Wanax

So I did this 6 years ago when I purchased a G2 RDX in 2013. Thought I'd update since I'm now in the G3 RDX Base + AWD. Overall, I'm impressed the base came so well equipped and had most of the options I wanted. Once again, I tested a bunch of cars and decided to just go back to the RDX. The engine is a bit louder than the old V6, but I kind of like it. I keep it in Sport Mode and its a fun car to drive and actually feels sporty. They made a great update to the interior, but with a few annoyances that I'm getting use to.

I've read a lot of the forum this past month and luckily have not run into any of the problems others have faced. For me, a lot of the issues seem to be design choices from Acura and not flaws, but I'll try to address my view on a few of them:

Transmission: I barely notice the gear shifts in the RDX, especially at higher speeds, but I know that every one has different expectations on how a car should perform. Compared to the BMW 328 I use to drive a few years back, this transmission is like butter. But compared to my wife's 2019 Accord CVT, this thing is a jerky mess. After a month, I barely notice anything unless I'm really trying to find a problem with it.

Brakes: I'm totally not sure what the soft brakes issue other people seem to have. I push down, the car stops when I want it to. It's not as mushy as the previously mentioned Accord and I don't think it is that far off from how my G2 RDX was. It's possible one of my previous brake changes could have softened it though. But again, compared to the 328 BMW which braked hard if a feather fell on the pedal, its something I got use to and don't even think about. One thing I do notice with the Idle Stop is that the engine comes back on even when I still have the brake down. I tested this with Brake Hold and its still occurring, so I think this has more to do with cameras sensing the brake lights of the car in front of me changing and preemptively turning the engine back on.

Infotainment: Acura infotainment system sucks (I would also clump Honda with it). Due to my job, I'm very big on UI and software design and I really don't understand the design decisions most car companies make, not just Honda. My previous experience with the G2 RDX already told me Acura sucked with Nav, UI and software design so I didn't even bother with upgrading to those packages. I'll stick with Apple and Google (whenever they finally release Android Auto), who are light years ahead in this field. Other than that, I haven't yet had any glitches listening to the radio, bluetooth, carplay, or Sirius.

Camera: The rear camera is weak. I've got a nice big screen up front, but the aspect ratio of the camera forces two big side bars on the screen. Acura needs to either horizontally stretch it wider (I think its already to narrow and everything looks narrower than it should), or spend a few bucks more to get a wider FOV camer. Also, due to camera placement (I think it sticks out more), I feel like it gets dirtier easier vs the G2. Maybe that is their way of justifying the Advance Package with camera wiper. I've heard how the higher packages have worse cameras, which is a shame.

Door Locks: I'm not sure how this thing works sometimes, maybe I'm getting confused with the Accord sometimes which automatically unlocks as I get close to the car. With the RDX, if I walk towards the car, it does not always unlock and sometimes locks itself again when I touch the handle. This is even after I make sure to notice the Auto Lock double beep when I previously walked away. I'm honestly not sure if its being glitchy or I'm coming at it a weird angle that's causing this issue. Also, If you walk away before the tailgate comes down, it won't lock, which makes waiting for the thing to come down while holding a bunch of grocery bags a pain. Software fix please.

Value: As I mentioned, I'm surprised how much the Base package came with. The only features I really wish it had standard was Blind spot monitoring, Speed sign display, and HUD. Now here is where expectations come in to play again. I've never categorized Acura to be top tier luxury. I feel like they are in the middle ground between Toyota/Honda and Lexus/BMW/Volvo. For me, Acura has always been "NEAR" luxury; A noticeable upgrade over the standard brands, but at a reasonable cost bump. I've found that Acura is usually more willing to negotiate on price and I ended up leasing my car for $400/month with $1k down. This was a LOWER total cost for 36mo than what was quoted to me for a Touring CX-9, an Ultimate Santa Fe, a Touring 2.0L Accord, and an EX-L Passport. I'm not going to come anywhere near that with a BMW, Volvo, Mercedes, Audi, or Lexus.

Other quips - Where the heck do I put change? Why doesn't this thing have a change tray?

Other cars I tested:
CX-9 Touring = I really liked the styling and overall quality of the car. The CX-5 was just a bit to small, but the 9 was a good size. The quality of the finish is very close to Acura and on par with Honda (compared to my experience with '19 Accord). The engine felt great on the highway and the Touring had all the stuff I wanted, but there were no financial incentives this Feb and that doomed this option.

Santa Fe Ultimate non Turbo = Like 6 years ago, I gave the Hyundai another try. Same things I said back then stand. Mushy car that performs like crap. Has all the features checked off, but uninspiring to drive.

Honda Passport = Just came out when I was searching for a new car, so no price breaks at all. Size wise, its close to an RDX but much roomier on the inside. This car is really geared towards another type of consumer though, mainly outdoorsy people. I like the performance and the interior design was nice as well. This would have been a good option in a few months when more incentives come out. Performance wise, it was comparable to the RDX.

CRV EX-L = No offense to anyone else out there, but I felt like my penis was shrinking while driving this thing. Outdated interior, weird stick position, and a weak engine made this a no go for me. I hope the next iteration takes some cues from the '19 Accord redesign.

Accord Touring = My wife got the EXL Accord and I was very impressed with the car and it is the only non SUV on my list. It's a lot more spacious than the prior version and has so many freaking great features for the price. If you are looking for a small SUV, give the Accord a spin, its a surprising how well they made this car and the size may make you rethink if you really do need a SUV. I was seriously considering the 2.0L Touring version for me, but the pricing was actually more than the RDX, so I went with Acura.

JB in AZ

Great review!

I don't think the RDX has any approach auto unlock function. Just touch the door handle with the fob near and it unlocks. It WILL auto lock when walking away. And I agree, waiting for the tailgate to close for the auto lock is silly.

OH! And change? I never use it.

Snave72

I think the value of the RDX is great (assuming the quality is there). I currently have a GLC300 and with all the options that the Advance RDX has, the GLC would be > $60k. Most of the other "luxury" SUV's in the class push the $60k mark as well when comparably equipped. I think that is one reason sales are reportedly brisk.

I really like the GLC but it's a lease that ends in April and I have a hard time paying so much for a car when there are better values.

Marino Moutafis

acuraada

that says it all about the brand and the car. I own the older GLC but when I tell people I am thinking to switch to Acura, I get funny looks..... Sadly, Acura, despite years of attempts, they cant build the same brand image. Their cars can not be just better, they have to be leaps and bounds over to get the same recognition.

Maybe they need to focus on a flagship ultra luxury S class level (not a hall like NSX) sedan even if that doesn't make money to build brand image . Then again, it's precision crafted performance not luxury....

Snave72

I agree. I've been looking at a lot of SUV's and unless you are getting Hyundai or similar, the RDS value is tough to beat.

My 2 biggest gripes with the GLC are:
1) You can't persistently turn off auto start/stop (i.e. turns back on when you restart the car). I see the RDX is the same way which is a bummer. My wife's BMW allows it to be turned off persistently.The first thing I do when I start the car is shut this off.
2) You have to shut the doors pretty firmly and if you don't the car won't tell you. When you attempt to shift into drive and go, you can't and a warning comes on that the e-brake is on - not that the door is ajar.

My latest gripe is that some idiot in a flatbed truck rear-ended me while I was stopped at a light Darn thing didn't have a scratch on it. It goes to the body shop Monday and by the time I get it back, I'll have about 2 weeks left on the lease.

ross7777

Marino Moutafis

I find the auto-start surprisingly effective in terms of milage savings. In comparison, I find the GLC auto stop activates much more that the RDX during an average drive. The GLC does get better milage on average.

Horrible news about your accident.

Other than the RDX, what car are you looking to get? If you already have a BMW (X3?), I assume you are looking into a mid level Audi/Lexus/Volvo/etc.

RDX competes with them all, each with their weakness and strengths. Price/value is per individual, and luck of production build quality.

Marino Moutafis

Agreed. They are looking past 'boy-racer" types and shooting for my generation of buyer. They moved to a performance based cars, with technology highlighting their respective value.

You started to see it first in Nissan Altima and Honda Accord '12-13. Nissan/Honda gave their mid-level cars Infinity/Acura touches. Better seats, leather, chrome accents, blind spot, BT streaming and etc. You could only find these options in luxury brands at that time.

Now we see Acura's investment in design, build and materials starting in '12-'13. I would love to see the same 'jump' in class like Lexus and most recent Volvo (somewhat successfully) have done with their flagship cars.

Getting a RLX, TL and TLX that are more cloned off the NSX would be sweet.

Snave72

95% of my commute is highway so the start/stop does very little for my gas mileage. Traffic isn't horrible here so I'm rarely in situations where I'm stopped a lot. I just find it annoying in general though I think they've made it about as less intrusive as possible.

My wife has an X1 (lease also ends in April) so she is getting an E-Pace. I'm tired of BMW...had several and when I get a new one, it feels like the old one I had because the design changes so little. When I get a new car, I want new...or I'd just keep the old one.
I'm also looking at the F-Pace but again, pricey when loaded out so may even go a little cheaper with the Ridgeline. I have a few motorcycles and I tow from time to time (for off-road) and less spend on cars means more money for toys.
I'm not big on the US brands in general. My brother-in-law had lots of issues with his Mazda CX-5 so that put me off that. The Lexus is fugly, not a fan of Infiniti, and the Macan is waaaaay too expensive for my tastes with even modest options.
Bottom line, I'm a picky bastard.