acuraada

yea, keep in mind this is an SUV and one of the most popular segments in North America. Got to give Acura credit to redesign the RDX inside out. A lot of tech here are simply putting the best "consumer" features such as vTEC, SHAWD, 2T/10AT combo that Honda has been developed and used for years. Yes, it's not cutting edge like revolutionary but certainly a nice evolution from previous gens.

Midnight Mystery

I think it is cutting edge mechanically, it's the crazy amounts of electronics and and strange headlights and dash layout that make me feel that it's just not what Acura used to be... But it's still amazing and deserves tons of credit! But it's still no 1G RDX, IMO! But I rarely like a new car anyways...

RDX10

Sorry but I wholeheartedly disagree with you. This is the first competitive Acura product that is actually comparable to others in its' class in 15 years. Sure it doesn't try and reinvent the wheel like Infiniti has tried (and failed) with the VCT engine. But it is by far the strongest effort they've given in 15 years if not longer.

Midnight Mystery

I'm looking at this from a future legacy standpoint... Do you think the new RDX will be able to hold the same legacy of the 3G TL and be sought after 15+ years after its release?

The new RDX is awesome, but to me, I can't see it as a future classic yet...

RDX10

I'm probably going to trigger a bunch of fanboys but I don't see the 3G TL being nearly as nice as some of you guys do. Before coming on to this forum I have never even seen the TL mentioned (that's on Audi, Hyundai, Kia, BMW, and VW forums) and I don't think it has the "legacy" you think it has. Nobody in my friend circle of car guys has ever mentioned the 3G TL either. I'm not saying it's not a nice car, or a good car. It is. But it's just a basic car to me.

Besides that frame of thought is pointless. You can't tell me that cars from today are comparable to those of 15 years ago or that being sought after in 15 years makes a car a good one. 99% of cars will just be basic cars in 15 years....I'm genuinely confused as to how that makes a car better or worse IN THE PRESENT.

zroger73

I'm fairly open-minded, but I find some of Mark's dry humor to be a bit off-color at times. I enjoy hearing his opinions and observations, but do keep in mind that he's a bit of a Honda fanboy. Journalists like him must maintain mostly-positive reviews for the brand or they'll get their press loans and product launch invitations cut off.

Tom2

I'm guessing that you've never listened to the Bang & Olufsen systems in newer Audis. Definitely as good or better than the ELS in the RDX (sound quality/staging is subjective, but the B&O system in my Audi has more power and more speakers than the ELS in the RDX)

zroger73

More power and/or a greater number of speakers =/= "better". More HP and/or a greater number of cylinders =/= "better". 100 jets on a "tent sale" hot tub =/= 50 jets on a reputable brand. 4,800 DPI on a cheap ink-jet printer =/= 300 DPI on a high-quality printer.

My Ridgeline has 540 watts driving 8 speakers including a center channel and subwoofer. It sounds no better than the 4-speaker base system in a 1998 Dodge Neon I was tortured with 20 years ago.

There are plenty of 2-way speakers and <100-watt tube amps that blow 1,000-watt digital systems with 20 speakers out of the water.

As another data point, Matthew DeBord and his colleagues at Business Insider chose Acura's ELS Studio 3D audio system over Burmester, Bang & Olufsen 3D, Harman Kardon, and Tesla Audio.

NooYawkuh

I liked the review, Better than average video production. Having not purchased yet, the video gave me more insight than I'd had, previously.

On the negatives, I might find many of the same issues, at least to some degree or another, in most competing vehicles. On the positives, and there are a lot of positives, some of them can't be found in any other vehicle. The video reinforced my zeroing in on the RDX while most of the other cars I'm considering are falling by the wayside.

Midnight Mystery

You're probably right... I just hate how new cars lack personality... And I see so many people buying and restoring older TLs and vintage Acuras as of late... They still seem cool to me and I love how 15 year old car is still very desirable today...

I've also seen so many post about how the 3G really made Acura even more well known...

It seems like 50% of AcuraZine post traffic is strictly in the 3G forum... It's the first thing you see when you click into the website...

It's just what comes to mind first when a lot of people think of Acura... So... What can Acura do to make this impression again... Is it the 3G RDX? We don't know just yet, but I'm sad to say I've only seen enough 3G RDX's to count on ond hand...

Sounds

I've been going out of my way to find one on the road, so I can see one "in real life." I've only seen two or three grand total (literally) but that's it. Kinda strange.

MI-RDX

You're two or three ahead of me. I have 2 Acura dealers within about 10 miles of me (in opposite directions) and I watch their inventory on-line. It appears they're both selling every RDX within a week of it hitting the ground but I still have not seen one on the road.

acuraada

I have not but I won't be surprised if that's the case. I have heard Volvo's B&W and that's definitely as good if not better but that's a 3k upgrade on top of the premium over RDX. Not familiar with Audi pricing but the Volvo would have put it out of the range

​​​​​​

ZipSpeed

Agreed. My wife's Outback has a Harmon Kardon system with more speakers and more watts than the ELS system in my TLX. The amplifier used and tuning is absolutely atrocious in the Outback. I'd take my lower powered ELS system any day, any time.

Tom2

LOL, you seem to have selective reading. Somehow you failed acknowledge that I mentioned sound quality and staging is subjective. Quantitatively, power and number of speakers must mean something because they all use it for bragging rights.

As someone who has both systems, I'll tell you for sure that the B&O system most definitely has better highs, which is the main difference I hear between the two systems. As for the guys at "Business Insider", well, that wouldn't be my first choice for an audio review/comparison. I'd put as much weight behind their opinion as the guys at Toasters Monthly.

Tom2

Really curious here....what year Outback has an HK system with more than 710 watts and more than 16 speakers? Then again, the ELS in a TLX might be completely different.

EDIT:
The Harman Kardon audio system in Subaru is more than the sum of its parts. For more than a decade, Harman Kardon and Subaru have been working to perfect our beautiful sound with superior components that are custom tuned to fit the unique acoustic characteristics of each vehicle, giving every passenger a listening experience filled with radiating sound. Up to 12 high-performance speakers ensure precise dynamics and excellent sound balance while the multi-channel Digital Signal Processor (DSP) amplifier with up to 576 equivalent watts impresses with transfixing clarity.

zroger73

My "selective reading disease" must be contagious.

The 2016 TLX has a 10-speaker, 455-watt audio system, which does indeed have fewer speakers and less power than than the Harman Kardon system in the Outback.

RDX10

I agree, there have been a few times where his humor has gone a little bit off the deep end. I remember a Durango review in particular where he feigned taking his pants off after mentioning that he was going to have some pleasure while watching the rear DVD player. I do enjoy some personality but I also appreciate professionalism.

In terms of reviewer's opinions, I have learned to take a lot of it with a grain of salt. You can tell when a reviewer is being dishonest in order to keep their "job". Or when a reviewer glosses over a very obvious issue by trying to downplay it. I've driven universally praised vehicles to find they were utter garbage and cars that were heavily criticized to find they were actually pretty good. I mostly watch reviews just to get a general idea on features and how things look, I then mentally filter out all the personal opinion bullshit in terms of appearance...etc. I hate when reviewers take like 5 minutes explaining how they like or dislike the look of a car, what useless information.

Most new cars lack personality because so many laws now limit how much fun designers can have. I read a artical by a designer once and he was mentioning that the only place designers can have any fun anymore is when designing the rear end.

Everything else is so mandated they don't have much control. Couple that with people and the EPA wanting better fuel economy and engines are being shrunk to all hell. People don't want manuals anymore (everyone says they do and when they come out, nobody actually buys it) and the cost of cars has gone up so far that people want cars that can do it all for the best price. Furthermore, when car manufacturers actually make something unique with personality, everyone shits on it and calls it ugly, weird...etc, and it doesn't sell. It sucks but monotony sells.

As per the 3G TL, it is a very good car and is now cheap enough that younger people can afford to buy them and throw money at them upgrading them. The RDX will never have the same appeal as the 3G TL did simply because it is a crossover and when is the last time you've heard of car guys foaming at the mouth for an SUV? But how good the TL was has no bearing on how good the RDX is today. Besides this review says best car in 15 years, the 3G TL came out roughly 15 years ago so for all intents that could be the last good car he's referring to.

My neighbor leases nothing but Acuras, she leased a new RDX Platinum-Elite in red pretty much immediately. It was the first one I seen on the road and obviously because she's right next door I see it every day lol. God those Advance wheels on her car are ugly. Yuck.

Midnight Mystery

Dead on, RDX10, totally aggree!

wilsel

Same here, and Marks opinion goes a long way for me. This is probably the closest he's come to a gleaming review for any car, besides maybe the E92 M3.

Tom2

No, not contagious. You just failed again to read my entire message. Either that, or you have some serious reading comprehension issues. Note that the OP didn't state the number of speakers or the power in his TLX, so your comment is pretty much baseless. Also note that I mentioned in my post that the TLX ELS system might be completely different.

Try not to be such a condescending prick next time.

Sounds

Somebody get the popcorn.

PWMDMD

acuraada

Just want to comment, more speakers and power doesn't equate to better sound. That's just marketing.

Tom2

Try telling that to the people who have been designing Lexus vehicles for the last few years.

Many cars these days are what I'd consider "overstyled" compared to more mundane designs. To my eyes, any new Lexus vehicle with the crazy spindle grill design is a styling mess for sure, but I wouldn't say it lacks personality. They certainly look unique and they aren't easily confused with any other brand of vehicle.

Personally, I prefer more understated designs like my Audi. Clean lines, no crazy styling cues, great road presence. I think the new RDX is decent looking overall, but it too has some crazy lines that make it look like the designers were into Japanese Origami.

PWMDMD

justnspace

iTrader: (1)

you guys DO KNOW that audio is subjective to the listener????

it really doesnt matter how many speakers, or who designed the audio system....as every one of you will hear something different.
Please play nice! thank you.

- management.

NooYawkuh

They need to bring back fins, ... with tail lights that look like rocket jet packs.

Midnight Mystery

Audi's do have a clean look to them, as do WV's, IMO!


What I hate is when an old design is taken, then slapped with LEDs and chrome, it looks ghetto...

Like a 2014 Sonata vs 2015 Sonata... Same with the 15/16 Accord, but I like it now....

They did it with the ILX too.

But now these cars are styled with this in mind, since a new generation has begun... Atleast it doesn't look aftermarket now, but for a while there it was

romer

Agree about the B&O. I paid for the upgrade in my Q5 and while it was a good system, I've had what I like better in other cars without the added cost. The 2019 RDX is an example. I love the sound system. Once I made adjustments to suit my preferences, I actually liked the system in the 2016 RDX as well.

JB in AZ

There are so many adjustments available, I have no idea where to start...other than the slight tweeks up in treble and base I have already made. Any suggestions, or care to share your settings? I'm sure others would appreciate this as well.

Thanks!

Just realized you were referring to adjustments to your 2016 RDX.....OOPS!

romer

I no longer have the settings from the 2016. For the 2019 I liked it pretty much out of the box. I added a bit to the ceiling speakers, moved some of the sound toward the rear because I felt the dash speaker was carrying too much of the load. Very small bass adjustment. Again--tiny changes because the system is close to perfect to my ear.

nist7

You should definitely watch his other reviews. This guy is not your typical "car reviewer youtuber"...you can tell he actually puts in high quality work and also does detailed segments into the underbody/chassis as well. He's not just in it for the money/views and has virtually no click bait or stupid vloggy stuff

RDX10

Lexus is a bit of a special case. From what I can tell, the people who buy Lexus generally are people who have owned Toyotas or previous Lexus models and could not give a single crap what it looks or drives like. They love that it is at the pinnacle of reliability and easy to use. Of course not trying to generalize but that has been my observation. It could have the words "I'm a dumbass" stamped into the bumper and those people would still buy it. They just do not care.

I am exactly like you though. I'm a HUGE VAG fan. I LOVE LOVE LOVE the clean understated lines of VW and Audi products. One of my favorite SUV's of all time stylistically is the 2007-2014 Volvo XC90, its just so simple but the strong shoulder and lines are so timeless. You can look at a 15 year old Audi and it still looks fresh. VAG is so good at what they do that they only have to subtly tweak each generation and yet it comes out looking brand new each time. New Lexus vehicles look dated already, way way too over styled.

If Acura could reshape the grille a little bit and straighten some of the curves on the front bumper it would look incredible. If I get a 3G RDX I'm definitely getting it in black and A-Spec because that hides most of the lines lmao.

acuraada

Are you looking at XC60 or Touareg?

Njbrandon

The Burmester system in my wife's Benz C300 is way better than the 3D ELS system. The ELS is very good, but to say that it's the best isn't true unless you've heard other great systems.

SailorTed

So this same 2L/10AT drive train is "Honda-proven" for several years? I'm seriously considering a new RDX (Tech), but I'm not a fan of being the beta-tester for a new drive train.
I understand the infotainment system is all new. Any new issues there should hopefully be resolved by an OA software update.

RDX10

Me? Naaah I'm more of of a fan of the XC90 and XC40 over the 60...the 60 is a beautiful vehicle but there is something that botbers me about the design and I can't put my finger on it. As for the Touareg, a new model just came out and sadly it's been discontinued in north America since the 2018 model year so no Touareg for me either.

ZipSpeed

I was a beta tester for a 2011 X3, and told myself, never, ever, ever, again. Fixes are being rolled out for the 2019s, but personally, I would just wait another 6 months or so for MY2020 to get all the cumulative fixes right from the factory, or even 2021 if you want can afford to wait.

RDX10

The most solid advice right here. I was telling people to wait and kept being told "But this is a Honda product"....not saying I told some of you so but.....naah won't say it lol.