mtlny

Hi Guys and Gals, I am new here looking for RX opinions. I currently have a 17 Acura MDX, which I currently lease and is just about done. MY wife doesn't like the new 2022 model, as it is bigger than the previous gen. And since we now a kidless, the need for the 3rd row is just about nil. I sat in the smaller Acura, the RDX and for some stupid reason the seat doesn't go back all the way and my knees and just about touching the dashboard (6'3").
I went to the Lexus dealer and really liked the RX and its legroom. My only problem is I don't live near a Lexus dealer, 2 hours away, and I fear for having to have an emergency issue pop up where I need the dealer. I had zero issues with Acura. I know the Toyota/Lexus family are reliable, but probably not 100%. Has anyone had to use the dealer for any repairs, etc.? Maybe I'm shell shocked because in 2016 my brand new Explorer had 9 warranty issues in 15 months, Ford took it back but the headaches. They were only a mile away.

Thanks in advance for your input

wa3cuj

I've had three RX 450h's and have had very few problems with any of them. My dealer is about an hour away, but they valet vehicles anywhere within 60 miles so I let them pick mine up and return it. My wife drives the Lexus and I drive a Mercedes GLE 350. If I had it to do again, I would get another 450h rather than the 350. However, if I had to drive 2 hours to the dealership, I would have to think real hard about it. I'm retired so the biggest impact would be on my golf schedule!!!!

lesz

I've been driving Lexus vehicles for almost 20 years. I live about 100 miles from the closest Lexus dealers. During the time when I've owned Lexus vehicles, there has only been one time when I've had to go back to the dealer for a warranty issue and one other time when I had to go back for a recall.

Otherwise, for routine maintenance and non-warranty repairs, I'm happy to take the vehicles to the local Toyota dealer for service. Especially for vehicles like the ES, RX, LX, and NX, which share much of their component arrays with Toyotas, the Toyota dealer can do any maintenance or repairs that my Lexus vehicles might need. And, since the service departments at Lexus dealers seem to operate on the principle that, if people are willing to pay a premium price to buy a Lexus, they will be willing to pay a high premium price for service, my experience has been that the cost of work done at the Toyota dealer's service department has regularly been 1/2 (or less) of what I would have paid to have the same work done with the same Lexus parts compared to what I would have paid to have the same work done at the Lexus dealer.

I do have to admit, however, that, even though my 200 mile round trips to the Lexus dealer have been rare, as I have gotten older, I really dislike having to make that trip. And that was a big factor in leading me, with my most recent vehicle purchase, to buy a Toyota product, instead of a Lexus.

JasDmw

There can be no comparison between a Ford product and a Toyota/Lexus vehicle from a reliability/hassle factor (speaking from experience). So take that negative experience off your list. Judging by Fords messed up launches lately (Explorer, F150, etc.) I avoid like the plague, even though family work there qualifying us for the A plan discount. My motto, a good deal on crap still buys you crap.

As for Acura VS Lexus, anecdotally, the Lexus is a bit more bulletproof. IMHO of course, but had a nephew that once owned a TL and had transmission problems. Am on my 3rd RX and am quite happy to stick with them, although new players are enticing (Genesis). I've never had a bad experience at the dealership and have taken them to Toyota for the occasional post warranty service. However, I only service mine 2X annually, more to have bi-annual oil changes and to swap summer/winter tires. Don't drive that much! To mitigate the $ for TPMS programming, I have my own ATEQ tool for that. So cost really isn't a big factor for me. Toyota dealers freely admit they can't do warranty work and I'd rather have a relationship with the dealer should something go wrong. The $ saved VS the time required to convince them to do something gratis would be moot.

Again, all my opinion.

mikemu30

A colleague at work is a big Acura fan despite his numerous warranty trips to the dealer with his last two cars (TLX and now RDX) His 2019 RDX just had a full transmission rebuild at 50k miles luckily under warranty.

dibl

My two RXs have been very trouble-free. The only warranty claim I've had was this past DEC 26, when my sunroof blew out while I was driving 45 mph on a city street. No one knows why or how it happened -- dealer first refused to cover it under the warranty. I escalated to Lexus USA and told them it was all on dashcam video, and they folded and covered it. I understand their reluctance -- it was the weirdest thing I've ever seen a car do, without human intervention, and I've been driving since 1967. Other than that, there have been no reasons to complain.

Quantum501

I owned and loved Acura since graduating from college in 1988. Finally switched over to Lexus last year after Acura lost their way. My last TL went 305,000 miles and was still running well, but there new offerings have had so many problems that I just could not pull the trigger. The RDX almost had me but the infotainment system is a dud and now that Lexus has added CarPlay with a real touchscreen the switch was easy.

Unlike Ford, you do not need to live near the dealership. Mine is only at 16,000 miles, but absolutely no problems or complaints.

websurfer

I had 3 Acura vehicles: 2 MDX and 1 TL vehicles. The first mdx, 2003 MDX, where the vehicle was awesome until the vehicle got T-boned then things started to rattle and air were leaked out of drover rear tire. We dealt with it for 6+ months and got rid of via trade. It handled and drove great before. Our 2nd MDX was an used 2008 model (the joys of buying used, rear door hatch was damaged, tires worm and I missed given we purchased thru online ebay motors vendor), it was great until it hit higher mileage when the transmission was showing a leak. We got rid of it then around 70K.

I had a 2014 Acura TL, it was a super awesome vehicle. I put around 91K when 2 catalytic converter started showing issues and finally sold it at 94K given it was due for major service.

We had a 2006 Toyota Sienna used, it was a great vehicle until around 80+K when we need suspension work. It got totaled around 93K miles.

All vehicles aren't perfect, any vehicle can have issues. From talking to many friends and family, Toyota/Lexus has generally been more reliable than Acura/Honda. I really like Honda vehicles on the drive and handling. I'm still adapting to my GS F Sport given it's a firmer ride when I like. ES was too soft for me coming from Honda vehicles in the past but my wife loves it. We would also like to look for a RX (probably used) in the future.

charliea

RX = Regular Gas Recommended
MDX = Premium Gas Recommended
That's all you need to know.

Cocal

Where do you read that it's recommended?
There is a warning NOT to go below 87 octane (may use...) not such warning for higher octane.

charliea

you're right, you can use higher than 87 octane in an RX. (Not sure why you would). The point is the MDX recommends premium "to boost performance, increase longevity, and keep your Acura running as it should "

bamalam

I was in a similar position as you @mtlny , except with the RDX. I thought I wanted an RX when I retired, giving up a fleet vehicle (more on that in a second), then the 3rd-gen RDX came out. Lots to like, until I saw all the problems first-year owners had. Then the Acura dealership close to me closed, leaving the nearest one 3 hours away. Given all that and and after brief affairs looking at Volvo and Tesla, I chose the RX. Granted, I do have a Lexus dealership close (a combined Lexus/Toyota store), but they are lousy and I bought at one 3 hours away.

In 11 months of ownership I've had my RX to the local dealer one time for a warranty issue. That was a rattle that they didn't fix, and I'm trying to resolve it myself. Note that a new RX purchase does include the 5,000 and 10,000 mile service events free. The 5K service is really just tire rotation and the 10K an oil change + tire rotation, so deciding not to return to the dealer for those services wouldn't be a big deal, IMO. Toyota dealerships can't do warranty work, but they can service Lexus vehicles.

The net of this is that if I were in your shoes, I'd buy the RX, especially if I had a Toyota dealership in reasonable range.

BTW, I put 1M+ miles on 20-some Ford vehicles over 37 years, with very few issues. Models included LTDII, Taurus, Windstar, Freestar, Flex, Explorer, Edge, Fusion and Escape. Based on that long experience, I'd buy one again. Auto brands are like financial products, though, no matter if it is Ford, Lexus, Acura, MB or Audi; past performance does not guarantee future results.

Cocal

There was a tread, awhile ago, about this.
What MDX says goes also for the RX, someone talked to Lexus Canada and was told that their testing was done on 91 octane. Mazda now gives 2 hp ratings, one with reg & one with premium.
The computer can compensate only so much. If keeping a vehicle for a short time one won't see any detriment, but if keeping for a long time one will see deposits on the cyl head and on spark plugs and possibly injector problems.
My life experience has shown me that using premium, though costing a bit more, will save $$ in the long run.

mikemu30

Good one - the investment disclaimer! It's true when you get right down to it. But I have read Ford has had many issues with models last few years. I've only owned one Ford product, a 2004 Mercury Mountaineer and it was a horror show including bad tranny at 10K miles and a host of other failures under warranty. I dumped it after four years.

Pallen

Before switching over to Lexus, I've owned three Acura's. No real technical issues with Acura, but I wasn't feeling their design language at the time I decided to jump ship. I really like their new stuff in the the RDX, TLX & 2022 MDX, but can't see myself going back to Acura after what has been a positive experience with Lexus. My wife and I are delighted with our RX 350 which we're leasing and must return in a few month. We'll probably lease another RX. Good luck!