Nice techie useful CUV

casolorzcasolorz Member Posts: 88
edited March 2014 in Acura
I am looking at getting a CUV pretty soon. I have looked at everything from the RDX w/tech all the way down to the Compass (pretty loaded). So far my favorites in terms of options are the RDX and the Outlander.
I am hoping to get at a minimum Bluetooth, power seats, typical luxuries, etc. Navigation is not a must but the voice recognition on the RDX would be a must if I got it.
My only problem with the RDX is its towing capacity.... On the other hand my problem with the Outlander is the mitsu dealer, I hate them; and actually that is something else that I like about the RDX, the service dept at the dealer is great!

So are there other CUVs I am ignoring? what about the Enclave? or MKX? Vue?

Comments

  • smily157smily157 Member Posts: 14
    If I had had the money, I would have looked at the Acura, because I really acuras, but my budget was around 30k, so I was looking at the Outlander, CX-7 and Escape Hybrid (not CR-V or RAV4 because they are ugly and plain and you get nothing for your money). My main problem with the CX-7 was the price, and the fact that it ran a tubro V4, so it took premium, and the Escape/Escape Hybrid you did not get the same tech stuff at the outlander and they got horrible reviews (Ford is cutting expenses on them and making them cheaper, the went back to rear drums, that just says to me that the quality would suck!). As I said, my budget was not high enough for me to consider the Enclave or MKX, but they both seem like decent cars. The Enclave is more luxurious than the outlander, but seems less sporty, and the same with the MKX (and I personally don't like the look of it), which is a reason I liked the outlander, it (to me) drives like more of a car then my old Taurus did and is fun to drive and has a lot of features for the money.

    I like the Jeep Grand Cherokee, I think it's pretty nice. The infiniti FX or Nissan Murano (pretty much the same car) seem pretty good. Apparently the Hyundai Veracruz is pretty decent for the money, but I don't know what features it has. The newly redesigned Subaru Tribeca looks pretty nice, and subaru is a great company. The new Highlanders look pretty good, and have some nice features. And the Volvo XC90 is always worth a look.

    If I had the money, I would have seriously looked at the Subaru Tribeca, Subaru is a great company, I know many people who always go back to subaru, and the new Tribeca looks pretty nice. And also the Acura, as it is a honda and they are known for quality and it seems to come with pretty good features.

    But if you want a pretty good, decently equiped, sporty CUV for a decent price, and don't need it too luxurious, then I would consider the outlander. The dealer I bought my car from gave me a better initial price than I was prepared to negitoate down to. I haven't taken it to the dealer yet to be serviced, so I can not comment on that, but they seem pretty good to me, but maybe I have a better dealer than most?
  • casolorzcasolorz Member Posts: 88
    Thanks for the advice! for me so far it seems down to the RDX or the Outlander. The main reason I want the RDX is because the Acura service guy is the same guy I have for my Jag and he is just great to work with, whereas the Mitsu dealer doesn't seem very friendly and I am terrified of what their service might end up being like.
  • rcpaxrcpax Member Posts: 580
    Go with the test drive if you didn't do one yet. Then have a good feel of the vehicles. Hopefully that would help you decide. I think it's important to buy what you like rather than buying a car because of the mechanic or the service. Just like almost everything in life, you get good ones and bad ones, and dealerships are no exception. But the good thing is you can always go to another dealership if you're not satisfied.
  • johnny98johnny98 Member Posts: 88
    I test drove both the Outlander and the RDX. If you want all the tech options, the Outlander gets close in price to the RDX. I think the RDX is superior in almost every way (acceleration, cornering, ride quality, interior refinement, build quality, ergonomics). The RDX does require premium gas and synthetic oil, though. Test drive for yourself and decide.
  • biscuit_xlsbiscuit_xls Member Posts: 194
    They're not that close in price though.

    You can get a loaded 4WD Outlander XLS with leather, Nav, 650W sound, Bluetooth, sunroof, Sirius, etc for under $30,000.

    A similarly equipped RDX will be at least $5,000 more.

    I've driven both, they are similar. I prefer the driving characteristics and reliability of a V6 over a turbo 4.
  • chelentanochelentano Member Posts: 634
    Yea I prefer V6 as well. Also on the Outlander for $28K you get more features over the RDX: 30GB music server, FastKey, keyless ignition, 650 watt stereo, LED rear lights, roof rails, 3rd row seat. Plus more cargo, better warranty and better fuel economy.
  • alex789alex789 Member Posts: 20
    Do not buy anything 'till December, when Infiniti EX35 arrive. The best in and out. Go to Forum - Infiniti - EX35.
    You'll learn a lot.
  • casolorzcasolorz Member Posts: 88
    Is that just gonna be a fancy rogue?
  • klasklas Member Posts: 22
    EX35 got nothing, just a luxurious Rogue. Styling in EX35 is not a head turner in my opinion. Outlander being cheaper SUV offers the best styling and I do see people like to look at it. Yes, EX35 has cool all round camera assist, but coolness factor is not enough to justify the price tag. I bet it will be used as much as Navi gets used in your home town and probably will be cool to show off your friends, so personally I do not find particulary useful on a small CUV. Finally, it looks like it will be more expensive then RDX.

    I said that before and say it again Outlander offers a lot for a lot less in CUV market.

    If, I wanted to spend extra $15k I would get FX, even though it's due for redesign, it still looks awesome.
  • alex789alex789 Member Posts: 20
    You right about Outlander. It's #1 by the value along with
    Santa Fe, which has a bit more power and room and less
    toys. But both of them are in a lower class and are not to be compare to EX35.
    EX is cool not because it has first in a world Around View Monitor(AVM) system or Lane Departure Prevention (LDP) system. IT is cool, because it's not a "luxurious Rogue".
    EX is a Big Power in a Small Package' CUV. Unlike Rogue, which is build on a small Sentra platform, it's build on the same platform as G, M and FX (you like). It has the same V6 Aluminum Block 3.5l 290-297 hp engine, as G35 and FX35, that Mitsu or Hyundai can only dream about. Take FX35, squeese it to 182.3 X 71" and make it on 4" lower, but leave the same engin. You'll get adventage in weght, so in fuel economy. Also add exquized interier. That will be EX.
    To tell you more, you do not need extra 15K. Base AWD should be 32K and Journey AWD some 3K more. At least I hope so.
    Go: Forums - Browse By Dicussions box. You'll get a lot of vidios, pictures, interviews, specs and comments. It's fun.
  • klasklas Member Posts: 22
    i would say that you cannot compare the two. Outlander is more of a budget CUV that's the best in its class.

    Again, personally Nissan/Infinity are mostly ugly looking cars and EX is no exception. FX would be the only car for me worth considering.

    Paying premium price for a luxury car and think about fuel economy is a joke. If I needed power I would get a sports car, budget CUVs offer enough of that.

    Also, pricing is just speculation at this point, but I don't see it being cheaper then RDX.
  • alex789alex789 Member Posts: 20
    About styling. I personally like Outlander styling a lot.
    This nice looking CUV definitely deserve more attention, than it is. But almost all of them are SUV-wanna-be styling, espacily front. To distinguish CUV Toyota did not bad job with RX , then Infinity with FX, now Buick Enclave and Mazda CX. Infiniti said: "Style on EX was inspired by the sport coupe G37", which is simply gorgeous. It is actually cross with FX styling, which you said is awesome.
    So, I believe, you will like EX styling too.
  • casolorzcasolorz Member Posts: 88
    Its mostly a price vs tech features thing. I guess I will have to get used to turning on the windshield wipers myself again :-(
  • klasklas Member Posts: 22
    great choice!

    Btw, I did have 06 TSX (traded in for Outlander) w/ voice navigation and it was cool to impress my friends, but in reality I found little use for it. (Only used "Go Home" feature, but I didn't see any point for "What's time is it" or "Temperature set to 70") I think Outlander navigation is a lot better in terms of other features.
  • casolorzcasolorz Member Posts: 88
    Thanks for the info, yeah I have been looking at the tsx too but I just can't get over its lack of acceleration...
  • alex789alex789 Member Posts: 20
    But before go to motortrend.com for
    'First Drive: 2008 Infiniti EX35' article by Ron Kiino.

    http://www.motortrend.com/roadtests/suvs/112_0712_2008_infiniti_ex35
  • chelentanochelentano Member Posts: 634
    >> First Drive: 2008 Infiniti EX35' article by Ron Kiino.

    Outdated 5-speed transmission?
  • alex789alex789 Member Posts: 20
    It's not regular 5-speed automatic transmission. It features Adaptive Shift Control that "adjusts to the way you drive to give you fluidity or performance when you want it." In manual mode Downshift Rev Matching "automatically
    opens the throttle to match the rpm for smoother gear changes."
    This transmission isn't award winner like their engine, but
    showed very good performance and reliability for a last few years on G and FX. And because EX is nothing, but mix of two of them, Infiniti puts the same transmission into EX.
    Nissan are testing now their "say good-bye to gears, revolutionary X-tronic CVT (Continuously Variable Transmission) on Altima. Nothing can beat CVT - it's for sure. So, it will find its way into Infiniti soon.
  • casolorzcasolorz Member Posts: 88
    Actually I test drove a car with CVT and it was kind of weird, didn't feel the acceleration at all! then maybe it was the cars fault.
    Anyways, I finally realized the Outlander is missing too many things that I don't want to give up on so I am back looking at other CUVs. I am thinking RDX, or a edge/mkx with sync! who knows, its back to square 0 for me.
  • chelentanochelentano Member Posts: 634
    "adjusts to the way you drive to give you fluidity or performance when you want it"

    Whatever marketing verbage they use, the bottom line is: it's only a 5-speed transmission on the "luxury" car. Shame. The true luxury Mercedes uses 7-speed transmission, BMW and Outlander use 6-speed.
  • klasklas Member Posts: 22
    as I mentioned it before that EX price is way out there and it cannot be compared to Outlander.

    fully loaded is $15k more then fully loaded Outlander

    http://www.edmunds.com/insideline/do/Drives/FullTests/articleId=123139?tid=edmun- ds.il.home.photopanel..1.*
  • alex789alex789 Member Posts: 20
    If you willing step up to the larger CUV, Enclave could be a good choice. Very smooth and quiet, stylish (inside too);
    A lot of room, features and towing cap. too.

    Go cars.com - Reaserch - Buick Enclave - Owners and Expert
    reviews. You'll get 9 expert reviews. Check out what owners say. After that, go to Edmunds Buick Forum.
  • casolorzcasolorz Member Posts: 88
    Does it have bluetooth? or some sort of onstar thing?
  • alex789alex789 Member Posts: 20
    Yes, Enclave has OnStar assistance system and hands free phone as Standard on all models. Enclave has jaw dropping list of standard equipment, including Power driver and passenger seats, I-pod connection, Power Tilt/Telescope stirring wheel, Power heated outside mirrors with turn signals, outside temperature indicator, tire pressure monitor, Bi-xenon headlights, fog lights, Tri-zone automatic climate controls (driver, passenger and rear), Heated front seats, and on and on... Some standards feature are unique, like custom 19" Michellin tires spacialy disignied to reduce tire noise (CXL), or memory system not just for a seat, but for mirrors too (CXL), or two-way remote start has LCD screen on the key fob that tells you whether the doors are locked and the engine is running among other info (optional).
    A lot of Optional equepment (6 packages).
    Some people, who don't use 3rd-row seat much and keep it flat-down, bought 2nd-row split-folding seat, instead of two captain chairs, got $495 back.
    I'd say, Enclave is a 'techiest' CUV around. Just try it and you will fall in love with it.
  • gene_vgene_v Member Posts: 235
    40 to 45k. Really?
  • alex789alex789 Member Posts: 20
    An article is a bit inaccurate. Almost any number in it is wrong (see my comment # 2 and others).
    But 45K, probably, is right.
    Only problem is, that when you said, that fully loaded EX35 cost 15K more than fully loaded Outlander, it sounds like for the same equipment we have to pay 15 grand more. But point is: fully loaded EX has much more than Outlander.
    Technology Package, including: Around View Monitor System (with 4 cameras);
    Lane Departure Prevention System (not just warns you, but automatically applies one side brakes to push you back to your lane);
    Intelligent Cruise Control (also applies brakes, if you too close to a vehicle ahead).
    Just this package alone can cost close to 5K.
    Or Adaptive Front Lightning System (headlamps move in the direction of a turn).
    Or Voice Recognition System.
    Or Bi-xenon Auto-leveling Headlights (against regular xenon headlights).
    Or Leather appointed center console and doors with African Rosewood and Structured Aluminum trim (against cheep kids automobile plastic on the doors of Outlander). And more…

    We know: EX35 will come as Base RWD, Base AWD, Journey RWD and Journey AWD.
    Pricing still is not clear yet, but I do have Sunday issue of Chicago Tribune (Nov., 28) with Jim Matija review on Journey AWD model. It said – 35K. But again - its estimated price.
    A lot of, what fully loaded Outlander has, is a regular stuff, while just standard equipment on Journey AWD is top notch or highest quality, like premium lather and black lacquer trim, or
    Power sliding tinted glass moonroof with one touch open/close/tilt and with sliding sunshade (against regular power sunroof).
    Some standard on Journey AWD equipment fully loaded Outlander does not have at all: LED taillights; Auto dimming mirrors; Power folding/unfolding rear seat.
    Ad to this “Scratch Shield”, special elastic stuff in the finish, which helps erase small scratches in one to seven days and 297 hp engine and will be understandable why better to pay 5K more for EX35 Journey AWD (of cause, if price really will be 35K), than 30K for fully loaded Outlander.
  • alex789alex789 Member Posts: 20
    Consumer Guide
    Prices Buick Enclave

    2WD CX 32,055/29,971 (invoice)
    AWD CX 34,055/31,841

    2WD CXL 34,255/32,028
    AWD CXL 36,255/33,898

    I learned 2WD CX is the most demanding model and long gone,
    but it was few month ago.
    Pricing is very aggressive to bit MDX and RX.
    Buick is hopping to start new life with Enclave, back to those days when Riviera and Reatta were prestigious cars and
    everybody knew expression 'Buick-Quality'.
    So far, people are very happy with New Enclave.
    I'd say than pay 30K for small RAV-4 (6 cyl.), Santa Fe or
    fully loaded Outlander, maybe make sense to ad 4K for AWD CX, especially, if you have GM MasterCard
  • chelentanochelentano Member Posts: 634
    Actually Outlander does have LED tail lights standard as well, and you can get OEM rear view camera and parking sensors installed by Mitsibishi dealer.

    The AWD Outlander XLS with navigation, sunroof, bluetooth, fast key, keyless start has MSRP of $30k

    According to Edmunds.com, base AWD EX35 + navigation, sunroof, bluetooth, fast key, keyless start has MSRP of $46k.

    Of course the EX35 has better interior, more horses and a couple of features such as adaptive front lightning and bi-xenon autoleveling headlights (against regular Outlander xenon headlights), but I am not sure if it all worth extra $16K considering that with EX35 you still getting outdated 5-speed transmission, no music server, shorter warranty, bad mileage (15/22) and premium gasoline.
  • wwestwwest Member Posts: 10,706
    Well....??
  • dodo2dodo2 Member Posts: 496
    You cannot reasonably compare the basic transportation paradigm, the CRV, to the EX35.
  • wwestwwest Member Posts: 10,706
    Isn't that a bit like saying I can't compare the Camry with the ES350..??
  • casolorzcasolorz Member Posts: 88
    Not really because at least the Camry and ES350 are from the same family.
    The CR-V and EX35 shouldn't share anything, now the CR-V and RDX might share something and the EX35 I guess might share stuff with the Rogue.
  • chelentanochelentano Member Posts: 634
    And on CRV V6 is not even an option
  • wwestwwest Member Posts: 10,706
    Oops, so sorry, I was actually thinking Rogue...
  • octagon3octagon3 Member Posts: 6
    Was reading your posts and couldn't resist to chime in. We purchased an Acura CLS in 2000 - mainly because we wanted to have the car for a long time with minium problems. We are now on our 4th transmission!!! Honda has tried to keep this one secret, but it is strating to come out. From what I hear from many mechanics (including the dealer's) this is across all Honda lines. It is a continuing problem. They say they changed the transmissions ion 2004, but the mechanics are telling me different - they are seeing alot of them having problems. Also, we recently had a new one - motor mounts. The dealer first tried to tell us this was a normal maintenance item. Since I have owned more than 20 vehicles, and never had this problem, I had a feeling they were full of it. Then I went online I googled (yeah, I know, it's a verb now) "honda acura motor mount" - there were more than a few hits :) When I contacted Acura, they first gave me the same line as the dealer. When I pointed out the unusual nature of this, and the number of problems online, they told me it had to do with a high torque engine, then it was the bad transmission (how's that for a stupid response - one defect leads to another). After "befriending" the Acura "investigator" he broke down and admitted this was a design defect and he was giving me lines from a corporate script. They will most likely be quietly paying for these in the near future - I've already filed compalints with state and federal authorities. As I said - stay away from Honda and Acura. There are a lot more problems I could go over - Honda is very good on damage control.
  • mik3ymomomik3ymomo Member Posts: 5
    Honda and Acura are on top in JD power and assoc list across the board. While a few models might have had an issue I think that you cant go wrong with Honda or Acura and Hyundia and mitsu are at the bottom of the lists. So you decide.
  • chelentanochelentano Member Posts: 634
    I would care less for JDPower ratings. They are not independent, but they get paid by car manufacturers for advertising, unlike Consumer Reports. According to Consumer Reports, Mitsubishi Outlander ranked best for 2008 predicted reliability, beating Toyota RAV, Honda CR-V and everything else in the category.

    Small SUV
    Best: Honda Element, Mitsubishi Outlander
    Worst: Dodge Nitro, Jeep Wrangler (four-door)

    Midsize SUV
    Best: Toyota Highlander, Honda Pilot
    Worst: Land Rover Range Rover, Land Rover Range Rover Sport

    http://www.journalgazette.net/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20071017/BIZ/710170334
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