2014 Acura MDX First Drive

Edmunds.com

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bankerdanny

(1) It sure sounds to me like the people that asked about the steering will think that they ruined it. (2) $47k base price and the seat height is not adjustable? $18k economy cars have height adjustable seats.

martin061680

Great Job Acura! Can't wait to see it in person! My 2007 is been a great vehicle for our family. 92k miles and still runs like a champ!

martin061680

To answer the comment above^^
I'm pretty sure that 10 way power seats means up and down as well. Put the pipe down Danny! Even 2014 ILX base model has it.

dfelix70

It's the lumbar support that has no vertical adjustment in the seat, not the seat itself.

I am a little concerned with the ride, using the new dampers. The RLX has had the same criticism, of the floating feeling over undulations in the road. I hope the sport mode fixes that.

bankerdanny

The one exception is the lack of adjustability for the front seats. They have the most basic adjustments and lumbar support with no vertical adjustability." I'll hold on to my pipe, but work on my reading comprehension and ask Magrath to improve his sentence structure. That sentence read to me that the seats didn't adjust for height, when Mike was actually complaining that the lumbar support didn't adjust for height. That seems like a pretty petty complaint, I don't think I've ever driven a car with height adjustable lumbar support.

agentorange

So the suspension does not deal well with heaved freeways. that pretty much kills all California sales.

nefariousnigel

Weight and unique chassis. The MDX was always relatively light for its size but sharing that chassis with the Odyssey and Ridgeline was an design anchor. The MDX SH-AWD now weighs about 4350lbs which is well over 700lbs lighter than the newest X5 and 400-600lbs lighter than the Cayenne/Touareg/Q7 badge engineering job. The Murano based JX35 is about the same but strikes me as more of a pure luxury station wagon than any of the above.

The 2014 X5, to its credit, lost about 200lbs and the Touareg triplets lost about 800lbs in their latest iteration. I believe most of the VW/Audi/Porsche weight loss was decontenting the 1st gen's rarely used heavy off-road hardware.

The MDX was always light for its class and in past models, this has translated into a 'cheap' feeling relative to its thunder thigh, big boned German competitors. However, the current model feels quite stout and one hopes the new model improves upon this perception.

Regarding the steering, they already ruined it in 2010. Another hastily conceived, journalist 'lite' job by Edmunds...cribbing ideas last minute from the Internet instead of driving a 2013 and 2014 back to back...maybe I should 'text you'...

Nevertheless, the 2008 model had sublime steering for an SUV. In the 2010 midyear model change, they made the steering AARP fingertip light per focus group. I traded in a 2010 for a 2012 Advanced and the steering still relatively sucks. I bet the 2014 is barely any better.

bluegoldbobcat

I am tired of the "package" era, where you want some of the options in the package, but, do not need others...this is what excluded my interest in the JX35...waiting for the new MDX but, hoping I don't have to have DVD screens just to get heated back seats and the best sound system!! What happened to being able to build the car the way you want it??

aim64

I went to the NY Car show at the Javitz Center, and was able to look under the rear bumper on a front wheel drive car. There is only one hidden tailpipe on the right rear of the car. I guess they got rid of the dual pipes underneath, probably to reduce weight.
Does anyone know if you can get a cargo cover? The pictures on the net do not show a place to mount the shade.

rwpauli

You stated no vertical adjustability for the front seats. Is that right? That would be terribly short-sighted, pun intended. What about the seat cushion. Did they ruin it like Lexus with their new ES-350, or did they keep the deep comfort they have in the current generation MDX? I'll never buy another car with an uncomfortable front seat. I'm concerned when you said they removed so much weight from the seat. Sounds dumb.

jknick

All the previews of the 2014 MDX mentioned power folding mirrors-however,the dealer confirmed that this is not the case. I am quite surprised that a 50k Plus car does not have power folding mirrors while less expensive cars do, including their own flagship sedan.

Does anyone know what happened?

carguy779

Just finished a test drive of the 2014 and will not be buying one. As the owner of a 2007 I was eagerly looking forward to driving/buying one. Here's why I won't be:
1) The second video screen is a disaster-it is unusable with sun coming through the side windows of the vehicle. So unless you live in Seattle forget about it.
2) In an effort to appease its critics Acura has hidden too many functions behind multiple touches on its video screen. Fan control should never be two touches on a video screen. It should always be a button (audi, mercedes and bmw have this right).
3) Interior looks and feels cheap
4) Advance package is bundled with entertainment. Really?
5) No automatic high beams
6) No back up cross-detection (incredibly useful in suburban parking lots
7) Camera system is not up to competition
To give the car its due, it is a more pleasant vehicle to drive , if less visceral. It handles very well and the braking feel is better.

chuckie6

To further answer bankerdanny's "seat height is not adjustable" complaint, there is no mention of "seat height." This is what he writes: "They have the most basic adjustments and lumbar support with no vertical adjustability. No thigh support. No adjustable bolstering." No VERTICAL ADJUSTABILITY. Not the best phrasing choice, but he means only the lack of vertical adjustment for thigh and leg bolster, not that the seat can't move up and down. Also, the MDX's seats do a decent job of pitching a little forward and backward when they are raised and lowered, which nixes the need for thigh support, unless you have really short or long legs.