Hello all,

I'm having a very difficult time trying to decide what SUV to choose for my wife and future child.

We have narrowed down our options to a new 2013 RDX with Tech or a CPO 2012 RX350 with AWD, comfort, navigation & premium package. Regardless of what SUV we purchase, we will likely own it for at least 8 years and drive 20,000 miles annually.

We drove each vehicle last week and enjoyed them both, perhaps a slight edge to the RDX on the road. However, the Lexus feels very luxurious while the RDX feels nothing more than premium. Perhaps I'm being silly, but my biggest issue with the RDX is the lack of rear AC vents. Paying almost $40k and instead of rear AC vents, there is a hole in the rear console that can be used as storage. I have no idea why Acura excluded this feature.

Anyway, here are the prices:
2013 RDX:
$36,900 + destination fee of $896 = $37,796

2012 RX350 (13,000 miles)
Asking price is $39,500

If I offer Lexus 95% of their asking price, I would arrive at around the same figure as the RDX.

BTW, is this a good price for the Lexus? Do you think they will accept 95% of asking? I heard they are very stubborn at negotiating and may not even accept my offer.

In summary...here are my final thoughts:

-I love the thought of driving in a Lexus...just feels very rewarding to own one. Driving an Acura does not have the prestige factor that I believe it was once carried.

-The RDX looks great and I love the new design. Lexus is going with a new bolder look. The RX has been redesigned for 2013 so the 2012 design may be outdated soon.

-Interior of RX is far superior in terms of quality and overall feel.

-RDX offers better gas mileage, but requires premium fuel. Since the RX requires regular fuel this comparison is a wash.

-I would not be taking a hit on depreciation with the Lexus as I would with the RDX.

-Warranty is better on the Lexus with the CPO.

-I live in New England and it appears the AWD is more advanced on the RX than the RDX.

Any thoughts?

 

My vote would go toward a new vehicle instead of a CPO, as a used vehicle presents many unknowns. So, RDX it is.
Also AWD in the RX is nothing special... it is an FWD vehicle with electrically-controlled clutch to engage rear differential. Same can be found in Rav4. It is not suitable for off-roading, which is not something a typical RX owner would do.
Either way, both are great family cars. My RX hauls 3 kids in the back seat.

As far as negotiations, it all depends on how motivated the dealer is. I drove out of state to pick up my new RX because the dealers there were more inclined to deal. Dealing online is always the best approach.

There are lots of small changes between 2012 and 2013. I was considering buying a 2012 because there was $3K rebate at the end of the year, but decided against it because it would already be a 1-year old car and higher depreciation may not make it worthwhile. That and the LED DRLs.

 

We recently considered the same decision and ended up going with the RX. Here are some of our reasons:

• Lexus ranks #1 for reliability
• The RX ranks as the #1 most reliable of any car
• The CPO program covers EVERYTHING...peace of mind
• Included roadside assistance
• RX's seem to be very popular among the ladies, my wife loves ours and has gotten a lot of compliments on it
• Resale should be good because of strong demand for the RX (something like 45% of Lexus's total sales)
• 2012 and above RX 350's use *Regular* gas, not premium

I will warn you, we test drove a 450h, and once we did that there was no going back. We ended up with the hybrid because I wanted better MPGs and also because of the cool factor.

I would say AWD is very optional for reasons a previous poster covered. It lowers your MPGs, raises the cost, and I'm not sure it compares with "real" AWD like you get on a Subaru. That said, be aware AWD is required by Lexus if you want to install a tow hitch, at least on the 450.

 

I've owned both. While I'm naturally biased towards buying new, my first Acura experience was also my last. Service post sale was poor at multiple dealerships, there was too much plastic everywhere, and the longer I owned the car, the more I disliked it. Blind spots, handling, and many other small nuances. I've liked the lexus change a lot more for what it offers over Acura.

 

Ive been to the US a couple of times. My relatives owned an RDX. I came to the conclusion that theres a reason that Acura dont sell some of the US models in the UK. Purely because they would not sell! Even Lexus has a hard time selling here but yeah, Lexus matches the germans, very good quality, Acura is nowhere near.

 

Honda and Acura seem to be losing a lot of their mojo ... my 26 year old daughter was really surprised the other day when I told her that Acura was a luxury brand. I haven't noticed any Acura product to turn around that view lately. If I was driving 20k miles per year, I would look at a more efficient vehicle than an RX (ES hybrid?) ... or at least I would carefully study the gas mileage thread for other people's experiences in the CT, NY area before buying. If you haven't read it yet, try looking at the "has anyone gotten a discount on a 2013 RX" thread ... it will give you a good idea about the kind of deal you can negotiate.

 

is it true that only 12+ RX's take reg. fuel? Premium on all RX's <11 ?
If so, that is quite interesting...

 

I just took delivery of a 2013 Lexus RX AWD today after driving a 2010 RX for the last 3 years. I test drove an Acura RDX AWD a few weeks ago, and then parked it next to my 2010 RX when I returned to the dealership, and compared both side by side. The Acura while nice, did not measure up as far as interior room, comfort and features (I tested one with the technology package as I had nav in my 2010 Lexus) also the finish on the Acura was IMO not as nice as the Lexus. The Acura was a nice vehicle, but I ended up going back to Lexus. I drove the 2010 for 3 years and never had to even open the hood, best car I ever had. I'm hoping that I have a similar experience with my 2013.

 

When car shopping two months ago, I nearly bought the 2013 RDX w/ tech pkg. just on the price difference compared to a new 2013 RX. Was nearly $13k for me. I thought the acura provided a better driving experience but was not as comfortable for passengers, and the interior was not as luxurious. Exterior was meh for both the Acura and Lexus, but the LEDs on the RX won me over. Good luck!

 

Both the 13' RDX and 2011+ RX all great choices. I work at a dealer that has both brands and had plenty of seat time in both. OP needs to test drive both and figure out which they would prefer

 

From a purely investment standpoint, the RX is a better value since the previous owner absorbed the 1st year depreciation hit which is worse than the second, third, etc. The case for the RX gets even better:

I also considered the RDX but the Acura panache from the 90s has dissipated thanks to the the death of the Integra and Legend names and not enough distinction in material quality, design, and polish over Hondas.

RDX is smaller and will compare more to the future Lexus NX so not quite the same class. The RX is in the class occupied by the MDX, X5, ML, etc, therefore you're going for a higher-up and more substantial vehicle with more interior room, luxury, comfort, and cargo.

RDX interior is refined but too Honda-like for me. I feel like I'm in a premium CR-V (for which it is based). Lots of plastic, no wood, nothing that screams luxury. Center stack is busy-looking and a little overdone on the buttons. The wood trim you can get is glued on dealer accessory (plastic) and it looks pretty bad personally.

40/20/40 split rear-seat in the RX is a big plus when you need to carry long items while still transporting my two kids in the back seat. RDX has the typical 60/40.

Leather quality from Lexus is superior to Acura. Feels much thicker and is more durable. Past MDX (and TL) had lots of wear and cracks on the front driver's seat whereas my past RXs and IS sedan after the same years of ownership had a fraction of the cracks and wear. There's a video on the net that shows the painstaking process of the manufacturing of Lexus leather.

Lexus (and RX) keeps winning top spot for best in quality, dependability, reliability, sales and service, and owner satisfaction, the most times than any other manufacturer since 1989. No car brand even comes close (well Toyota does ). Bragging rights galore...

For me, having owned a prior MDX, two prior RXs, and a slew of other vehicles, with a growing family, the Gen 3 RX is the best overall vehicle. That's why I got it for the third time! For me, no-brainer... Good luck

 

The RDX is Crv based its a class under the RX. It's stunning that they sell so well it's the worst value in the segment and has less features and luxury than a Kia or ford escape. No rear seat vents, led nothing, no radar anything, parking assist, let alone real wood or aluminum.

It's clearly for loyal civic fans cause if you look at the specs it's really poor. Seriously look at the lack of tech and features.

 

The 40/20/40 rear seat was a big factor in my choice too. I found that to be something that I used constantly in my 2010 RX, and didn't want to move away from it. Very few SUV's offer it's a great feature, and once you get used to it you're spoiled!

 

And during the evaluation process, I was researching which vehicle to purchase as a replacement for my wife's Highlander Hybrid.
The RDX made the list of good looking premium SUV's that I considered.
It was good looking, but I was really dissuaded by the condition of the used RDX's on the dealers lot in the CPO line.
Seats were worn, front end 'stainless grille' was pitted badly, plastic interior pieces appeared to be much older than the model year suggested and these were CPO's.
The write ups on the Turbo four was terrible and the fuel economy was dismal- it was obviously a failure and that bothered me as well.
The CPO resale values were very low, especially considering they were on sale at a Acura dealer.
The last straw came after I ventured out twice in the the same day to chat with the dealer and I stood more or less neglected on a day when they did not seem that busy.
Long story, short; it just did not feel right.
By way of contrast, the Lexus store was beautiful, everyone was engaging and ready to answer questions, the CPO RX's were very nice and the seats and interiors seemed to be in better shape than those of the RDX's I had observed in their CPO Line.
What won me over- I think that the new F Sport is head and shoulders above anything that Acura, Toyota, Audi, VW and Porsche have to offer at any competitive price point- all that and it is good looking too!........gm

 

Gaylonw, I believe you got the deep sea mica. Please post some pics, you'd be the first Fsport that color. and surely would help TrailRun make a more informed decision.