Used 2021 Acura RDX Consumer Reviews

Name: 2021 Acura RDX Review
Brand: Acura
Rating: 3.8 (64 reviews)

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3.8

64 reviews

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A 4.5 star review

A, 11/19/2020

updated 04/05/2021

2021 Acura RDX SH-AWD 4dr SUV AWD w/Advance Package (2.0L 4cyl Turbo 10A)

308 of 319 people found this review helpful

Updated after 4 months of ownership: Running gas mileage is about 21-22 mpg. Under the rating, but about as expected based on an earlier vehicle. We really have no gripes about this car except the rearview camera. We learned the infotainment pad quickly, the drivers aids are helpful but not intrusive. This car eats up miles on a road trip and is comfortable around town. I stand by 4.5 stars. Good car, not perfect. Happy with the purchase! Earlier reviewafter a few days of ownership: If you are reading this, you're probably considering this car and cross shopping similar cars, like the BMW X3, Infinity QX50, Volvo XC60, Lexus NX, etc. I will focus on comparisons with those and items that that you notice after a few days that you may not have caught on the test drive(s). First up: things that you may not catch at first 1. This car is cheaper for a fully optioned model than competitors. But, you will notice a few cost cutting places: A) the standard floor mats are awful. Truly atrocious. Budget for a set of premium floor mats from Acura as part of your purchase. B) vanity mirror lights, glovebox light, rear turn signals are not LED but everything else is. C) the back of the front seats is cheap feeling plastic - even fake leather would have been more in place with the rest of the interior. 2. The physical spare tire on AWD, non Aspec cars was a purchasing decision, after an awful experience with harsh-riding, quick-wearing, and hyper-expensive run-flats on our last car. A spare is rare in this segment. But, the flat tire and wheel you take off the car WILL NOT FIT back under the car. the big plastic bag near the jack under the cargo floor is for placing the tire in when you have to put it back in the car. 3. Pay careful attention to the rear view camera. In our advance package model, it is among the worst I have EVER seen and way out of place in a car of this level. It is manageable in bright daylight, but essentially unusable at night. The tech package camera is apparently better - drive this car at night, and try to back up into a dark parking spot if this is important to you. Next: Things you wonder if you can live with: 1. We are having mixed success with the weird dash layout. The open spot under the floating gear selector is more useful than we thought. However, since this pushes back the cupholders, they are less useful than expected. Pay attention to this if you are shorter driver. You will have to move the armrest forward, permanently reducing to 1 cupholder in the middle. Most of the other cars in segment (X3, QX50) have more logical placement. The QX50, in particular, has a perfect armrest for a shorter driver. 2. Screens and infotainment: Again, mixed. We are liking this better than the complex all touch screen controls of the XC60 and the odd ergonomics of the QX50 double screen. The menus are slightly better organized vs X3. But, you will need to spend quite some time setting it up. There is a huge learning curve. Once you get it customized, you don't need the trackpad much while driving, but it will take a while to get there. Watch out for the bluetooth integration if you don't use CarPlay or Android Auto. It works with one of our devices, but does not play well with the other. 3. Artificial engine noise. Yeah, on your test drive you heard it revving along. It is fake and a little obnoxious after a bit. Comfort setting makes it better, but you cannot turn it off without also disabling noise canceling features. Drive on a freeway with concrete roads and accelerate around in traffic while having a conversation with a rear seat passenger. Evaluate if this noise bothers you. 4. No AC control in rear. There is no reason why this car should not have it (another cost-savings?). Our main rear seat passenger is mostly colder than us most of the time, so seat heaters back there help. But there is no recourse if your main passenger likes more air in their face. More standard Pros and Cons: 1. Great driving car. Comparable turn-in with the BMW, sportier than the Volvo or Lexus. Some might find it slightly twitchy. The steering is more appropriately weighted than the QX50 and the ride is softer than that or the X3. On balance, we liked this one best. 2. Looks awesome from the front. But, it looks oddly tall and narrow from the back. I could do without the silly chrome strip on the side. The Qx50 is the best-looking car in segment, but we felt this was right behind it. 3. The cargo area is more useful than competitors, even if the cubic feet are the same. It is longer and flatter, with less volume going up. This leads to more useable floor space. 4. Seat comfort is second in class, with only the QX50 being better (possibly the most comfortable car seats EVER on that).The adjustability on RDX seats is incredible. 5. Sound system is best-in-class. I wish it had a better subwoofer and controls to specifically pump up lowest notes, but this a pretty minor gripe.

Technology: 4 out of 5 stars

Performance: 5 out of 5 stars

Interior: 4 out of 5 stars

Comfort: 5 out of 5 stars

Value: 5 out of 5 stars

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