Used 2021 Acura RDX SUV Consumer 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.
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Not Perfect but a Great Car
Robert Horwitz, 12/20/2020
updated 01/19/2022
2021 Acura RDX SH-AWD 4dr SUV AWD w/Advance Package (2.0L 4cyl Turbo 10A)
108 of 111 people found this review helpful
Looking for a very well priced semi luxury crossover then this might just fit the bill. Is this a perfect SUV, No. Is it a very well rounded vehicle for a good price, Yes. To be honest I love this car. For me it is a perfect balance for everything I was looking for. This car has the power that most people want with decent gas milage. It has the comfort and luxury found only in higher priced vehicles. You really get a lot out of what you pay for this vehicle. To me this is like the balance between the more expensive Audi's, Infinity's, Volvo's, and the want to be CX5 signature. It fits somewhere in between but closer to the $1000's more luxury brands. It looks great, drives great, and does not destroy you with payments. Compared to a fully decked out Rav 4 (non prime) and you are not paying much more but you get so much more. On paper it will check almost all the boxes that people needing a crossover with need. Edited...it has now been 2 years since our purchase and I have had no issues with this vehicle. I have to admit though since Covid hit, it barely has 20000 miles on it. Update... 3 years after owning car I still have not had a single issue with this car. very happy with purchase.
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Cool and fun vehicle
Tom, 07/12/2021
2021 Acura RDX SH-AWD 4dr SUV AWD w/Technology Package (2.0L 4cyl Turbo 10A)
19 of 19 people found this review helpful
I have had the RDX for 3 months and put 6000 miles on it.. The vehicle has plenty of power like a sports car, has the offroad capability as a suv, and the Sh-awd is awesome. Very comfortable and relaxing ride while on long trips. Fuel economy is about average on daily driving. On a car trip I did 140 miles with 2 adults, two kids, dog and back loaded with bags. Slight grade kept it between 65 and 70 mph and got 29.1 mpg on premium gas. On the way back 31.8 mpg. Love the jeweled headlights. What I don't like is to get the couple extra things like fog lights and vented seats which should be standard you gotta go and spend quite a bit more for the next package. The infotainment freezes up sometimes when I plug my phone in and you have to do hard reset or shut the car off. The rear turn signals have bulbs instead of what the competition uses. Gotta use an app for remote start instead of having it on the key fob which you gotta pay for the app every year or pay 500 for another fob with remote start on it. Overall it's a great car and I recommend it. I'll write another review once I got more miles on
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Surprising Power 4CYL Engine
Ty Bookman, 05/08/2021
updated 05/11/2022
2021 Acura RDX SH-AWD 4dr SUV AWD w/Technology Package (2.0L 4cyl Turbo 10A)
49 of 52 people found this review helpful
I was looking for a new vehicle that would accept my large 6'3" frame at a reasonable price. My last vehicle was a 2012 Jeep Grand Cherokee which provided ample leg room for me. We took it on a road trip recently and found it to be very accommodating space wise. The ride is smooth with a comfortable interior. When there is a need for power there is more than enough to do the job. I have driven it just a little over 2500 miles so far still getting accustom to the Tech features of this vehicle. This is a very good road vehicle with hidden storage compartment located in the rear of the vehicle. Rear vision is restricted but I have come to rely on side view mirrors indicate blind spot traffic. Back up camera is excellent with ample warning of pedestrian and on coming vehicle traffic. Overall I am pleased with my purchase of the RDX.
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Having so much fun!
Mitty, 03/03/2021
updated 09/07/2021
2021 Acura RDX SH-AWD 4dr SUV AWD w/Technology Package (2.0L 4cyl Turbo 10A)
29 of 31 people found this review helpful
You had better have your foot on the gas, this car wants to go! SO MUCH FUN TO DRIVE. Never had a car I could say that about before. The most beautiful interior (exterior is a bit bland). Great tech even though its a little difficult. Love the brown leather. HUGE storage capacity when you fold down the rear seats.
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More for your money
Z-man, 08/05/2021
updated 02/24/2022
2021 Acura RDX SH-AWD 4dr SUV AWD w/Technology Package (2.0L 4cyl Turbo 10A)
27 of 29 people found this review helpful
Excellent car for the price. Power and handling are above standard. Interior is really nice and the stereo system and infotainment system is a quick learn and very responsive. On a trip got 26.8 miles a gallon with air on. Overall the RDX so far is what I expected…..power….comfort….looks….and affordability with Honda reliability. Expect to last a long time. update after 3 months...went from PA to NC,,,26.8 MPG with air on...Braking system saved me during driving rain storm as a driver stopped suddenly in front of me...comfortable ride for 10HR drive...didn't realize that the steering wheel being thicker would cut down on hand fatigue but it did...handling on the PA Turnpike in the mountains was fantastic...no leaning in seat around the mountain turns...touch pad is a easy learn without looking at it....will update if anything else occurs but overall completely satisfied with this car 2/23/22: Car rides extremely well...comfortable and powerful....sound system is excellent.....getting 26.8 on trips and 23.5 around town,,,handling is outstanding...worth a test drive for this car
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Vastly improved over previous design
SS, 02/16/2021
2021 Acura RDX SH-AWD 4dr SUV AWD w/Advance Package (2.0L 4cyl Turbo 10A)
34 of 37 people found this review helpful
Redesigned model is so Vastly improved over previous design. Power, Handling, interior/exterior design and included features are big plus. Software update didn’t work and took a dealer visit along with brakes squeaking within 2 months. Both issues resolved however. Lane keep assist could be better; cannot rely on it on windy roads.
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Exceeded Expectations
Frank, 01/05/2021
2021 Acura RDX SH-AWD 4dr SUV AWD w/Technology Package (2.0L 4cyl Turbo 10A)
38 of 42 people found this review helpful
We leased this coming from the previous generation RDX since we wanted to get the SH AWD and we were pleasantly surprised at all the overall improvements they have made in the car. It isn't the best at anything compared to the competition, but it is also priced much less and is comfortable enough and has just enough performance to make it a pleasant, if not thrilling, driving experience. This is perfect for our needs, since we just wanted a simple people mover while enjoying the drive and didn't need to show off to the neighbors or anything. I had trepidations regarding the TouchPad interface based on reviews, but after using it for a while I find it superior to touch screen and combined with voice commands the system works well. Also we contacted several dealers and they had a lot incentives going on. I did want to mention the biggest annoyance I have with the car is the auto engine off during stops cannot be defaulted to off, so it must be manually turned off every time the car is started. Not a huge problem honestly, but it is a feature I personally hate. My wife likes it since she says she can take her foot off the brake, which is a separate feature anyways, but to each their own.
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THE ACURA I’VE BEEN WAITING FOR
Carter, 10/11/2020
updated 01/04/2021
2021 Acura RDX SH-AWD 4dr SUV AWD (2.0L 4cyl Turbo 10A)
44 of 50 people found this review helpful
RDX is a driver’s crossover. Powerful engine, fast, the SH-AWD hugs the road well and it’s FUN to drive all while the occupants are wrapped in a quiet, tech filled and, shall I say, luxurious cabin. Love the ELS sound system. Acura is often downplayed to its European rivals, but that’s a small reason why I chose this vehicle. Acura has a decent luxury and performance pedigree, without the pretense other “more” upscale brands idealize.
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Smooth Ride
RDX_Owner, 03/23/2021
2021 Acura RDX SH-AWD 4dr SUV AWD (2.0L 4cyl Turbo 10A)
20 of 22 people found this review helpful
Perfect vehicle for someone who doesn’t want a suv that’s gigantic or too small. I love this vehicle because it gives me just the right amount of space that I need with a 4 cylinder engine. One of my biggest concerns coming from a car was getting a suv that would guzzle gas. This vehicle is great on gas and I can’t wait to see how it rides in the winter with snow. Another thing that I love is that the base model comes with a sunroof, power seats etc. I would definitely recommend this vehicle to anyone who wants to go from a car to a crossover. It’s so comfortable!
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