Mike728

So, after more than a year of researching a replacement for my wife's 2010 CR-V, I'm down to 2. The original plan was to just go with the gen 5 CR-V. That idea was scratched due to the oil in gas issue discovered last winter. I waited for Honda to acknowledge it and come out with a fix, but it took a Consumer Reports article last month for them finally fess up. Still no resolution, but at least they are now recognizing it. The way they're dealing with the situation has left me with little hope for this gen CR-V.

I've always been intrigued with the RDX. It was always based off of the CR-V, but had a more potent engine and more luxury features not found in the Honda. Now, the 2019 is not based on the CR-V and has its own design. I took an Advance model for a test drive, since it has all the safety features and options we want. It was priced a little over $48k. After figuring out how to shift into drive, the first thing I noticed was the piped in engine noise. I could do without that, but that's not an option for some reason. It felt very quick and handled well driving somewhat spirited around town. It was an easy learning curve using their touch pad. It basically mirrors the screen, but is not a 100% format match. Still better than I expected. The driver's seat was less than a perfect fit for me. Way better than our old CR-V, but I could still use a little more leg room. Since the vehicle is primarily for my much shorter wife, I could live with it. All the safety features, powerful 2.0 ltr turbo, plus the HUD make it a great vehicle for the price. The tech makes my 2013 UL ES feel ancient!

Not wanting to leave myself without other comparisons, I tested a few competitors. My wife really wanted to see the Cadillac XT4. Not really a direct competitor, so I also checked out the XT5 while at the dealer. The first thing that turned me off was their pricing philosophy. This may be unique to my local dealer, but I'll never know. They had an XT4 with no sunroof priced at almost $50k. I looked at it closer and saw that the actual sticker was around $40k. They added almost $10k in dealer options! I took it for a drive anyways. It reminded me of a Chevy with a few minor quality enhancements. I really couldn't fit well in this, but that was expected. My wife was also not impressed, so that was off the list. I then looked at some of their XT5's in the showroom. While they looked slightly more luxurious, they still had that same Chevy feel about them. Plus, the same dealer mark-ups. Good luck Cadillac!

We then went to the BMW dealership down the block. My first impression was how laid-back and professional they treated us. Nothing like I've ever experienced in my lifetime of car buying. We looked at the X1 and X2, which I convinced my wife were too small. We settled on the true RDX competitor, the X3. The salesman looked through their database and found one with the exact options and color we were interested in and grabbed the keys. It was optioned to be as close to the RDX as possible, so it came in around $56k. As we started off, I was immediately struck with "badge" fever. Owning a brand new BMW has always been something I dreamed of in my youth. It rode similar to the RDX, but felt more substantial. That might just be in my head being a BMW, though. The seats were extremely comfortable and the tech, while a huge step up from my ES, didn't seem as intuitive as the RDX. I think I'm in the minority on this forum, but I hate touchscreens! Overall, it was a toss-up between the RDX and X3. The price difference was the main concerning factor. I wasn't sure the difference was worth the badge prestige.

Then, yesterday I went to the local Audi dealer. Again, I was somewhat surprised at the low keyed sales team. They seemed non aggressive and very willing to show me around at my leisure. Lexus should really take note here. Anyway, I sat in the Q5 in the show room, which was barely above base level. I wasn't impressed with the seats and knew I would be opting for the warm weather package that fixes this issue. To option it up to the same level as the RDX Advance, I needed the Q5 Prestige with the drivers assist, warm weather and cold weather packages. This brought the price to around $57k, which is a bit more than I wanted to spend. The salesman went through every single feature on the vehicle, which is not something I expected on a test drive. I usually get that after purchasing. The virtual cockpit is a thing of beauty. More customization options than I could take in. I was really struck with Google Earth overlay you could configure in the main display. I discovered later that this feature will be removed at the end of 2020, witch is not good news. Same third party issues Lexus is having with Enform. That aside, the rest of the tech was above and beyond the others. The touch pad that reads your finger traces is cool and very useful. The gear shifting was more intuitive than the others, which is a huge plus for my wife. The driver's seat was the most comfortable car seat I've ever been in. With the seat all the way back, it fit me like a glove. I did not want to get out after the test drive. The drive was similar to the others, but the noise level was considerably less. The dealer had access to a test track most dealers around me have access to. It was closed the days I drove the BMW and Acura. I got to really get on it. It handles like a sedan, not a compact SUV. The acceleration and brakes were far superior to those in my V6 ES. Overall, the best driving of all.

So here's where I'm looking for some feedback. Checking pricing deals, I found I can get the RDX Advance for around $45k, so about 6% off. The Q5 can be had for around $51k, about 12% off. The difference is now only $6k, which I feel the Audi is worth. My concern is with reliability, since we'll be keeping it for maybe 10 years. I've heard Audi has stepped up their quality and Acura has always been respectable, but might be trending down. Any experience out there on the newer models of these two manufactures? Do you think my $6k higher valuation I placed on the Audi is correct?

I know this is a Lexus forum, but Car Chat has always been less biased than the specific model forums. I did not consider the NX, because I've seen several at my dealer and do not find them comfortable for me, nor very technically advanced compared to the others.

corradoMR2

The 10-year reliability requirement makes it tough for any of these three, each with their history of issues.

For the 6K premium over the RDX, I'd go for the Q5. If the X3 were the same 51K price , I'd probably go for the X3. Whichever you decide though, strongly consider the extended warranty.

jer

It seems you're leaning towards the Q5. I've also driven one and really liked it, however I did not know that Google Earth would be on its way out- one of the features I liked. If you go that route, you could wait until you've had it 3 years and if no problems, opt at that time for an extended warranty. We've also been keeping vehicles past the warranty- witness the 2004 RX - I figure if I've had good luck while under warranty I'll chance it. If many problems before the main warranty ends it would be a vehicle I would want to get rid of.

LexBob2

After back to back ES350's I was ready to try something different. We bought a previous gen Q5 right after the refresh and it was a great experience. Problem free and no issues other than a couple of service bulletins that were done during routine maintenance. My wife (and I) loved it. As corracoMR2 mentioned it's hard to say how it would have been after 10 years. While shopping for a new gen Q5 we made a decision to get an A6 Premium Plus SLine. Also a great car and problem free so far. The dealership experience, as you mentioned, was laid back, low pressure and both of the reps I dealt with were knowledgeable about the brand/models.

Coincidently, 1 week ago we bought a 2019 X3 for our other car. Very good experience and pricing at the two BMW dealerships that I've dealt with and purchased cars from (Westmont and Orland Park)

Mike728

Do you feel the X3 is more reliable than the others, or just a better vehicle overall?

I just today noticed a few recent reports of total engine failures on the Mexican built Q5 2.0l turbo engines. I'm not in a hurry to purchase, so I'll see how it plays out. I'm thinking an extended warranty is probably a must have. I'll have to do some research on them.

Thanks for the reply's!

Mike728

Thanks Bob! Do you mind letting me know what percentage off MSRP you got on the X3? PM me if you prefer. I probably need to drive the X3 again. I don't think I paid enough attention to the infotainment system as I should have. The touchscreen just kind of turned me off. I'm also curious to find out if the Harman Kardon system is capable of playing flac audio files, as the others do.

tex2670

You mentioned tech. Did you get to try out the RDX touch pad? I've heard conflicting accounts; one saying it was easy to use; one saying it's the absolute worst.

I have a '14 BMW and I can tell you that I love the iDrive system. It's super simple to learn.

mmarshall

No offense, but it's about time they came up with an I-Drive system that was manageable. It's been in production now for 18 years.

I haven't tried the very latest I-Drive, so I'll give you the benefit of the doubt on that one, but I thought the first I-Drive system (and Audi's MMI) both s**ked, and subsequent ones weren't much better.

corradoMR2

Hard to say if the X3 is more reliable than a Q5. Most people I have known who have owned Audis or BMWs have had some form of electrical or mechanical issue, including myself with my '17 A4. In my case the issues were minor but enough to make me get rid of it 6 weeks later! I had a clunk, a low RPM engine/tranny vibration, and heated steering wheel/horn that inconsistently worked. See here: https://www.audiworld.com/forums/a4-.../#post24895078

As for a more major issue, a recent example is with my colleague who had to replace his turbo in his '14 A4 2.0T Quattro at 83k km (50k miles).

Like for like, my pick would be the X3 for the more macho styling (to me) and RWD-better-balanced platform. RDX is a nice improvement and the best value here, but the de-tuned Civic Type-R engine still has to prove itself so I wouldn't necessarily say the RDX is the best in reliability. Underlying all this is the fact that I'm skeptical of turbo engines lasting 10 years without major repair, and that includes my Stinger which is why it's a planned 2-3 year ownership.

UDel

10 year reliability I would get the RDX, especially since you can get it 6K cheaper. The other two will likely cause headaches and out of warranty German cars, especially Audi and BMW can be money pits.

Mike728

Yes, I preferred the touch pad over the touch screen in the BMW. I thought it was very easy to use. Then again, I like the mouse like interface in my ES, too.

Mike728

Didn't really think about that. Seems like another reason for the extended warranty.

LexBob2

PM sent...

LexBob2

BMW got off to a rough start with the iDrive system. These days though it's regarded as one of the better ones available. Pretty intuitive once past the learning curve.

mmarshall

Do you feel the same about the Audi MMI?