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2019 RDX Cross-Shop

4K views 6 replies 6 participants last post by  boston 
#1 ·
My 2009 MDX Tech is getting a little long in the tooth and I really don't need a 7-seater with just the wife and a couple of Labs, so I thought I'd start searching for a 5-seater SUV to buy later this year. I understand the 2019 RDX won't be available until mid-2018, but from everything I've read, it looks like a winner. In the meantime, I've gotten some seat time in the redesigned Audi Q5, BMW X3 and Volvo X60 SUVs. While I wasn't a big fan of the Volvo, the Q5 and X3 definitely spiked my interest, my only concern being long-term reliability. As I've been a confirmed Acura buyer now, I just hope the new RDX is on a par with these two big boys. Any thoughts?
 
#2 ·
None of us have sat in the new RDX, nor have we driven it. But based on the pictures, it looks like a winner. I'm aprehensive of any first-model-year vehicle, so I'd probably hold off until 2020, personally... But I'm excited about the future of Acura, if the RDX is any indication of the new direction.

Of the other options you've mentioned, the Q5 is the best of that bunch. I've spent some time in a Q5 and I liked it, a lot. My biggest concerns with Audi are:

  • Reliability -- including cost of maintenance
  • The fact their parent company -- VAG -- is particularly evil -- even by multi-international conglomerate standards.

The X3 is exceptionally disappointing, in my opinion. The riding position was all wrong, for me. The vehicle was low, like the current MDX, but BMW forces the seat into an awkwardly high position and doesn't give enough adjustment. It just feels wrong. The driving dynamics were also terrible. It was quite obvious, on my test drive, that BMW builds those vehicles for latte-sipping soccer moms who don't give two hoots about "how" it drives, and simply care about the "badge". For a company that likes to throw around the phrase "ultimate driving machine" they should be ashamed of the X3.
 
#3 ·
Just make sure that you don't need the extra cargo room. We rarely use the third row, but when I was looking last summer I liked the Q5, but it did not have sufficient cargo area for our needs (also liked the Q7, but not the price differential). Likewise, we have a friend with an RDX, and same re cargo area.
 
#4 ·
Acura sometimes has a few bugs to work out with new models. The all new 3rd Gen 2019 RDX will have a new turbo engine, 10AT, electronics, body, and suspension set-up. The new RDX hasn't even posted the specs on hp/tq or interior/exterior space yet.

I'm interested in replacing my 11 MDX or 08 RDX with the all new RDX. I haven't seen a 1st model year Acura that didn't have a few issues compared to 2nd or 3rd year models. I'm willing to hold out until I can test drive and compared the best bang for the buck. I will compare a used 15-17 MDX sh-awd tech/adv to the all new 19 RDX A-Spec or Adv to see how they compared dollar for dollar with performance, features, safety, and price.
 
#5 · (Edited)
Specs on 2019 RDX should be posted 03/28/2018, along with the reveal at the New York Auto Show. Patience. Cargo area may be up a bit, especially if you include the covered cubbies, which I hope can be uncovered when needed. Compact spare moved to underneath the vehicle rather than stored in a cubby. And I suspect Acura designed in some space for hybrid hardware.

In the 15 years my family has owned multiple simultaneous copies of MDX/Pilot, we have used a 3rd row seat a scant handful of times. But I do need to load up for a road trip now and then, and Q5 looks tight. Also, adding a tow hitch to a Q5 is an expensive nightmare, and the roof rack looks like a K-mart special. Sigh.

I can't get my head around piling miles onto a Q7. I'm too damn cheap. But those miles would probably be relatively serene. Until the miles started to impact service/maintenance costs, and then it would be less serene. :frown2:
 
#6 ·
p07r0457, I agree that between the two, I greatly preferred the Q5. I don't know the model year of the X3 you drove, but I tested the 2018, which was the redesigned vehicle. I didn't have the issues you came up with for the X3, but it starts to get ridiculous in pricing when you start adding options, so I would shy away from the BMW for that alone. The comments that it would be smart to wait for the second model year of the RDX make sense to me, but I still would like to test it when it comes out and see how it fits into the scheme of things. If it's priced reasonably with the Q5 and has equivalent build quality, I probably will wait another year. If not, I'll probably be hanging out at the Audi forums next year.
 
#7 ·
Let me give you my view.....If you go to drive the current CRV, or current RDX, you will feel the difference in seat comfort big time. You'll miss the wonderful V6 and the space in the X. I know. I made a similar mistake letting my kids have my old Pilot. Well if I get my way, my CRV will go to my oldest and I'll get a used up to 2013 MDX.....no VCM or 9 speeds for me thank you.
 
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