NightWriter

I purchased my RDX Advance on May 31, and have been very happy with my decision. For context, I'm coming off a 3-year lease of a BMW 340i xDrive, which was an awesome car.

Some quibbles, in no particular order:

• I wish the A-Spec was only an exterior appearance package that could be added a la carte; its trim and wheels are more to my liking, although the Advance wheels have grown on me somewhat. (I'm still keeping my eyes open on TireRack for alternatives in a 20" size with proper summer tires, however.)
• The touchpad interface is better than the Lexus, and maybe even than BMW iDrive wheel, but it's a little slow at times.
• I applaud the use of a real volume/off knob/button, though I wish they also added a tuning knob. Scrolling between XM stations using the virtual "next" button through the user interface is clunky and slow.
• LKAS is very inconsistent, so I wouldn't recommend it at all. When active, the subtle movements it makes feel jarring when you expect that you're in control, so I leave it off.
• ACC, on the other hand, seems to work pretty well. It was absolutely terrifying the first time, watching it slow down to a stop all on its own, then accelerating back up. (On our Honda Pilot, the system does not work below 25mph, but the Acura's seems to not mind.) I probably won't use it often, but it's mildly helpful in traffic.
• Not Acura's fault, but buying a brand new model leaves you with few options regarding third-party accessories (wheels, roof rack, trailer hitch, paint protection film, floor mats, etc.). However, I did purchase the Acura floor mats and cargo protection and net; the net is very tight and not as accommodating as I was hoping, but the mats are very high quality and seem like they'll last a while.

And now some appreciation:

• Driving at 8/10ths, the RDX is nearly as fun to drive as my 340 was. Obviously, its four-banger can't keep up with the power or smoothness of the 3-liter inline 6, but it's worlds better than the 2018 RDX I test drove, not to mention the Infiniti QX50 (weak engine, terrible CVT) and Lincoln MKC 2.3 (which, despite claiming to have 280hp, felt much slower than the RDX).
• The 10-speed auto shifts smartly and smoothly; I generally keep it in manual mode; I appreciate that it holds gears and doesn't upshift until commanded (in Sport+ mode), though because of the wide spread I generally have to downshift 3-4 gears when needing to pass.
• The seats are extremely comfortable and supportive; a little more thigh support might be nice, but they're awesome seats. (Not sure how I ever lived without ventilated seats. They're glorious.)
• The heads-up display (my first car with one) is very clear and works well. I wish there was a little more customization to it (e.g. display the current gear when in manual mode), but not a big deal.
• The sound system is very good. The problem is that XM Radio is severely compressed and doesn't sound particularly great (on any system), and even Bluetooth streaming lacks the full dynamic range that a good CD offers. Since I have an Android phone (and therefore am impatiently waiting for Google to support Android Auto here), the only way to really enjoy music is to rip some of my old CD's to lossless FLAC files onto a 64GB USB drive I have. It works well (and sounds great), but it's a hassle.
• Voice control works well, albeit a little slowly.
• Headlights are very bright, and auto high beam generally works well.
• And for a few more subtle things that I'd like to acknowledge:
• I love how they installed keyless lock/unlock sensors at all four doors. They clearly could have saved money by installing them only on the front two (as I've generally seen in the past on other cars), but this is a handy way to let my kids in first or access just the back seat without having to first unlock one of the front doors:

• When you active your rear windshield washer spray, it also hoses down the rear view camera. I've never seen this before, and find it brilliant (since these tend to gunk up pretty easily):

• I never liked Honda's placement of the headlight switch on the turn signal stalk, since sometimes activating the turn signal would switch off the lights. But now, the "off" position is spring-loaded and requires you to hold it; otherwise it defaults to "auto" (as it should), so that annoyance is gone:

Well done, Acura.

Stew4HD

Thank you for posting this! I look forward to getting mine and will compare it to the MKX I am driving now

NightWriter

Interesting; Since I was disappointed with the driving dynamics of the MKC, I test drove the MKX as well. (Actually, I was hoping for a Ford Edge Sport, but its interior bored me silly.) The MKX drove very well and its turbo 2.7 was impressive. But I just found it a little on the large side for me, and wasn't crazy about its exterior styling.

HDNBenjamin

Very nice! The new RDX is awesome!

ChrisBesu

Great to hear you are enjoying it so far. I will also be trying out the RDX after a very long history of bmw ownership. Went for a test drive the other day and was very impressed. I feel the germans have lost their way unless your spending 60-70k.

billyt1963

NightWriter - Good to hear about the FLAC files. I was in the dealership today and tried a jump drive with a FLAC file. It read the name, but wouldn't play the file. My car should be in at the end of next month so it will be until then before I get some quality testing time.

Billy

ednigma

Thanks Nightwriter for the excellent review. I drive a 2002 Lexus RX300 mostly and a 97 BMW E36 M3 in the summer months. I tested a 2018 Lexus RX350 and NX200 (now NX300 with the same 2.0l engine). Both were smooth suspension wise but ultimately too cushy and boring (my M3 has aftermarket Koni struts and shocks which are a bit more firm than stock). The RX350 seemed really heavy and eventhough the V6 is smooth and powerful, the RX350 felt slow. The Lexus NX felt more nimble, but had horrible turbo lag. Had a quick test drive of a 19RDX tech, but the traffic was a bit heavy and due to the salesperson incessantly talking and trying to show me features before starting and during the drive, I couldn't get a good feel for how it drives, but my first impressions are that the suspension is very nice and sporty, but I felt that there was some perceptible turbo lag or maybe it was a throttle hesitation, since many have said that they felt no turbo lag. I was not able to test any of the driving aids due the short amount of time I had behind the wheel (only about 10-15min) as the dealership was about to close. I still need to wait until there are more Advance packages on dealerships to test.

Ed

MHarnois

For music try to find an iPod and load it with m4a (lossless) files. The USB key was clunky on the 2018 but the iPod usage is so smooth, no comparison. It might be the same on the 2019.

ednigma

NightWriter,

Can you comment on the Active noise control/Piped in Engine noise and general overall quietness of the cabin over bumps, wind noise at highway speeds, etc.
Thanks

acuraada

Thanks for sharing and congrats!

How do you feel about the buttoned shift system? Any issues when doing parallel parking, etc?

JAB00

I am on the fence about getting the A-Spec vs Advanced. I like the look of the A-Spec much better than the Advanced. I don't think I'll miss some of the added tech on the Advanced since I am coming off a 2005 TL, I bought brand new. I worry about maintenance of the 20 inch rims and tire in pothole heavy DC-Baltimore area.

WPJoe

Agree.
I wonder how much your have to invest to get the right parts to convert the Advanced chrome into the ASpec black...

Stew4HD

If the A-Spec had HUD and the seats of the Advance, I'd probably go for one

warrenj3139

I'm also in the DC/Baltimore area and my thoughts are pretty much 100% in line with yours. i love the look of the A-Spec wheels but worry about taking them through Rock Creek Drive, for instance. I can also do without many of the Advance trim features. My wife has a 17 Advance and the 19 A-Spec has the same feature-set as that car (with some nice new bonuses like the 3D sound system and the panoramic roof). Neither has the 19 Advance's Surround View Camera (which I have in my current vehicle) so that's probably the only thing I'd really miss by going with the A-Spec. I have about 5 months to make a decision.

Stew4HD

If you've never had a car with HUD, you are missing out.. I am spoiled with the Navdy HUD unit I have and find HUD now a must. It SHOULD be an option for all trim levels, dammit!

warrenj3139

In 2015 I test drove a BMW 3 series that had it. It seemed cool but not essential. I tend to use Waze more than my car's navigation so that may be part of it as well. Might also be because I didn't spend enough time with it, as I ended up with a CPO 5 series that didn't have a HUD (and got wrecked months later when I was T-boned, anyway). I will test drive both the Advance and A-Spec to check it out, though.

Definitely agree it should be in both models. I think A-Spec should be an appearance package that's available on the Tech/Advance, but I know I'm not alone in that regard.

burn1010

Does the HUD work with the nav in apple car play or just the acura nav?

Stew4HD

Hmm, I don't know if it works with Apple.. something tells me it won't but I could be wrong on that. I'd love it if it worked with Android (Waze, etc)

Madd Dog

NightWriter

In Sport (default) and "D" (standard automatic) mode, the throttle mapping is more relaxed, and the transmission tends to stay in higher gears when decelerating to a stop or turn, which makes it feel lethargic. I could see some interpreting this as turbo lag, but I don't think that's the issue; there's good torque from ~1750rpm+...

If you stick to Sport+ and/or "S" (sport automatic) mode, it'll downshift gears better and map the throttle position more aggressively, which eliminates this problem. I generally use the paddle-shifters in Sport+ / S mode, which allows me to settle down into taller gears when cruising and downshift appropriately when decelerating.

Given the large number of gears, I do wish the left paddle offered a "hold" feature to automatically downshift to the lowest possible gear, a nice feature my 340 had.

NightWriter

I know this topic has come up before, but personally I find the active noise control to be rather subtle; the cabin is still fairly quiet and relaxed in Sport+ mode. Even when approaching redline, it's hard for me to distinguish between the natural engine note and the digital accompaniment.

The body integrity is top notch, and I don't hear any squeaks or rattles going over speed bumps or other road imperfections. I just touched 90mph briefly on the way in this morning, and the wind and road noise were muffled well. Of course, all of this is subjective and likely depends on your perspective; those coming from a Lexus LS might be annoyed. Those coming from a Wrangler would be pleased.

NightWriter

We have a Pilot, so it wasn't a huge leap to get accustomed to the push button interface. I agree with those who note it's a solution to a problem no one complained about, but at the same time I don't find it highly objectionable. I don't parallel park often, though I do see how a traditional shifter would work better when toggling back and forth between R/D.

(I'm more annoyed that I have to push a button to disable the auto stop/start system every time when getting into the car; I'll switch off the engine if I need to idle more than a minute or two, but I hate how it tends to trigger in heavy traffic or stop signs when it ends up having to fire up the engine two seconds later.)

JoelEDC

I live in DC too so I can appreciate what you're saying about the roads, but when even the standard wheels are 19 inches I wouldn't worry too much about going to 20's. Admittedly, the tires are lower profile with the 20's...but I would think that the suspension would be tuned to account for the factory wheel/tire options (and the average Acura buyer's comfort level) and absorb the brunt of the force pretty well.

Rob175

I agree...the defaulting to the Auto Stop Start is insane! Once I buy the car, I should be able to turn if off permanently IF I choose. I find it hard to believe that the few drops of gas the system may save is really necessary for Acura to achieve its MPG EPA rating.......and I shouldn't have to press an "off" button every time I get into the car to drive.
Hopefully, there will be some sort of "hack" to disable that system.

MHarnois

Don't blame Acura, they all play this game because that's how the rules are written.

MI-RDX

It's not a matter of how much gas is actually saved, it's a political game that's played by the EPA. If a manufacturer does not put in S/S they get 0 MPG CAFE credits, S/S that will remember a user setting they get 0+x CAFE credits, S/S that defaults to 'ON' with every engine start it's now 0+2x credits and if S/S is always on and cannot be turned off it's 0+4x CAFE credits. One of the reasons that most GM vehicles have 'always on' S/S.

It's just a not so subtle way the federal tree huggers use to force implementation of a technology that has marginal benefit but the politicians can go around patting themselves on the back for what a good job they did.

Dave48103

Dave48103

NightWriter

I remember in my BMW owner's manual, it pretty explicitly said that using start/stop may increase wear on engine components without even trying to sell any potential fuel savings. You could almost hear the engineers griping about having to install the system over their objections.

acuraada

it's the other way around, tree huggers actually propose a law that make sense. auto industry lobbyist manipulates the proposed regulation into one that's obtainable and easily skewed. Win-Win situation for the politicians.

MI-RDX

We'll just have to agree to disagree on this.

It's the environmentalists that are insisting on a 50MPG CAFE (or higher) even though it can't be done with current technology (or possibly any technology). The companies charged with making the impossible happen are up against the wall in that they get fined for not meeting the unattainable standard so they have no choice but to make a case for reasonable requirements. The politicians then come up with a compromise plan to give the manufacturers 10 years to do the impossible instead of the original 5.

I'm not saying the CAFE standards are necessarily bad - some very good technological developments have come about because of them. Lighter and stronger materials, improved power plant technology are two areas. But even that is a two edged sword. In the case of lighter materials many of them are derived from petroleum so, while the amount of petroleum used as fuel is reduced, the reduction is not what the proponents claim because it has to be offset buy that used to manufacturer those components.

It's not a panacea - there's always a cost, or as it's sometimes said TANSTASFL (There Ain't No Such Thing As A Free Lunch).

https://reason.org/policy-brief/the-...-on-consumers/
No: Standards limit consumer choices, hurt the economy - AEI

Rob175

Hopefully there will be a "hack" developed to make an "end-run" around the default Auto Start Stop issue.

NightWriter

Maybe, but I feel like I already go through a non-trivial checklist when getting going:

1. Secure phone to magnetic mount
2. Attach USB cable to phone
3. Switch on ignition
4. Verify HVAC settings
5. Apply brake
6. Release e-brake
7. Enable Sport+
8. Disable Auto Start/Stop
9. Push D twice (sport mode)
10. Pull left flappy paddle to engage manual mode

It's getting pretty routine by now and I almost do it from muscle memory. I almost don't mind the production...it heightens the drama...like a pilot getting ready for takeoff.

MI-RDX

I can be done. One of the members over on the Toyota Highlander forum did just such a thing. A simple little device that emulates the button press when you first turn the vehicle on. It's connected in-line with the existing button and retains all the functionality so S/S can be turned back on if desired. It must be good because there's already a Chinese 'knock off' available on eBay.

Rob175

You mean the car won't remain in "Sport" mode from the last time you drove it? Does it too default to smoe other setting?

MHarnois

Notice he wrote Sport+, not Sport. The car won't stay in Snow mode or Sport+ mode, defaulting to Comfort and Sport instead.

Madd Dog

lsher

Does anyone miss that you can't display a digital readout of the current miles per hour in the display between the gauges? Nearly every other vehicle made today has this option.

Hou-RL

So I always liked the lock button on the rear hatch of my RDX. My wife and I use that all the time and I never had to touch my key fob as a result. I could push that button in the back of my RDX and lock all the doors without having to walk to side the side or reach in my pocket for the key fob. I dont see that feature in the 2019 RDX and wondered how can you lock the RDX from the back without using the key fob. Opening with your feet is novel but doesn't lock the car. Also has anyone even noticed how much storage has been lost in the 2019 RDX? The center console is so much smaller and the configuration does not seem to provide much space.My current RDX has two storage console but I only need one the size of my center console but we are losing dramatic storage space in the 2019 which may be an issue in the future if purchased.
Any ideas or observations?

Dave48103