Just test drove Aspec and Advance
03-23-2019, 05:35 PM
#1
Advanced
Thread Starter
Just test drove Aspec and Advance
I just spent the better part of the afternoon at Jody Wilkinson Acura (SLC) test driving an Aspec and an Advanced. I’m torn with which way to proceed.
In an ideal world I’d be able to get the Pearl Blue Aspec with red interior to have all of the advanced features. I’m drawn visually to the red interior and blue paint along with the red gauges. I did find the Advance HUD to be a game changer though. That might be the best HUD I’ve seen and outweigh any visual appearance benefit from the Aspec.
I do like the performance red with parchment interior on the advance along with the wood inlays. They said they can black out all of the chrome bits for $550 to mimic the Aspec. The huge issue is the Aspec wheels run $3250 with labor and new tires. The existing wheels on the advance are terrible so I’d have to go with the 19’ black wheels for $2k or the 20’ aspec wheels for $3.25k.
From what I understand the Advance features that are offered over the Aspec are:
Heated Steering Wheel
360 camera
Rear Heated Seats
Touchelss tailgate lift
HUD
Powerfolding mirrors
Adaptive Dampers (didn’t really notice a big difference on crappy roads driving Advance in comfort over Aspec)
Anything else I’m missing on the Advance?
Essentially to get the Advance to look like the Aspec (aside from blue and interior color) I have to pay $2k extra for the package, $3k for the wheels, and $0.5k for chrome bits blacked out. Just so I can keep the HUD and other features above. Tough pill to swallow even though I love the HUD.
Other takeaways are the interior is fantastic, I for one loved the infotainment. The ELS sound system was great as is the pano sun roof. The handling is next level and the power train is good. I would say the turbo 4 sounds good but there is a clear 1 to 1.5 sec lag off the line. I would say it’s not turbo lag but if you floor if from a dead stop there is a clear delay/soft spot for the engine to engage. Overall rear leg room is great as is the trunk space and underneath storage.
In an ideal world I’d be able to get the Pearl Blue Aspec with red interior to have all of the advanced features. I’m drawn visually to the red interior and blue paint along with the red gauges. I did find the Advance HUD to be a game changer though. That might be the best HUD I’ve seen and outweigh any visual appearance benefit from the Aspec.
I do like the performance red with parchment interior on the advance along with the wood inlays. They said they can black out all of the chrome bits for $550 to mimic the Aspec. The huge issue is the Aspec wheels run $3250 with labor and new tires. The existing wheels on the advance are terrible so I’d have to go with the 19’ black wheels for $2k or the 20’ aspec wheels for $3.25k.
From what I understand the Advance features that are offered over the Aspec are:
Heated Steering Wheel
360 camera
Rear Heated Seats
Touchelss tailgate lift
HUD
Powerfolding mirrors
Adaptive Dampers (didn’t really notice a big difference on crappy roads driving Advance in comfort over Aspec)
Anything else I’m missing on the Advance?
Essentially to get the Advance to look like the Aspec (aside from blue and interior color) I have to pay $2k extra for the package, $3k for the wheels, and $0.5k for chrome bits blacked out. Just so I can keep the HUD and other features above. Tough pill to swallow even though I love the HUD.
Other takeaways are the interior is fantastic, I for one loved the infotainment. The ELS sound system was great as is the pano sun roof. The handling is next level and the power train is good. I would say the turbo 4 sounds good but there is a clear 1 to 1.5 sec lag off the line. I would say it’s not turbo lag but if you floor if from a dead stop there is a clear delay/soft spot for the engine to engage. Overall rear leg room is great as is the trunk space and underneath storage.
Last edited by Rmsanger; 03-23-2019 at 05:41 PM.
03-23-2019, 05:41 PM
#2
I just spent the better part of the afternoon at Jody Wilkinson Acura (SLC) test driving an Aspec and an Advanced. I’m torn with which way to proceed.
In an ideal world I’d be able to get the Pearl Blue Aspec with red interior to have all of the advanced features. I’m drawn visually to the red interior and blue paint along with the red gauges. I did find the Advance HUD to be a game changer though. That might be the best HUD I’ve seen and outweigh any visual appearance benefit from the Aspec.
I do like the performance red with parchment interior on the advance along with the wood inlays. They said they can black out all of the chrome bits for $550 to mimic the Aspec. The huge issue is the Aspec wheels run $3250 with labor and new tires. The existing wheels on the advance are terrible so I’d have to go with the 19’ black wheels for $2k or the 20’ aspec wheels for $3.25k.
From what I understand the Advance features that are offered over the Aspec are:
Heated Steering Wheel
360 camera
Rear Heated Seats
Touchelss tailgate lift
HUD
Powerfolding mirrors
Adaptive Dampers (didn’t really notice a big difference on crappy roads driving Advance in comfort over Aspec)
Anything else I’m missing on the Advance?
Essentially to get the Advance to look like the Aspec (aside from blue and interior color) I have to pay $2k extra for the package, $3k for the wheels, and $0.5k for chrome bits blacked out. Just so I can keep the HUD and other features above. Tough pill to swallow even though I love the HUD.
In an ideal world I’d be able to get the Pearl Blue Aspec with red interior to have all of the advanced features. I’m drawn visually to the red interior and blue paint along with the red gauges. I did find the Advance HUD to be a game changer though. That might be the best HUD I’ve seen and outweigh any visual appearance benefit from the Aspec.
I do like the performance red with parchment interior on the advance along with the wood inlays. They said they can black out all of the chrome bits for $550 to mimic the Aspec. The huge issue is the Aspec wheels run $3250 with labor and new tires. The existing wheels on the advance are terrible so I’d have to go with the 19’ black wheels for $2k or the 20’ aspec wheels for $3.25k.
From what I understand the Advance features that are offered over the Aspec are:
Heated Steering Wheel
360 camera
Rear Heated Seats
Touchelss tailgate lift
HUD
Powerfolding mirrors
Adaptive Dampers (didn’t really notice a big difference on crappy roads driving Advance in comfort over Aspec)
Anything else I’m missing on the Advance?
Essentially to get the Advance to look like the Aspec (aside from blue and interior color) I have to pay $2k extra for the package, $3k for the wheels, and $0.5k for chrome bits blacked out. Just so I can keep the HUD and other features above. Tough pill to swallow even though I love the HUD.
1 can buy rims elsewhere...take a look at Tirerack.....and I believe Curry Acura sells OEM ones for much less
Last edited by flames9; 03-23-2019 at 05:50 PM.
03-23-2019, 07:08 PM
#4
I've noticed of all the people who have made this comparison directly, about half say the adaptive dampers are noticeably smoother, the other half says no difference.
03-23-2019, 08:11 PM
#5
I may be too optimistic but I've noticed that Acura's test fleet no longer uses the stock Advance wheels anymore and that they sub in the Glint Black 19" wheels. This was also the case when I went to the Vancouver Autoshow as well - Acura seems to be making an effort to not show the stock wheels anymore. Maybe this is a sign they're considering customer feedback and might be making a change for the 2020 model year. I wrote Acura Canada to beef about it - said I would consider the Platinum Elite (the Canadian Advance) if it had the 20" Diamond Cut wheels standard (or something that wasn't total rubbish) and they didn't promise anything but I hope they've been listening to customers.
03-23-2019, 10:21 PM
#6
Advanced
Thread Starter
I have a keen interest in the adaptive dampers because i've been griping about not having them available on the A-spec.
I've noticed of all the people who have made this comparison directly, about half say the adaptive dampers are noticeably smoother, the other half says no difference.
I've noticed of all the people who have made this comparison directly, about half say the adaptive dampers are noticeably smoother, the other half says no difference.
The stock advanced wheels are a disaster and the chrome trim is not my favorite. But the advanced is still a great vehicle.
03-24-2019, 07:00 AM
#7
I have a keen interest in the adaptive dampers because i've been griping about not having them available on the A-spec.
I've noticed of all the people who have made this comparison directly, about half say the adaptive dampers are noticeably smoother, the other half says no difference.
I've noticed of all the people who have made this comparison directly, about half say the adaptive dampers are noticeably smoother, the other half says no difference.
I have to say that I found the active dampers smoother in the comfort mode but I haven't honestly properly tested things. I think the key is to find a rough road and travel it twice once in comfort and once in sport (or an advanced in comfort and an Apec in either.
Trending Topics
03-24-2019, 01:16 PM
#8
Agree with you about the HUD. I test drove a RDX Advance and a MDX yesterday. I got used to the HUD pretty quick and liked it being there. Once I switched over to the MDX, I immediately missed the HUD being there. I could tell the difference in the different IDS modes with the damper settings but the visual impact of the HUD overlay on the road was a bigger deal to me. I definitely want the extra size of the MDX but only with the new tech of the RDX. This leaves me back at square one of hoping Acura launches a refreshed MDX soon. My dealer thinks it's happening for 2020MY but not sure when.
03-24-2019, 01:52 PM
#9
03-24-2019, 02:56 PM
#10
I think going to the 20" wheels is a mistake given the state of the roads here in the US (and Canada). While the 20" wheels may be visually appealing, they are far more susceptible to bends and sidewall damage. There are also far nicer wheels in 18 and 19 inch choices from other sources.
03-24-2019, 03:07 PM
#11
I think there is almost a misconception or maybe incorrect expectation of what the adaptive dampeners do.
If they work anything like they did on my MDX Elite, you will have to go to a road with wavy undulations to notice the difference. Comfort and sport mode don't necessarily make the ride harsher or softer. What they actually do is change how the RDX behaves over uneven or wavy roads. I.e in comfort mode it will literally bounce like a old school pickup whereas in sport mode the body doesn't move nearly as much. So driving on a smooth or even pot hole filled road, you will not feel the difference. Only on wavy or uneven roads will you be able to tell.
All it does is control body motions and not necessarily ride comfort. How this translates to better handling is under hard cornering, in sport mode the vehicle will be less prone to body roll due to a stiffer suspension.
So think of the adaptive suspension as a body control aid and not a comfort aid.
If they work anything like they did on my MDX Elite, you will have to go to a road with wavy undulations to notice the difference. Comfort and sport mode don't necessarily make the ride harsher or softer. What they actually do is change how the RDX behaves over uneven or wavy roads. I.e in comfort mode it will literally bounce like a old school pickup whereas in sport mode the body doesn't move nearly as much. So driving on a smooth or even pot hole filled road, you will not feel the difference. Only on wavy or uneven roads will you be able to tell.
All it does is control body motions and not necessarily ride comfort. How this translates to better handling is under hard cornering, in sport mode the vehicle will be less prone to body roll due to a stiffer suspension.
So think of the adaptive suspension as a body control aid and not a comfort aid.
Last edited by RDX10; 03-24-2019 at 03:11 PM.
Thread
Thread Starter
Forum
Replies
Last Post
kman156
3G TL (2004-2008)
49
10-15-2003 03:14 PM
tea elle
2G TL (1999-2003)
9
03-19-2001 11:45 PM