I have been looking to go into a new CUV for the longest time. Today I finally finished up the comparo gauntlet and boy am I confused:

My requirements are between a
-compact or full size SUV/CUV
-quite cabin
-infotainment
-safety tech

I have tested:
BMW X3. X5
Audi Q5 Q7
Acura RDX MDX
Volvo XC60 90
Lexus NX RX GX
MB GLC GLE

I have crossed out the europeans, although discounts make a compelling case, reliability is kind of worrying. Plus the progress from year to year is really alot, so one year old car can feel old really quick

Down to Lexus and Acura.

Love the new RX, power safety etc. GX feels a class above of course in refinement, but the old beast isnt something thats quite valuable safety wise. The NX felt modern, but the engine is loud, like louder then even the twin charged Volvo four

Was set on it, for an F sport. Then came yesterday

Had a sit in the local acura dealership for the RDX and MDX.

Right away I was suprised. THe RDX was supppose to be comparable to the NX, but was not even similar. It felt like the RX. Power was more then adequate, space felt the same. Noise levels muted, plus the safety tech was as the RX as well.

MDX was bad, as their during the test drive, a transistor radio type hiss was audible at stoplights. was told thats normal and from the 9 speed transmission?????

Point of my post is that with the delta between the RDX and RX being so high, why the RX over the RDX as lot of things are coming in as equals.

Of course quality of materials is different in the lexus(leather vs injection molded plastic)

 

What about the Buick Enclave?

 

Maybe Xt5 but enclave is old

 

What about the Highlander. Has a better front end and feels roomier

 

The Enclave / Traverse / Acadia platform will be all new next year, and it's about time. The competition has surpassed those vehicles.

I would tend to agree with this. A fully-loaded Highlander is not too far off from an RX--plus a 3rd row, if needed.

 

Of all the options there I'd be in a Jeep Grand Cherokee Summit. They tweaked it a little for 2017, I like the updates:







Honestly I wouldn't even consider an NX or RX compared to these Jeeps.

 

Why would you steer the poor guy to the ancient Enclave?

I would wait for the XT5 and test drive that as well.

I would not choose an RDX over an RX.

 

Agreed. The Enclave may be ultra-plush inside, and have a big usable third-row seat, but the underlying materials and build-quality are rather cheap. To an extent, it represents the GM of the past, and does not have the general build-quality of the smaller Opel-based Buicks.

I agree with SW15LS....the Jeep Grand Cherokee is about as nice an overall vehicle as you will find in that class. But, according to Consumer Reports, it is still considered a reliability risk. Those members here on Car Chat who have owned recent versions of the JGC seem to have had mixed results....some good, some bad.

 

RDX is a closer competitor to the RX then the NX or MDX. The RDX is a 2 row 6 cylinder CUV like the RX and similar in size though priced lower which means it won't be as fancy. It is a bit of an outliar in its class because at its price range most entry level lux CUV's have 4 cylinders and are a little smaller.

That MDX you were test driving was not normal and sounds like it had some kind of issue because you are not supposed to hear a hiss when stopped, I test drove one recently and did not hear any hiss.

The Infiniti QX60 is a competitor for the RX350.

 

Having known too many owners with issues I am good with FCA as a company. Admire their product (sits on the same platform as the current MB GLE) but hate their post sales support

 

I've owned two. One was problematic, the second one was great. Dealer service isn't anywhere near as good as Lexus of course. However I would absolutely purchase another one in a heartbeat. That speaks to how nice a vehicle it is. Had a problematic one and rolled the dice again and it paid off. I'd seriously rather drive the problematic one than a perfect RX.

The issues were really with the earlier 2014 models.

 

Infiniti is a no go, nissan products and their CVTS

The MDX at least 16s have quite some good deals out there (advanced at 48-49) but the 9 speed and the many many threads of quality issues worries me. Suprisingly the RDX isnt as vocal or not as problematic (old trusty 6 speed).


RDX fit and finsih was lower then the RX, and I couldnt help think that I was driving a more expensive CRV. The RX although highlander based, helped hide it tail better then RDX did.

Again trunk size, refinement, and looks are in the RX
Tied for engine and overal passeneger comfort, powertrain as well (power on demand awds)
Price, safety options, and availability is with the RDX

Side note surprisingly depreciation is better with the RDX

 

Roomier, but lacks lss until 2017

 

OP ... Wow! That write-up could've been mine as I am in the exact same predicament after a very similar research. I fully agree with you that for around $43K OTD we'd get a base RX (which is well loaded when compared to Europeans but still misses out on the key safety features) OR we'd get a fully loaded RDX. I am still debating on which way to

 

Thanks!

A couple of years ago I would have considered an base RX, after all a new car is a new car. But nowdays I want with the march towards autonomous driving I would at the bare mini would want LSS+.

And thats the million dollar problem, If the base RX with safety is similar to the top of the line RDX, itd be logical for the RDX.

Head hurts lol