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      10-26-2012, 11:07 AM   #1
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New Motor Trend review

For what it's worth:

http://www.motortrend.com/roadtests/...x1_first_test/
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      10-26-2012, 11:44 AM   #2
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Kind of a mediocre review... but when critics paint with such a broad brush, i always wonder if they're really taking the car through the paces.

Last edited by popopine; 10-26-2012 at 02:29 PM..
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      10-26-2012, 01:37 PM   #3
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Did anyone shop the rdx before deciding on the x1? like to hear your feedback on what did/didn't like about the Acura. I only shopped the evoque and wasnt impressed with the price, rear looks and space, and most importantly, LT ownership cost and reliability.
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      10-26-2012, 02:00 PM   #4
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I shopped the RDX. It's very nice. It is bigger and definitely feels bigger than the X1 - less agile. You appreciate the power liftgate, which I doubt I'll miss on the lower, somewhat smaller X1.

I for one do really like the X1 pano roof, which the RDX doesn't have - just the standard "driver's compartment" sunroof.

Fully loaded, the RDX beats the X1 on price, I think, if not by all that much. With the high end stereo, Nav, Xenon, etc. I think the RDX is between 38 and 39. MPG is less, though, and no free maintenance...

I really needed a second car as far back as early September, so I tried to talk myself into the RDX over the X1 but couldn't do it...

Oh and boring colors was another reason - I think the RDX comes in several shades of monochrome...I ordered Midnight Blue for my X1 (still a few weeks away, and sailing through a hurricane...)

Last edited by mullini; 10-26-2012 at 02:09 PM.. Reason: OCD
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      10-26-2012, 03:16 PM   #5
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I looked the TSX wagon with a glance at the RDX. I did not like the looks of the RDX and as mentioned Acura's color palette is pretty lousy. If the upgraded stereo is anything like the TSX one it will blow you away. If I just cared about the stereo I would have bought the TSX instead of the X1. Acura's interior design is very button heavy which gave the cars a very "busy" feel.

The RDX has the V6 that the TSX wagon should have. The wagon is a bit underwhelming with non-turbo four. The RDX is quick with a 0-60 time close to the 28i X1. The 35i is around a second better to 60. Acura's seem to have gone in the direction of comfort rather than sport and the handling is no where near what you can get on the BMW.

The fully loaded RDX with AWD is a shade over $40K. Based on my experience with the wagon you can probably get it for around the mid $38K's. At the end of the day the RDX is an upgraded CR-V. While it is reasonably fast in a straight line it will not handle like the X1. But if you need more cargo capacity and mostly want a good highway cruiser it is a car worth looking at. Though if you don't need all the luxury features or the horsepower then you should be buying a CR-V instead. It is a better deal provided you don't want speed, handling, or luxury.
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      10-26-2012, 03:25 PM   #6
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The Acura RDX doesn't have turbo, and it's also max 50% power to the rear wheels, making it handle very differently from the X1's 80% rear wheel.

That doesn't mean it's worse, just that it's a very different vehicle.
And when all comes to all, it is, well, a Honda. For better and for worse.
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      10-26-2012, 03:44 PM   #7
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RDX
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      10-26-2012, 04:11 PM   #8
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I don't believe BMW considers the RDX a competitor to the X1 but more a competitor to the X3. BMW will always be premium priced over the Japanese brands and more in line with the German brands Audi and Mercedes. Yes if your shopping totally on a price point the RDX compares with the X1 but they really are different vehicles. The RDX is 7.5" inches longer and actually 1 inch longer than the X3.
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      10-26-2012, 10:28 PM   #9
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The review certainly lacked praise, but I didn't find anything glaringly inaccurate. Their earlier pre-release test was far more positive, however.

The X1 really competes with the RDX in price only as the RDX is quite a bit larger. The RDX made my short list, but there were a few deficiencies that really bothered me - particularly the basic AWD system and manual-only passenger seat. Since my nearest Acura dealer is 60 miles away, and they refused to deal ($500 off MSRP), I elected to keep looking. I did like the RDX, but felt my money was better spent elsewhere. Interestingly, the same dealer that refused to negotiate on the RDX offered me a pretty well equipped MDX for $40k. Helluva deal, but I didn't want or need anything that large.
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      10-27-2012, 02:51 AM   #10
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In the test, the 35i out stopped the 28i even though being heavier; does it have bigger brakes vs the electric generating brakes in the 28i? The numbers do seem disappointing for a BMW even with the 35i. My 530i had large brakes from the 540i vs the 525i and could stop on a dime which gives you a very secure feeling.
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      10-27-2012, 08:44 AM   #11
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Humble_Bear View Post
In the test, the 35i out stopped the 28i even though being heavier; does it have bigger brakes vs the electric generating brakes in the 28i? The numbers do seem disappointing for a BMW even with the 35i. My 530i had large brakes from the 540i vs the 525i and could stop on a dime which gives you a very secure feeling.
Some differences in braking/brakes discussed here:

http://e84.xbimmers.com/forums/showt...5#post12875175
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      10-27-2012, 10:35 AM   #12
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Quote:
Originally Posted by two-five boy View Post
Did anyone shop the rdx before deciding on the x1? like to hear your feedback on what did/didn't like about the Acura. I only shopped the evoque and wasnt impressed with the price, rear looks and space, and most importantly, LT ownership cost and reliability.
Same here, looked at the Evoque, the car design is nice and stands out, however, from agility point of view, handling and feeling X1 won hands down.
(This is without taking in considerations previous opinions and unreliability complaints from some friends who own Range Rovers.)
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      10-27-2012, 12:05 PM   #13
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Bill B. View Post
Some differences in braking/brakes discussed here:

http://e84.xbimmers.com/forums/showt...5#post12875175
Thanks Bill, you answered my question that the 35i does come with bigger rotors. This is a unknown advantage for the 35i that many were not aware of. But to my surprise, even with bigger rotors, the breaking is still unspectacular comparing to BMW's traditional standards.
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      10-27-2012, 01:19 PM   #14
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Humble_Bear View Post
But to my surprise, even with bigger rotors, the breaking is still unspectacular comparing to BMW's traditional standards.
I'd be happy if it didn't break spectacularly...

As for how strong the brakes are, it also matters how well controlled they are. I've driven cars that more or less had on/off brakes, and while they could stop quickly, making a smooth stop at a predetermined point was really difficult.
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      10-27-2012, 01:34 PM   #15
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I drove the RDX and its engine/tranny felt dated. It had some cheap plastics like the X1 but particularly the electronics seemed cheap although the stereo is quite good. As mentioned the awd is going to be adequate for most people but its basically a fwd vehicle. It is not a drivers car but it is a very nice car.

That review hit all of my few complaints, but they didn't talk about how well the X1 drives and how nothing else but the more expensive Q5 or Evoque is as good of a driver's car. I bought for the drive, rear biased awd, cargo space, and IMO good looks in and out.
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      10-27-2012, 02:00 PM   #16
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Humble_Bear View Post
Thanks Bill, you answered my question that the 35i does come with bigger rotors. This is a unknown advantage for the 35i that many were not aware of. But to my surprise, even with bigger rotors, the breaking is still unspectacular comparing to BMW's traditional standards.
Yeah, BMW changed their pad composition sometime in 2009/2010 to a ceramic type pad. They have much less initial bite than the older style pads, but on the plus side, they produce much less dust.

The X1 35i has the same rotors as the 135i, but unfortunately doesn't use the brembo calipers.
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      10-27-2012, 05:32 PM   #17
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Bill B. View Post
Yeah, BMW changed their pad composition sometime in 2009/2010 to a ceramic type pad. They have much less initial bite than the older style pads, but on the plus side, they produce much less dust.

The X1 35i has the same rotors as the 135i, but unfortunately doesn't use the brembo calipers.
I wondered why I have almost no brake dust on my X1 and my 2007 E93 wheels are black in a week so now I know.
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      10-29-2012, 06:31 PM   #18
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Lucky13 View Post
I wondered why I have almost no brake dust on my X1 and my 2007 E93 wheels are black in a week so now I know.
I don't know how you guys don't get dust, mine is black in one week...
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      10-30-2012, 02:20 PM   #19
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would the BMW Performance Brake Kit be a better solution?
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      10-30-2012, 02:35 PM   #20
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Tracus View Post
I don't know how you guys don't get dust, mine is black in one week...
All my BMW's had bad BD but my x1 has hardly any but I do have black wheels now..LOL
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      10-31-2012, 07:17 PM   #21
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I evaluated lots of vehicles before leasing the X1 but I barely considered the RDX so in my situation they weren't direct competitors. I wanted something with better fuel economy then the RDX that was also more compact.

If I was a car reviewer, I would offer lightly equipped 4 cylinder X1's fairly lavish praise based upon a good overall value proposition but on heavily equipped vehicles, it makes sense to start talking a bit more about possible alternatives and whether or not prospective buyers need a car with more space. At least for folks who want to check a lot of the options, there is the ultimate package which offers a little bit of savings.

I think a lot of urban dwellers considering non entry level luxury cars would be very happy with a bare bones X1 with perhaps just iDrive or no options at all. The relatively small footprint for the space inside is a nice selling point in cities where it can be hard to park. And the good fuel economy helps not only save money but trips to the gas station as well.

In all likelihood, the fuel economy is overstated but I still think the sDrive X1 after it settles in will get 32 mpg highway driven at around 72 mph which isn't bad. After having driven the X1 a bit, I think the criticism of auto stop start is a little overblown. Yes, unlike a Prius you clearly hear it and notice the vibration but it isn't that big of a deal and you can time it so the engine is back on when you need to start going again. And you always have the option to turn it off or keep it off.

I think the X1 is superb for how a lot of people actually drive their cars that aren't track or true off-road enthusiasts but do appreciate good handling and fairly quiet ride in a small utilitarian package.

For prospective buyers that don't want any options, the sDrive X1 can be head for a little under 28k via European Delivery. There really isn't a good competitor at that price point especially after you factor in the included maintenance which perhaps is worth about $600.
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      10-31-2012, 07:34 PM   #22
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Tirpitz View Post
I looked the TSX wagon with a glance at the RDX. I did not like the looks of the RDX and as mentioned Acura's color palette is pretty lousy. If the upgraded stereo is anything like the TSX one it will blow you away. If I just cared about the stereo I would have bought the TSX instead of the X1. Acura's interior design is very button heavy which gave the cars a very "busy" feel.

The RDX has the V6 that the TSX wagon should have. The wagon is a bit underwhelming with non-turbo four. The RDX is quick with a 0-60 time close to the 28i X1. The 35i is around a second better to 60. Acura's seem to have gone in the direction of comfort rather than sport and the handling is no where near what you can get on the BMW.

The fully loaded RDX with AWD is a shade over $40K. Based on my experience with the wagon you can probably get it for around the mid $38K's. At the end of the day the RDX is an upgraded CR-V. While it is reasonably fast in a straight line it will not handle like the X1. But if you need more cargo capacity and mostly want a good highway cruiser it is a car worth looking at. Though if you don't need all the luxury features or the horsepower then you should be buying a CR-V instead. It is a better deal provided you don't want speed, handling, or luxury.
I pretty much agree with everything you just said.

I was in the TSX wagon when my father was test driving it. I thought it had way too many buttons as well and frankly I wasn't that impressed with the vehicle overall given its price but I have no doubt that it probably has a better stereo then the non upgraded BMW stereo. And for cost conscious drivers who plan to keep their vehicles a very long time and are not really driving enthusiasts, the TSX wagon starts to make more sense since it should be reliable.

The new CRV supposedly is pretty nice in the interior for the price point but it sacrifices speed and is reportedly I believe the cabin allows in more noise as well.
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