Acura MDX owners (or RDX)
 

Hi all,

I'm looking to get into either a second-generation MDX or first-generation RDX this summer.
Hoping to get insights from current owners regarding common problems, expected maintenance, etc. -- things one wouldn't know until having driven it for a while.

I'm leaning more towards the MDX for its size and my anticipated possible payloads (people, dog, bicycles, canoe).

I used to have a 2001 MDX and am familiar with the problems that came with the J's automatic transmission of that era.

I appreciate anything! Thanks

Acura MDX owners (or RDX)
 

skip the 1st Gen RDX. the suspension will annoy the crap out of you. 2007-2015 MDX are insanely gas guzzling vehicles so be warned. depending on mileage the MDX may need timing belt replacement service. 2013+ RDX is a lot smoother than previous gen with a nice powerful v6.

We just sold our 2009 Acura MDX last month that had 88,000 km on it. We just did the basic oil changes and fluid changes recommended by the MDX's computer. We skipped all the other extra inspections that the dealer recommended that drives up the maintenance costs and we never had any major problems with the MDX. The total cost of maintenance over the 7 1/2 years was probably only about $1,500 to $2,000.

For preventative maintenance we just replaced the battery and brake pads last summer. The timing belt was due to be replaced I think at 7 years or 160,000 km so we were also considering doing that before we sold our MDX. The cost to replace the timing belt and water pump is around $1,000 at the dealer.

2 relatively minor issues we had that were covered under the warranty is the power hatch needed a part replaced at 20,000 km and the memory side mirrors needed a part replaced at 55,000 km.

The MDX is great for carrying people in comfort and moving things. One complaint is the gas mileage was pretty bad at 15L/100 km for driving 50/50 city and highway....for comparison our 2017 Acura RDX gets about 10.5L/100 km driving the same conditions. I also always found the steering required too much effort to make the car turn and in tight parking conditions. Other than that the MDX is a great vehicle.

I drive a 2010 RDX, the suspension does not annoy me but it is firm. It's a very sporty ride quality I don't mind it but others might.

mine has 160k, nothing major just oil changes diff fluids etc.

Overall a good car, the bluetooth system on it sucks and setting it up is a pain is as negative as I can get about it.

I think both vehicles are equipped with the Takata airbag that has the potential to kill the driver. :fullofwin:

On a more serious note, I have regular access to a 1st gen RDX, and I agree with Aznboi128 -- the suspension is firm, but never punishing. You will notice the bumps and other road imperfections as well, but I don't really find it annoying. It's just that -- firm.

It gulps down quite a bit of gas -- anything between 10 - 16L/100km is quite normal, depending on how you drive the car. You don't really have to be aggressive to get poor gas mileage -- if you drive in a manner that regularly triggers the the turbo to boost, you will burn through your tank quite quickly. Learn to stay out of boost and the vehicle will give you "reasonable" mileage.

Having said that, the turbo engages pretty smoothly, and much like all other K engines, this one is quite willing to rev if you ask it to do so.

Both vehicle's in the generations you're looking into do drink a bit of fuel.

RDX's we see very little problems with. Yes as mentioned above some people complain about the "sporty stiff ride." In my opinion it drives great for what it is. Handles great overall. Only complaint I have is the boost lags here and there.

MDX's if well maintained last forever with minor issues here and there.

If you have any detailed questions you would like to inquire about certain year and models of the Acura's feel free to shoot me a PM.

my mom drives a 2010 tech. we were told to avoid the elite version because the suspension has issues, but i don't know exactly what is the problem.

it has the now extinct 3.7l v6. everything now is a 3.5l. i like it, but it drinks more premium than my 5.0 mustang :eek: . did the weekly shopping trip around town and it's averaging 17-18l/100km. stuck in rush hour and it becomes a dismal 22l/100km :(

flappy paddles are a little slow to shift, but it's an auto not a dual clutch so yeah.

i see a lot of people on the message boards starting to report some serious oil consumption as mileage goes up. make sure you look at the service records for any history that reflects this.

the infotainment system is archaic by today's standards. the gps screen is just one level above space invaders imo. and it suffers from the typical honda dash button overload. try to use all of it before buying to see if you can tolerate it.

Acura MDX Forum : Acura MDX SUV Forums

They take premium fuel, no?
For something that runs on 87 and is more suited to hauling dirty stuff inside, what about a Honda Pilot?

For something that runs on regular gas and hauling dirty stuff inside, I'd seriously look for a Honda Element.

The magnetic shocks wear out pretty quick in the Elite model and are super pricey to replace (I think I read it was was $1,000 a corner). A lot of folks just switch to the regular shocks.

i am a first owner of the 08 mdx
in general it has been pretty reliable. on dealer serviced

the last little while, i have been spending lots on it though. this is within the last year

-leak in head light - called Honda, fixed under warranty even it is expired
-leak in rear tail light - called Honda, fixed under warranty even it is expired
-failed SH-AWD - some rats bit some wires, replaced some harness
-failed o2 sensor
-transmission problem - lost 3rd and 5th gear - replaced a pressure clutch thing, it was only $300 to fix

fuel consumption sucks.. i never got it below 15L/100kms in the city. ( i had a hybrid, and drive it like a grandma too) HWY i can get under 10L/100kms
i am only at 66 km!

in generally, prettly reliable. i am worried about the timing belt maintenance which was quoted @ 1800 out the door including waterpump and seals. ( they say 100k OR 8 YEARS)

You have $60k+ vehicle, and you consider spending $300 plus an O2 sensor "lots on it"?

As an mdx owner , I was just letting the OP know how much I spent in a year. I just failed to list the cost for every item. Sorry if you misunderstood that tranny , awd, o2 , lights was 300.

To break it down.

The transmission fix was 300. For more detail, the o2 sensor was actually closer to 500. The failed sh-awd was 1200. The head lights and tail lights were replaced under warranty ; but labor was not. That was another 500.

In one year , 300+ 500 +1200 + 500 is a little high. On top of that , regular maintence for this mileage was about 300. (B16)

Hope that helps

The most expensive thing on your list was rat damage though, not a fault of the vehicle. Thats like saying you curbed your wheels so the OP should factor in $800 a year for wheel refinishing

For the timing belt, it's not due until 160k~ when the maintenance minder 4 comes up. It also takes care of valve adjustment and spark plugs. Most of the time, we've had to replace the timing belt tensioner as they are prone to leaking.

thank you for your non constructive feedback

Thanks everyone.

I'm definitely aware of the fuel consumption to expect and am ready to take the hit. Currently driving an EL and averaging 8 L/100 km mixed 50/50 highway and city which I don't consider too shabby for a 12 year old car! I can't recall exactly how it was in the 01 MDX but 13-18 mpg sounds familiar (it was a Cali car), so 13-18 L/100 km.

Interesting note about the oil consumption, thumper, I'll stay wary. And the suspension, too.

Overall they both seem like dependable vehicles and the maintenance typical. I did have some reservations about the turbo 4 cyl in the RDX -- is it not one of Honda's first FI engines for a passenger vehicle at least in recent history? The K is a solid platform, though.

The Pilot is also an option but I am tending towards Acura for the upscale touch. I'll be checking out some private sales and dealers over the next while, maybe the Pilot will edge out over the others.

In all conceivable aspects other than the fuel consumption levels, I would not be concerned about the K23A1 engine in the RDX. Like all K engines, it is well designed, well-built, offers an excellent performance envelope, and is generally reliable. Personally, I'd mostly attribute the poor fuel economy to the huge amount of mass that the engine is laden with -- ~3800 lbs is a LOT of weight to move around. If you ask a turbo engine to move that around quickly, it is going to require boost. And once boost is on, your fuel econ goes out the window.

We looked at the MDX, RDX, Pilot, Element, and many more for a small SUV. We decided on a 13 CRV EX-L. People, dogs, bicycles, canoe (on top) is no problem.

My wife commutes with it so fuel economy was the most important factor for us.

The RDX Turbo was tempting but don't forget you have to run premium fuel. Element is a 4 seater so no go for our growing family. MDX fuel economy is not great as mentioned. We crossed out the Pilot because of the cost and you still don't get the luxury that comes with the Acura line but at the same or higher price point.

again, i do not know what goes wrong with the electronic stuff in the suspension on the elite. it rides great though, and the elite comes with a lot of stuff we wished we could afford but at the time we could just barely afford the tech package so the elite was way out of budget :o

we did try the pilot at the time. to me, if you took everything nice about the mdx out, you end up with a pilot. i thought it was ugly as well... a boxcar with a honda badge on it. but the same cannot be said of the current models.... the redesigned pilot looks better than before, whereas the refreshed mdx is butterface :(

more griping about the fuel economy: last weekend we took visiting relatives out to harrison, 5 adults inside, loaded with luggage, with the ac on from vancouver to harrison and back, we accomplished a dismal 18.6L/100kms... at least the price of gas was "cheap" over there ($1.09/L for regular).

i checked the oil dipstick after the trip and it dosen't appear to have burned anything... hm. oil life monitor is at 50%.

oh and to whoever designed the setup with the plastic upper cowl panel over the radiator just to make it miserable to get access to the oil cap without taking everything apart or needing a long funnel.... thanks a lot.

I bought an Acura MDX not too long ago and if anyone here needs a hook-up, pm me and I can pass my salesperson's contact # to you.

I am sure he sells both new and used Acuras.

Good luck everyone !

thanks for that. when we were looking to buy it i was warned to stay away from them because of the shocks, but wasn't told why. now i know.

now i am wondering if they actually corrected the problem with the replacement shocks are are they just giving you the same thing... unfortunate owners with trans failures in other honda/acura products know what i'm talking about :flamemad:

They are not correcting the problem, they are just doing it for a short term so the dealers stop bitching at them, I would imagine in Vancouver they would last longer.

Here in Calgary, I've seen them fail at 30,000km

my Five Year selling acura parts, this has been an on going problem.

Forgive the bump, but thanks all again for the quality feedback.

I ended up with a first gen CR-V to make-do for that summer's shenanigans.

Back in the market again for what is nearly certainly going to be a first gen RDX.