Maybe not as bad as you'd think, the W-12 is basically two of the VW VR-6 engines on a common crankshaft. Amazing how many engines that VR-6 has spawned...
The entire car is insanely complex, and I think that highline model bases around 140K. It'll be fun as a 10 year old worth 10K - no deferred maintenance risks there.
Nope, haven't driven it - I'm not in the demographic, and it's not what I need. I didn't mean to knock your choice - I am sure it is a comfortable car that serves your desires. Now if we could get a Euro Accord wagon and not have it be V6/auto mandatory, I'd take one - diesel please.
...well, last generation convertible. Reason I noticed it sitting at the light, top down? A nice cloud of white smoke coming out of the grill...the driver didn't seem concerned, just drove off when the light turned green. I wonder what a new engine costs...
I also saw a Karma today, maybe the same one I saw sitting on a lot a couple months ago. Also saw a new A8 and a Veloster, the latter being pretty unsightly from the rear.
Got sent a picture of one of my kids sitting in a brand new Roller. Neither of us could understand why most in the group wanted their picture taken at the wheel. Her's was taken sitting in the back. Duh!
2024 Ford F-150 STX, 2023 Ford Explorer ST, 91 Mustang GT vert
I caught a quick glimpse in traffic of a new Mini Cooper Roadster. With the raked-back windshield it's a lot better looking than the Mini convertible. Too bad they didn't do it right and turn the drive train around and put it behind the seats. IMO two-seat roadsters should have their drive wheels in back.
I have yet to see one of the fugly coupe versions.
I road in a Miniand it was like riding in an old truck. You felt every bump and imperfection. Might handle well, but seems to me more popular because its a Yuppiemobile.
I road in a Miniand it was like riding in an old truck
Depends on what you're used to I guess. The combination of very short wheelbase and sporty suspension will cause ride motions that you won't find in larger cars but I found the ride of a Cooper S on frost-heaved NH roads quite acceptable, in fact better than most of the SUVs and Pickups I've been in.
Saw an Equus parked at Costco today, which somehow makes sense - if Costco sold their own brand of luxury car, I could see it being that thing. They also had a dorky looking Mini coupe on the "new car" display as you exit.
Visited a few dealers - MB dealer was very sparse, only a couple of each model on the lot, either sales are amazing or stock is in short supply. BMW and Audi dealers had more, saw a gorgeous loaded A8 (which made the normal A8s beside it look invisible) and a few new 3ers and many leftover 11 3ers along with several 6ers which seem to have been there for ages, nothing else unusual. Lexus dealer has a ton of CTs and new GSs, so they aren't in short supply. Scion dealer had a base ~16K iQ along with a couple wearing the 4K "Axis" (seriously) package, Toyota dealer had nothing remarkable but a ton of new Camrys. Saw a new diesel Passat being taken for a test drive, Subaru dealer had a couple new Imprezas. Jag/Rover dealer had nothing odd but an Evoque that I think was acting funny - I walked up to it and the mirrors retracted, and I could see the instrument lights came on. Dealership was closed. I heard it do that again as I walked away - and further back on the lot a Range Rover alarm was going off. British electrics?
It's hideous, like a big fat parody of the normal car. Q7 DNA, I think. Should sell well to the gilded age new rich in this devolving society, sure to be a huge hit in China, Arabian peninsula, maybe Vancouver, Moscow, etc.
Spent some time with the new Acura RDX yesterday and I walked away pretty impressed. The salesperson we spoke with was highly informed, thorough and answered all of my questions to "T". We went through all the features, even down to the standard stuff like the cupholders and then without any sort of pressure, handed the keys for a test drive. They grabbed a copy of my liscence and we were off...
The Drive: Being based on the CR-V I was expecting a lot of the roots to show through clearly, but I was surprised at how quiet and refined the RDX was. Having owned a 2003 MDX which my wife loved outside of the gas mileage, the engine was familiar, the interior layout, seat comfort (very good btw, not Volvo but close) was all very familiar. What was nice was while the MDX felt like an elephant on the road, the RDX was a very comfortable size. More like driving a Toyota RAV4.
The ride was fantastic, soaked up bumps like a champ and there was handly an upset in the chassis. This is one of the big things I look for when buying, I hate having to make severe corrections to a vehicle after rebounding from a pothole, bump, etc...
The engine was straight out of our old MDX, and in the RDX, it was smooth quiet and gutsy. Not once did I have to put the pedal to the floor to merge or pass other cars. a little kick and it would drop a gear and accelerate with plenty of gusto, never needing that extra kick down to an even lower gear ratio. The transmission is all new, a 6 Speed auto with paddles (that I didn't use). Put it in Auto and it accelerated with ease, although the thing didn't feel like a rocket like I was expecting. Quick but not blistering. The RAV4 V6 will waste it off the line and highway passing, but then again it weighs probably 300 - 400 lbs less.
One note about Honda autos that I don't like. I don't know if anyone else notices this, but for some reason Honda's V6 drivetrains always feel like they are being "held back". It's really hard to explain, but it almost feels like the thing is carrying a 2000 lb load behind it. Sorta strained I guess, but more like re-strained as in engineered for strength rather than lithe...
Oh and the tech... This one was a loaded AWD with the tech package. Pretty neat features including a 3-view backup camera (probably used on other makes as well but it was cool). The ELS sound, my gosh... Incredible. Even in a Crossover the bass response, the clarity, the crispness... Fantastic. But as other reviews have mentioned ,there is no Blind spot detection (I could care less about that one), adaptive cruise (I never use Cruise) pre-crash stuff, found in those German makes. But I was not really phased (again I never use the stuff = wouldn't really miss it )
Lastly, it all came down to the looks. And... well... Meh. Not bad, but not stunning either. I feel like most Acuras nowadays you don't really "arrive" rather than "just show up". There was no elegance, no "presence" and certainly no attitude. It was just a decent looking, no frills, bubbly, soft roader with tall, skinny, boring wheels and forgettable style. Interior was definitely the high point with it.
In the end, I walked. I wasn't really planning on buying but I was interested in checking it out thoroughly. And did walk away mostly impressed. For the money it's a compelling choice against rivals like the X3, Q5, GLK (maybe) or Infiniti EX. But my top pick in this price is still the XC60...
Unless, you spring for a non-tech which lowers the price by a couple of grand, well under the Bimmer and the Audi and right in line with the deals Infiniti is giving to move their slow selling EX.
But in the end, it is not a vehicle I really aspire to own... Nice, but...
I think they are looking to mirror the Lexus RX/Toyota Highlander business model, only under cut the both of them in price/content.
BTW, the handling was pretty good in the new RDX. But I don't think buyers in this class cared about handling in the first place. Mileage is the priority now and 28mpg (FWD) and 27mpg (AWD) highway numbers are a few ticks better than the RX and with more hp to boot.
I see the Lexus RX as the RDX's most direct competition.
New Mazda 3 popped up in a spot a couple down from me in my building's garage. Woman who parks there had a 98-02 style 626 - she needs a smaller car. Seeing her park was always laughable, she'd make it a 5 or 6 point affair trying to park nose-in. I can park both of my cars, backing in, in one step, in the modern car I don't even look back more than once, just using the mirrors.
Comments
Maybe not as bad as you'd think, the W-12 is basically two of the VW VR-6 engines on a common crankshaft. Amazing how many engines that VR-6 has spawned...
I got behind one of these catastrophes today:
And I have to think, it's not evolution, but devolution, when this is what came first:
Also a
Lexus GXToyota Land Cruiser Prado.Never seen this before - Toyota Allion sedan. A tad smaller than a Corolla.
Also saw a Nissan Skyline (Infiniti G).
Hint: I flew direct, so it's less than 4 hours from DC.
Edmunds Price Checker
Edmunds Lease Calculator
Did you get a good deal? Be sure to come back and share!
Edmunds Moderator
Very close in longitude, mon....
Edmunds Price Checker
Edmunds Lease Calculator
Did you get a good deal? Be sure to come back and share!
Edmunds Moderator
We stayed in Montego Bay. Great weather and managed to do some activity in the ocean every single day. On most days 2 or 3 activities. :shades:
Crosstour reminds me of this:
2025 Ram 1500 Laramie 4x4 / 2023 Mercedes EQE 350 4Matic
Today saw my first new GS actually on the road, freshly plated, the darkish red color I so do love :shades:
Neither of us could understand why most in the group wanted their picture taken at the wheel.
Her's was taken sitting in the back. Duh!
I have yet to see one of the fugly coupe versions.
2001 BMW 330ci/E46, 2008 BMW 335i conv/E93
One of my kids will be in So Cal in support.
Entry level Audi/BMW/Lexus/Mercedes test drives.
Depends on what you're used to I guess. The combination of very short wheelbase and sporty suspension will cause ride motions that you won't find in larger cars but I found the ride of a Cooper S on frost-heaved NH roads quite acceptable, in fact better than most of the SUVs and Pickups I've been in.
2001 BMW 330ci/E46, 2008 BMW 335i conv/E93
Visited a few dealers - MB dealer was very sparse, only a couple of each model on the lot, either sales are amazing or stock is in short supply. BMW and Audi dealers had more, saw a gorgeous loaded A8 (which made the normal A8s beside it look invisible) and a few new 3ers and many leftover 11 3ers along with several 6ers which seem to have been there for ages, nothing else unusual. Lexus dealer has a ton of CTs and new GSs, so they aren't in short supply. Scion dealer had a base ~16K iQ along with a couple wearing the 4K "Axis" (seriously) package, Toyota dealer had nothing remarkable but a ton of new Camrys. Saw a new diesel Passat being taken for a test drive, Subaru dealer had a couple new Imprezas. Jag/Rover dealer had nothing odd but an Evoque that I think was acting funny - I walked up to it and the mirrors retracted, and I could see the instrument lights came on. Dealership was closed. I heard it do that again as I walked away - and further back on the lot a Range Rover alarm was going off. British electrics?
This morning saw a new trunkback Versa which still looks bad to me, and a new 7er driving with all the windows down...yeah, new car smell, yuck.
2013 Honda Crosstour
BMW X6
Child =
Odie
'11 GMC Sierra 1500; '98 Alfa 156 2.0TS; '08 Maser QP; '67 Coronet R/T; '13 Fiat 500c; '20 S90 T6; '22 MB Sprinter 2500 4x4 diesel; '97 Suzuki R Wagon; '96 Opel Astra; '11 Mini Cooper S
The Drive: Being based on the CR-V I was expecting a lot of the roots to show through clearly, but I was surprised at how quiet and refined the RDX was. Having owned a 2003 MDX which my wife loved outside of the gas mileage, the engine was familiar, the interior layout, seat comfort (very good btw, not Volvo but close) was all very familiar. What was nice was while the MDX felt like an elephant on the road, the RDX was a very comfortable size. More like driving a Toyota RAV4.
The ride was fantastic, soaked up bumps like a champ and there was handly an upset in the chassis. This is one of the big things I look for when buying, I hate having to make severe corrections to a vehicle after rebounding from a pothole, bump, etc...
The engine was straight out of our old MDX, and in the RDX, it was smooth quiet and gutsy. Not once did I have to put the pedal to the floor to merge or pass other cars. a little kick and it would drop a gear and accelerate with plenty of gusto, never needing that extra kick down to an even lower gear ratio. The transmission is all new, a 6 Speed auto with paddles (that I didn't use). Put it in Auto and it accelerated with ease, although the thing didn't feel like a rocket like I was expecting. Quick but not blistering. The RAV4 V6 will waste it off the line and highway passing, but then again it weighs probably 300 - 400 lbs less.
One note about Honda autos that I don't like. I don't know if anyone else notices this, but for some reason Honda's V6 drivetrains always feel like they are being "held back". It's really hard to explain, but it almost feels like the thing is carrying a 2000 lb load behind it. Sorta strained I guess, but more like re-strained as in engineered for strength rather than lithe...
Oh and the tech... This one was a loaded AWD with the tech package. Pretty neat features including a 3-view backup camera (probably used on other makes as well but it was cool). The ELS sound, my gosh... Incredible. Even in a Crossover the bass response, the clarity, the crispness... Fantastic. But as other reviews have mentioned ,there is no Blind spot detection (I could care less about that one), adaptive cruise (I never use Cruise) pre-crash stuff, found in those German makes. But I was not really phased (again I never use the stuff = wouldn't really miss it
Lastly, it all came down to the looks. And... well... Meh. Not bad, but not stunning either. I feel like most Acuras nowadays you don't really "arrive" rather than "just show up". There was no elegance, no "presence" and certainly no attitude. It was just a decent looking, no frills, bubbly, soft roader with tall, skinny, boring wheels and forgettable style. Interior was definitely the high point with it.
In the end, I walked. I wasn't really planning on buying but I was interested in checking it out thoroughly. And did walk away mostly impressed. For the money it's a compelling choice against rivals like the X3, Q5, GLK (maybe) or Infiniti EX. But my top pick in this price is still the XC60...
Unless, you spring for a non-tech which lowers the price by a couple of grand, well under the Bimmer and the Audi and right in line with the deals Infiniti is giving to move their slow selling EX.
But in the end, it is not a vehicle I really aspire to own... Nice, but...
My .02
2020 Acura RDX tech SH-AWD, 2023 Maverick hybrid Lariat luxury package.
So think of it as a V6 CR-V.
BTW, the handling was pretty good in the new RDX. But I don't think buyers in this class cared about handling in the first place. Mileage is the priority now and 28mpg (FWD) and 27mpg (AWD) highway numbers are a few ticks better than the RX and with more hp to boot.
I see the Lexus RX as the RDX's most direct competition.
Premium fuel economy is an oxymoron.
Replaces an unreliable Touareg.
New Mazda 3 popped up in a spot a couple down from me in my building's garage. Woman who parks there had a 98-02 style 626 - she needs a smaller car. Seeing her park was always laughable, she'd make it a 5 or 6 point affair trying to park nose-in. I can park both of my cars, backing in, in one step, in the modern car I don't even look back more than once, just using the mirrors.
I back up my van so I know what you mean. Backup cam helps since you can't see anything below 4' or so.
Speaking of the Mazda3 ... saw a new white one, with the much-improved front fascia. The smiley face is all but gone. Much, much better.
Walked away with it for 33... :surprise:
And that's coming from a Toyota owner.