Can you go wrong with a new Acura vehicle?Also, anyone ever buy out of your league?

[nsl]

In need of a new car and in my research, the new 2019 Acura RDX A-Spec is about the only thing out there that interests me.
The new Mazda CX-5 with the turbo, and the Subaru Outback 3.6R are next in line.
As you can see, I'm looking at crossovers that have some power,because I don't want to be bored driving it, and I wan't the car to not be dangerously slow as I've read some of them are.
Anyway, about what could I expect from an Acura?
These cars are a little above my league (in theory) as I'm just an average working class guy, but I could buy one right now and not hurt the bank account too much as I save my butt off for things I want.

 

[BigBoy99]

With the price of vehicles these days, you will probably be driving it for a long time. (I don't believe in leasing vehicles.) Since it will be yours, get what you want. We recently bought a diesel truck which had all of the creature comforts know to man and it was close to $70K! It is going to be our travel truck to see the USA since we've retired. We have bought the mundane, get to work vehicles all of our working life and this is going to be our "fun" vehicle.

 

[chief38]

While I do not own any Acura's, 3 of my friends do and they are very happy with them. While they are not as comfortable as a full sized American SUV (at least to me), they are quite capable and should last a long time.

I look at leasing vs owning two ways........

If you are the kind of person who enjoys being in and out of vehicles every 2 or 3 years and always want a new car in the driveway without the burden of maintenance and repairs, then leasing is the way to go! Usually you get away cheap for the first few years because the car in under warranty and most likely to can skate through the lease without any brakes or tires being replaced (unless you really drive a lot) so many times it's more cost effective especially if you are a small business owner and can write a lease off.

If you are along term owner (10 - 15 years), enjoy working on your own vehicles, take pride in ownership and just don't care about driving the latest and greatest, then buying might be for you. Some people really enjoy being familiar with a car they enjoy driving and it brings them great pleasure to show off an older vehicle in pristine condition. If you get a good vehicle and do some common sense maintenance, you can still be driving it many years after the payment book is gone.

As far as "out of your league" goes, that really depends on the deal you can get, how long you intend to own / lease it, and exactly what your league is. From what I know an Acura is nothing more than a fancy Honda and while it may cost a bit more I would not think it's THAT MUCH more. Wether or not you can afford it is your personal decision and again, IF you are in a vehicle for the long haul (10 - 15 years) you might want a nicer car you can really enjoy for that period. If leasing, it probably won't matter much because you will be out of it in short order. Sometimes you can get a better leasing deal on a more expensive vehicle due to the cars residual value. Shop around and see.

 

[s&wchad]

Do yourself a favor and test driving a Ford Edge Sport. My wife had a 2014 and absolutely loved it. We sold it a few months ago and she replaced it with a 2018 Explorer Limited. Hers had about 70,000 miles on it with zero problems, but she wanted something new.

If you can settle for a 2018 off the lot, Ford is offering $4500 in incentives. The Edge Sport is in the same price range as the Acura, but has a 315hp engine, an electronic six-speed automatic transmission, all-wheel drive and 20" wheels. It's a rocket if you put it in "Sport" mode and use the paddle shifters. Handling is excellent and they come with all the creature comforts you could want.

 

[crazyphil]

With the price of vehicles these days, you will probably be driving it for a long time. (I don't believe in leasing vehicles.) Since it will be yours, get what you want. We recently bought a diesel truck which had all of the creature comforts know to man and it was close to $70K! It is going to be our travel truck to see the USA since we've retired. We have bought the mundane, get to work vehicles all of our working life and this is going to be our "fun" vehicle.

Diesel trucks are great for highway travel. We bought a new
Chevy Silverado back in 1982 and pulled a 32 foot Holiday
Rambler all around the country. Not so great for around town,
but I keep it anyway for a spare.

 

[nsl]

While I do not own any Acura's, 3 of my friends do and they are very happy with them. While they are not as comfortable as a full sized American SUV (at least to me), they are quite capable and should last a long time.

I look at leasing vs owning two ways........

If you are the kind of person who enjoys being in and out of vehicles every 2 or 3 years and always want a new car in the driveway without the burden of maintenance and repairs, then leasing is the way to go! Usually you get away cheap for the first few years because the car in under warranty and most likely to can skate through the lease without any brakes or tires being replaced (unless you really drive a lot) so many times it's more cost effective especially if you are a small business owner and can write a lease off.

If you are along term owner (10 - 15 years), enjoy working on your own vehicles, take pride in ownership and just don't care about driving the latest and greatest, then buying might be for you. Some people really enjoy being familiar with a car they enjoy driving and it brings them great pleasure to show off an older vehicle in pristine condition. If you get a good vehicle and do some common sense maintenance, you can still be driving it many years after the payment book is gone.

As far as "out of your league" goes, that really depends on the deal you can get, how long you intend to own / lease it, and exactly what your league is. From what I know an Acura is nothing more than a fancy Honda and while it may cost a bit more I would not think it's THAT MUCH more. Wether or not you can afford it is your personal decision and again, IF you are in a vehicle for the long haul (10 - 15 years) you might want a nicer car you can really enjoy for that period. If leasing, it probably won't matter much because you will be out of it in short order. Sometimes you can get a better leasing deal on a more expensive vehicle due to the cars residual value. Shop around and see.

Owned my Honda for almost 12 years (just totaled it).
Don't like working on any cars like this as they are to complicated, but that little Honda only needed about $1000 in repairs out of my pocket since new, and ran and drove like new until I wrecked it.
I was sold on the Honda stuff, but my research says that pretty much all brands are down in quality in the last 10 or so years.

 

[max]

Let me second the opinion of the Ford Edge. I just bought my wife a 2017 model and it is very impressive.

I have driven Acura's and they are very nice indeed. Honda dealers can do some of the service, but some has to be done at an Acura dealer.

I suppose I bought out of my league the last car I bought. I was in the car business and had access to most models. My last 3 cars from about 92 to a couple of years ago had been Bonnevilles with the exception of a Park Avenue that had been my dads. Three or so years ago, I bought a Lincoln MKS. I was thinking about a Cadillac or Impala, but the local dealer didn't want to talk to me. I used to sell cars to older men who would tell me "This will be the last car I ever buy." Maybe that is where I am with the Lincoln.

 

[Breakaway500]

I've been a professional mechanic for over 45 years. That being said..my advice on buying any new car/truck is get the extended warranty,especially to cover the electronics.

I am seeing 4-5 year old everything,including Acuras,Lexus,MBZ,Audis,Fords,GMs.. etc etc with electronics issues, just out of warranty that are costing thousands of dollars to fix. It's not like you can ignore them either as they won't pass state inspections with problems and climate controls that don't work make most vehicles miserable.I'm not even going to go into all the transmission issues they are all having. it's a real expensive mess.Some days I hate answering the phone..

So much in todays vehicles is electronically controlled and usually has to go back to the mother ship to be diagnosed properly,and even then it can be hit or miss and you get to foot the bill once the warranty is gone.

It sure was a simpler time when things ran on cables and gears...instead of smoke and mirrors..

 

[03hemi]

According to Dave Ramsey; The total value of all your vehicles—things with a motor in them—should not be more than half of your annual income.

 

[prairieviper]

I've been a professional mechanic for over 45 years. That being said..my advice on buying any new car/truck is get the extended warranty,especially to cover the electronics

Good advice on the extended warranty. We had a Lincoln that had nothing but electrical problems the entire time we owned it. More recently, my 19 year old Chevy Silverado developed problems with the electronic door locks and windows, along with some other mechanical problems.

We started buying the extended warranty when we traded the Lincoln for my wife's Jeep Cherokee and more recently, when we traded the Silverado on a Ram 1500. If you have ever put out the big bucks out of your own pocket to 'fix' these problems, you will appreciate the extended warranty and consider it money well spent.

On a side note, after my electrical issues experiences with windows and locks on my old Silverado, I swore that my next truck would have a V6, old fashioned manual door locks and crank windows and that is exactly what I got. I couldn't be happier.

 

[LoboGunLeather]

Decades ago, as a young man, I admired (perhaps coveted) some of the high-end automobiles, but had no financial means to support my desires. My vehicle selections were always based more on utilitarian values for a working class family, rather than personal preferences. Bought a lot of 2-3 year old used cars, the age at which high depreciation has occurred but relatively low mileage vehicles could be found that would be likely to provide several years of good service. That approach worked pretty well over the years.

Now I am retired fairly comfortably, no house payments, no debt to speak of, so I can afford just about anything I want. I still stick closely to "need" rather than "desire" (probably due to a lifetime of frugality), and I tend to deal aggressively when vehicle shopping. Last new car was for my wife in 2015, sticker price $27,000, drove it home for $20,000, including sales taxes. Last new truck (March 2018) was a year-end closeout, sticker price $37,000, my trade-in had NADA average trade value of $6600, and I drove the new truck home for $20,000 and sales taxes. Both of those vehicles are intended to provide 10-plus years of service.

When I go shopping my credit union (member for over 35 years) provides me with a letter indicating both pre-approved financing and attesting to funds on deposit to cover my personal check. This provides great leverage in negotiations; car dealers know that about half of all buyers cannot get the necessary financing to complete a deal, and they certainly don't want a qualified buyer to walk away.

I always figure that sticker prices on lower-end vehicles allow for 20-25% dealer profit, and on the higher-end about 30-35% profit. This guides me in making offers and deciding whether to haggle or just start for the door. I have walked away a few times, but never without the dealer trying to close the deal at considerably less than first offered.

Of course, if you fall in love with the car first (and the dealer knows it) you are much less likely to catch a deal.

 

[Bozz10mm]

I have a Mazda CX 5 non turbo that is mostly my wife's vehicle. It has plenty zoom. It was quite a change from her '98 Honda CRV. Acuras are good cars, but way pricier than the Mazda.

 

[LVSteve]

Rode around a city in Mexico in one of the late year V6 RDX models. I was very impressed with the smoothness of the drivetrain and the way the suspension dealt with the awful roads. The interior was of high quality, too.

One thing to check if it bothers you. Honda and Acura mounted a hate campaign on knobs for many years and the volume control was one of them that got axed. MMI fail for me. Sure, there are steering wheel controls and no doubt some funky electronic slider, but a knob is what works for me.

 

[Farmer17]

The Accura RDX is highly rated and one of the best mid sized crossovers but if you are worried about buying over your head...then DON'T, no automobile is worth that. My wife was wanting a new SUV and she likes power and acceleration and we bought her in April a 2017 Inifinity QX 50 with 16,800 miles on it in brand new condition with 60k mile warranty for under $24K. About every option you could think of, leather, sun roof, heated power seats, dual climate control, etc and 325 hp V6 that will run like a hot rod! Quarter mile time in under 14 seconds and 155 mph top speed and its smooth and quiet with excellent handling. After 2017 Infinity switched to a weaker 4 cylinder engine but look for a good used 2017 in your area, I don't think you'll be disappointed.

 

[Ματθιας]

Even though I worked for dealerships for many years, I don't know anything about today's newer vehicles, but I know I wouldn't buy one. With all the complicated integrated electronic systems I think they are expensive problems waiting to happen especially if problem is beyond the skills and tools of a DIYer and the vehicle is out of warranty. No, thanks. Don't get me wrong, they are great when everything is working the way it should!




I did buy a car out of my league. It was a Vette. I was in my late 20's. It wasn't the initial cost of the vehicle, that wasn't the problem. It was the tires, parts, and the maintenance/repairs I couldn't do myself due to lack of skill, or tools or time on my part.
I had an improperly built differential go out due to a bad bearing - the person who had the car before me, changed ratios. Finding the Dana 44 and not having a core along with not having a lift or the tools and skills to deal with the rear suspension cost me big time! The labor rate and time was the worst part of the bill! Yeah, I learned my expensive lesson.

 

[bigwheelzip]

We looked at all the vehicles you mentioned and many more in that category, while looking for something a little taller to help with getting in and out. Hubby didn't fit well in any of them. Got the new VW Tiguan because it had the most room for him.

Good luck in your search.

 

[URIT]

The only crossover I've driven is an Infinity and that was a dealer loaner from the service department. I liked the ride and acceleration.

I read a review, posted below, that compares the Acura RDX and the Infinity QX50, and found their review of the Acura a bit more positive that the Car and Driver review of the RDX-A Spec.

Acura RDX Vs. Infiniti QX50: The Best Of Their Brands

 

[old bear]

I don’t know anything about the Acura line of cars. I do know that I’ve been a car guy, on a budget, for years. So, I’ve always bought the car I REALLY wanted and keep them for 5 plus years.
All I can offer is buy what you want, take good care of it, and enjoy having it.

 

[ColbyBruce]

One of my former co-workers owned a RDX. It required an oil change every 1,500 miles; I believe because it was turbo-charged. She had a 110 mile daily commute so she was at the dealership about every three weeks. Check on maintenance schedules and costs.

 

[Smithpride]

I’d save some money and get a 3 year old vehicle in good condition that’ll save you 40% off new.