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Acura MDX (pre-2007)
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Comments
That says it all. I wish I could get one that gets 30 mpg.
When I transitioned to my 02 MDX from a minivan (18 years with the same Toyota minivan) I missed the extra space. The MDX did get the job done most of the time, but there have been times we have had to use two vehicles to carry all that would easily fit in my old Toyota vanwagon (that's what they were called when they were introduced in 1984).
Our PT Cruiser GT can carry longer objects than our MDX and our 05 Prius rides better and is quieter, but can't carry nearly as much cargo, even though it is a hatchback.
You provide a ray of hope for people wanting to get out of a minivan.
If you have a boy and a girl in the middle row of the MDX, does an adult fit comfortably with them in the middle row?
I suspect a minivan would have been the best buy, but you wanted something a little more sporting.
Bigfoot
p.s. Your secret is safe with me.
The 4-Runner is more of a traditional truck, complete with truckish ride, truckish handling, and real towing and off-roading capacity.
The MDX is more like the RX330 or a glitzy version of the Highlander. It offers a better ride and better handling, but sacrifices those nice truckish hauling attributes.
Based only on safety, handling, comfort, and looks, I'd recommend the MDX. Crash and rollover safety for the MDX is slightly better. Handling is better in the MDX. The 4-Runner is no slouch in these areas, but the MDX is just a bit better. Comfort and looks are very much a matter of personal taste. I think you ought to rely on your own judgement there.
I DO realize that I would miss those sliding doors
Thankfully, my youngest is in a regular car seat now, and it will probably be forward-facing by the time we'd make the transition, so no probs there. My oldest is just about out of a booster, but even if she still uses it, we can still fit two boosters & the car seat all in the second row. (It's pretty tight, tho!) I don't know if we'd use the third row all the time, since getting access to it requires moving the booster seat so you can tilt the seat forward. I do A LOT of my driving while the oldest is in school, so that helps.
I appreciate everyone's input on this. If anyone else has anything to add, please feel free. Thanks!
On a different note, we have noticed a slight scrubbing sound at times when the MDX is parked/moving slowly and we turn the steering wheel. It seems RPM dependent and only happens when you are moving very slowly .... for example it happens at times when we are backing out of a parking space. Our dealer inspected the car when we had the 45/60k service done. Has anyone else experienced this?
Can you tell that I'll do anything to rationalize getting the MDX?
I may not know exactly what I'm talking about, but I had the same noise or at least what sounds like the same noise, and I had them replace the steering column etc. even though they said the noise was normal.....
well after 4 hours without a car and a nice nap in the waiting area of Acura, the car was ready to drive home...AND the noise was still there.
A.K.A...I wouldn't worry about it ;-) My MDX has been great.
We would be leasing our MDX for 3 yrs, 45K miles, so maybe I'd luck out and not have this problem while I had it?
I can understand wanting the MDX. We traded a 2004 Ody EX-RES and while the Ody was nice I don't really miss it. The Ody is roomier and drives a bit lighter but the MDX feels more like a car. We have kept our gas mileage at an acceptable 20 MPG average. Our 19 month old also likes it because he is able to see out of the windows better than in the Ody. My only advice is to spring for the NAV. After having it in the MDX we regret not opting for it in our 04 Accord.
The dealer assured me it's not a problem by any means, but still replaced whatever internal crap there is in the steering column.
I don't recall my '96 or '00 T&C minivans doing this, but with those cars, I was noticing too many other rattles and noises to pay attention to a small oddity in my steering wheel.
To answer your question, No I don't have snow tires, the stockers are just fine. Hope this helps!
So i thought I would ask you since you bought used MDX. I was wondering since we are in the month of Decemember, will the car depreciate significantly in another month considering we are going into 2006? I know it depends on mileage and other factors. There were some 2004 available with the dealers and they seemed pretty eager to sell it - but i wanted to know if i should wait for end of month or haggle the price.
Varmint - following your steps here - your posts influenced me into getting CR-V (did you post as Varmit back then?). Being an avid snowboarder and some more power, want an upgrade to MDX now
Thanks,
2004 models were kinda rare where I'm at. Leases for 2004s are just now starting to end. So the dealer wasn't anxious in my case.
I happened to go in at the end of the month to make my deal. I probably didn't get the absolute best price I could have, but I got a fair deal without more than 2 minutes of haggling. Probably because they wanted to make their numbers for the month.
The model year will have some impact when it comes time to turn over the rig. That's one reason why I opted for a 2004 rather than a 2003. But the same is true when purchasing the vehicle. I could have gotten a similar 2003 for less $. It's not like buying a new 2006 versus a leftover (but still new) 2005 model.
04' models gained a few features over the 03' like VSC and better breathing (and a bit more attractive)dual exhaust which make it that much more desirable IMO.
A good deal can be had, but those taking-out-the-trash deals are still a ways off.
I like the new grill which debuted on the '04s, but I'm less enamored with the look of the headlights. I was attracted to the 2004 for the engine/exhaust improvements and VSA. (Already used the VSA the other day.) I think 3 rows of airbags was introduced in 2003, which is another thing I was after. Too bad, because there was a nicely maintained, low mileage 2002 on the lot for a lot less money.
There's a guy near me selling an '04 Touring, 19K miles, asking around $31K. I think a good price for me would be more like $28-$29K--anyone have an opinion? I'm mainly using the Edmunds used car pricing. But I'm wondering if it's worth to wait for any deals on a new '06, even if in a few months.
pretish, if you posted the pricing you're getting, people here could probably give a more informed opinion. And buying in late Dec. from a dealer can be good, but you really need to know "what is a great deal" before commiting or bargaining.
*varmint doing his Terry impersonation*
In the land of the frozen golf ball washers...
We gots the goodies package, the factory moo hides, redesigned slushbox, and that warm, fuzzy Honda feeling. IF ~ we don't have any repaints, no Soccer Mom interior, like-new round thingies holding it up, no curb burners and no 27 Wendy's bags stuck under the seats .... $28-29K is good.
varmint
Curtain-style airbags were added in 2004. I was thinking they were added in 2003. It was actually VSA that was added in 2003.
I'ts like, the Car Talk guys are always saying that older Volvos w/o no air bags at all are safer than a lot of cheesier new cars with 6 air bags. But I agree, I still want all the safety features I can get, these days.
If anyone has the answer, it would be greatly appreciated.
Hope this helps.
I went to an aftermarket place and they said it would be $500 for the lights and installation but since wanted to pick up a used MDX..I might as well get the year that has them already.
The 2004 MDX replaced the older reflector headlamps with projectors. But they are halogen.
"A redesigned headlight treatment features a leaner, more angular design and new projection-type headlights that enhance illumination while accenting the new styling."
http://hondanews.com/CatID3027?mid=2003090335871&mime=asc&archives=t
*Thanks for the helpful info.
Apologize for the confusion.
We don't have that issue, but thought I would let people know regarding. Acura also said they would reimburse people who had it replaced prior.
http://www.iihs.org/news/2006/iihs_news_010806.pdf
The MDX scores "Poor" in IIHS's test, which is designed to measure whiplash injuries in a rear-end collision. The test focuses on the design of the seat and head restraint.
IIHS has a newer test that places the model's seat onto a sled for testing. This dynamic test is weighed heavier than the previous test, which was a simply static measurement of the head restraint's geometry.
Only the Ford Freestyle, Honda Pilot, Jeep Grand Cherokee, Land Rover LR3, Subaru Forester, and Volvo XC90 scored "Good" in the test.
To date, Acuras either score "Poor" or "Marginal" in this test.
Acura needs to update the seat design, probably starting with the next-gen MDX. While whiplash injuries aren't life-threatening, they can be really painful.
Though, I certainly would be happier with higher scores.
The mdx and the 4runner drive nicely while being quick with similar horsepower numbers. In case you're wondering about the 3rd row of seats, i need one to get rid of the need to drive two vehicle to places, mostly short distances. While the 4runner isn't the "better" choice for the third row, it will only be used 1 a month, at most.
ps, don't want a :lemon: .
1) The relative weight and height of the vehicle causing the rear-ender, compared to the weight and height of the victim vehicle.
2) The weight and height of the driver in the victim vehicle.
3) The age and physical condition of the driver in the victim vehicle.
4) Whether the driver's headrest was adjusted so that the center of the back of the driver's head made contact with the center of the headrest at the moment of impact (as pointed out in the TV report).
5) Whether the lumbar support was adjusted in a way that it added some stiffness to the back of the driver's seat.
6) With so many manufacturers producing so many models, coupled with numerous variations of individual models, are we supposed to believe that the results of a crash test on one particular make and model will be the same for all variations of that make and model?
While some people who are victims of rear-end accidents actually suffer physical injuries, many collect money from insurance companies for nothing more than a complaint of pain, something that can neither be proved nor disproved. Four decades ago, before headrests became standard equipment, it was virtually common knowledge that if you even got tapped in the rear end, make sure a "complaint of pain" was noted in the accident report. For a lot of people, it was almost like winning a lottery. I doubt that attitude has changed today.
The IIHS tests that impress me more than the rear-enders are those for head-on collisions that have appeared on "Dateline" over the past several years. But there are tons of variable factors relating to those as well.
As far as I'm concerned, all of these IIHS tests need to be taken with a grain of salt. While they can be used as a general guide to how well a particular vehicle 'may' hold up in an accident in terms of occupant safety, it's unlikely that anyone will have an accident exactly like those replicated in the tests. Still, I suppose the tests are far better than no tests at all.
Yes, I agree the tests have to be taken with a grain of salt and there are indeed many variables. However, the tests are useful comparisons between vehicles. While it's true that one vehicle might behave better than another given a different set of variables, I'd expect that there is some correlation in the relative comparison.
Another way of looking at it is that Volvo has been working on seat/head restraint designs to reduce injuries for years, having been the first automaker to develop them for its vehicles. This was long before IIHS had this dynamic test, so Volvo couldn't have known of any future test protocol. And now all Volvos tested score "Good" on this test, despite the fact that some are four year old designs. It shows they were doing something right, and the test actually agrees with their research.
If anything, if these tests cause consumers to ask for better safety engineering, I think consumers win.
I don't think that opinion is totally accurate, though it is definitely at least partially true.
E.g. while IIHS uses a 50th percentile male dummy for the frontal test, it only uses a 5th percentile female dummy for the side-impact test. That should obviously make the "injuries" in the side-impact test more serious than what's in the general population. So there, it coudl be argued that IIHS has biased the test.
But, on the other hand, IIHS also seems to have pulled its punches with that same side-impact test. While it was still being developed, there were reports that the new side-impact test was so severe that no vehicles could score well on it. And when the test parameters were finalized, it turns out that the barrier meant to simulate an SUV or a pickup truck weighs only 3,300 pounds. So the barrier is similar in shape to a mid or full-sized SUV, but it has much less weight than one.
I believe that, say, a more realistic 4,600 pound barrier would cause more damage to a 50% male dummy than a 3,300 pound barrier will to a 5% female dummy.
I suspect that IIHS started the testing with a heavier barrier, saw that it was really demolishing the target vehicles, and literally "pulled their punches" so more vehicles could pass.
Thus, I think that the IIHS can, and has, actually set scoring that is too lenient on auto manufacturers. Insureres and automakers are more in bed together than they are with the consumer, oh well!
There are other examples of this. When Chevy introduced the Trailblazer (or one of its clones), it came standard with a hitch receiver. When the IIHS tested it in their bumper bash, they soon discovered that the hitch prevented any damage during the pole test. So they retested it with the pole offset to one side of the hitch... so they could do some damage.
However, when vehicles with spare tires mounted on the rear were tested, the IIHS did not test them with an impact on the pole and without. Even though most have the tire mounted off to one side.
IMO there is a double standard of sorts in the IIHS testing methodology.
Again, I'm not saying I'm happy with the MDX for scoring low
I have a 2005 MDX Touring with Nav and I subscribed to XM Radio. I'm aware that I can press the Tune button and see all the information about the Song (Channel,Title Artist) on the screen. My problem is that when a title or an Artists name was too big for the radio display it used to "wrap around" so that I could see the end of the title or display. For some reason now it doesn't wrap around so now I only see the 1st part of the title. The full name is not displayed on the nav screen either when I display it up there. I called XM Radio and they said that my service was ok and that it might be a radio issue. They said that the radio we have in our car is a Pioneer radio and they gave me Pioneer's # - I called them but could not get through to their customer service line after 40 minutes...
Does anyone have any ideas? Should I take it to the dealership? Is this a setting that I somehow messed up? Please advise! Thank you.
(1) The Armada is a behemoth. And rather ugly, IMO. Unless you need that size, bag the Armada from consideration. And if you do need that much space, bag the other two, and compare the Armada to the Toyota Sequoia and Land Rover LR3. Both of which I would take over the Armada.
(2) We cross shopped the MDX with the GX470, which I thought was based upon the 4Runner. We went with the MDX, being willing to give up some off road capability for what my wife felt was a far better third row set-up and a bit better on-road handling. She also greatly appreciates the standard equipment on the MDX like the bluetooth phone, on-star, XM radio, etc.
Can't comment on the 4Runner, but if the third row is anything like the GX470 (side folding seats, tight legroom), it's really not a three row SUV.
Another vehicle worth considering is the Volvo XC90 V8. Very attractive interior and very good handling. Plus Volvo safety and exceptional seats that will make everything else seem like a park bench or Lazy Boy sofa. I would have gone for it, but the MDX was my wife's first choice (again due primarily to 3rd row utility). I'm not complaining, she prodded me into a 911 Cab this fall, so I'm used to saying "the MDX looks really good, honey".