Finally got out to test drive the RDX
02-23-2019, 04:26 PM
#1
Finally got out to test drive the RDX
It’s a great vehicle! Here are my thoughts:
1. Looks even better in-person both inside and out
2. I’m 6’5” and mostly torso and it was very comfortable
3. The 2.0L sounded great, pulled hard and was flawless.
4. A couple very minor hiccups with the 10-speed - all at low speed but nothing so bad it is a dealbreaker.
5. Infotainment was both easy to use (took all of 30 seconds to figure out track pad) and there were no issues.
6. Ride was very quiet and road noise very limited.
7. No rattles, squeaks or obvious quality issues. Car had about 350 miles on it.
I also tested an RX350 and a 4Runner: Believe it or not I’m too tall for the 4Runner with the moonroof. I had to recline my seat so I was practically looking out the back window so even though it’s super reliable....it’s out. The RX350 was much better than I expected. The engine seemed strong and the 8-speed behaved well. I had no issues figuring out and using the infotainment system. I thought the RX had more road noise than the RDX and even though the RDX is a better drive the RX wasn’t bad at all.
The questions for me are:
1. How will the RDX standup over time?
2. Will they ever get the infortainemnt stable?
3. Will we see fuel dilution issues with the 2.0 like we see with the 1.5L and if so is there a “fix”?
4. How will the 10-speed hold up over time - especially given Acura’s history with Honda designed transmissions?
Sales manager said he’d be happy to let me test one over night - just give him a call. I’ll likely end up doing that.
It’s an impressive vehicle IF they can get reliability/consistency of build up!
1. Looks even better in-person both inside and out
2. I’m 6’5” and mostly torso and it was very comfortable
3. The 2.0L sounded great, pulled hard and was flawless.
4. A couple very minor hiccups with the 10-speed - all at low speed but nothing so bad it is a dealbreaker.
5. Infotainment was both easy to use (took all of 30 seconds to figure out track pad) and there were no issues.
6. Ride was very quiet and road noise very limited.
7. No rattles, squeaks or obvious quality issues. Car had about 350 miles on it.
I also tested an RX350 and a 4Runner: Believe it or not I’m too tall for the 4Runner with the moonroof. I had to recline my seat so I was practically looking out the back window so even though it’s super reliable....it’s out. The RX350 was much better than I expected. The engine seemed strong and the 8-speed behaved well. I had no issues figuring out and using the infotainment system. I thought the RX had more road noise than the RDX and even though the RDX is a better drive the RX wasn’t bad at all.
The questions for me are:
1. How will the RDX standup over time?
2. Will they ever get the infortainemnt stable?
3. Will we see fuel dilution issues with the 2.0 like we see with the 1.5L and if so is there a “fix”?
4. How will the 10-speed hold up over time - especially given Acura’s history with Honda designed transmissions?
Sales manager said he’d be happy to let me test one over night - just give him a call. I’ll likely end up doing that.
It’s an impressive vehicle IF they can get reliability/consistency of build up!
Last edited by PWMDMD; 02-23-2019 at 04:28 PM.
02-23-2019, 04:43 PM
#2
It’s a great vehicle! Here are my thoughts:
1. Looks even better in-person both inside and out
2. I’m 6’5” and mostly torso and it was very comfortable
3. The 2.0L sounded great, pulled hard and was flawless.
4. A couple very minor hiccups with the 10-speed - all at low speed but nothing so bad it is a dealbreaker.
5. Infotainment was both easy to use (took all of 30 seconds to figure out track pad) and there were no issues.
6. Ride was very quiet and road noise very limited.
7. No rattles, squeaks or obvious quality issues. Car had about 350 miles on it.
I also tested an RX350 and a 4Runner: Believe it or not I’m too tall for the 4Runner with the moonroof. I had to recline my seat so I was practically looking out the back window so even though it’s super reliable....it’s out. The RX350 was much better than I expected. The engine seemed strong and the 8-speed behaved well. I had no issues figuring out and using the infotainment system. I thought the RX had more road noise than the RDX and even though the RDX is a better drive the RX wasn’t bad at all.
The questions for me are:
1. How will the RDX standup over time?
2. Will they ever get the infortainemnt stable?
3. Will we see fuel dilution issues with the 2.0 like we see with the 1.5L and if so is there a “fix”?
4. How will the 10-speed hold up over time - especially given Acura’s history with Honda designed transmissions?
Sales manager said he’d be happy to let me test one over night - just give him a call. I’ll likely end up doing that.
It’s an impressive vehicle IF they can get reliability/consistency of build up!
1. Looks even better in-person both inside and out
2. I’m 6’5” and mostly torso and it was very comfortable
3. The 2.0L sounded great, pulled hard and was flawless.
4. A couple very minor hiccups with the 10-speed - all at low speed but nothing so bad it is a dealbreaker.
5. Infotainment was both easy to use (took all of 30 seconds to figure out track pad) and there were no issues.
6. Ride was very quiet and road noise very limited.
7. No rattles, squeaks or obvious quality issues. Car had about 350 miles on it.
I also tested an RX350 and a 4Runner: Believe it or not I’m too tall for the 4Runner with the moonroof. I had to recline my seat so I was practically looking out the back window so even though it’s super reliable....it’s out. The RX350 was much better than I expected. The engine seemed strong and the 8-speed behaved well. I had no issues figuring out and using the infotainment system. I thought the RX had more road noise than the RDX and even though the RDX is a better drive the RX wasn’t bad at all.
The questions for me are:
1. How will the RDX standup over time?
2. Will they ever get the infortainemnt stable?
3. Will we see fuel dilution issues with the 2.0 like we see with the 1.5L and if so is there a “fix”?
4. How will the 10-speed hold up over time - especially given Acura’s history with Honda designed transmissions?
Sales manager said he’d be happy to let me test one over night - just give him a call. I’ll likely end up doing that.
It’s an impressive vehicle IF they can get reliability/consistency of build up!
I found the RX to be much more $ when close to compatibly equipped. And just felt bigger and softer. And it seems every other SUV on the road and in parking lots is an RX.
02-23-2019, 05:05 PM
#3
Skeptic
I was most impressed with how quiet the RX350 was; less impressed with the ride, handling and the tranny. It seemed to gear hunt a lot. I liked the Pilot almost as much for about 10K less. The price I got on the RX350 was almost 7K more than my best price for an RDX Advance. Not worth it. The RDX blows it away.
02-23-2019, 08:29 PM
#5
Pro
Join Date: Dec 2018
Location: Minneapolis
Age: 45
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It’s a great vehicle! Here are my thoughts:
1. Looks even better in-person both inside and out
2. I’m 6’5” and mostly torso and it was very comfortable
3. The 2.0L sounded great, pulled hard and was flawless.
4. A couple very minor hiccups with the 10-speed - all at low speed but nothing so bad it is a dealbreaker.
5. Infotainment was both easy to use (took all of 30 seconds to figure out track pad) and there were no issues.
6. Ride was very quiet and road noise very limited.
7. No rattles, squeaks or obvious quality issues. Car had about 350 miles on it.
I also tested an RX350 and a 4Runner: Believe it or not I’m too tall for the 4Runner with the moonroof. I had to recline my seat so I was practically looking out the back window so even though it’s super reliable....it’s out. The RX350 was much better than I expected. The engine seemed strong and the 8-speed behaved well. I had no issues figuring out and using the infotainment system. I thought the RX had more road noise than the RDX and even though the RDX is a better drive the RX wasn’t bad at all.
The questions for me are:
1. How will the RDX standup over time?
2. Will they ever get the infortainemnt stable?
3. Will we see fuel dilution issues with the 2.0 like we see with the 1.5L and if so is there a “fix”?
4. How will the 10-speed hold up over time - especially given Acura’s history with Honda designed transmissions?
Sales manager said he’d be happy to let me test one over night - just give him a call. I’ll likely end up doing that.
It’s an impressive vehicle IF they can get reliability/consistency of build up!
1. Looks even better in-person both inside and out
2. I’m 6’5” and mostly torso and it was very comfortable
3. The 2.0L sounded great, pulled hard and was flawless.
4. A couple very minor hiccups with the 10-speed - all at low speed but nothing so bad it is a dealbreaker.
5. Infotainment was both easy to use (took all of 30 seconds to figure out track pad) and there were no issues.
6. Ride was very quiet and road noise very limited.
7. No rattles, squeaks or obvious quality issues. Car had about 350 miles on it.
I also tested an RX350 and a 4Runner: Believe it or not I’m too tall for the 4Runner with the moonroof. I had to recline my seat so I was practically looking out the back window so even though it’s super reliable....it’s out. The RX350 was much better than I expected. The engine seemed strong and the 8-speed behaved well. I had no issues figuring out and using the infotainment system. I thought the RX had more road noise than the RDX and even though the RDX is a better drive the RX wasn’t bad at all.
The questions for me are:
1. How will the RDX standup over time?
2. Will they ever get the infortainemnt stable?
3. Will we see fuel dilution issues with the 2.0 like we see with the 1.5L and if so is there a “fix”?
4. How will the 10-speed hold up over time - especially given Acura’s history with Honda designed transmissions?
Sales manager said he’d be happy to let me test one over night - just give him a call. I’ll likely end up doing that.
It’s an impressive vehicle IF they can get reliability/consistency of build up!
02-23-2019, 08:42 PM
#7
exactly how i feel after 3 test drives of various trims.... reliability is my only concern. Quite frankly, all these talk of infotainment bug worries me the least because I can see the update release notes are quite extensive and updates are done OTA. It's the mechanicals that worries me: dash rattles, brake/control arm squeaks, hatch door moans, and most worrisome, the transmission jerks...
otherwise it surely an impressive vehicle for the money.
otherwise it surely an impressive vehicle for the money.
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02-23-2019, 08:54 PM
#8
Burning Brakes
exactly how i feel after 3 test drives of various trims.... reliability is my only concern. Quite frankly, all these talk of infotainment bug worries me the least because I can see the update release notes are quite extensive and updates are done OTA. It's the mechanicals that worries me: dash rattles, brake/control arm squeaks, hatch door moans, and most worrisome, the transmission jerks...
otherwise it surely an impressive vehicle for the money.
otherwise it surely an impressive vehicle for the money.
02-24-2019, 07:00 AM
#9
Drifting
Join Date: Apr 2018
Location: New Yorkie, Hudson Valley
Posts: 3,001
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exactly how i feel after 3 test drives of various trims.... reliability is my only concern. Quite frankly, all these talk of infotainment bug worries me the least because I can see the update release notes are quite extensive and updates are done OTA. It's the mechanicals that worries me: dash rattles, brake/control arm squeaks, hatch door moans, and most worrisome, the transmission jerks...
otherwise it surely an impressive vehicle for the money.
otherwise it surely an impressive vehicle for the money.
I have had none of that. Mechanically, it has been perfect. And the infotainment bugs are working out.
02-24-2019, 08:07 AM
#10
Advanced
Only the haunted hatch hinge has manifested itself from that list on my car. I've seen numerous complaints about the transmission chronicled here, but mine has never misbehaved in any way.
02-24-2019, 08:32 AM
#11
exactly how i feel after 3 test drives of various trims.... reliability is my only concern. Quite frankly, all these talk of infotainment bug worries me the least because I can see the update release notes are quite extensive and updates are done OTA. It's the mechanicals that worries me: dash rattles, brake/control arm squeaks, hatch door moans, and most worrisome, the transmission jerks...
otherwise it surely an impressive vehicle for the money.
otherwise it surely an impressive vehicle for the money.
The following users liked this post:
acuraada (02-24-2019)
02-24-2019, 08:57 AM
#12
Thanks for the vote of confidence guys. Really appreciated it. All 3 vehicles I tested drove (two advance and one tech) had none of the mechanical issues I described either. I guess I would have to really take an extensive test drive before taking delivery.
02-24-2019, 08:59 AM
#13
I’m not in a hurry. I think the safe choice for me is to wait for the 2020’s and see if they can “iron out” more first year issues in the transition between 2019 and 2020 builds.
I’m still also interested to see more 2.0T UOAs to see if fuel dilution is a real issue. I’ve seen a couple that have shown fuel dilution but the numbers don’t seem to be the same as the 1.5T. Honda was supposed to start rolling out fixes for the 1.5T at the end of last year in northern states and while I’ve seen plenty of UOAs showing fuel dilution before the fix was rolled out, I haven’t seen any after or on 2019s (they stated they fixed 2019’s before they were shipped). My questions remain - did the fix really fix the issue? I know the 1.5T and 2.0T are different engines but how prone is the 2.0T to this issue?
I’m still also interested to see more 2.0T UOAs to see if fuel dilution is a real issue. I’ve seen a couple that have shown fuel dilution but the numbers don’t seem to be the same as the 1.5T. Honda was supposed to start rolling out fixes for the 1.5T at the end of last year in northern states and while I’ve seen plenty of UOAs showing fuel dilution before the fix was rolled out, I haven’t seen any after or on 2019s (they stated they fixed 2019’s before they were shipped). My questions remain - did the fix really fix the issue? I know the 1.5T and 2.0T are different engines but how prone is the 2.0T to this issue?
02-24-2019, 09:01 AM
#14
Speak to the dealership. The sales manager said he’d have no problem dropping an RDX off/picking it up at my house and letting me keep it over night for an extended test drive.
02-24-2019, 09:52 AM
#15
When are 2020 models supposed to come out? 2019 models hit dealers in June but that was for a FMC launch. If they update the wheels on the 2020 Advance then that could be $2-3K in savings for me as I wouldn't have to replace the ugly wheels.
02-24-2019, 10:32 AM
#16
Thats exactly (Rims+20") one of the reasons I choose the A-Spec.
02-24-2019, 10:32 AM
#17
02-24-2019, 10:34 AM
#18
02-24-2019, 11:03 AM
#19
Pro
I’m not in a hurry. I think the safe choice for me is to wait for the 2020’s and see if they can “iron out” more first year issues in the transition between 2019 and 2020 builds.
I’m still also interested to see more 2.0T UOAs to see if fuel dilution is a real issue. I’ve seen a couple that have shown fuel dilution but the numbers don’t seem to be the same as the 1.5T. Honda was supposed to start rolling out fixes for the 1.5T at the end of last year in northern states and while I’ve seen plenty of UOAs showing fuel dilution before the fix was rolled out, I haven’t seen any after or on 2019s (they stated they fixed 2019’s before they were shipped). My questions remain - did the fix really fix the issue? I know the 1.5T and 2.0T are different engines but how prone is the 2.0T to this issue?
I’m still also interested to see more 2.0T UOAs to see if fuel dilution is a real issue. I’ve seen a couple that have shown fuel dilution but the numbers don’t seem to be the same as the 1.5T. Honda was supposed to start rolling out fixes for the 1.5T at the end of last year in northern states and while I’ve seen plenty of UOAs showing fuel dilution before the fix was rolled out, I haven’t seen any after or on 2019s (they stated they fixed 2019’s before they were shipped). My questions remain - did the fix really fix the issue? I know the 1.5T and 2.0T are different engines but how prone is the 2.0T to this issue?
If your driving habits allow you to get the oil up to temperature, dilution should not be a problem.
02-24-2019, 12:11 PM
#20
I don't want to lose the adaptive dampers, 360 camera and HUD over some wheels though.
$3,500 would more than cover some new wheels on a 2019. I saw a few different rims on Tirerack that would look good on a RDX. With some good Michelin tires and TPMS sensors, it puts the total cost around $2,000 - $2,300. I would prefer to see the full list of changes for 2020 before I decide though.
$3,500 would more than cover some new wheels on a 2019. I saw a few different rims on Tirerack that would look good on a RDX. With some good Michelin tires and TPMS sensors, it puts the total cost around $2,000 - $2,300. I would prefer to see the full list of changes for 2020 before I decide though.
02-24-2019, 01:24 PM
#21
I don't want to lose the adaptive dampers, 360 camera and HUD over some wheels though.
$3,500 would more than cover some new wheels on a 2019. I saw a few different rims on Tirerack that would look good on a RDX. With some good Michelin tires and TPMS sensors, it puts the total cost around $2,000 - $2,300. I would prefer to see the full list of changes for 2020 before I decide though.
$3,500 would more than cover some new wheels on a 2019. I saw a few different rims on Tirerack that would look good on a RDX. With some good Michelin tires and TPMS sensors, it puts the total cost around $2,000 - $2,300. I would prefer to see the full list of changes for 2020 before I decide though.
02-24-2019, 02:52 PM
#22
Skeptic
Boy, am I glad I don't care much about wheels, one way or the other. Saves me a lot of money and aggravation.
02-24-2019, 08:58 PM
#23
BTW, have you notice the recent video reviews were all with Advance model but with black out wheels? I guess Acura took notice.
Example:. https://youtu.be/4AwfeXrtd8M
https://youtu.be/7DTp8GhDkg0
Example:. https://youtu.be/4AwfeXrtd8M
https://youtu.be/7DTp8GhDkg0
Last edited by acuraada; 02-24-2019 at 09:01 PM.
02-25-2019, 09:41 AM
#25
Pro
Join Date: Dec 2018
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Its not just the wheels, I like the blackout trim too.
02-25-2019, 08:03 PM
#26
Skeptic
The A-Spec is mainly a cosmetics package. The only real functional items over the Tech package are the better audio system and heated / ventilated front seats.
02-25-2019, 08:05 PM
#27
02-25-2019, 08:14 PM
#28
Intermediate
02-25-2019, 08:26 PM
#29
Pro
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Yes, I know. If I'm spending nearly $50K on a vehicle I want it to look good. The A-Spec look sets it apart from a lot of the other crossovers. Since it's mainly a cosmetic package it really should just be an option for all the trim levels. Wheels, black trim etc. Audi had a Black Optic pkg for the Q5 for the last gen, not sure if they have it now. I know it's not exactly functional but I like the look.
02-26-2019, 02:54 PM
#30
Racer
I'm actually taking a very hard look at the Q5 and yes, it does have the Black Optics which blacks out the grill and has nice 20 inch rims. I just wish it change up the interior with red stitching and a flat bottom steer wheel. It is only an exterior package.
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