So many people afraid of change. We bought a Rdx a couple of days ago with the advance package. It doesn’t take long to learn this. Once you set it up and put in your favorites, it’s easy to work.
@@buzzpedrotti5401 That's a great point! I know several people who don't use their car for a while and forget how to operate it. You just reminded me I had a car. I'd better go dust it off.
@@bg693 For instance, reprogramming seat settings after a battery replacement. Using the clunky voice command language in a Mercedes Benz which has its own 400 page book of instructions. Setting Sirius 400 channels. Resetting maintenance intrrvals...Reading and interpreting OBD2 indications. You can be a wise ass about it, but most modern cars come with 3 owners manuals for different parts of the command sets. MB has showroom helpers who are there to help frazzled customers unravel the mysteries of their rolling distributed computer systems.
In counterpoint, non intuitive systems with poor interfaces are difficult when used infrequently. I gave up trying to remember the stilted and non intuitive vocabulary of the "excellent" voice interface a Mercedes Benz. Just not worth the time in the 400 page user manual. I'd rather study Spanish.
This is like trying to watch my 70 year old father trying to work his cell phone. This system is really intuitive and natural feeling. I just test drove one a few weeks ago, it really does help keep your eyes on the road. If you don't want the tech, review a pre 2013 car. Otherwise, try commenting on the actual driving specs , reliability and functionality of the car. This is a really solid vehicle that will work brilliantly for a day to day driver and still handles well and is capable of some engagement. Anybody capable of using a laptop can adjust to the touch pad, and this one is easier than most to deal with - try the new Volvo, or the BMW systems if you really want to be confounded . Spending a majority of the review saying there's too much tech comes off a bit curmudgeony and disconnected from where we are, all new cars have some level of technical adjustment to get used to. The new Acura system seems progressive, but, in reality, is geared towards safety and is pretty quick to acclimate to. The rdx drives really well and is comfy, practical and at a reasonable price for what it is. That bottom line seems lost in this lament for the better times of the good ol days. I'm sure this guy was complaining about automatic breaking, traction control, and air bags back in the 90's, and hasn't stopped whining about every change since.
Oh, and the sales rep and sales mgr lied to me and said it had Android Auto. My phone was down to 2% at the time so I didn't test it. So, yes I'm really disappointed with them. If you can't trust the sales rep or manager, then likely you can't trust the service people either; but I'll give them their opportunity to be fair at some point.
I’ve purchased the 2020 RDX with the advance package. I really don’t get what all the fuss is about with the tech. It was simple to learn and easy to use. Some people just aren’t tech savvy and don’t want to be. I read the reviews prior to my purchase and was worried about the tech because of the reviews. It’s a non issue. Just read the comments from RDX owners under the videos that give the tech a bad review. All of the comments are positive. I’ll go with the owners opinion over a reviewer’s any day.
@@ellamarie9709 Ever use the navigation? I'm an owner and I'm also technical and I found the navigation interface to be much more difficult than touch screen. Even the voice command is odd because it may bring up a list but when you try to select it, it draws on it using the "pencil". It will let you select it despite that it's scribbling over the name of your selection at the same time, but when I select keyboard and use voice, it switches back to the pencil. Yeah, I can figure it out, but it's the worse navigation interface I've ever used. Other parts of the system just take a little getting used to and I like some of it, but it's not straight-forward. I'd hate to pick up something like this as a rental car; I probably couldn't even work the stereo unless I spent some time figuring it out.
I kind of disagree with everything he complained about with the car. My parents have this exact car (down to the color) and they love it and don't have any problems with the infotainment. My dad actually loves the pad. He says he can drive without any distractions while using the pad with the way it's setup. So it may not be for everyone, but there is absolutely nothing wrong with it.
He complained the whole review. Cars are meant to be driven not used for gadgets. It drives great! Talk about that instead of features that’ll be outdated in 3 years. I should start reviewing cars🤦🏽♂️
A BlackBerry is definitely harder to learn to operate so if he learned how use a BlackBerry, I'm sure the can learn how to operate this infotainment in an hour. If he has so much complaints about the rdx infotainment system I would love to see him operate the Ford Sync crap
Purchased a 2020 RDX with the Technology Package for my wife yesterday. Already have the touch pad all figured out. Works great with Apple Car Play. Car rides great, looks great, and the sound system is amazing.
Fer Mande Lol Yeah because YOU haven’t used something make sense that no one ever needs one. Because it’s fun driving to Vegas and getting a tire shredded into pieces in the middle of the desert. ( which has happened) or when a family member gets a small hole on the tire but all tire shops are closed and the best option is to get the car towed to a Toyota dealer to get worse the next day over a tire 🤦🏻♂️ but yes you’re right who needs them huh
I just bought mine as well and a week later the infotainment system froze on me actually had to go back to the dealer they said its a minor glitch they got working but now the screen light won't come on at all
The gear shift is Soo user friendly, that if you turn off your RDX, it automatically puts it into park. However, try driving with your door open and it also goes to park. I tried to open the door to see the line for the parking spot and the car went straight to park. Try opening your door while in drive, also goes to park. Let's pray that a door sensor doesn't fail... Or this car's not going ANYWHERE.
Some of the reviews don't. You will notice they are by younger people who can easily understand new tech and are not confounded by this new fangled touchpad thing.
With a stick gear I have control when I want to do a sudden stop, shift to neutral and brake, it stops way faster than on D, on this one I don't trust the button shifting for me, if it fails you're screwed.
Damn dude get your facts right from 2014 to 2019 they did not have a 4 cylinder turbocharged engine they were 3.5l v6 with 276hp and vcm or variable cylinder management which will deactivate 2 to 3 cylinders while on the highway or even country roads when you are not trying to accelerate and keeping a steady pace then when you push the gas pedal down to accelerate the other 2 to 3 cylinders are reactivated
WOW! That is all I can say. I'm in the same age bracket and I taught this car to myself in ten minutes while I was DRIVING on the freeway. THAT is how easy it is to use the touchpad and the screen. I never once took my eyes off the road, had my hand on the wheel the whole time while I was texting through Apple CarPlay and listening to Navigation. THIS is the easiest car to learn on the entire plethora range of tech cars!. Very disappointed in this review. The Acura RDX kicks butt over everything!
Bought a 2020 RDX Advance about 6 weeks ago. Can testify to the slowness of the radio, however it is not that hard to operate. The pushbutton gear selector is easy to operate, I do not have to look to hit what I want, which lets be honest only happens once per drive to go into Drive. Pushing the engine stop button puts the car into park automatically. Having the pushbutton gear selector allows for the gigantic storage area underneath the gear tunnel, which is an awesome place to place things. I love you TFL, but this video came off as slightly curmudgeonly (Back in my day we had REAL shift levers!)
I don't have any issue with a push button gear selector. I do hate how EVERYTHING is baked into the infotainment system now and many of them are dog slow. My podcast doesn't come on for like 15 seconds after starting my Q50. On rare occasions the screens don't load at all and I have to put the car in park and restart it. Remember the old jokes about Microsoft making a car and it needing rebooted? We're there.
I've had no issues with the interface and neither has my wife who is no tech-queen. You guys have constantly complained about the interface and it's really not that complicated. Just like you did on the transmission with the buttons which I think is amazing as you can select anything you want without having to cycle through gears and it saves a tonne of space while looking clean. Just need to stop being a bunch of old tech illiterate guys stuck in the 80s and move to the 21 century. Even Doug DeMuro liked the interface.
so if you think you are going around a corner, you can look at the g-meter and it will confirm that yes, you are actually going around a corner this hard (the blob on the screen moves to the side a little). And if you think you are accelerating, you can look at the turbo gauge to see that "yup, you actually are pushing down on the gas pedal. So, what i learned from this video is that a pair of fuzzy dice hanging from the mirror would give you equally precise measurements of acceleration and cornering force as their "gauges".
It's kind of weird that the Japanese struggle so much with making good user interfaces. Acura and Lexus are both infotainment disasters according to all the reviews. They need to start copying the Koreans.
I owned a 2019 RDX Aspec and got rid of it after 9 months. The thing was riddled with electrical issues. So bad that the 'brake hold' would kick in out of nowhere at a red light and jolt me forward.. or the sunroof not wanting to close.. poor fuel economy due to bad fuel injectors (not to mention the turbo) that needed to be replaced.. the systems in the car would shut down on me as i drove (happened a few times).. last straw was then the transmission and engine failed in the passing lane and i had to pull this thing over 4 lanes of traffic on a busy highway, going up hill! The thing looks nice but never again.. got rid of it for safety issues and switched into a 2020 TLX Aspec 6 cyl. So far no issues!
Got rid of mine too. That infotainment system was a disaster and didn’t work at all. Would shut off in the middle of driving. Apparently they have fixed it but I bought a genesis g70
@@XavierMathewsEntertainment I highly doubt they fixed it. Mainly because I've heard it many times and the system kept crashing. My next car will either be an Audi or BMW. Love my 2020 TLX Aspec (V6) but I'm ready for a change.. 13+ years later...
One of my favourite things to do is to take out and drive my 440/4speed 76 powerwagon No computers No infotainment centres No nav No phone No cameras No Bluetooth No fake exhaust note No chimes No seatbelt nagging buzzer Not even a radio Just me, my wife, my big block and just some summer back road
Hal 1000 I honestly thought you were gonna say no air conditioning lol, I was pass out. But that must be a nice ride, it’s nice to drive a car without all the technology we have today.
@@moe418 Can it? because i think the regular RDX comes with a spare standard, so i'm wondering if they didn't use that space for something else on the a-spec. would have been nice if Nathan would have put the camera under the rear of the car to see if anything else was there.
Own the 2019 Acura with tech package and never had a single issue using touchpad or hey siri or pushing barge button for Siri. Works flawlessly in my experience. Super fast loading as well trying to get directions and accessing Apple Music.
What is his problem with no gear lever? I LOVE the push-button gears. Also, touch screen is so yesterday. My 2016 TLX that I traded had touch screen and always loaded with finger prints. I've had the 2019 RDX since late March and love it.
Plus lack of gear lever creates storage space underneath. I do not like, however, the red speedometer lights. I can barely see the speed. Especially in daytime..
I have a 2018 Accord 20T Touring with a similar button shifter layout and it only took a few days to get used to it. Is it really that hard to push a D button to go into drive? i actually like not having something in the way in the center console like a traditional shift level would be. Do you complain about Teslas and no shift button or lever? I guess you have to complain about something otherwise there would not be any content.
Drove an A-Spec (in Canada), around $53000 here. Looks fantastic, pano roof is awesome, outward visibility and roominess is fantastic for the segment. But yes that whole center console/infotainment is a DISASTER! And no Android Auto to boot! Epic fail. Would have bought one used 2 or 3 years from now (when cheaper) but it's absolutely out of the question. Too bad because it is beautiful.
This shit would drive me nuts imagine having to keep using that pad every time you got to do something on the infotainment system. It would probably be tiring and uncomfortable especially with the arm rest right above. DON’T COME FOR ME ITS JUST A THOUGHT 💭
You do get it. Used 3 times and got it. NO problem. Hopefully he does not fly anything. Haters are going to hate. Better than the MB and the BMW interface.
Touchscreens work. Why any automaker would think otherwise is living in la la land. It's just as distracting if not moreso doing something unintuitive like touching a piece of plastic to move around a screen.
Should we take away push button start as well so we can turn a key again? It’s really not hard to push buttons to put the car in gear. None of the button feel the same and it’s actually much harder to go into the wrong gear with a push button selector than a lever.
I love the touchpad than the touch screen more of my eyes are close to the road and not looking down. I can learn it. Over a hundred times in your car it becomes second nature.
This suv looks too busy and unorganized in the cockpit. That A-spec red just looks goofy and the round knob in the center looks like it came off an old boom box! I do like the extra space this has over the Mercedes GLC or Audi Q5 but I can't get over goofy design of the interior...I'd pick one of the mentioned german's or even a Cadillac XT5 over this thing!
There is a spare tire room under the car! You can have both options. If you are going to review a vehicle, and provide false information, please do your research.
Acura is about driving experience, drive it and tell us how it handle curves, acceleration and other driving related stuff, awesome engine, who really care for entertainment system when buying Acura, plus it offers a lot for it s price
That sounds like an excuse. There is no reason to not get both right. There is no hit to performance by making the infotainment not suck. Its not like ride quality vs. handling where there is a tradeoff. There is no correlation here.
bartwaggoner2000 I mean yeah if you get a flat tire your pretty much screwed, but that shouldn’t be a deal breaker. I would still buy it if I loved it, even if it didn’t come with a spare tire. You can also just buy an extra tire at any car mechanics
He complains about too much tech when BMWs have gesture control which imo is completely useless i love Acura cuz they give you all the tech thats USEFULL with affordable pricing this is the standard these days if you hate it buy older cars and i believe like 7/10 ppl have an iphone over an Android its obvious Acura wants to target certain ppl and you are not one of them
I don’t think you’ve checked the underbody of the car. I’ve seen a spare donut just beneath the rear bumper in a 19th model Aspec. I think it’ll be crazy if they have one in the 19th model and decide to just remove it from the 20th model.
I still dont get all the whining about no shift lever. Its easy to get used to. Ive driven early 60s big block chryslers w/ pushbuttons and no one complains about them. That and infotainment. I spent a bit of time driving one of these and it convinced me a crossover could actually be fun as Ive always hated them. Guess if it had 150 hp but a shift lever and android auto all the hausfraus commenting here would be happy.
@@HerrPoopschitz My car has paddle shifters and manual shift on a normal center mounted shift lever. And i have to say that the shift lever works much better for aggressive driving/drifting. the problem with paddle shifters is that you have to have your hands in a particular spot on the wheel to use them, and when navigating a decreasing or increasing radius turn that can be tricky. And one of the other benefits to using the shift lever is that it I can better brace myself in high g right-hand turns with my elbow against the seat. I do however find myself using the paddle shifter in more casual driving particularly when i am looking for a little more engine braking.
John G What I got out of what you wrote is that your car has improperly designed paddles, and you have seats that dont provide enough support for the type of driving you wish to do. Nowhere do I see a valid argument for a ‘lever’. Sorry.
@@HerrPoopschitz you would be wrong on both counts. My car even has inflatable side bolsters that literally squeeze me in the seat. but it's uncomfortable to drive like that, so why would I? I'm not looking for a debate on the subject, I'm just passing along some information about what i have learned works best for anyone who might be interested. You can easily ignore me and figure it out for yourself if you want. But i will say this; Push button transmission controls contribute absolutely nothing to the driving experience, so why put them on sports cars or even sporty suvs is kind of a mystery to me. other than to make more room for s super Slurpee big gulp or something like that.
Acura been going down hill since 2015. Already having problems with my 2020 RDX and it only has 9000kms. I have an older Honda with 250,000 kms, never done anything but regular maintenance. Dealer service is awesome and they always have my back, but Honda/Acura manufacturer’s support is awful.
@@camwhite2604 Well I have been driving Acura’s since the second Gen Integra, a few used but mostly new for a Total of 12. No issues until the 2015 TLX with a constant vibration that they spent a combined total of 9 weeks and a long list of parts replaced before they gave up on a car that only had 4000 kms on it. Manufacturer refused to let me out of the lease but the dealer took the loss and swapped it out for a 2016 RDX, which wasn’t to bad other than the smoke coming out of the drivers door and dash because of faulty wiring. Now the 2020 RDX, car runs great but currently only has 17,000 kms on it, all the problems are with electronics. Two incidents of sudden full throttle acceleration, thankfully disengaged by braking. Emergency auto braking system occasionally activating for no reason, only happens on the highway when the cruise control is on. Thankfully I haven’t been rear ended yet! Tail gate will close without warning and you cannot stop it, could be very dangerous for a child standing under it. Auto dim headlights don’t work properly. Cell phones will rarely automatically connect to the Bluetooth, the list goes on but as these problems are random the service technicians can’t isolate and diagnose them, they have tried but can’t find a resolution for any of the problems. So when the lease is up on this one I’m done with Acura and Honda. Which is unfortunate because the service at the dealership is awesome. I don’t even drive it anymore more, just puts me in bad mood every time I get in it. I would rather drive my 16 year old CRV.
How do you use most of any of the controls in the winter at minus 35, or colder here in Canada, with proper winter gloves on? How well do the screens respond at those temperatures? Nathan! Ya wanna wait until winter to do another review up here where it can get REALLY cold? Maybe Winnipeg at minus 44 with a wind chill of minus 58 or so. That is IN the city even. I promise I will fly out there and make sure there is some hot cocoa inside when you are done and you have frozen the proverbial “brass ba**s off the brass monkey”! (a ship term actually regarding Cannon balls). Heck, maybe even spice up the cocoa for ya! Ok? Huh? You will be doing all of us a BIG favour, even if it is comedy at your expense! Haha. So are ya in? Thanks for the review good sir!
Richard H - I was more referring to trying to use the controls with real winter gloves on. I live in the foothills in Southern Alberta. I just don’t like getting in and having to take the gloves off to adjust the controls. I have frozen my hands too many times farming and ranching, they are pretty tender now. Love my F350 for the controls. The automatic climate controls actually do really well. Don’t you want to see Nathan freeze his assets off? Haha
Haven’t had any issue using the controls in the car during the last winter. The screen works great. However, I believe you still have to take off your gloves in order to use the true touch pad (not sure about those touch screen compatible gloves. Haven’t tried them yet). I park my car in the garage. During winter in the morning, I typically just remote start the car 5 minutes before heading out and by the time I get into the car. It’s nice and warm and ready to drive. I live in Calgary.
Jesus Christ man. You make it sound like the IP is a disaster. I test drove one of these a few weeks ago and my wife had it figured out and in minutes. And the push buttons are awesome. There are very few negative comments on this vehicle..but you sure try making up for it. I have a new 2020 A spec coming in April....and will be loving it.
Love the no touch infotainment screen! No need to learn how to touch the screen like a smartphone! These smartphone takes years to learn just to do a touch right! Glad they went with a touchpad which is what I use on my laptop. Acura makes things simple to use. The Germans luxury need to copy Acura infotainment no touch input system. People can finally use their new cars infotainment system to the fullest! Acura is way ahead in technology now with a no touch system. No more confusion and learning curve!
The center console is confusing at first. But I sat in the car worked the controls. After 30 min it all made sense and it’s no problem. Like a smart phone U just have to sit down and learn to use it!
I've put 2,000 miles on my 2020 RDX Advanced, and the tech is not confusing. It's intuitive. The touch pad loses some responsiveness if your skin is very dry, but that's a minor flaw since I use Apple Car Play to control Apple Maps, Apple Music, Apple (audio)Books and Apple Podcasts entirely with voice commands.
It is absolutely unacceptable how slow that system works. It is amazing to me how auto makers still cannot get a quick reaction time when the first generation iPad had it figured out almost 10 years ago
Yas except that they go too far in the other direction, removing every single physical button control except for the flashers which are legally required.
Agree, thing that boggles my mind is look how cheap computer parts are compare to 10year ago. You telling me multi billion company couldn’t just gave us higher processors or memory ? Hell just charge the customers, that what they do anyway
How can this Tech be difficult or frustrating for ANYBODY? It is the easiest car to learn on the planet. I taught it to myself in ten minutes while driving the freeway!
Honda/Acura push button gear selector has been out for almost 5 years and you’re still complaining about it. Lots of car manufactures are going this route, just accept it or your reviews are useless since you’re stuck in 2010s technology. People buying cars nowadays want cars with new technology, only old people want the same old crap.
I own a 2011 RDX. I think the sportiness, and SHAWD return is amazing. I get that people don’t like the touch. What’s funny is I don’t understand why they couldn’t have used the same form of system that’s in the Accord. or at the minimum, just make it a touch screen. But I don’t think this ruins the car by any means.
Can anyone tell me how to turn on the daytime running light the way it flash rapidly at the 28" mark in this video? I got a new 2020 RDX and trying to find out how to make the lights flash like that. appreciate any tip!
LED lights may appear to be constant but actually flash. Sometimes you can notice it when you move your eyes so a small LED moves across your field of vision quickly. The weird effects on a video relate to that frequency relative to frames/second of the video camera. Kinda like the wagon wheels seeming to spin backwards in an old movie.
I liked the little joy stick thing from BMWs. I'm not sure why car manufacturers want "unique" or "futuristic" things over actually usable things ie: when they were obsessed with touch bars instead of volume knobs. Thankfully that went away
the interior ergonomic design is surprisingly terrible. Also, the information screen in the center should definitely be a touch screen. There is no cohesiveness to the design inside nor out. It's a bunch of hodgepodge everywhere you look. Unbelievable disaster for Acura overall. It's like somebody designed this who was not a conscientious car designer, but just a knucklehead who had a day to do the whole car. I'm shocked and how poor the overall design is everywhere you look. Sure, there's a this or that that look okay but overall it's a disaster.
I don't mind tech. I like tech. But the tech in my 2019 RDX performs so poorly it's infuriating. If I had a choice I would get rid of most of it if favour of a plain knob & button radio & a Garmin GPS device. My biggest complaint is that the vehicle resets all my tech preferences, every effing time I turn off the vehicle. Every effing time.
I was surprised to learn there is no spare tire; there should be one, or at least an option for one, under the rear floor (access from outside car). I'm also disappointed with that infotainment nightmare and those ridiculous center stack controls. These fixable things spoil an otherwise excellent compact crossover. Unlikely these will be addressed until the mid-cycle update in 2-3 years.
Why would you be touching the screen when you should keep your eyes on the road? The Mercedes and BMW have touch screen and I don't care for that because I feel it's the same effect you'll get as with your cell phone's screen., fingerprints all over. The only thing I don't like about the RDX is the fact that they don't have a wide variety of exterior and interior colors to choose from. I still haven't decided between the RDX, GLB and the BMW x1and x3.
Y'all are SO wrong about this car. It's disingenuous and also irresponsible to also not mention the massive reliability decrease across Honda and Acura, who are now worse than MINI. How about fuel dilution on the 1.5 engine? WE BOUGHT ONE based on all the glowing press, and this is a problem car, from a manufacturer that is tanking in quality. Consumer Reports calls out the massive problems with this model since redesign, why don't you? We bought a '20 tech in Jan '20 (2 mos ago) We've had the car 60 days and I'm on my 5th trip back to the dealer. I've never had this happen before. We're Honda/Acura loyalists, this being our 9th Honda/Acura vehicle and it's an embarrassment to the brand. Within the first month we had to have lower control arm bushings replaced, which is a known problem that they're still not repairing but selling this way. The brakes constantly squeal and there's no TSB, so no resolution. The lift gate was misaligned and damaged the tailgate trim and the Acura rep wants to "sand down the clear-coat" to smooth the damage versus replacing the trim - on a NEW car, and it has the worst leather seat upholstery stitching and assembly I've ever seen. It's also a gas guzzler, averaging 17.5 in mixed driving and only 20 or 21 on 500 mile highway drive. It doesn't even approach the EPA numbers on the window sticker, EVER. All the complexity of a four cylinder turbo w/10 speed transmission to get what MPG? Huh? My pick up truck does better! The only bright side is that the dealer is great, but they can't make up for a poorly designed and manufactured vehicle. There are much better choices. Save yourself from the mistake we made, look at something else. There's already one class action suit for this redesigned model. Buyers beware.
Bird's eye view? I never understood why people complain about things that are not needed. I work on cars for a living and never used the screen to pull in or cars out. That's what mirrors and your eyes are for. Like saying the rdx is under powered. It's not a sports car so why do you need more power.
Excellent video as always Nathan. Tech. is why one should buy this vehicle. And while I do not like push button drive systems(uniqueness is wearing off)can say this, at least this rig has paddle shifters. Which means it is NOT a CVT transmission. Thus you have control over what it is doing. I noticed the button on the left side of the steering wheel that said "brake hold". That is such a great tech. item that should be in all vehicles being made now. This is a nice mall crawler. Daily driver. Bit pricey for me.
I just checked one out, test drove the one with just Tech Pkg. Pros: handles great compared to my CR-V, is quick, good styling, big glass roof. Concerns: Salesman said the price went up $2,000 with the 2020! (I think he was wrong), the touchpad is a little odd and it makes a lot of noise, the instruments on the std are plain, all the nice stuff adds $13,000. They didn’t give me much off on a remaining 2019 and the standard trim prob wouldn’t make me happy. They wouldn’t give me fmv for my trade either and tacked on $1,500 in minor dealer frills plus a $800 handling charge. No deal for now.
Lmao people make a big deal out of the infotainment system. Have these people even used the shitty mazda, mercedes, BMW infotainment? This is an amazing car. Cheaper than the competition, more reliable, a lot of cargo space, one of the most powerful in its segment. Only downside is MPG is not the greatest.
