Used 2019 Acura RDX 4dr SUV (2.0L 4cyl Turbo 10A) Consumer Reviews
Used RDX for sale
Trouble From Day One. Now a Lemon
Lynn, Fort Lauderdale, FL, 11/04/2018
updated 10/22/2019
Acura RDX 4dr SUV (2.0L 4cyl Turbo 10A)
282 of 298 people found this review helpful
I drove off the lot mid June only to notice 4 flaws before I got three blocks: front windshield crazed between layers, visible only when sun directly on it, Steering wheel unraveling, flaws in clearcoat on hood and faulty rear hatch. After 4 weeks and a loaner for 13 days car seemed fixed and great—-until suddenly I had nothing on computer screen. It’s now working again but frequent messages of LOADING which takes several minutes or FUNCTION NOT NOT AVAILABLE with steering wheel controls. Often I drive miles with no access to screen as it spins. Local dealer and corporate say an update is coming but nobody knows when. I’ve waited 3 months now. So now nearly 5 months in I have no horn. Keeps blowing fuses and nobody knows why. Car been in shop several days. I’m afraid to drive too far from home for fear screen will go out again or I’ll have no horn. Other problems include cracked battery cable, a mysterious mug rolling around under seat which was not mine. Seat had to be removed to get it. Leather on most seats is picked and I’m told it’s normal. But no car in showroom is puckered like that. I’ve been Honda and Acura owner 20 years. Still have a perfect 2012 TSX. But I’m done. Poor quality and poor attitude from corporate in trying to get problems resolved. UPDATE It’s taken 4 months since filing Lemon Law Arbitration paperwork but my 2019 RDX is an official lemon and I’m awaiting buyback check. The issues have been many since the day I left the dealership. I’ve posted before. But the horn that simply kept blowing fuses every time used and the constant malfunctioning Infotainment issues put me at 84 days out of service and 26 trips to the dealer in 6 months. I’ve been shopping and sadly nothing duplicates the great look and handling and amenities for the price. But I can’t go back. Not only do I fear another faulty vehicle but Acura treated this 20 year Honda and Acura owner terribly. At the hearing everything was my fault. I must use the horn too long or too often. I do not but even if I did, so What!, I must not see the obstacle when the collision mitigation engages on an empty road. The screen blinks because I must be using main headlights in the daytime. Seriously!!?? The 62 days out of service for the horn should not count because I could’ve driven the car with no horn. Duh. That’s illegal. The cruise doesn’t work because I used it in the rain. No. I showed videos of the malfunction on a sunny day. I still have to drive the car while awaiting settlement and no dealer will see me to reset my flashing screen. This helps for the short term. Shame on Acura for the delays and treating me like an ignorant owner. My past 4 Honda and Acura vehicles never once saw a dealership but for maintenance. I could list dozens of family members, neighbors, colleagues and friends who have made choices other than Honda products recently. Strangers stop me to see if I love the RDX. I tell them the truth. Had Acura come through with the buyback they said they were evaluating after 31 days out of service (legal definition of Lemon in FL), this would have ended better for all of us. Hoping the money/car exchange happens soon so I can move on and take the road trips I had planned nearly a year ago. The buyback finally took place in June - nearly a year after purchase. Shame on Honda America for the stalling and the insults and the rude treatment at the final arbitration. As a Honda/Acura owner for over 20 years I could not take an exchange. Took the money and now I’m wonderfully happy in my Jeep Grand Cherokee. The computer is dependable and much more efficient than what Acura tried unsuccessfully to do in their 2019 RDX.
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Great vehicle, but not perfect
Krewman, Norwalk, CT, 06/24/2018
updated 07/21/2021
Acura RDX 4dr SUV (2.0L 4cyl Turbo 10A)
166 of 176 people found this review helpful
Have put 1,000 miles on my new fully-loaded RDX. Love the ride, handling, and acceleration. Interior materials and seat comfort are excellent. Premium sound system is awesome (Last night, I sat in the car, ignition off, and blasted 70's rock and roll for an hour). Love the heads-up display and ACC. There are, however, a few things that drive me nuts: 1) The nav system has a major flaw - you can't easily zoom the map in/out while guidance is in use. Sounds trivial. It's not. 2) Synching a phone does not provide access to the phone's contact list. In fact the entire bluetooth/phone system is frustrating to use and poorly designed. Thank god for Apple CarPlay so you can just avoid the Acura system all together. 3) No place to put spare change except in the center console. Yes, it's a nit, but would it have killed them to add a small nook to keep coins? 4) The touch pad will make you insane the first few days. Then you get the hang of it and it's not too bad. Still, Acura definitely needs to improve input approach. **UPDATE** I've driven the vehicle for over 13,000 miles. The Good: 1) Acura updated the software so you can now zoom in/out when using the navigation system. 2) No mechanical issues. Trouble free. Nice! The Bad: 1) The nav system is still a mess. At times the turn arrow on the heads up display doesn't match the turn arrow on the dash display. For example, the heads up will have a arrow pointing to the left, while the display has an arrow pointing to the right. Bring a penny with you so you can flip a coin. Second, using the voice command feature to enter in a destination is an exercise in frustration. You often get a "destination not found" or it misinterprets what you said and sets the destination to somewhere random. We actually play a game to see who can get the navigation system to set the most ridiculous destination. However, you can avoid the Acura nav system entirely by using Apple Carplay. Which brings me to item 2. 2) Apple CarPlay works. Then it doesn't. Then it does. Then it doesn't. It connects. Then disconnects. Then connects. Then disconnects. I have Apple Carplay on my other vehicles and it works fine with my iPhone, so the problem is with Acura. The workaround is to connect your iPhone to the vehicle using Bluetooth and then use Google Maps or Waze for navigation. You'll be limited to the iPhone screen, but at least the voice directions will play over the vehicle's sound system (which, by the way, is awesome). July 2020 update. If you have the heads up display there’s a fun game to play. Enter a destination into the navigation system. Then watch as the heads up display and the dashboard screen display completely DIFFERENT turn directions. So entertaining. As stated earlier, the electronics package on the vehicle (e.g., navigation, phone, radio, etc) is poorly designed and even after several updates is frustrating to use. To avoid these problems, just use Apple CarPlay. Oh wait, never mind, CarPlay only works intermittently. Like, hardly ever. Mechanically the vehicle is top notch. After 28,000 miles no repairs needed and no problems requiring dealer visits. Comfort and ride remain excellent.
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2019 Acura RDX for sale near you
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- Base 4dr SUVMSRP: $17,500In-stock online
- SH-AWD 4dr SUV w/Technology PackageMSRP: $24,4508 mi away
- Technology Package 4dr SUVMSRP: $19,995In-stock online
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Rough transmission transition when leaving
Jay, Rio Rancho, NM, 11/25/2018
Acura RDX 4dr SUV (2.0L 4cyl Turbo 10A)
96 of 103 people found this review helpful
Looks like I’m not the only one who sensed rough transmission transition at low speed. I believe 2019 RDX has a serious transmission problem. I have a base model. The problem that I noticed is that when leaving my place in the morning with the temperature gauge stuck at the lowest position, the vehicle jerks when switching the gear to upper ones at low speed. As the temperature gauge bar appears as it’s warmed up, the abrupt transition of transmission becomes smoother. I tried warming up for 5 minutes before leaving and the problem was less severe. So this vehicle requires warming up as most of vehicles in 80s or 90s did. But remember you're buying a so-called luxury vehicle paying more than 40 grand in 2019. This is really hard to reproduce at dealer because by the time I arrive at dealer, the vehicle is already warmed up. People complained a lot about hard control of electronic system, but I don’t, it’s a matter of time to get used to it. Another issue is this 2019 RDX is gas greedy, usually I can get a little less than 23 mile/gallon but it requires 92 octane recommended. When I'm spending more money for high-end version and more gas with higher priced octane gas, at least I didn't expect rattling or jerking of rough transmission transition.
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A Good Car for the Money
Greg Ormerod, Nutley, NJ, 10/06/2018
updated 10/16/2023
Acura RDX 4dr SUV (2.0L 4cyl Turbo 10A)
21 of 24 people found this review helpful
I had a 2012 Infiniti EX35 and had planned to buy the 2019 Infiniti QX50 but became concerned about its quirky CVT transmission, throttle issues, and outdated infotainment system. Therefore, I bought the 2019 RDX with the Advance package three months ago and so far it has been great. I like the way the doors close with a solid thunk. The build quality is solid and the design is sporty. I like that this design is all its own instead of an upscale CRV. The seating is comfortable - especially with the 16-way adjustable seating. I have read some complaints about the complexity of the infotainment system touch pad and the push-button transmission controls . Consumer Reports is especially harsh on both categories. However, I have found that both are quite easy to use. The infotainment touch pad functionality is based on cell phones and tablets. If you need a menu option that is out of view to the right, then you swipe to the left to bring it into view and then select it. If you need a menu option that is out of view to the bottom, then you swipe up to bring it into view. Once you get used to this principle, it is easy to use. It's display screen is mounted high so it's within your field of vision when watching the road. The push button transmission controls also require some adjustment time, but are logical and easy to use. There is a definite difference between Comfort and Sport modes. Acceleration is better in Sport, but the ride becomes more stiff and the steering wheel tightens up - as would be expected. Therefore, I use Sport mode when driving highways during my weekly commute and then dial it back to Comfort mode for local driving during the weekends. The gas mileage average has been as high as 26 MPG during highway driving but can drop down to the 22 MPG range after extensive local driving. It won't ride quite as nice as its German counterparts, but it feels solid and stable on the road, and its price is much better. In fact, for the amount of features and technology this car includes, and for the way it performs and handles, its a great car for the money. Update (10/2023): I have now had the car for over five years and have had no issues with it. It still drives and handles well with no squeaks or rattles. My only issue is that the Acura Link app is slow to populate all of the fields when launching, but works well when fully launched.
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Terrible infosystem with bad customer service
Sarahflgator, Tampa, FL, 09/30/2019
Acura RDX 4dr SUV (2.0L 4cyl Turbo 10A)
7 of 7 people found this review helpful
the infosystem in the 2019 ACURA RDX is terrible. Acura is aware of the multiple customer problems without any resolution. My experience: the speakers will make a snapping noise with the infosystem on or off (if on, the sound is constantly interrupted with snapping noises so it sounds like a CD skipping at all times). Sometimes my infosystem screen will not turn off and freezes-even with the car off and it drains your battery. Most times the audio is complete nonfunctional (no raido, Bluetooth or apple car play useable at all).
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