Acura RDX or Chevy Equinox

[schamp]

Looking at getting a Acura RDX for daughter's first car or a Chevy Equinox. My wife drove a rented Equinox and liked it. She of course doesn't know if it was a 4 or a 6.
My honda guy said to watch out for the turbo on the 2.3 engine in the RDX. My chevy guy says chevy has had timming belt problems on the equinox and that oil changes and the proper oil is crucial.
Any thoughts on these from the Pelican brain trust?

Thanks

[kaisen]

Equinox does not, and has never, had a timing belt....they're chains

[schamp]

Good to know. Chain. Got it. Is the Equinox a throw away car after 100 thousand miles or is it some of GM's better stuff?

[JAR0023]

New, used or CPO? 2013 RDX has a V-6 with cylinder deactivation. I'm biased. I'd pick Acura/Honda all day over a GM product. CPO warranty from Acura would give you 100k on the engine. That should give you a little comfort on the Turbo issues.

Honda CRV? RDX size without the turbo.

Does it need to be a cute ute? Acura TSX sedan.

Again I'm biased. Wife currently drives an 08 TSX and it's been a great car. Lots of luxury car features along with Honda-like mainenance. She occasionally pines for more torque and a taller vehicle. New RDX is on my radar.

J

[Rick V]

Originally Posted by schamp

Good to know. Chain. Got it. Is the Equinox a throw away car after 100 thousand miles or is it some of Isuzu's better stuff?

Is that what you meant?

[schamp]

Most likely used. Looking for a 2011 or 2012 RDX. I don't see them in this part of Georgia much at all.
My honda guy steered me away from a CRV cause of the A/C issues. I hear the RDX with the turbo is a fun little car.
Thanks

[schamp]

Not sure what you mean by Isuzu? I hate to pay about the same for an Equinox and in two or three years have a car that not worth putting new brakes on.

[Rick V]

Some of the GM line up is Isuzu, the Equinox is one of them. They are not so easy to work on, so if you DIY, you will learn to cuss, if you pay to have it worked on you will learn to cuss.

[Scott R]

Beware PIP5025 on the Equinox. Google it, it's a nasty issue that can't be corrected without engine replacement. More or less just a matter of time.

#PIP 5025: Excessive Oil Consumption Inspect Cylinder Walls (May 16, 2012) Document ID: 2857121

"Condition or Concern: Some customers may complain of excessive oil consumption. In most cases, the oil consumption rate will be one quart or more every 1,000 miles and the customer may notice that it did not start until the vehicle had accumulated 20,000 miles or more. In some cases, it may have appeared earlier if the customer's drive cycle mainly consists of short trip driving (more thermal-cycles). Upon inspection, the technician may note excessive oil in the fresh air side of the PCV system due to excessive crankcase pressure and blowby. They may also note that all 4 spark plugs have obvious/excessive oil deposits on them."

I wouldn't buy one of these for anyone, much less my child.

Oh and they also have "timing chain" issues as well, that's another bulletin leading to engine replacement. It's a failure in the design of the guide pins and can't be corrected without engine replacement.

[schamp]

Thanks Rick V. I do turn some wrenches, but mostly on older stuff. I for some reason don't want to start on a new learning curve on new crap.
The deal is I am thinking I will need to get two cars soon. The daughter is pretty much going to get a RDX and the wife is not going to get an equinox. The wife drives about 100 miles each day. MPG counts. Now to find a decent car for the wife. Thanks

[kaisen]

Originally Posted by Rick V

Some of the GM line up is Isuzu, the Equinox is one of them. They are not so easy to work on, so if you DIY, you will learn to cuss, if you pay to have it worked on you will learn to cuss.

The Equinox is not Isuzu. Isuzu has never had anything to do with the Equinox, past or present.

The current Equinox (2010-up) is a global vehicle with parts sourced globally. Much of the engineering was done by Opel in Germany and GM DAT in Korea.

Scott is correct, the 2.4L in the Equinox has had issues with carbon build up, clogged PCV systems, timing chain issues, variable valve actuators, etc --- all related to oil. If you've ever had a 2000-2004 Volkswagen 1.8T or Toyota V6 (or even a 2005-2008 Ford 3V 5.4L), it should sound familiar. Supposedly, GM made some significant changes in the 2012 model year, but I wouldn't bet on it.

GM's 100,000 mile powertrain warranty may come in handy

The Equinox gets rave reviews from auto journalists, but they don't have to live with them very long.

The RDX got rave reviews from no one. Ever. They didn't sell well. Ever. They were a failure in the marketplace. But as such, the used car marketplace has adjusted accordingly and they're a decent value for a Japanese-brand CUV. Not that they're bad vehicles, they just missed the mark. Still, I wouldn't buy one.

Why not look at a Mazda CX7 if you want a CUV with a turbo four?
Why not a used RAV4? Used CRV? Used Nissan Murano (V6) or Rogue (4)?
Why not a used 2011-up Explorer? Or Ford Edge?

I just bought a used 2010 RAV4 Limited 4WD with 19K miles for $20K for a local client (referral from a Pelican).
And paid $15K for a 2011 Nissan Rogue AWD with 15K miles for a Houston client with a kid going to school in Colorado.

Why you'd pay several thousand more for a used RDX is beyond me

[schamp]

Thanks Eric. Good stuff.

[Rick V]

Okay which chevy is the sister to the ascender?

[kaisen]

Originally Posted by Rick V

Okay which chevy is the sister to the ascender?

Isuzu Ascender was a rebadged Chevy Trailblazer, which was also known as the GMC Envoy, Buick Rainier, Oldsmobile Bravada, and Saab 9-7x.

But Isuzu had nothing to do with designing, engineering, or assembling the Ascender except for maybe picking out the badging

[kaisen]

Also consider a Subaru Outback or Forester! I always forget to mention them, but they're great cars and crossovers. Torquey flat fours are fun

[Rick V]

Thank you, that is the POS I was thinking of.

[NutmegCarrera]

FWIW I had an RDX for a little over 1 year.
Bought it new, and loved the fit & finish, loved the interior and was extremely comfortable.
Was pretty quick, quiet, handled well, etc...
Mine was an '07 - so either first or second year.
However...
Maintenance on an Acura seems pretty steep to me. If you do the stuff that Acura wants you to do at the dealership - it adds up pretty quick. They have low maint. intervals for lots of things.
Kind of a choppy ride, and the tires aren't cheap.
Very little usable cargo space. By volume, isn't bad - but because the cargo area is not deep, you don't get much space unless you fold the seats down.
Fuel economy is o.k. on the highway when cruising at speed, but drops like a rock in the city. I could never get over about 17mpg unless I was on the highway.
Got rid of it for an '08 subaru outback wagon (#2 for us), and have since gone to an '11 outback wagon. Milage in that one is really good with the CVT. Cargo space is that of a true wagon. For dealing with biking and generally schlepping stuff around, I love it.
Did put a bigger rear sway bar on - which makes a huge difference.
Also don't like roof rack on '10 and '11 subies. They came up with a proprietary "thing" that accepts their accessories but makes it a PITA to use Yakima or similar crossbars. Forget about carrying a canoe unless you drop about $400 to adapt to the rack base.
At this point, I'm probably rambling - and will stop.

Good luck with whatever she gets.

[schamp]

Thanks for the replys guys. I like the RDX but its likely not going to happen. I don't plan on looking at an equinox. The plan now is to put the wife in a Nissan Murano and for the immediately future let the daughter drive the 98 E320 with 90K miles. I need to get rid of some of the cars around here. They just keep showing up. Thanks

[kaisen]

The Murano's great. If it's a 2007 or older, buy an extended warranty that covers the CVT transmission. The new generation is better, and Nissan covers it with a longer warranty now from the start. Front drive (vs AWD) tend to fare better.

Muranos are fantastic other than the transmission.