Loaner - 2019 Acura RDX - My thoughts

[tony1679]

So my new to me Civic had to go back to the dealer to repair the items that were supposed to have already been done. I received the "white glove treatment" since I called them out on their bs. The only loaner available was the RDX. So I decided to try it for 2 days and see what's new in the world of premium cars in the last 10-15 years. I am a dinosaur in today's modern car world, but that said, I'm 29. So I'm not a literal dinosaur.

Well, the RDX is the perfect storm of EVERYTHING I can't stand in a vehicle. DI, turbo, new to the hate list: 10-speed transmission (CVTs also hated), start-stop/idle stop, overly obnoxious and hard to use interior tech, lane keeping assist, forward collision warning, adaptive cruise control, push button start, push button gear selector... the list goes on.

My thoughts? The 10-speed is absolutely horrendous. It is impossible to take off gently and steadily. It can't stay in a gear for more than 1 full second when taking off from a stop. I feel like I'm sitting sideways in a canoe. It constantly rocks forward and backward. The power output is decent, although the fake engine sound coming from the speakers is facepalm worthy. It's hilarious knowing that feature is something included in the price tag. Start-stop is atrocious, the motor feels like it's going to break free from the mounts every time it restarts. Thankfully the one thing they did right was install a disable button for it, but it has to be pressed every time you get in the car. It took me 20 minutes to figure out how to change the radio station, and not before the owner's manual came out of the glove box. That's criminal for someone under 30, I'd hate to see an elderly person try to figure it out. It constantly flashes "BRAKE" in bumper-to-bumper traffic at 2mph, hinting that I'm going to collide with the person in front of me. And the number of buttons in the driver compartment is mind-boggling

.

Long story short, you couldn't give me the RDX for free and expect me to keep it. I'd have to sell it immediately, and would be happy selling it half-price just to not look at it for more than a few hours. I don't understand why people willingly pay for all of this garbage. And the tech will be broken, outdated, or obsolete in just a couple of years. It doesn't make sense. I just think the manufacturers know they are trash... literally disposable, and that's why they build them. They know you'll be back in a few years to get screwed out of countless thousands again. Oh, and that's after they've taken additional thousands in repairs for that transmission, turbo, and other stupid mechanical choices. Yet they wonder why new car sales are in the toilet...

I guess I'll be the lunatic driving my Elantra and Civic around with 600,000 miles in 2064 on the ground taking 10 hours to drive 500 miles while everyone else is flying being flown around in their disposable drone pods getting 500 miles per watt per second while listening to K-pop. Of course I'm being overly dramatic, but seriously, what happened to simple? What happened to cars that start, drive, and don't have complicated, idiotic nonsense to drive up the price tag? I understand the EPA has a huge role in the engine tech, but some of this is truly getting out of hand. When will a manufacturer be our knight in shining armor and make cars that are 100% customizable (not just a few packages), and are built to last and have simple, proven, reliable technology, at a simple cheap price? Heck, forget the cheap price. I'd pay a premium if done correctly. My two 1.8s are about as simple as I could find for their age group. But they both have junk I would have rather left out.

I can't wait to get my Civic back tomorrow. Rant over. My apologies.

 

[dishdude]

You think the RDX was bad? Wait until you get your Civic back!

 

[Leo99]

Get a Crown Vic.

 

[Cdn17Sport6MT]

Pretty happy with my lowest trim 2017 Mazda6 6 speed manual. Does have a pushbutton start but no smartkey that thieves can amplify and relay the signal on. I actually have to work all of my limbs to get the car to drive, hehe. I don't typically have the radio on... listening to the car, engine sound is both necessary and entertainment enough for me

.

 

[CharBaby]

Very good review Tony. Your writing is beyond your years. Had you not mentioned how old you are, I would have guessed you are much older. Not old mind you, just more mature.

Yes, there is a lot going on in vehicles today. In fact there is way too much for me. I call it FLUFF. I don't want all of the FLUFF, I just want the good vehicle in and of itself. I want to get in a vehicle, start the engine and drive off. I don't mind Push Button Start(PBS) & Remote Engine Start(RES) for winter but, I didn't have any problems with the key. And I don't mind the Back-Up Camera because I don't have to program it and they do help with the hindrance of the smaller rear glass visibility in vehicles today.

I do understand having all of the SAFETY features aboard in vehicles today as they're becoming mandatory. Also, people's driving habits have become horrendous and for other safety reasons, vehicle are becoming harder to see out of. And many folks actually need driver assistance. Most of these folks shouldn't have a driver's license to begin with. Just look at the glazed over appearance in their eyes.

Yeah, I could go on & on but, I'd be hogging your thread.

 

[CharBaby]

One caveat in addition to my reply.
I am not against todays SAFETY equipment and I do support them.
What I am not in support of is the convoluted infotainment systems.

 

[A1O]

I just got rid of a crown vic

 

[IndyFan]

I just had a loaner Chrysler Pacifica for a week and I thought the Pentastar/9 speed in it was an outstanding combination. I'm not a huge fan of automatics, but this thing shifted smoothly, quickly, and always chose the right gear. It worked really well with the Pentastar's power band. That little van handled and rode very well, too.

I've driven Hondas and Acuras that were really nice, but others where they just couldn't get the auto to work well with the engine. I don't understand that from a company with such accomplished engineering. Their manual transmission setups are phenomenal, though.

 

[tony1679]

Originally Posted by dishdude
You think the RDX was bad? Wait until you get your Civic back!
Not following...

Originally Posted by Leo99
Get a Crown Vic
Not sure if you're keeping the running joke going or serious. Either way, once the finances allow, a sport is on my list. The 4.6L will probably always be my favorite engine.
Originally Posted by Char Baby
Very good review Tony. [Thanks] ... Also, people's driving habits have become horrendous [Yep. We cater to the idiots and make the masses pay for the few, aka a few idiots screw it up for everyone. We seriously have to stop catering to morons and let the herd thin itself out.] ... What I am not in support of is the convoluted infotainment systems. [Agreed, and now we've come full circle. These infotainment systems are beyond distracting by either grabbing attention, or in my case trying to understand it, which turns into the horrendous driving habits you referred to. Perhaps a large portion of the safety features like lane departure warning systems would be unnecessary if drivers weren't using said infotainment system

.

 

[parshisa]

Midlife crisis?

 

[MrHorspwer]

I'll get in on this...

I read this article during the week about how truck owners think new trucks are overpriced and less reliable:

https://www.freep.com/story/money/cars/general-motors/2019/03/28/trucks-prices-chevrolet/3271882002/

Quote
The survey found that 68 percent of pickup owners said their vehicles were overpriced. Forty-eight percent said the trucks aren't made as well as they used to be and 17 percent said they probably will not buy another pickup.


FCA launched a new Ram pickup for 2019. What was the big selling feature, the one that put it head-and-shoulders above the Silverado, which was also new in 2019? This monstrosity:

The buying public covet the new Ram because it has the largest touchscreen possible... but also complain about added cost and poor reliability.

Make up your mind.

 

[Sayjac]

So in summary, safe to say you won't be purchasing an RDX. Fwiw, MT reviewed the new RDX recently and with the exception of rear blind spot areas, imo pretty much a positive one. Haven't driven the 10 speed auto, while perhaps not saying much, I'd take it over the Honda CVT.

 

[DuckRyder]

I've heard a few comments on the RDX in particular and Hondas in general, particularly the "Brake" message. It is my understanding that it is both adjustable and defeat-able.

I'll be paying attention on the my test drive of a Civic/Insight/Accord as to how true (and easy) that is.

I do like that the Jetta S makes CarPlay standard and driver assistance optional, though the car media talking heads say it should be standard...

I do think that adaptive cruise control and collision mitigation braking could be useful, I'm less enthusiastic about lane departure/assist and "low speed follow"...

 

[tcp71]

There are plenty of basic vehicles around to chose from. You drove a loaded up SUV from Honda's luxury division...what did you expect?
Chose a lower trim CRV or Pilot and you'll feel right at home.

 

[bullwinkle]

Originally Posted by tony1679
So my new to me Civic had to go back to the dealer to repair the items that were supposed to have already been done. I received the "white glove treatment" since I called them out on their bs. The only loaner available was the RDX. So I decided to try it for 2 days and see what's new in the world of premium cars in the last 10-15 years. I am a dinosaur in today's modern car world, but that said, I'm 29. So I'm not a literal dinosaur.

Well, the RDX is the perfect storm of EVERYTHING I can't stand in a vehicle. DI, turbo, new to the hate list: 10-speed transmission (CVTs also hated), start-stop/idle stop, overly obnoxious and hard to use interior tech, lane keeping assist, forward collision warning, adaptive cruise control, push button start, push button gear selector... the list goes on.

My thoughts? The 10-speed is absolutely horrendous. It is impossible to take off gently and steadily. It can't stay in a gear for more than 1 full second when taking off from a stop. I feel like I'm sitting sideways in a canoe. It constantly rocks forward and backward. The power output is decent, although the fake engine sound coming from the speakers is facepalm worthy. It's hilarious knowing that feature is something included in the price tag. Start-stop is atrocious, the motor feels like it's going to break free from the mounts every time it restarts. Thankfully the one thing they did right was install a disable button for it, but it has to be pressed every time you get in the car. It took me 20 minutes to figure out how to change the radio station, and not before the owner's manual came out of the glove box. That's criminal for someone under 30, I'd hate to see an elderly person try to figure it out. It constantly flashes "BRAKE" in bumper-to-bumper traffic at 2mph, hinting that I'm going to collide with the person in front of me. And the number of buttons in the driver compartment is mind-boggling

.

Long story short, you couldn't give me the RDX for free and expect me to keep it. I'd have to sell it immediately, and would be happy selling it half-price just to not look at it for more than a few hours. I don't understand why people willingly pay for all of this garbage. And the tech will be broken, outdated, or obsolete in just a couple of years. It doesn't make sense. I just think the manufacturers know they are trash... literally disposable, and that's why they build them. They know you'll be back in a few years to get screwed out of countless thousands again. Oh, and that's after they've taken additional thousands in repairs for that transmission, turbo, and other stupid mechanical choices. Yet they wonder why new car sales are in the toilet...

I guess I'll be the lunatic driving my Elantra and Civic around with 600,000 miles in 2064 on the ground taking 10 hours to drive 500 miles while everyone else is flying being flown around in their disposable drone pods getting 500 miles per watt per second while listening to K-pop. Of course I'm being overly dramatic, but seriously, what happened to simple? What happened to cars that start, drive, and don't have complicated, idiotic nonsense to drive up the price tag? I understand the EPA has a huge role in the engine tech, but some of this is truly getting out of hand. When will a manufacturer be our knight in shining armor and make cars that are 100% customizable (not just a few packages), and are built to last and have simple, proven, reliable technology, at a simple cheap price? Heck, forget the cheap price. I'd pay a premium if done correctly. My two 1.8s are about as simple as I could find for their age group. But they both have junk I would have rather left out.

I can't wait to get my Civic back tomorrow. Rant over. My apologies.
Toyota had the concept-buy a basic car, add a few mods yourself (or have the dealer do it), get the car for a cheap price-it was called Scion. When I bought my xB in Feb. '05, brand new, ordered from the dealer, they didn't have the color I wanted (Black Cherry) with a manual transmission. So, they ordered it, the only option was a stainless exhaust tip (I did put on aftermarket alloys later), it was $13,800, that's all! Other than a Kia Soul, there's no other new car remotely similar to a 1st Gen. xB, and at a hair under 100K miles, the wife still loves it. Why would I pay 2,3, or 4 times as much for an overloaded unreliable hunk of plastic, again??

 

[NormanBuntz]

You want a customizable vehicle? Then buy a Ford, GM or Chrysler/Dodge vehicle with their endless and confusing lists of options and packages. I agree that Acura overdoes it with complexity, and the A/T is like many other 8, 9 or 10 speeds that shift to second gear at 3 mph. At least most of today's cars are much more reliable than those from two decades ago. Sometimes we just have to take our medicine.

 

[Rumble]

Great post, thanks. I've had recent used RDX's ('14-'17ish) on my short list as a possible replacement for our aging money pit '04 PT Cruiser. My wife and I have been out of the new car buying loop for 15 years, and we're shocked at what is going on with vehicles these days, especially with all the crazy electronic gimmicks and doo-dads. We're equally shocked at the prices and reliability issues as well. As to the RDX, I've only recently learned about the "rodent candy" wiring on many Hondas/Acuras and other makes. It's truly a minefield out there these days with car buying, so we're really trying to do our homework. As things stand right now, we may just get a Nissan Frontier for our daily driver.

 

[Mr Nice]

Fancy vehicles have glitter N glam interiors with very complex A/C and radio controls.

The more complex and confusing..... the more some buyers are impressed with high tech interior.

 

[CharBaby]

Here's the thing about all of the tech features. Car Mfg's put in 100 features for customer to use, not knowing who is going to use what features. I want 4-5 things, my wife wants her 4-5 thing to use and others still, want their 3-4 or 5 features to use. So, there are waaaaaaay more features & actions in order to use in these systems than should be needed while driving.

What I tell folks is to figure out what 3,4 or 5 features you want and get acclimated with those features so it makes driving easier. Now when a car company make you use the info screen to program or simply adjust the 20 way power seats, or to adjust HVAC(screen after screen after screen) from a convoluted menu, now that's messed up.

 

[KrisZ]

The new automotive trend is to treat their customers as beta testers. I'm not against technology, but I do hate it when it is implemented sloppily and irritates the driver, especially from brands that are supposed to be about luxury.


Originally Posted by tcp71
There are plenty of basic vehicles around to chose from. You drove a loaded up SUV from Honda's luxury division...what did you expect?
Chose a lower trim CRV or Pilot and you'll feel right at home.




Well, at the very least I would expect a refined transmission and not being annoyed at various warnings telling me I'm driving wrong. Should't the luxury model impress instead of disappoint over the cheaper model?