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Acura MDX (pre-2007)

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Comments

  • zoomazooma Member Posts: 19
    First, several of you have mentioned that the running boards get in the way. Are they worth it, however, if you have young kids (< age 5) getting in and out? Or are they just too awkward for adults? (And is it just taller adults, shorter adults, or anyone?)

    Second, I have not been able to see a granite green MDX in person. Can anyone tell me if it is similar to last year's Lexus (sedan's) metallic light green/silverish color? Or is it darker? Hard to tell from pictures. Have put down both GG and silver as choices, but considering focusing on just the former. Thanks in advance.
  • zonnzonn Member Posts: 9
    The GG color on the MDX is the same as their color "Laguna" on the TL and other sedans. I found this was useful when trying to visualize my MDX. In person, the GG on the MDX is a grey with a hint of green. The green comes out more with direct sunlight.

    I hope this helps.
  • nyckidnyckid Member Posts: 16
    GG is not the same as the Mineral Opalescant Green from the Lexus. GG is more of a deeper grey with hints of green and metallic flecks. For pictures of a granit green, visit www.acuramdx.org and go to galleries. One of our fellow posters has posted great photos of his GG w/Touring.
  • miriam8miriam8 Member Posts: 5
    Does anyone know what the SSF (static stability factor) is for the MDX? Thanks in advance
  • nyckidnyckid Member Posts: 16
    My dealer is saying that there is a delay of about 1 week in the vehicles that were supposed to be produced between December 5 - 9. This means that I may not see my baby before Christmas.

    Can someone tell me if that is true?
  • dels7080dels7080 Member Posts: 1
    I presently have an Explorer which has terrible headlight projection and has to be augmented with PIAA driving lights for back-country driving. How is the brightness of the MDX headlights (or compared to the Explorer if someone has previously owned one)?
  • transpowertranspower Member Posts: 213
    Going back to one of your previous posts:

    Coin holder I agree with you that the coin holder tray of the MDX does not segregate quarters, dimes, and nickels (too much entropy, don't you know). The solution? Just go to your local Pep Boys and purchase a high quality $5 coin holder; I bought one with two rows, each with depressable buttons for quarters, dimes, and nickels. I put it in the top portion of the center console and fastened it with velcro. So, what to do with the old coin holder tray? I use it to store used toothpicks (after cleaning my teeth, after lunch).

    Stares and Ogles You seem to be disappointed that your MDX isn't getting more attention. Over here, I've been stopped several times by strangers. A Pathfinder owner exclaimed "Wow, that's beautiful." He said his lease was almost up and was going to consider replacing his Pathfinder with an MDX--he especially liked the width and stability of the MDX. At a gas station, a Lexus owner came over to my GG/Touring/Nav MDX and exclaimed "Neat, really neat." He liked the less cluttered sides. I responded that, although I like the clean, handsome look, I'm somewhat concerned about door dents and dings. (But by Murphy's law, these will occur precisely where there is no side molding or other kind of protection. For the time being I'm going to defer doing anything; I don't want to be in the position of the mediocre architect who takes a beautiful modern building and destroys it by the addition of a Greek portico.)

    Accessores My business transaction with A & H Motors went exactly as agreed. The rear mud flaps, the wood stick shift knob, the cargo cover, and the wood meter trim look great. (I'm still waiting for the cargo net, as is everybody else). By the way, the wood stick shift knob provides much more leverage for use with the gated shifter.

    Gas Mileage My MDX is now just pass break-in (650 miles). I'll wait until 1000 miles before posting the figures. FWIW, I'm using Exxon 93.

    Transpower
  • zonnzonn Member Posts: 9
    I ordered an MDX in early August and took delivery on November 28th. I was willing to pay MSPR on this vehicle and I didn&#146;t want any overpriced options. I went to Hoehn Acura in Carlsbad CA (25 minuets north of San Diego on Hwy 5) on several occasions to talk to them about the MDX and get any information that I could. The salesmen did their best to provide any information they had because this was in July when vehicle information was scarce and pricing information was non-existent. The salesman I spoke to assured me that the dealership policy was not to jack up the price or charge for any &#147;forced&#148; options. I returned to Hoehn once I learned that Acura released their price information and I found that the Acura prices matched the dealers&#146; prices written on a large whiteboard in the sales managers office. The only remaining question was the destination price that had not been released from Acura quite yet. I put down my $500 refundable deposit for a touring w/Navi and left the store. When color choices were made available, the salesman called me and I choose granite green.

    During the waiting period, I visited two other Acura dealers in the north San Diego area and the first was forcing options (pin stripping, $950 running boards, etc…) and the second was non-committal on whether they would require options or not. I was satisfied that I put my deposit with the better choice of the three. Since I am not a seasoned negotiator and not experienced in buying cars, I researched all that I could from the internet and found this great town hall site at Edmunds.com. I even read the Confessions of a car salesman article published on that site and was prepared for the worst when it came for my time to take possession of my MDX.

    I was glad to have been so prepared because I learned so much and actually got addicted to this Town Hall group. However, I never got to use any of the negotiation skills that I brushed up on. The deal went quite smoothly. I paid MSRP, applicable taxes, $45 documentation fee and state registration. I even made a deal to have the towing package and plood wheel installed at another time at a reduced price. I was very pleased and a bit ashamed of the lack of trust that I had regarding this dealers promises, but I&#146;m still glad I researched and prepared just the same.

    I believe that the waiting list for a MDX is a few months long at Hoehn, but, I wanted to offer my experience with this dealer and recommend it to people looking in the San Diego area. The name of my sales person is Elie Daher. I have been equally impressed with the parts manager and service manager.
  • zonnzonn Member Posts: 9
    I have been looking for an Odyssey for my dad in Maryland for sometime. The Odyssey has a similar waiting list, mark-up or forced accessories from the Honda dealers as the MDX has with some Acura dealers. After looking in Annapolis, San Diego, St Louis and even San Louis Obispo, I wrote Tim at Hondacuraworld to see if he could help me find a reputable dealer that could ship an Odyssey to Maryland for my Dad. Well, he promptly responded by referring me to the Ray Laks&#146; sister dealership Ray Laks Honda which is located across the parking lot from where Tim is. He assured me that they don&#146;t play games with prices and gave me Ann MacDonald&#146;s name and phone number who sells for Honda. Well, not only do they have several in stock, they will even ship a new to my father&#146;s door for a fair price. The deal was for MSRP and Ann offered to go through all the features of the over the phone so my dad can crawl around his new Granite Green Ody EX with his cell and have the same experience as if he picked it up at the dealer. I was very impressed. Thank you Tim for your resourcefulness and thank you Ann for your great service.
  • jack142jack142 Member Posts: 3
    Thanks to all who responded to my question of the comfort of the seats. I am now looking forward to my purchase of an MDX in February even more. Thanks again!
  • kenyeekenyee Member Posts: 738
    Still curious about whether it can slide sideways. FYI, X5's can fishtail and MLs can slide sideways in snow/ice...
  • cotmccotmc Member Posts: 1,081
    In your post #551, were you referring to me? I'm a bit confused, because I don't remember making any significant comments regarding the coinholder or about the lack of attention toward our MDX. If I did mention either item, it must have been quite a while ago! Just curious whether you may have been referring to somebody else? A phone call to my new neurologist hangs in the balance...

    I definitely second your comments about the wood shift knob and the woodgrain meter trim. The burlwood shift knob should be given strong consideration as an upgrade for new MDX owners, especially by anyone buying one with the saddle interior.
  • need4spdneed4spd Member Posts: 92
    To install the wood shift knob, do you just unscrew the old one?
  • bullet1edmbullet1edm Member Posts: 17
    I can confirm that I have felt a little bit of sideway sliding with my MDX yesterday and today when turning on some of icy patches after the Sunday night snow storm here (Denver, CO). But I have not experienced fishtail yet with my MDX. With my Camry's fishtailing experience, I tried to take the snowy and icy corners easy and slow.
  • kenyeekenyee Member Posts: 738
    bullet1edm:
    I always thought fishtailing happened only on rear-drive cars? That's why the X5 fishtails; the power balance is toward the rear. The MDX should act pretty much like a front wheel drive car. I'm surprised your front-drive Camry fishtailed.
  • transpowertranspower Member Posts: 213
    Sorry, Cotmc, I meant dfc101a, referring to post #416. (Also, forgive my typo in "accessories."

    Need4spd: Yes, the shift knob just screws in. By the way, I think the UAW assembler of my gate shifter could have been less stingy with the silicone.

    Transpower
  • wmquanwmquan Member Posts: 1,817
    We got our front-wheel drive Integra to fishtail into an all-out spin a few years ago. Took a slick curve at too high a speed, and hit the ice around the bend, on the shaded side. The vehicle tried to pull itself forward, since that's where the wheels were, but the rear end couldn't grip and stay tucked in and just started fishtailing out. Just had too much momentum.

    4WD, sticky tires, wide track, stability control, etc. can help. But under certain conditions, you can't defy the laws of physics. I read the M-class post about the ML320 owner sliding sideways, which I assumed was the cause of your query here. Even ESP can only do so much. Short of ejecting an anchor, common sense is the best technology.

    (BTW, that ML320 owner said it was a 10-15mph turn with the foot off the gas. I really wonder if Robert is right and the trick is to keep some level of power applied in the turn, so that the wheels -- especially the front -- are at least trying to pull the vehicle through.)
  • kenyeekenyee Member Posts: 738
    William:
    Interesting that you got the Integra to do that. Guess I drove mine too slowly after that incident I had where I ground a wheel down on a curb :-)

    Yep. The ML incident was one reason for the query; the other was an X5 owner comment on bimmer.org mentioning that the X5 fishtailed and slid. There was also another incident on Audiworld where an A4 owner spun out on ice and flipped over a curb. All these incidents had me puzzling over whether Acura had found the magic formula in VTM to prevent this since no one here has mentioned sliding sideways yet. Just morbid curiosity I suppose ;-)
  • bullet1edmbullet1edm Member Posts: 17
    Ken,
    I'm no auto expert so I cannot explain why my '88 Camry did that. I know when the back tires are old, and/or if I give too much gas, the car is more like to fishtail. Maybe the newer Camry's would be less likely to fishtail.

    Yesterday when I made a left turn at a light, the intersection was partially covered by some snow and slippery, a front wheel drive car in front of me fishtailed as it made the turn. My Camry has done that before at the same spot. But my MDX went through fine. Of course I did not press the gas pedal too hard.
  • gipplegipple Member Posts: 10
    I cannot seem to figure out how to hook this mess up. I thought I had it but it seems to be bigger then necessary. Does this thing have to be folded?
  • wmquanwmquan Member Posts: 1,817
    Ken, no magic formula. VTM-4 helps in some circumstances. Stability control helps in some of those same circumstances, and some additional ones (which is why I'd want it in my next vehicle). But neither is a panacea and can claim ultimate snow/ice-going superiority; as trucklover once said here, we all like our little toys and gadgets, but there's no magic bullet. There's nothing so far that'll counter a significant lack of grip when there's some momentum going.

    I am surprised to hear about the X5 fishtailing and sliding, especially with its DSC. Again, another can't-defy-physics case?

    I do find it interesting that more than one poster is recommending applying some power through the turn (keep the foot on the gas) to pull the vehicle through. Makes sense and it's something that people might want to practice in a safe, isolated area if they can, to see if they're comfortable with it and if their vehicle is too (start out slowly!!!).

    In theory, if this is the correct approach, then VTM-4 could provide some assistance since there's some torque to be distributed (as opposed to none when braking) -- the possible issue then being the inability of the MDX to split between the two front wheels, and just getting a grip in the first place.

    As far as fishtailing Integras and Camrys go, what usually helps is putting some weight in the rear. E.g. about 50-80lbs of road salt in bags. Not good for mileage, but definitely helps keep the rear tucked in.

    gipple, if you put the net in a horizontal position, it kind of flops around on the floor. Secured to the four cargo hooks in the floor. You have to distribute its considerable slack. I just tend to slide things under it, and it seems happen. I had originally expected it to be more elasticky and floor-hugging but I guess it's not.
  • gipplegipple Member Posts: 10
    I want it to hang at the back so when I open the hatch nothing falls out. The picture shows that you can do this but I cannot figure it out.
  • railrrailr Member Posts: 36
    There are two ways to [i]hook[/i] up the cargo net -- both depicted (noy very well) in the instructions.

    I hooked up mine in the vertical method for holding groceries -- to do it this way, you have to remove the hook anchor covers on the floor of the MDX at the rear to expose the metal hook anchors. Lay the cargo net flat and fold it in half, attach two of the (4) supplied hooks to the bottom (closed) half of the net (at the fold) -- the hooks should be attached onto the rubber bungy cord and the hook opening should be directed away from the net. Now clip each of the two hooks to the exposed anchors on the floor of the MDX at the back of the vehicle, and one at a time - loop the rubber bungy cord at the four corners at the other end of the net (the top of the fold/net opening) to the hooks on either side of the rear of the MDX.

    The horizontal installation requires that the 3rd row seat be flat -- ensure that the 3rd row seat belts are retracted correctly... As an aside, I'll comment that [i]most of the dealers aren't retracting the 3rd row seat belts correctly[/i] -- they need to be unclipped and stored at the rear of the vehicle... Anyhow, once the seats are down, and the seat belts out of the way, then you simply attach each of the 4 hooks to a corner of the bungy cord at the corners and clip the hooks to the anchors in the cargo area.

    Hope this makes some sort of sense :^)

    Rail
  • dfc101adfc101a Member Posts: 35
    Coin Holder -- Thanks for the coin holder solution - I will definitely go that route. Any trips involving a toll have been frustrating. Complaining about a coin holder is rather silly, but I'm annoyed because that should have been so easy to get right. Even the Accord has a better design built into the center console - Oh well.

    Stares and Ogles -- I was actually stopped recently by a couple of people, but still the MDX has not gotten the recognition I expected. Not disappointed as I know I have a great vehicle, just surprised.

    Whom ever gave the bold and italics posting tips, thanks I learned something.

    I will be taking my MDX into the shop today to get the 3rd row rattles, 3rd row load floor to lay flat, and a cold start hesitation fixed. I think wmquan asked a while ago if the 3rd row seats should lay completely flat, and from my admittedly brief investigation, the 3rd row seats should lay 'perfectly'level. I let you know the outcome.
  • taxguy2001taxguy2001 Member Posts: 1
    Just bought a Black/Ebony MDX with Touring
    Package. Paid MSRP. I shopped this car for over a
    month throughout California. The MDX is definitely
    in short supply relative to demand, and the dealers know it. Most dealers are demanding (and getting) $2,000+ over MSRP. Others APPEAR to offer MSRP, but when youlook closer, they have "accessorized" the car with thousands of dollars of accessories that cost the dealer only a fraction of that price. Either way, you are getting ripped by the dealers. But there is a better way. Do your homework. Get a print-out (from this web site) of all the dealers in a 500 mile radius and start calling. That's how I found Prestige Acura in Santa Rosa Calif. Those folks are more interested in volume than trying to
    squeeze every last dollar out of each buyer. Talk
    to David Woods. He is a genuinely nice guy. You'll
    probably have to order your car, but you will only
    pay MSRP. And you will be treated with dignity ...
    no, really. My car took about 3 weeks from order to pick-up. Hang in there. Don't give in to dealer
    mark-ups!
  • kenyeekenyee Member Posts: 738
    William:
    I think it has a lot to do w/ the torque distribution. BMW deliberately set it up to have more (60%?) to the rear to give it a rear drive "feel". I think Drew even noticed this tendency on his X5 test drive.

    railr:
    Nifty that the MDX nets can be used in multiple positions. The ML ones are specific to side, front, rear, or floor.
  • m5stevem5steve Member Posts: 4
    Has anyone made any changes to their MDX to make it

    I would presume any "performance" handling package would include wider tires, lowering the vehicle a bit, and changing out the shocks, springs, and anti-roll bars. I believe the MDX could be made to handle and drive similar to the BMW X5.

    Now, what about the drivetrain? Are there any performance modifications available for the Acura 3.5 liter V6? This engine has been around for awhile now in other models. Does anyone know of "tuners" for Acuras? I imagine a few HP could be gained by letting the V6 breath better. Perhaps a free flowing exhaust, some type of Cold Air Induction (CAI) system, and K&N Filters. Simple engine mods (hot cam, etc.) could net another 20 HP easy.
  • soibeansoibean Member Posts: 3
    Hi
    I was wondering if anyone had experience with the

    1) separation net - which allows you to stack cargo above the window line.
    2) cargo net - which seems to be for things like groceries...

    Have people had good experience with these items?
    thanks in advance
  • soibeansoibean Member Posts: 3
    Does anybody have an answer to miriam8's question regarding what is the SSF for the Acura MDX?

    I read somewhere that the NHTSA was going to come out with the rankings for all 2001 vehicles but I haven't seen it yet.
    thanks in advance
  • railrrailr Member Posts: 36
    I have the cargo net mounted in the vertical position (see #569) - It works well for keeping groceries from falling over, etc -- however it does mean you will have to lift other items over the cargo net when loading the cargo area... or simply unhook the cargo net.

    Rail
  • need4spdneed4spd Member Posts: 92
    Thanks for posting. Just wondering if the molding is too high to be effective against most cars. OTOH, putting it at the level of the "line" created where the upper and lower body pieces meet might look awkward. But because it's shorter, maybe a 12' roll would cover both sides?
  • lowe5lowe5 Member Posts: 7
    taxguy2001,

    I, too, ordered a MDX from David at Prestige and he told me that we'd have to wait until April. When did you place your order?
  • bullet1edmbullet1edm Member Posts: 17
    The new layout looks pretty good!

    But there are three small problems:

    1. I cannot find my old place marks.

    2. The message posted between Dec 14, 2000 at 02:37 AM and sometimes today noon ST are not showing.

    3. It does not seem to recognize html tags.

    What is happening?
  • researching1researching1 Member Posts: 1
    I drove my MDX during and after the snow storm this week and it did better than I expected. I made it to work the day after the storm when others didn't attempt. The VTM cant really be detected when it kicks in, it is really SMOOTH. The braking system as well as the VIM system handled the snow with no problem. We had 14 inch with drifts. I cant say enough good things about this SUB. I would highly recommend it to anyone. I consider it a luxury car + SUB + mini van = the best car for the money.
  • bullet1edmbullet1edm Member Posts: 17
    As we struggle to get used to the new software, here is what I learned to enable posting at groups requiring Login even though you are already auto logged in.

    1. Dumping both the memory cache and the disk cache (Netscape) or delete temporary Internet files (IE).
    2. Disable auto login and
    3. Logout
    4. Manually login
    5. Enable auto login
  • mdx1mdx1 Member Posts: 63
    To make a long story short, in the spirit of the Town Hall software change, bullet1edm is mdx1 now.

    The full story: I was not able to post in a number of groups in the Town Hall and was getting the infamous you must login to post message over and over again. After trying many different ways without much success, I registered mdx1 as my new ID. Of course it had its own problems. Then I learned what to do (posted above with my bullet1edm ID). In the end, I decided keeping MDX1 since I drive one everyday now.

    Nelson
  • drew_drew_ Member Posts: 3,382
    Thanks for the tips above. We didn't fully anticipate the login errors, but they are being dealt with.

    Hey William, I hear there's white stuff falling from the sky around your area :-) It's doing so quite heavily right now at my place, about 700 ft above sea level (where the town is). Woo hoo!

    Drew
    Edmunds.com Townhall co-host
    Vans and Aftermarket & Accessories conferences
  • wmquanwmquan Member Posts: 1,817
    No snow around here, actually (unless one ventures out to the passes). Too warm, just rain.

    Okay, is there a time display problem with the software? Look at the time of your message (and probably this one too).
  • rgoldhrgoldh Member Posts: 1
    Bullet1edm mentioned having slipped sideways after a recent Denver snowfall. I'd be interested to know if others have experienced understeer in low-traction conditions.

    As a prospective MDX buyer, this is an important issue to me. I'm selling my Subaru Outback because of its oversteer characteristics, which I find surprising and disturbing, and would not want the MDX to do; I can deal with understeer a lot easier than oversteer, after many years of Denver winters.

    Thanks for any of your experiences so far.
  • need4spdneed4spd Member Posts: 92
    I don't know. I'm posting this at 8:20 a.m. PST. but I'll bet it says 8:20 PM even though it appears instantaneously.
  • cotmccotmc Member Posts: 1,081
    My local Acura dealer's regular price for the MDX oil change service is only $19.95. I took the MDX in yesterday for an oil change, and he gave me $2 off for a price of $17.95. By the way, that is NOT the dealer who sold us the MDX.

    Our Lexus dealer was charging much more than that for oil change services on our previous ES300.
  • ahossaahossa Member Posts: 152
    I asked 2 weeks ago if anyone has any feedback on MDX in NYC(Manhattan, Queens or Brooklyn). What I want to know how does the vehicle handle the potholes. The roads are pretty rough in the outer boros. Do passengers in the 2nd row and 3rd row feel the rough road. I also saw an MDX at Long Island City(10mins from Manhattan) Dealer for 57G which includes an entertainment center,and all the aceesories you can load onto to it. Don't think it's worth that much regardless of how great the demand is?
  • wmquanwmquan Member Posts: 1,817
    How much mileage do you have on your MDX now? Did you wait until the first recommended oil change interval, or did you do it earlier?

    My local Acura dealership sent a mailing to their list, comparing their prices with those of some popular local service places. They were actually competitive, though of course I'm sure the numbers were somewhat fudged.
  • wmquanwmquan Member Posts: 1,817
    Fuhgitaboudit! No WAY an MDX is worth $57k! You'd take a MASSIVE bath when it comes to resale, since the tacked-on accessories (including the entertainment center) would have little value compared to the vehicle itself. Remember that the MSRP with all factory accessories does not exceed $40k, so the rest is all OEM and aftermarket stuff. Plus you'd pay a signficant amount of luxury tax for that price.

    For that amount of money there's a lot more you could buy. Sure the MDX is a good value, but, IMHO, only at MSRP.

    For $57k, you could, with some work, find a dealership not local to you that is close to inventory or has inventory, fly out yourself, have a nice vacation, have the vehicle delivered back, and still have money left over.

    I can't tell you about the MDX over NYC potholes. However, I did grow up in NYC and only left there six years ago. My hunch is that the MDX will do quite well, but don't expect a Lincoln Town Car's floating ride. This is based on driving on some of the well-worn suburban side roads around here, which are surprisingly bad (they've been patched over too many times rather than resurfaced).

    The MDX is much smoother over rough roads than, say, an ML320 (which is a true truck in its underpinnings, and reminds you of that whenever you go over a slightly rough area). The RX300 is smoother, however.
  • wmquanwmquan Member Posts: 1,817
    For what it's worth, the MDX won the Automobile Journalists
    Association of Canada (AJAC) 2001 Car of the Year award in the Luxury SUV category.

    http://www.ajac.org/coty2001/index.htm

    I'm not familar with it, but AJAC _claims_ the award is based on "real-world testing": "the winners represent the best among an excellent group of new cars and trucks for 2001, as selected by a sophisticated voting process based on back-to-back, real-world testing." Also: "Unlike some other awards, they are not a popularity contest. They are unbiased and scientifically sophisticated." "We stand by our results, because we have the data to back them up. That data derives from a rigorous testing program that includes: acceleration, braking, vehicle dynamics, maneuverability even off-road capability, where applicable."

    Anyway, the MDX competed against "new" luxury SUV's: BMW X5, GMC Yukon, Infiniti QX4, Mercedes Benz ML55 (that's new?), and the Volvo Cross Country (ahem, that's an SUV?!?).

    The 0-100km/hr (0-62.14mph) numbers seemed a tad slow -- 8.7 seconds for the MDX and 9.4 for the X5 3.0. Even the ML55 number of 6.7 seconds seems a few tenths slow.

    Their ratings are at:

    http://www.ajac.org/coty2001/Lux Suv, dyn, smmry.htm

    MDX was tops in steering, 2nd to the X5 in handling and braking and "body motion."
  • kenyeekenyee Member Posts: 738
    William:
    I'm not sure the ML320's stiffness is because it's "trucky". The suspension is fairly stiff, so I can understand why people (ones that are used to cushy luxo cruisers or American boats) don't like how it feels or call it "jarring"; it feels like a toned down version of my Integra's suspension. If you want trucky, take a ride in an Explorer or 4Runner through a potholed area...you'll get a much bouncier feeling (up and down) and that's what I associate more w/ a truck.

    However, that being said, the MDX seems to handle bumps very well. I put it through some big ones on my test drive (another reason I'd never buy a test drive demo car :-). It seems to be towards the RX300 in bump absorption, yet handling isn't compromised unlike the RX300.
  • wmquanwmquan Member Posts: 1,817
    Interestingly enough, despite us having the Integra for six years, all three test driver/riders (my wife, her father who still has a '90 Integra, and me) found the 2000 ML320 more jarring (jolting was more like it). Agreed that you don't quite feel the full surface in the ML320 vs. the Integra, but whenever the ML320 hit any kind of bump, it was clearly transmitted. Perhaps it seemed more jarring because the ML320 is quieter than the Integra, and the sound effects of the thump make it stand out. But we definitely felt it, on both test drives (two different vehicles), and were quite surprised given that we were used to the Integra. Of course, the ML320 handled very nicely for its bulk, and had a nice, confident, Teutonic feel to it (though the steering felt a bit odd, but I heard the 2001's help here).

    So when I said the ML320 felt jarring, it wasn't becaues I was used to a cushy ride. But perhaps our rear ends take resonance differently than your's, since you've also had the Integra. My father-in-law felt the ML320's ride comfort was similar to his full-size Chevy pickup's (obviously the ML320 is much more agile in its handling, of course). And that the MDX was comparable to his Odyssey's.

    We didn't test drive a 2001 RX300, only a 2000 RX300. I thought the 2000 RX did ride slightly smoother than the MDX, but I didn't feel the gap was very wide (the MDX was closer to the 2000 RX in ride comfort, while the ML320 was further on the other side of the scale). We felt that the penalty in the 2000 RX's handling was significant for the relatively small increment in ride comfort.

    I am somewhat curious as to how a 2001 RX may handle/ride on this scale, but I wouldn't spend the time for a test drive since I'm not shopping right now. There's been some overzealous posts that imply that the handling is near-X5 quality. There was also a post where a 2001 owner complained so vociferously much about the ride comfort that you'd think he was driving a Wrangler. Obviously the truth lies in between.

    Overall, we've come to appreciate the MDX's relatively comfortable ride. For us, it seems (feels) like an almost ideal blend of good handling and good ride comfort (like having your cake and eating it too). Down the street from us is a road that we take every couple of weeks or so, about 5 miles of a lot of repairs-on-top-of-repairs asphalt. The Integra used to inflict enough sore-butt that we'd avoid it by driving down an avenue and losing time. No hestitation now. Judging from what we felt of the two ML320 testers, we'd still be avoiding it.
  • ardvarkusardvarkus Member Posts: 90
    Anybody get any costs for this?

    One local dealer quoted me $55 for the VTM-$ fluid change. (Includes "hand filling" and "special expensive oil". His quotes. I asked if it includes a new drain plug seal. He said no, they usually don't replace them. I pointed out the service manual requires it be replaced.... He said it would.

    I'm not overly inspired, but certainly not surprised. It is a new vehicle for them.

    Anybody see a FRONT AIR DEFLECTOR??

    Ard
  • mdx1mdx1 Member Posts: 63
    My wife and I test-drove a 2001 RX300 last September and an MDX two weeks later. We thought the ride of the RX300 was softer. On the way back from the RX300 test drive, I took a sharp quick turn from the street into the dealer's parking lot and it handled so well that caught my wife by surprise. She was going to hold the door handle by instinct but then the jolt did not come. We also thought the RX300 leather seats were very luxurious. We thought our Senna's ride was very comfortable until then. Someone at the MPG group was calling Senna's ride "floating" (too soft). But After the test drive of RX300 on the way home in our Senna we could feel a lot more road bumps than before. I called RX300's ride was "floating" at that time.

    But we chose MDX for its seating capacity and the in town (Boulder) Aura dealership. Also at that time, RX300 was quite expensive and no dealership in the Denier area was selling Rx300 below MSRP. By the time you add the packages we wanted, the price was over $40K. When MDX came out, its MSRP was more reasonable as compared to RX300's.
  • mdx1mdx1 Member Posts: 63
    My MDX did very well in the recent snow storm in Denver. Someone at the RX300 group mentioned that his AWD RX300 hydroplaned recently (12/4) on 2" snow in Cincinnati worse than his wife's Camry. Can't tell his RX300 is a 2001 or a prior model.
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