rdx or q5 or x3???
 

Hi revscene, looking for some which to buy advice.
Looking to trade in a audi a3 to upgrade to a roomier luxury compact suv. Budget of around 45-50 tax and fees included. those 3 are top of my list, no lexus rx350, or infiniti qx50/ex37. The infiniti is too small and the lexus is too expensive.

Edit: we are planning to buy with cash for a lower negotiation price.


Which will you guys choose? Other suggestions?


2014 acura rdx
Pro, price cheaper, roomy, reliable v6, new gen looks nice.
Cons: less equip (no rear heated seat,no auto fold side mirror,etc), Not as fuel efficent.

2013 audi q5
Pro: very roomy, very well equip, looks very nice. fuel efficent with 2t engine.
Cons: expensive new or buy used, 2.0t engine has its flaws, no free maintance like bmw.

2013 bmw x3
Pro: sporty, well equip, free maintance
Cons: turbo engine reliability, looks just ok, again more expensive new or Buy used.

Dont know about the other 2. but all i know about the RDX is that, it can fit a 60 inch plasma tv with no problems whatsoever :accepted:

Are you planning to purchase or lease the car? If you're planning to buy the car and keep it after the warranty period runs out, then buy the Acura. If you're planning to lease or buy the car and upgrade to a new car before the warranty period runs out, then consider the Europeans and pick the one that you like based on the test drive. I personally wouldn't own a European luxury car after the warranty/maintenance period unless you have deep pockets to keep them in good running shape.

Purchase with cash.
Agree with you thats why rdx is on top right now.
The audi a3 2t engine eats so much oil and not a reliable car kinda scaring me away from q5, even though i know its a newer model.

You can get audicare with Q5 if u buy CPO.

From a price point of view RDX is clear winner. Only 2 packages, its either fully loaded, or not. With the BMW/Audi to get all the nav and stuff the price will be way more than RDX loaded.

have you thought about maybe the FX37/QX70, a slightly used one, 2012/2013 model?

I would rank RDX, X3, and then Q5

I saw a blacked out RDX near Quebec and Broadway the other day, it looked SICK!!!

LOL X3

Free maint is shit if you're planning to keep the pos

Rdx for sure. I drove the older turbo one and absolutely loved it. And that's coming from a huge hater of all these compact SUVs (just buy a wagon)
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You looked at the wrong Infiniti. Get an FX...:smug:

EDIT:
I am really only half kidding here... I mean unless you only want new (which you didn't specify) then have a look you might be surprised whats out there.

http://vancouver.en.craigslist.ca/pm...355808100.html

go with Q5

Im in kind of a same boat as you, we commute for work, so we are more MPG conscious.

We looked at all three of them, all 3 takes premium, but the q5 has a diesel version and gets pretty good MPG 29-34MPG highway.

Another option we looked at was the VW touareg TDI, but that one gets expensive with the options that we want.

Secretly the ex or fx is what i want with that 3.7l engine 325hp

But....the ex is small and fx is expensive. We dont want to go lower than 2013 and The 2013 fx37 are still 49000$

RDX!

What did u end up getting.

RDX for sure...even though it lacks a interesting design slightly

Is the 2014 a new generation or the 2013 was the start?

Years ago when I was shopping for a semi-luxury SUV, I was choosing between the previous gen RDX, FX35, and the RX. The RX felt waaay too soft and boring, like driving a van. My gripe with the RDX (past gen, can't speak for this gen), was that it didn't really feel as smooth as an SUV should be-- it was more rough like a car, and it didn't really have all the luxuries that should be standard. I kept thinking of it as a more peppy CRV. I went with the FX because it had the most sass and attitude, and the drive was the perfect balance between too soft and too rough.

But from what I've heard so far, the new RDX sounds pretty promising. If it were me, I'd pick it over the German choices for sure.

If you want to buy new out of those I'd go Q5, X3, RDX but I'd suggest looking at the VW Tiguan as well. I like the RDX quite a bit but iirc the RDX isn't problem free

But if you're going to look at used too I would pop the Lexus RX into your choices as well as the VW Touareg maybe even the Land Rover LR4 (only cuz im a fan of it ;))

My opinion is based on having driven the 2009 Q5 3.2 (it was 3.2 in 2009, not 3.0), driven the 2013 Q5 2.0T (courtesy car), ridden in the RDX (friend's), and ridden in the BMW X1 (though not the X3).

Interior quality: Audi>BMW>Acura

The MMI interface is easy to use.

The cabin noise is VERY minimal.

Fact (and you may translate it into + or - or no difference yourself):
The Q5 is made in Ingolstadt.

The RDX is made in Ohio, USA.

The BMW X3 is made in SC, USA.

Does it make a difference?

You decide.

The panoramic sunroof is a huge PLUS on the Q5 and the BMW, and really makes the cabin feel much bigger than it already is.

The RDX only has a regular sunroof.

Reliability: I would say Acura has the best reliability track record, but Audi comes close and it really depends on how long you are going to own it for. With a 2013 model, the warranty will be included, so it is good for at least 4 more years, and more if you purchase the extended warranty option.
You are not going to experience a total engine failure.
If anything, if something goes wrong, it will be minor and the warranty will take care of it, on all 3 cars.

Price: Though, on paper, the Audi is more expensive than the Acura, you have to keep in mind:
1- You have a A3, which you can trade in for MORE money at the Audi dealer than at the Acura dealer
2- Audi loyalty program where you get, if I remember correctly, a $1,000 or $1,500 discount

So, in the end, the price difference is much lower than expected.

Conclusion:
Test drive all 3 and choose.

I would choose the Q5 3.0T because of the mid-cycle refresh for the back and front and the fact you are trading in an A3 (and loyalty program, etc.).

I think reliability is not an issue for the 2013 and 2014 models you are choosing from because of warranty and the "newness" of the cars.

But, if the Q5 3.0T is out of your price range (since you mentioned the 2.0T), then I would go with the Acura RDX because of the V6 and 270hp compared to the Q5 4cyc 2.0T's 220hp.

Come back to Acura :troll:

To be honest I really like the Q5. It's got alot of space, fit and finish is alot higher than the X3 in my opinion. Price is slightly steeper tho.

Thanks jaemc. U still at Burrard Acura? U know who I'm gonna call if I decided to go for the rdx 😋
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My family was in the same boat and we went with a 2013 glk bluetec. Best choice imo and 700-800kms per tank if you care about fuel economy.
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The Q5 has a few engine choices. 2.0t, 3.0 supercharged, hybrid and a 3.0 diesel. SQ5 avaliable as well if you want more performance.
I would get a SQ5 if I could afford one.
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Have you test driven all three? They drive quite differently. There was mention of the previous generation RDX, you cannot compare these two vehicles as they only share a common name. The old one was a lot rougher, but it also handled better too (Super-Handling AWD). We test drove the RDX and Q5. The RDX was okay, but it didn't feel sporty; for my wifey it would be a fine vehicle though, our friend bought one and she loves it. The Q5 was great, but pricey. My friend bought an X3 and we went on a road trip to Seattle with him. It got great fuel economy, I think the start/stop technology helped with this but I wonder how reliable this feature is in 4-5 years time.

If you are not too concerned about the way the vehicle drives, I think the RDX is the best choice. I don't recall the exact prices, but for your price point ($45-50k all-in) I think you'd be getting a pretty basic Q5 or X3.