computerwi

I thought I would be in a good position to give a review of the Lexus NX, Lexus RX and Acura RDX. I know many of you cross-shop these models (especially Asians I noticed...). Here’s my experience over the past 3 years having owned all three of them. Warning, this is a long read. Note, this thread has been posted on the ClubLexus and AcuraZine forums.

The trims and models specifically are (all Canadian references, all AWD):
2017 Acura RDX Elite
2016 Lexus RX 350 Executive
2015 Lexus NX 200t Executive

RDX Pros:

· Great all around vehicle that does everything well and offers amazing value. AcuraWatch (lane keep assist, adaptive cruise control, collision mitigation braking) being standard in Canada is a big plus. Lexus is slowly making Lexus Safety System+ (lane departure alert with assist, dynamic radar cruise, pre-collision system, automatic high beams) standard across their line-up as well.

· Our Elite has the dual-screen Infotainment system which I find to be very useful. Not at all confusing like many reviewers say. My preference is map on the upper display and audio on the lower display. The system has more confusing layout than Lexus that takes some getting used to, but the touch screen makes the system easier to navigate compared to the Lexus touchpad (NX) or remote touch joystick-thingy (RX). Infotainment system is able to display Asian characters.

· More customizable settings. Acura excels at making almost everything customizable by the owner. The settings menu has pages and pages of options, which a tech guru like myself really likes. Now, most of these are a “set it and forget it” type thing, but it’s nice not to have to ask the Dealer to change certain settings. Only the most basic settings are available to Lexus owners.

· V6 engine is buttery smooth and plentiful. No turbo lag and it is as efficient as the NX turbo and 10 to 15% more fuel efficient than the RX (according to Fuelly).

· AcuraLink is very useful. I don’t see myself calling them very often to provide route guidance or anything but I did try it once for kicks to a local restaurant and the representative was very courteous. Traffic updates even work in Alberta!

· Built-in two-way remote starter. It’s nice not to have to carry another remote. However, this makes the key very bulky and the clear plastic on the back scratches way too easily. I’m guessing this remote will look very abused a year or two from now.

· RDX’s Lane Keep Assist is superior to the Lexus system. Acura’s system actually keeps the vehicle in the centre of the lane whereas Lexus is more of a reactive system that delays steering input until you drift closer to the lines. My NX did not have vibratory feedback so the beeps also got annoying on curved roadways. Note, this may change as Lexus rolls out their Lexus Safety System+.

· Acura’s red start push-button. Brushed metal feel, bright red with an understated LED indicator, what’s not to like? The Lexus start push-buttons just feel like another plastic button.

RDX Cons:

· Heavy steering, decently communicative. If you’re cross-shopping with the RX, you’ll enjoy lighter steering. NX’s steering is slightly lighter than the RDX. The leather on the RDX steering wheel is not as supple as the Lexus leather. No heating steering wheel available.

· Non-uniform headlights. Both the NX and RX models we owned had the premium triple beam LED headlights. The Lexus headlights had a much more uniform light output that was even throughout the range and had very sharp cut-offs. I would even argue the TSX HIDs I had were better than these Jewel Eye LEDs in terms of cut-off and range.

· Fog lights are different color temperature. Bit of an annoying characteristic for OCD folks. LED fogs is a $1000+ CAD option.

· Interior is bland. For a ~$50k car, I expect nicer finishes on the inside. The center console area near the cup holders is a sea of black plastic.

NX Pros:

· Turbo engine. While the RDX and RX have powerful V6 engines, the turbo 4-cyl in the NX is no slouch. It’s plenty enough for the urban dweller and has lots of torque at higher RPMs. Turbo lag is small but definitely noticeable. One of my favorite things about these smaller engines is getting to push them harder during your daily commutes. The legal fun is over pretty fast with a V6.

· 6 speed transmission is the best of the 3 crossovers. Relatively smooth, predictive, and responsive. RDX transmission upshifts more aggressively and hesitates to downshift. Much better than the confused 8 speed in the RX.

· Excellent handling. The NX is no Porsche Macan, but the torquey turbo engine and well-balanced chassis make this the best handling of the 3 crossovers. If you get the F-Sport, handling is even better with the adaptive variable suspension.

· Edgy design. Sure, it’s polarizing but it’s definitely unique. If it weren’t for the Jewel Eye LEDs on the RDX, I would say it blends into the sea of cross-overs plaguing the streets today.

· Very comfortable seats (non F-Sport). I never had the F-Sport seats, but some have complained about the seat bolsters being too firm. The regular seats in leather are soft and supportive. I had no discomfort on a recent summer road trip from Edmonton, AB to Vancouver, BC.

NX Cons:

· The “missing chin” on the non F-Sport version and resulting inability to get cornering fog lights is unfortunate.

· Lack of a “premium” features. Lexus has decided that North American NX cannot get: Mark Levinson Audio, 360 degree parking camera, panoramic glass roof, power folding mirrors. In addition, in the US, head-up display and adaptive variable suspension is not available.

· Touchpad infotainment interface is terrible. I never found it very difficult to use the Lexus Remote Touch system but the touchpad is just plain bad. It’s impossible to use while in motion and the haptic feedback is useless.

· Fuel economy is not as good as expected for a 4-cylinder. Fuelly statistics show about the same consumption as the RDX.

· About 45% of those polled on a ClubLexus forum (https://www.clublexus.com/forums/nx-...tion-poll.html) report vibration at idle or low RPMs.

· Lexus Enform not available in Canada.

· As with all recent Lexus models, only one set of TPMS sensors can be installed. This means pricey reprogramming at the dealer, the Carista app, or living with the blinking TPMS light half the year.

· Very poor placement of sunglasses holder. If we don’t get Lexus Enform, why not put the sunglasses holder back up in the overhead area where it belongs.

· Small cargo area. The steeply raked hatch really cuts down on cargo capacity. This was the number one reason we traded it in the NX for an RX eventually.

RX Pros:

· Plenty of options. The RX can be better equipped than the NX or RDX (at least in Canada). This mostly applies to the NX comparison. I believe the only 2 features the RX has that are not available on the RDX are HUD, pano roof and 360 camera.

· F-Sport package: If a sporty appearance package is what you want, the RX does it best. In black, the exterior is arguably handsome and the massive grille actually blends in. You also get the LFA inspired full LCD display unlike on the NX. Waiting for Acura to release an A-Spec or Type S RDX... I don’t have the F-Sport package because the Mrs thought the bolsters were too aggressive and it’s her daily driver, but I would have gotten them for myself. I personally like all the F-Sport seats in the NX, RX, IS, GS.

· Cargo capacity: If it’s important to you, the RX has the largest cargo capacity of the bunch. Combine this with power-folding seats (also available on the NX though), and it’s super convenient for moving larger loads. The bumper lip is slightly shorter than the RDX so it’s slightly easier to load items without worrying about scratching up the bumper.

· Larger rear door openings: If you have larger passengers... or just mobility problems, the RX makes side loading super easy. The doors open to about 80 degrees. Now, find a parking spot which accommodates this opening is another story.

RX Cons:

· Vibration/droning – There is a thread with 100k+ views and more than 700 posts on ClubLexus (https://www.clublexus.com/forums/rx-...ost-159-a.html) about excessive vibration and droning at certain RPMs at specific transmission speeds. Some of the vibration has been linked to transmission ECM programming (see bullet below). Even with the transmission fix, some continue to have problems. Luckily, my RX isn’t too bad but it’s definitely more noticeable than previous Lexus models I’ve owned and neither the NX nor RDX have vibration at speed. The cause seems to be resonant noise and vibration caused by the exhaust system and there has been a TSB released but it has varying degrees of success among owners.

· Hesitation problem – At certain speeds, particularly in city driving environments, the transmission would be slow to respond (downshift). After many complaints, Lexus released a TSB for the US and Canada to reprogram the ECM. I found this helped a lot but the 8-speed is still ultimately geared for efficiency rather than enthusiasm. This is the second most viewed thread for the problems with the 4th gen RX on ClubLexus (https://www.clublexus.com/forums/rx-...ost-159-a.html)



Phew. I kinda ran out of the steam writing the RX portion of this, but I think I discussed the RX throughout the NX and RDX parts. Sorry for the long read. Hope this helps someone.

toyotaman7

Just out of curiosity, why are you comparing RX to NX or RDX? RX is mid size luxury SUV and the other two are compact Luxury SUV.

Also, the last two cons about RX are address with the latest ECU update for most people. I know that it eliminated my problems.

JDR76

Note that the 2018 NX will be available with AVS. I believe a surround view camera is coming as well.

Toys4RJill

Good write up! You seem passionate about this segment.

It is interesting and worth noting that the RDX was a 4 cylinder turbo if I remember correctly. Now on the second gen model they have gone to a 6 cylinder. How interesting as the segment is now downsizing.

coolsaber

4 pot turbo. Pudgy design RDX. Its interesting they did alot of cost cutting on this vehicle where they could. Made on the same platform as the CRV the first gen was unique in the sense it had a turbo 4 and SH-AWD. The new one dropped both the turbo 4 and SH-AWD and added in a NA 6 and CRV AWD.

The pricing is and perceived value is what ends up putting these in the same circles. The market starts with the both the NX and RDX and flows into the RX. Dollar for Dollar pre-LCI NX is lacking when compared to the RDX. Bigger engine, space and of course tech. The RX is of course bigger then both (but sitting in the three is odd. NX and RX pretty different in the back, RDX vs RX you dont really notice as much), but with the standard LSS its taking away the value from the RDX. The LCI NX will be what makes things interesting.

mmarshall

Generally a good write-up , but I'll also ask the same question.......why a mid-sizer against two compacts? IMO, that part of it doesn't make sense.

On the text of the write-up, having looked at all three vehicles myself, I'd add one significant comment to the NX report. I did not think its overall level of refinement and road manners (road noise, wind-noise, ride comfort, general feeling of solidness and quality, etc....) was up to expected Lexus standards. In my book, its brother RX absolutely trounced it on refinement and road-manners........even more so than the difference in price would lead one to expect.

mmarshall

On the 1Gen RDX test-drive (I did a short-review and test-drive the same day I sampled the larger MDX), the programming and throttle-response of the turbo 4, with a short second or two of turbo lag, seemed like an on/off electric switch....all or nothing. That particular engine was Honda's first attempt in the American market with a forced-induction engine, and the lack of experience showed. Plus, the stiff, clearly sport-tuned suspension was probably too firm for the typical class of buyer this vehicle was trying to attract. The 2Gen RDX, with its N/A V6 and more civilized underpinnings, was a clear admission by Acura that the first model was too niche and sport-oriented, and that it needed to go more mainstream.

Hoovey689

iTrader: (16)

Or it was too ahead of its time (though I think the Tiguan and CX-7 were also available around the same time). Not to mention the 2.3L turbo in the RDX drank fuel rather than sipping on it. Spunky engine though, and mated with the true SH-AWD.. pretty entertaining for a little ute. I always thought the 2.3L would have been better suited in the TSX and RSX, would have made a nice Type-S variant on those models.

Torii

audi q5 is better than all of em in most regards.

mmarshall

If you are referring to the RDX's former 2.3L turbo 4, it had a pretty fair amount of torque even at lower RPMs.....after a second or two of turbo lag. The engine's fuel-injection and programming, though, seemed to give it the effect of an on/off switch....you either got nothing or got pushed back deeply into your seat.

From what I understand from physics, horsepower and torque are two different functions, though one is derived from the other. HP measures the actual physical power from the burning of the air-fuel mixture in the cylinders.....enough to lift 550 lbs. of weight 1 foot in one second. Torque, which affects vehicle acceleration more than HP, is the actual twisting power found at the engine's output shaft or flywheel.

(There have been several previous Car Chat threads on this subject, so I won't get into it too much in detail here)

I've heard of it, but don't know much about it.

blacksc400

iTrader: (4)

Though there are some points that's debatable, I really appreciate you to spend time and effort for the informative write up. I believe you are comparing them and writing it as owner for them, so it gives us more first hand experience that you have through out the ownership. Thank you for the good read!

Fizzboy7

Very nice spread of some popular SUV's. I believe the OP mentioned he owned all three at some point, hence the reason for a comparison. I think that's a legit reason. It's not so much a head to head thing, but more about listing the pros and cons of each. Well done.

If I were in the market for an SUV, the NX would be at the top of the list. For what you get, including the name and dealer experience, it's a bargain. It's also the type of body that will still look modern ten years from now. The RDX has a lot of good virtues, and that smooooooooth and quiet V6 is rare these days- super tempting and a true gem of an engine. But I feel Acura dressed up this SUV too much for the facelift. It now looks soft and chintzy, compared to chiseled and sporty. Adding chrome has a tendency to do that. The dash is also dated and "pinched," right where is should be wide and full of easy-to-reach buttons and displays. I look forward to the re-do soon.

mondo540

Nice writeup....I'm looking forward to test driving the updated NX and the new RDX whenever that refresh is done and will probably end up owning one of them....my outlier vehicle and distant 3rd choice is a Jeep Cherokee post refresh but FCA seems so behind on their product plan who knows when that will be ready...but I'm hoping for a different look and thinking they'll have that 9 speed figured out by then...

peteharvey

I love reading reviews like yours as you comment on the pros and cons of each vehicle.

Best of all, you avoided making an overall decision as to which model was winner, because these final overall decisions are variable from person to person, and ultimately depend on the needs, wants and tastes of each individual buyer, owner and driver.
What is good for Jack, won't necessarily be good for Jill.

mmarshall

Better let Jill speak for herself on that one.