Not a lot of people know this but these cars learn how you drive so they will adapt how quickly they come off a stop and how the transmission feels around town I recommend resetting the transmission learning behavior if you do decide to get these or any modern car it also helps if for some reason your car is feel jerky and hasn’t felt like that before. Step 1 get in car press the start button twice without starting your car you want it in the on position. Step 2 hold down the gas peddle for 30 seconds until your check engine disappear then press power button to turn off then fully start the car and it’s reset this is how the car comes off the assembly line before it gets a chance to learn driving styles of a handful of people. And now the car will adapt to your driving style and if you were having jerky issues it should feel way smoother off the line and when shifting. Take care guys hope this helps also I believe this method works with any Acura products that has a Drive by Wire set up which is basically a Electric throttle peddle not a traditional cable setup.
I am seriously considering a used 2nd Gen RDX. I have a friend with a 3rd Gen and he loves it. My budget is in the 2nd gen range and I would prefer the V6.
I had a 2104 RDX AWD Tech for 8 years now (bought new). Only issue is front brake rotor warped 2x. Acura acknowledge the issue, but would not cover the cost to replace it. Rotor manufactures after 2015 solved the issue.
I just bought a 2018 RDX AWD Tech w 18k miles. I chose this over the 2019 because of the price and i personally like the V6 vs the turbo. It is one of the most comfortable cars I’ve driven. And the ride is smooth, pick up is fast. Its a little dated but i think its still an attractive looking car.. the v6 engine, ride, speed, handling & the low mileage made buying this an easy choice for me. I love driving it
I’ve been looking at the 2018 recently. How has it been the last while since you commented? How have maintenance costs been and gas mileage in with the v6? Thank you.
@@willkeen5010 so far I love the car. The pros have been: Its reliability. The cost of maintaining the car is not expensive. Ive had No major mechanical issues since buying the car. Still love the V6, I love the pick up, merging in traffic with ease. The interior is quiet. It handles well in snow-its AWD. The 2018 RDX offers alot for the money. Its still under warranty. Cons- the ride is a bit bouncy, ive heard most SUVs ride like this but still curious if thats normal. I get 17 mpg in city which is normal for the rdx. I use to get more mpg w my old 4 cylinder Kia, but ill take the RDX over the Kia anyday. Other than that and not having a heated steering wheel I am still very happy with my purchase!
I got a a Certified Pre owned 2015 model fully loaded only had 4500 miles it was a 2 year lease were the person just needed a car while working in Chicago for the time being I picked it up in 2016 and I just crossed over 19k miles not a single issue granted I do all my own service like oil changes and brakes etc. I highly recommended this vehicle but you do want to do preventive maintenance on this car on any car for that matter. However I do feel that shudder between 2-3rd gear around 35-40 mph it’s not transmission related so don’t get worried it’s the VCM technology -Variable Cylinder Management which is a fuel save technology that turns off cylinders while driving turns off from 6 to 4 around town and on highway it can run on 3 with cruise control on it does work. But I have since turned it off with this VCM muzzler kit that disables the system giving you V6 power all the time. These kits around 100 bucks and are plug and play I recommend this if you plan to keep the vehicle long term around 4-8 years just Incase this causes issues down the line.
Yes, by all means, disable the VCM on day one. Over time it will shorten the life of the cats considerably due to excessive oil consumption. Early fouling spark plugs too. Horrendous technology. I shut it down on my Pilot. World of difference.
@A8W haha yeah what?! I've never heard an issue about the VCM. Tbh, I'd rather keep it to save gas being how much it costs these days. In theory it sounds like a great idea saving gas by shutting down cylinders. I get about 22-23mpg for mixed city and hwy which isn't bad right? I also have a 2013.. bought CPO in 2017. Haven't had any issues that I know of. Also.. I don't feel a shudder. I can't even tell when the VCM kicks on. Sometimes I wonder if it is even on. Also, I thought it only comes on while on hwy and not shifting from 2-3?? If you're feeling a shudder you probably need the shift shock TSB. I did it once I bought my car. It would jerk from 1-2 or 2-3 sometimes and a software update fixed it. Look it up. It's a thing.
Some common issues - transmission becomes jerky. need to change out the pressure switches and get the dealer to do a software update on the transmission.
Preferably find an RDX without the blind-spot and crash mitigation system because some how it's tied to the same computer system as the transmission. My mum has a 2017 RDX and the blind spot system failed which also somehow resulted in a "Transmission Problem" fault on the dash, despite the car shifting just fine. It went back and fourth to the dealer with fluid changes, a transmission shift module replacement and finally leading to a replacement of the entire transmission and blind spot system because the dealer couldn't figure out what the problem was (under warranty thankfully) This is something you don't want to deal with when you're out of warranty so look for the Pre-refresh model RDX V6 since it has the more user-friendly infotainment and bullet proof reliability. Plus I'm pretty sure those LED headlights are pretty expensive to replace too.
Darksyne I was responding to the last section of your comment about the jewel eye headlamps being expensive to replace. You could always just put some leds in.
Ive been getting these errors every couple months when I drive at a high speed for a while and i just kept deleting it off the navigation. It came back on a month ago and I went to the mechanic and he said everytime I delete it myself it just stayed there permanent and it had to be deleted thru their computer thing. He said everythings fine and just deleted the codes and it hasnt come back. He said the transmission error is showing a code about the torque converter and it happens when Im driving at a highspeed and something about the torque converting not opening or closing fast enough which throws in the transmission code error
front brake rotors are defective on 2013 - 2014 rdx. also the replacement parts until after 2015 production date. it took me to replace the rotor twice to get them fixed. i got the dealer paid and replaced the first one.
Yes. I wonder why Acura decided to switch from timing chain to timing belt for this whole gen of RDXs. Such a great vehicle, but with a timing belt instead of a chain, the latter having a lifetime warranty.
@@georgesmith4639 2016 3.5L v6. awd. if i shift using paddles, it still happens.....only on light acceleration though.....if i floor it, works fine, plenty of power. only on light acceleration!
I HIGHLY recommend the RDX. I am on my 2nd one and love it. Any vehicle especially a USED one should be inspected thats just the name of the game. Even new ones ( any make ) can have its issues. I opted for the base model.
My sister needed something reliable 2years ago, and I only recommended for her to go with Toyota, Lexus, Honda, Acura in that order. This was more than two years ago and she settled on the Acura RDX. After looking up the 2017 model years, looking for any issues, and after she got it inspected I gave her the thumbs up. Within 113,000 miles the transmission has gone out and it will cost $9000 to replace. SMH!
Not a lot of people know this but these cars learn how you drive so they will adapt how quickly they come off a stop and how the transmission feels around town I recommend resetting the transmission learning behavior if you do decide to get these or any modern car it also helps if for some reason your car is feel jerky and hasn’t felt like that before. Step 1 get in car press the start button twice without starting your car you want it in the on position. Step 2 hold down the gas peddle for 30 seconds until your check engine disappear then press power button to turn off then fully start the car and it’s reset this is how the car comes off the assembly line before it gets a chance to learn driving styles of a handful of people. And now the car will adapt to your driving style and if you were having jerky issues it should feel way smoother off the line and when shifting. Take care guys hope this helps also I believe this method works with any Acura products that has a Drive by Wire set up which is basically a Electric throttle peddle not a traditional cable setup.
Does this only apply for the rdx? My csx kind of jerks when it shifts as you mentioned..
@@CM-dn4ig it worked!!!
Does this reset the radio sound settings too?
@@johnwick1841 did it reset the audio settings
@@CM-dn4ig did it reset audio settings?
I am seriously considering a used 2nd Gen RDX. I have a friend with a 3rd Gen and he loves it. My budget is in the 2nd gen range and I would prefer the V6.
I had a 2104 RDX AWD Tech for 8 years now (bought new). Only issue is front brake rotor warped 2x. Acura acknowledge the issue, but would not cover the cost to replace it. Rotor manufactures after 2015 solved the issue.
I just bought a 2018 RDX AWD Tech w 18k miles. I chose this over the 2019 because of the price and i personally like the V6 vs the turbo. It is one of the most comfortable cars I’ve driven. And the ride is smooth, pick up is fast. Its a little dated but i think its still an attractive looking car.. the v6 engine, ride, speed, handling & the low mileage made buying this an easy choice for me. I love driving it
Thanks for sharing!
I’ve been looking at the 2018 recently. How has it been the last while since you commented? How have maintenance costs been and gas mileage in with the v6? Thank you.
@@willkeen5010 so far I love the car. The pros have been: Its reliability. The cost of maintaining the car is not expensive. Ive had No major mechanical issues since buying the car. Still love the V6, I love the pick up, merging in traffic with ease. The interior is quiet. It handles well in snow-its AWD. The 2018 RDX offers alot for the money. Its still under warranty.
Cons- the ride is a bit bouncy, ive heard most SUVs ride like this but still curious if thats normal. I get 17 mpg in city which is normal for the rdx. I use to get more mpg w my old 4 cylinder Kia, but ill take the RDX over the Kia anyday.
Other than that and not having a heated steering wheel I am still very happy with my purchase!
Great detail here thank you
I purchased my Red Pearl ll 2014 Acura RDX Tech 2wd with 125K miles. Its nice collection to my BlackPearl pearl 04 Accord EXV6 Sedan.
I got a a Certified Pre owned 2015 model fully loaded only had 4500 miles it was a 2 year lease were the person just needed a car while working in Chicago for the time being I picked it up in 2016 and I just crossed over 19k miles not a single issue granted I do all my own service like oil changes and brakes etc. I highly recommended this vehicle but you do want to do preventive maintenance on this car on any car for that matter. However I do feel that shudder between 2-3rd gear around 35-40 mph it’s not transmission related so don’t get worried it’s the VCM technology -Variable Cylinder Management which is a fuel save technology that turns off cylinders while driving turns off from 6 to 4 around town and on highway it can run on 3 with cruise control on it does work. But I have since turned it off with this VCM muzzler kit that disables the system giving you V6 power all the time. These kits around 100 bucks and are plug and play I recommend this if you plan to keep the vehicle long term around 4-8 years just Incase this causes issues down the line.
Yes, by all means, disable the VCM on day one. Over time it will shorten the life of the cats considerably due to excessive oil consumption. Early fouling spark plugs too. Horrendous technology. I shut it down on my Pilot. World of difference.
Where did you get the vcm muzzler kit?
I have 16 RDX and VCM tuner kit to turn on V6 as well. I should still try reset even i have that VCM tuner kit?
@A8W haha yeah what?! I've never heard an issue about the VCM. Tbh, I'd rather keep it to save gas being how much it costs these days. In theory it sounds like a great idea saving gas by shutting down cylinders. I get about 22-23mpg for mixed city and hwy which isn't bad right? I also have a 2013.. bought CPO in 2017. Haven't had any issues that I know of. Also.. I don't feel a shudder. I can't even tell when the VCM kicks on. Sometimes I wonder if it is even on. Also, I thought it only comes on while on hwy and not shifting from 2-3?? If you're feeling a shudder you probably need the shift shock TSB. I did it once I bought my car. It would jerk from 1-2 or 2-3 sometimes and a software update fixed it. Look it up. It's a thing.
I have a 2018 basic to avoid most of the problems mentioned. keep in mind that is the negatives of buying a used car.
The Acura RDX is off the hook!
I have a 2013 and it's worth EVERY penny.
The ten speed transmission make this car get up and go!
And it's good on gas.
I believe the 2013 is a six speed.
@@bossHogOG - The Dealership told me it was a 10 speed transmission!
2013 is a 6 speed.
@@kjam360damn they played you it’s a 6spd
Some common issues - transmission becomes jerky. need to change out the pressure switches and get the dealer to do a software update on the transmission.
Preferably find an RDX without the blind-spot and crash mitigation system because some how it's tied to the same computer system as the transmission. My mum has a 2017 RDX and the blind spot system failed which also somehow resulted in a "Transmission Problem" fault on the dash, despite the car shifting just fine.
It went back and fourth to the dealer with fluid changes, a transmission shift module replacement and finally leading to a replacement of the entire transmission and blind spot system because the dealer couldn't figure out what the problem was (under warranty thankfully)
This is something you don't want to deal with when you're out of warranty so look for the Pre-refresh model RDX V6 since it has the more user-friendly infotainment and bullet proof reliability. Plus I'm pretty sure those LED headlights are pretty expensive to replace too.
You could always retrofit led lights into the pre facelift
Gem Star the headlights won’t change how the blind spot and collision mitigation system works -.-
Darksyne I was responding to the last section of your comment about the jewel eye headlamps being expensive to replace. You could always just put some leds in.
Cant you just turn that stuff off?
Ive been getting these errors every couple months when I drive at a high speed for a while and i just kept deleting it off the navigation. It came back on a month ago and I went to the mechanic and he said everytime I delete it myself it just stayed there permanent and it had to be deleted thru their computer thing. He said everythings fine and just deleted the codes and it hasnt come back. He said the transmission error is showing a code about the torque converter and it happens when Im driving at a highspeed and something about the torque converting not opening or closing fast enough which throws in the transmission code error
Very interesting video. The reliability record is not as spotless as you would expect from Acura.
It’s mostly on the tech and infotainment side where you’ll run into reliability issues. Mechanically speaking Honda’s and Acura’s are bullet proof.
@@Darksyne so i shiuld have no worries with a 2015 awd base?
@@RayRiv73 you should be fine!!
front brake rotors are defective on 2013 - 2014 rdx. also the replacement parts until after 2015 production date. it took me to replace the rotor twice to get them fixed. i got the dealer paid and replaced the first one.
same with mine ...
new ones are now 4 cyl turbo. Cant put many miles on a 4 cyl turbo without serious maintenance
You're old school
The 3.5 L engine needs the timing belt and water pump changed/checked before160,000 km. Expensive maintenance at dealer $1580 plus tax.
Yes. I wonder why Acura decided to switch from timing chain to timing belt for this whole gen of RDXs. Such a great vehicle, but with a timing belt instead of a chain, the latter having a lifetime warranty.
Just get a good Honda Mechanics, buy the kit on your own and pay less for that maintenance process.
Debating between used rx350 or acura rxd?? Also what is the best reliable used year to buy for acura? Thank u
I’m in the same boat. Rdx seems more fun and compact which are pluses for me but can’t deny the 2015 Rx350 reliability
So what did you buy after all? I'm in the same situation right now trying to decide between a 2016 rx350 or Acura rdx ??? 🤔
@@souljah45blaze72 i bought a 2018 rdx advance 55k miles for 32k. Personally, I love It! No complaints so far
Buy both 😂
I'm about to purchase a 2016 Rdx Tech with 59k miles. any thought or recomendations?
Thanks
Just take a look at when the timing belt is due. It's a big expensive service you need to consider.
@@jlmonterrosa14how expensive?
having the vcm issue on ours (v6 tech package, AWD)......and those little resistors dont seem to stop it. im about ready to sell it.
Does it still happen if the car is in Sport mode?
What model year is it?
@@georgesmith4639 2016 3.5L v6. awd. if i shift using paddles, it still happens.....only on light acceleration though.....if i floor it, works fine, plenty of power. only on light acceleration!
ty i will be looking for a diff vehicle lol
I HIGHLY recommend the RDX. I am on my 2nd one and love it. Any vehicle especially a USED one should be inspected thats just the name of the game. Even new ones ( any make ) can have its issues. I opted for the base model.
I went from a 2014 Highlander to a 2020 RDX and am Nuthin but happy. This Acura is my first and will be kept A Long Time
I will get a Lexus RX350 or NX
My sister needed something reliable 2years ago, and I only recommended for her to go with Toyota, Lexus, Honda, Acura in that order. This was more than two years ago and she settled on the Acura RDX. After looking up the 2017 model years, looking for any issues, and after she got it inspected I gave her the thumbs up. Within 113,000 miles the transmission has gone out and it will cost $9000 to replace. SMH!
What a load of BS