is Apple Car Play - we use Android & Blackberry phones, so that is not something we would ever use. I don't care if they ever finish Android Auto. I probably wouldn't use that either.

I am guessing that is a generational thing. I don't want my car to be a travelling music studio, nor do I need it to be a mobile phone booth. Many of those who complain about the phone functions have likely never seen a phone booth. For that generation, I'm sure those functions are important, but not for me.

This is one great car.

acuraada

I agree it's a great car but regarding the backup camera, it obviously pale in comparison to same luxury segment.

Does it get the job done? Ya, sure we were reverse parking way before invention of backup camera so ya.
Does it measure up to Q5, X3, XC60 or RX/NX? No, it's got room for improvements.

ZipSpeed

Seeing that you haven't had any issues bode well for new buyers. And for future Acura products. The infotainment systems in the upcoming TLX and MDX should work a lot better thanks to the RDX beta testers. I'm still a bit wary of the 2.0T considering all the problems the 1.5T has with oil dilution, but it seems the problem is mostly with the latter engine and not the former.

NJMaverick

I suspect that Acura may have applied fixes to the later built 2019s. I doubt they would ever make such a move public

spinedoc777

1) No issues either, although sometimes they lag a bit turning off and I end up blinding the car ahead of me for a split second.
2,3,4) No issues, braking is decent
5) I have lots of issues, I can post up pics if it helps. Nothing that keeps me from using it, but more issues with bugs that shouldn't be in a mass market vehicle, especially one that is advertised as luxury.
6) Ride is fairly rough, but it's a CUV so I wasn't too surprised. What did surprise me was the road noise, but I suppose that's somewhat drowned out by the fake engine noise
7) Engine has power only within a certain power band/RPM, you really have to crank up the RPM's for it to feel normal, which makes the entire ride feel weird and over-revved. At lower RPM it's really weak, and you hit a point at mid to higher RPM where if you gun it, it feels weak. Hesitation, try braking firmly then immediately hit the gas and it will sit there for a second or 2. Just as if you were entering say a busy highway on a non shouldered highway or merging with traffic after a yield. Very dangerous.
8) MPG meh, not terrible but definitely not worth the huge downgrade the turbo 4 is over a full 6 cylinder.
9) No rattles, although I don't find the interior quite luxury I do have to admit I haven't had any rattles or noises.
10) Engine noise, pretty loud as is road noise. I disconnected the fake engine noise for a time and found that the road noise was much louder and the true sound of the engine wasn't great.

NJMaverick

Don't forget the same module that creates the fake engine noise also provides the noise canceling. I believe the driving mode does impact the volume of the engine noise created.

tecwerks

Really? The backup camera is a concern of yours.

Stew4HD

I have fought that fight more than once on here... some seem to think that they need to be able to read the fine print on a document from 10 feet away otherwise the camera is just not adequate. I argue that the camera's duty is to show us what is behind us, period. I don't need to count the hairs on that squirrel before I back over it (more than once).

But, the claim is there that Brand-X's camera is far superior. I wish I had known that prior to my purchase! This POS RDX sux knowing that!

acuraada

I am making reference to OP's point #2.

Please don't pull things out of context. I am simply saying it could be better comparing to others in the same segment.

RDX10

I think a lot of these things come down to what you are used to. My 2007 RDX was the first car I ever owned with a backup camera. I thought it was fine and did the job. After selling that and driving the Sorento SX for a year and a VW Touareg I realized how absolutely SHITTY the camera on my RDX and MDX were. It was like going from 240p to 4000k ultra HD.

It also matters more to some people than others. I personally definitely preferred the ultra crisp backup cams on the latter 2 vehicles even if the first 2 were ok and if I spent 55k (cdn) on a RDX I sure as hell want a nice backup camera. Nothing petty about it.

fiatlux

This. There's no reason that a $40K Acura should have a camera that's worse than a $20K Kia. Sure, it gets the job done, but by the same logic would you be ok with a gauge cluster pulled out of an 80s GM? All we need is for it to tell us our speed and engine rpms, right?

kurtatx

You mean you don't do 4K HDR video recording with your rear view camera?

Rmsanger

yep back in 2014 I looked at a POS Nissan Rouge that actually had great backup and 360 cams and functionality. Crazy that it had better functionality and camera performance than a $47k 2019 Acura RDX Apsec.

JB in AZ

Yeah, while I have no problem with the BU cam on the RDX, when ever I (infrequently) drive my wife's 15 Ford Escape Titanium, I am thinking to myself: "wow! this BU image is clear"

I'm also amazed how well the Escape handles, somewhat validating one of the reasons we bought it back in '15.

RDX10

Yup, exactly! There is no proper excuse for it in 2019.

The Escape actually handles pretty damn well IMO. I've driven a few and it was very surprising. I also LOVE how far the steering wheel telescopes! It's literally like 2 feet!! I'm actually excited to see what the next gen will look like.

JB in AZ

Pics and details out as of today. Google is your friend :-)

2020 Escape

RDX10

You know what's actually really funny about this is earlier today I seen a post about the new Ford Kuga and was like YUCK, totally forgot the Escape is called Kuga in Europe. But the sentiment still stands, that interior and exterior took several leaps backwards. Just gross.

Madd Dog

Sounds like that if you want adaptive cruise control, it is gonna cost you $40Gs.

For me, ACC was a requirement in my new car, and why the X3 and others, considering price, were rejected. Having driven about 10K miles, including round-trip NY to FL, it is an absolute must.

JB in AZ

ACC was/is a requiement for me as well. Yeah, $40K for an Escape!!?? and it looks like they will have HUD on the top trims, but it is on some kind of separate screen, not on the actual windshield? Not sure I understand, but it seems strange.

Anyway, I'm glad I didn't wait for the new Escape... at $40K+... for a Ford.

Perhaps the Lincoln based on it (formerly known as MKC, to be renamed Corsair) will be better.

Stew4HD

They will use a little transparent screen that folds up on top of the dash to project the HUD image on.. see a picture of it at this LINK

Madd Dog

I bet that that is a way to say: “This is a Ford, we compete with Mazdas”. If you want a real HUD, you probably need the Lincoln.

JAB00

I bought mine December 2018. Biggest issue has been a somewhat glitchy infotainment system. I did have it freeze and had to unplug battery to resolve. Now there is a video out there to do it through the TouchPad. I'll use that next time if it happens again. Sometimes it struggles to find a gear in lower speeds but not a big deal. Otherwise I am happy.

JB in AZ

Yes, that might be the same image I saw, it just looks weird, guess it would be different in person.

Madd Dog

Forty bucks, right here. About the same thing as on the Escape. Run the vid, see how it works.

https://getvizr.io/offer-01/?guu=f3e...&guvertical=42

JB in AZ

Hmmm. I'll take the way the RDX does it, but interesting. Thx for posting this.

JustMe...

Mazda's HUD displays on the windshield. At least on the CX-5.

JB in AZ

What? I could have had the HUD if I bought a Mazda CX-5? Hmmm.

JustMe...

Among other cool things, like power folding mirrors.

I was just replying to Madd Dog, who thinks Mazda has some sort of pop-up HUD.

JB in AZ

Yeah, I know, I think you missed the sarcasm. ;-)

It's all good. The CX-5 plays in class above.

Madd Dog

The Mazda 6 HUD

https://images.app.goo.gl/QXhM2WFFkvAZRe3M7


But that is besides the point.

JustMe...

That was back in 2017. So, what was the point?

Madd Dog

That having a popup plastic display screen as a HUD is cheap looking and smacks of feature creep. Yeah, the 2019 Mazda 6 just got upgraded, but Mazda still put it out there on their cars.

Dollars to donuts the Lincoln flavor will have it projected on the windshield.

Marino Moutafis

Well stated. I don't think

3) My only issue with the transmission is going from a rolling start to quick acceleration. It does have a pause and kick, similar to a turbo lag, but easily corrected with a change to S-mode. My GLC 2.0 turbo does not have this issue. It has this other issue when you 'punch it' it over revs for 2 secs. Scared the shit out of me the first time I did that in my wife's new car. It's transmission over-corrects, while the Acura under-corrects. I drive very conservatively, because I like in the 'burbs.

4) Early brake feel is weak, but it does carry very predictable breaking performance, above average for it's size. Mercedes has a better feel, but weakens at the end.

6) Ride is dependent on models. I know from SE Michigan pot holes, my Advance does a great job in Comfort and Sport mode in eating the bumps. One the reason I choose the RDX, was the combination of good ride quality/sound and seat comfort. The Q5 and X3 where just as good, but something about Japanese engineering that just gets me. I've been

8) I am averaging 17 mpg suburb/26 mpg highway.

10) Engine noise is positive in my case. When my car is running, outside the car, it sounds relatively quiet. My GLC sounds like 2 toaster ovens shaking on the outside of the car. Inside, GLC is quiet, with little to no engine or road noise (It is no S Class, but good for the $). As for the interior cabin noise in the RDX, as others have found when they turnoff the engine noise, is not pleasant. But the engine noise does give it a bit of the 'JDM' performance noise so many Japanese car fans love.

acuraada

That's not how the HUD look like in CX-5.

What you did is like the CX-5 forums pulling 2017 RDX top trim and goes "look, not even a HUD"

Maybe stay with 2019 vs 2019, same category ? How did a sedan got in here?

Steve2019

I have close to 27,000 Miles on my car 2019 and only a few complaints.
Recently I have the issue win low gear going from stopping at a light to speeding up. Happened twice .
I do find the navigation system poor. Voice control does not understand my New York City accent��. I stopped trying to use it months ago and trying to scripple on the touch pad has almost gotten me killed. now I just put my address into my app on the phone and send it to the car, it works fine. I don’t use car play very often but when I have it worked.
‘Just recently (last update) cruise control is not working. Will be bringing it to dealer

as far as driving it is a great car. I am getting 23MPG which I am happy with that