Acura MDX (pre-2007)

always49

Hi mogur,

I am here and always here.

About the "THUD" topic and how mine was fixed, please refer to my post #1182.

Other post replys:
1156, 1086 - ncsdtriton
1099 - always49
1151, 1187 - dbastian2.

Please let me know if you have more questions. After mine is fixed, so far the car runs great, smooth and quiet. Love it a lot.

cotmc

When I took the MDX in for the seat belt wiring harness change, I was able to duplicate the problem I mentioned previously regarding the rear left/right A/C vents. (I believe dfc101a also noticed this phenomenon, but I don't remember if anybody else reported it in here.)

The rear vent on the left (driver) side blows out cooler air than the rear vent on the right side. Obviously, this isn't a grave concern to me, but I wanted to have this investigated by the dealer to see if anything was wrong with the rear climate control system.

My service manager agreed to look into this issue, and by mid-afternoon, he had an explanation from Acura corporate. Apparently, much of the hardware involving the rear climate control is located under that center console area. My understanding is that this includes a heater coil and a flap that opens/closes the airflow directly from that coil. I was told this coil is located toward the passenger (right) side area below the center console. Hence, when the flap is partially open, some heated air gets mixed into the main airflow, and that mix occurs behind the vents, such that the warmer air stays toward the passenger side. There isn't much opportunity for the airflow to thoroughly mix by the time it exits the two side-by-side vents.

This phenomenon seems to occur only when the interior temperature and exterior temperature are both within a nominal range of the temperature setting, such that a small mixture of hot air is provided to the rear A/C vents. This is when the flap for the heating coil is partially open. If the flap is wide open or closed (for more significant heating or cooling), there is no noticeable temperature difference between the rear left and right A/C vents.

That's the explanation I received. I was also given an airflow diagram faxed to my dealer from Acura corporate, but due to it's 2-dimensional perspective, it's not easy to follow!

2k1odyssey

To: Cotmc

Hi Folks.

Been away for a short while. Did you eventually get to fix the problem with your dashboard. Hope it went away completely.

Hope you and the family are enjoying your MDX. Happy driving.

ardvarkus

Sounds like an excellent rate- if you don't bother to ask the right questions....

How much is the car?
What is the residual value?
What is the mileage allowance?
What is the lease factor?

If you can have the car for $1 at the end of 42 months, it might be an OK deal.

If you don't understand leasing, and you insist on leasing, you deserve it.

Sorry, but "how much down and how much per month" is no way to acquire a car...

Ard

ardvarkus

I had a headliner rattle that took two visits.

First vist they messed with the motor mount tabs (or something, I never got to talk to the mechanic). Seemed to go away, but it was back in a week.

Second visit they replaced the left rail assembly. It's been quiet for 4 days....

Also had a thud/clunkle in the left front suspension. All fittings were torqued properly, so that didn't cure it. Finally replaced the upper strut tower bearing. Quiet now.

Ard

boosaman

We have a Black base model, and have noticed that the A/C seems inefficient. We have to put the temperature about to 65 to get the a/c going, even though it seems quite hot in the car.

Has anyone had similar problems with the climate control system?

Thanks.

cotmc

boosaman:

Assuming that you run the climate control system in "full auto" mode, I don't see why you would need to set the temp at 65 to keep the cabin cooled down. We usually run our MDX between 70 and 73, and our MDX will crank out the A/C if the cabin is warmer than that setting. If you believe your MDX is not cooling the cabin anywhere near the set temperature, then you might want to double-check yourself by bringing a small thermometer into the cabin with you. Of course, keep the thermometer out of the direct sunlight. If during an extended drive the thermometer proves the MDX is failing to cool the cabin to within 3 degrees of the temperature setting, then you should probably ask to have your climate control system serviced.

cotmc

Thanks for checking back in! Unfortunately, I haven't found a fix yet. On the other hand, the problem has become more intermittant than previously. It's almost a non-issue, but just when I think it has gone away, the ticking noise makes a brief comeback!

Some investigation has led me to wonder whether it may actually be caused by a wire bundle that runs along the top edge just behind the glove box door latch. My dealer says there are some relays in that area. I checked the areas you recommended, but I didn't get very far. Here is what I know for sure: When the problem appears, opening or closing the door has no affect on it; pushing on the left corner of the closed door sometimes helps (not consistently); but putting some force on that wire bundle (with the door open) seems to stop the noise.

My dealer has assured me if I can reproduce the noise for him, he will get the problem resolved for me. He said I can stop by anytime to demonstrate this problem. Because my wife is the primary driver, and she doesn't drive near the dealership, this little intermittant problem has gone on longer than it should!

a2esq

Does anyone have any info on when the Honda version will be released and what it will be called? Any links would be appreciated.

wmquan

For anyone interested in installing a convertible seat, rear-facing, in the MDX ...

I installed the Britax Roundabout in our MDX this weekend, rear-facing. It took a bit of work, but the setup seems quite secure. I put it in the middle of the second row, which is probably the safest position (away from side impacts). And, in rear-facing mode, the center position is possibly the only position to install the seat rear-facing -- it actually sticks out a bit between the two front seats. Front-facing would have no problem, of course.

The first key to installation was putting some rolled-up towels underneath the front base of the seat (towards the seat cushion). The MDX's second row is at a bit of an angle so the Britax's seat back wouldn't be close to a 45-degree position. And, frankly, the Britax is a bit too upright for rear-facing infants, so some extra tilt is needed.

Using the ceiling-anchored lap/shoulder belt, I ran the belt through the rear-facing slots. Then after securing the belt, I pulled out all the slack in the belt and let the locking retractor pull it back in. Then a whole bunch of pulling to get the seat as tight as possible.

The second key was the use of extra rolled-up towel layers under the left-base of the child seat. Partly because of the pull of the shoulder belt, and partly because the MDX's center seating position is a bit off center (because of the 60-40 split), the padding needed to tilt the seat somewhat.

I used the Britax "VersaTether" to anchor the seat to the frame rod running just below the front of the second row seat. The hook's retaining clip found that rod to be too thick, so I used the (now included) D-ring connector strap to make the connection.

There is a bit of rub between the side of the child seat and the upper side of the driver's seat. This is because of the seat's sheer size and the fact that the seat is slightly off-center. It makes some noise when driving but we can deal with it (will use some vinyl cleaner on it ... I assume the side piece is vinyl?). We also had slight contact with the rather large infant seat we were using (Century Avanta SE, which we also recommend ... goes up to 29", 22 lbs).

Nevertheless, we're quite happy with this setup, both the MDX and the Britax Roundabout. The latter was expensive for a carseat, but it has features that none of the competition has. Incidentally, Britax is releasing a new version of the Roundabout called "Advantage," which has infinitely adjustable harness and headrest positions (no threading). http://www.childseat.com is Britax's web site.

My thanks to those who have provided feedback. I'm sure I'll post another series of messages when we have to turn our son around into the forward-facing position!

wmquan

Despite a sluggish economy and slowing auto sales, the MDX has taken the #2 spot in luxury SUV sales.

See:

http://www.jdpower.com/auto/hot_sellers/FindHotSellers.jsp

and select "Luxury SUVs" in the pull-down menu.

The slowing economy and bad weather is definitely hurting overall vehicle sales. The RX300 is still #1, but its sales are off 18% for the comparable month. The M-Class, which has had the #2 spot for quite a while, is off 29%.

drew_

Oops, the editors chat is tonight at 5-6pm Pacific/8-9pm Eastern. Apologies for the typo.


Drew
Host
Vans, SUVs, and Aftermarket and Accessories message boards

pkaiser

My local Acura dealer gave an estimate of 4-6 months for a MDX. I called around and Motor Cars of Erie, PA called me twice in 2 weeks for cars. The first was Black/Nav/Trav, the next was Gold/Base. both for MSRP and minimal extras (mud flaps, cargo mat). We did not want either. A week later, another call for Silver/Trav/Nav which we decided to buy. Needless to say, people in Midwest or even East coast looking for MDX may want to call them since they had 3 MDX in 2 weeks with no takers. So, that's how I bought my MDX with no wait. Hope this helps others looking to cut their wait. BTW, the call came just in time since I had negotiated $800 over invoice for RX300 w/Nav Package and was about to put a deposit down since we needed a car by 4/1 when our lease is up.

Peter

amscheib

I had a 1991 Integral for over 8 years. It was my "baby" (I know, loser). Anyway, it was an AWESOME car, no major problems, I just lost heart for some reason and felt I needed a new car because the Baby would have needed some semi-major work. So... we leased a 1999 Jeep Wrangler because I needed a 4WD vehicle, and Acura had nothing that fit the bill at the time. A convertible seemed like a great idea, but I miss my moon-roof! I was so happy with my Baby that I would prefer to stick with the Acura brand!!

Now, Acura comes out with my dream 4WD vehicle and I'm over 1.5 years into the lease on the Jeep and want to buy an MDX.

I'm reading the comments and it sounds like it's worth thinking about the MDX. Is there anything besides rattles and odd noises here and there that would prevent you from recommending that I purchase an MDX? Any ideas on whether I'll be able to sell my lease to an Acura dealer and go home with an MDX? I saw the one I want prominently displayed in the dealership parking lot. I'm thinking we either need to wait to close out the lease on the Jeep when it's due 7/2002 or figure out a way to make it happen now.

Any advice you have would be terrific. THANKS!

theworm

I got a little misty-eyed reading that one

We feel your pain. Beyond the MINOR issue here and there (I'd say the only issues of significance are "the thud" and the defective buttons on the BOSE -- which not everyone has experienced) the car is truly exceptional.

Bad news is, you are gonna be "upside down" on your lease, as they say in dealerspeak. I can't remember the terms of my old Heep lease through BofA (and the terms will depend on who the lessor is) but the penalty for bailing early is sometimes VERY stiff.

Even worse, your Heep has no doubt depreciated in a hurtful way. You are going to be as upside down as one can get.

I remember I tried to get out of a 60-month BMW lease (after projecting repair costs after the 36-mo warranty was about to expire) and was going to get hit with 1) the balance of lease payments due anyway, PLUS 2) $50 a month for every month I wasn't leasing anymore.

Depending on how bad you want the MDX, you should 1) check the fine print on the Heep lease and 2) check your most recent bank account statement.

My guess is that your best bet will be to find someone to assume your lease payments on the Heep so you don't get hammered with the early termination penalties.

Good luck.

darandall

Just back from a ski weekend which started in a snowstorm. Rear wiper - what were they thinking when they put the switch way down the wiper stalk? It is very annoying. Also, why no variable speed for the rear wiper? Third, has anyone had the problem of the rear wiper breaking? Ours stopped halfway home and flopped down. Dealer said some bolt is supposed to shear on the inside, but a trip to the dealer to get it repaired is certainly inconvenient. Defroster does not go to reduced fan speed automatically when defrost is complete. Wind noise is serious - we do have the roof rack. OTOH, driving position is great - even through tense moments on the highway. And even with the Good year tires the traction was terrific - no hesitation.

mbtech8

I'm getting a low-level rumbling; not sure if
coming from a/c unit or engine; it happens when
i come to a stop with my foot on the brake.
within 5 seconds, this sound starts, and as soon
as I take my foot off the brake, it stops.
sounds like a rough idling engine, but i don't
think it's the engine. This does not happen when
the a/c is off, or if i'm idling in park.
any others have this?

aip00

I went to check on the MDX last weekend. The sales person wasn't very friendly and the dealer didn't have a car for test drive. The sales person told me that the wait list is about 6-8 weeks and people are calling all over the country to his dealer asking for it. In the middle of our conversion he showed me the prices of the MDXs that will be coming in a week. And if I remember he said if I'm interested he can get me one of those. Wait a minute, he just told me the wait list is 6-8 weeks! Anyway, I wasn't interested at all with the dealer. My family had purchased 7 different Acuras since 1989, and I'm sure I can find one with a reasonable price. The 2002 model is not too far away...

ravi7

We had bought a Touring+ Nav MDX during the launch time last Oct (waiting list since June' 00). Received a lot of good info from this group & thanks to all the regulars. We had no problems(7400 miles) other than the CD changer buttons; we took the MDX on trips to Death Valley, Yosemite we were very pleased with it's performance.

Two weeks ago, my wife was driving to work on I-80, 30 miles east of Sacramento; an 18 wheeler with twin trailers lost control from the right lane and smashed a GMC 350 truck just ahead of her. She was braking hard and tried to avoid them by driving in the shoulder. But the GMC truck was wrapped around by the twin-trailers and smashed into the right-front side and guard-rail in the median sandwiched the left side. Only the front-air bag deployed; my wife suffered only minor shoulder injuries(just below her left shoulder). The other two trucks stopped about 30 feet ahead and neither driver was injured; GMC truck was totaled.

You will all be happy to know that the MDX performed well both in terms of the control during the collision and the damage it was able to take. The firemen at the scene was impressed by the lack of major injuries(freeway was shut down for 2 hrs). The repair costs may come to upwards of $19K(even though there was no frame damage). Our insurance company gave us a choice of either fixing the MDX or totaling it. We chose the latter and we are waiting for their formal offer. We still plan to buy another MDX since it still fits ours needs well.

theworm

Bummer on the totalling, but glad your wife's OK and the car performed well based on your experience. I'd probably do the same thing -- the last thing I'd want is a "new" car that needed $19k worth of repairs.

kenyee

ravi7:
I agree w/ theworm. I've never had a good experience w/ any body shop. Totalling it was the right decision (though you'll be out of a car for a while either way)-:
Glad everyone is ok.

cns1121_1998

I was in the market awhile ago for an SUB, before the DX was introduced. My choices then were ML320 or RX300. I would have chosen ML320, because 1) optional 3row seating, 2)side air bags for both front and 2row. 3)ML320 was ranked #1 in crash test (RX300 was #2) 4)RX300=$42K apex and ML320=$46K for the option I wanted. Price difference was not that great.

Now Acura DX is making me rethink... any comments/comparison between DX and ML320 would be greatly appreciated.

kenyee

cns1121:
Could you give us an idea of what your selection criteria/priorities are?
For (1), you should try both to see which you like better. The MDX's tuck away into the cargo floor but adults fit better in the ML ones.
For (2), the MDX has no rear side bags but some people don't like them because of the media saying they'll take your kid's head off along w/ graphic demos of unbelted kid dummies.
For (3), I suspect the ML would do better in rollovers (real-life pics available), but there are not enough MDX accident examples/pics yet.

crikey

Although this may be off-topic William, I'd like to know if you are using the car seat for a newborn infant. I am also looking at this car seat but I am debating whether I should get an infant-only car seat like the 'Handle With Care' or an infant-toddler one like the 'Roundabout'. BTW, where did you purchase and how much (if you don't mind me asking). Us new parents and parents-to-be have to mind the expenses, more so now than before. Any feedback would be greatly appreciated. Thanks.

wmquan

My understanding is that many experts do not specifically recommend an infant seat over a convertible seat in rear-facing position -- though some do.

The key is whether or not the convertible's harness will fit a newborn well. The convertible has to be able to hold a toddler up to around 40 lbs (though it's size and not weight in this case), so the convertible's designed in such a way where the spacing of the harness may or may not be adjustable to adequately fit a small baby. With an infant seat, there's almost never an issue because the harness is sized to only go up to about 20-22 lbs.

I'm conservative about child safety, so I elected to go with a dedicated infant seat. However, I don't think that folks who just use the convertible from the start are jeopardizing their child, especially if they use a better convertible seat. It is a tough call and comes down to your own conclusions.

Non-safety benefits of a dedicated infant seat is that they can be used as carriers. So you don't have to wake a sleeping baby when you take him or her out of the car seat and bring them into the house. And believe me, that alone is something you can end up being very thankful for!

When our son was very young (first couple of months), he'd squeal whenever we "messed with him" by strapping or unstrapping him into a seat. We'd just carry him into the house in the seat, and leave him there until he woke up. Also, the infant seat often serves as an alternate sleeping platform. E.g. he couldn't sleep well in his crib at first, so the pediatrician advised trying the car seat (which envelopes them more and may give a newborn a better sense of security).

As far as which infant seat, we bought the Century Avanta SE, which is on the larger and heavier side, but seems to have a good balance of features. Five-point harness (which isn't as critical for an infant seat, but is nice to have) and three adjustable "slots" for the harness (the Evenflow we had considered had only one -- though it's not too bad since for rear-facing, the harness should be threaded below the baby's shoulders). It was about $80 at Babies'R'Us and Toys'R'Us (Babies'R'Us carries a larger selection, including Britax).

We also liked the Graco SnugRide DX5 but its Achilles heel is that it doesn't snap onto shopping carts.

I'd stay away from the Britax Handle With Care. They're a good company and their products are some of the best, but the Handle With Care doesn't cut it, IMHO. It doesn't have a detachable base option. While it IS true that a seat is safer without the detachable base, I'd almost guarantee that the risks of improper installation resulting from removal of the infant seat, and subsequent re-installation, outweigh the practical issues. And if you leave the seat in, it may as well be a convertible.

One way to save money is to look for coupons from Babies'R'Us and Toys'R'Us. Get on their mailing list. I think right now Toys'R'Us has one of their $8 off any car seat coupons.

Rarer are coupons from Babies'R'Us for 20% off any one item; there was one they mailed that expired a couple of weeks ago (we used it to buy the Roundabout).

Finally, there's a user-contribution database that may give you clues on which seat fits well into your vehicle:

http://www.carseatdata.org/

Good luck on your new baby! It'll be an experience unlike any other!

tonychrys

I'll add my experience (ours is 3 1/2 now) with regards to ease of use.

We got the 'infant carrier" system. It was a separate stroller and infant seat (up to 40 lbs), but there was also a infant "carrier" that snapped into either one. When you snapped it into the infant seat, it was rear facing. As stated previously, when it was time to get out of the car all you did was push and hold some buttons and you grabbed the whole carrier by the handle and carried with you or snapped it into the stroller. The carrier could be put down on a table, floor, etc. and it rocked easily with your foot on it (use to do this a lot while waiting for my wife in doctor's office post birth).

I forget the brand we got, but I highly, highly recommend it for parent sanity.

crikey

William, I was actually contemplating on an infant-only carseat but I was also interested in the Britax Roundabout because of rave reviews. Although Britax claims it can be used for newborns, I don't think it would apply well for reasons you stated -- waking a sleeping baby when taking the baby out of the car seat to bring into the house, etc. I was under the impression that you were going to use it for a newborn - I should've known that you were smarter than that(and stupid of me for thinking so!). And yes, I'll stay away from the Britax Handle With Care. Anyway, thanks for your feedback since it helps with baby gear shopping.

Tony, I agree, the infant carrier system is great. But it may not apply in my case. It would be too much gear for me to carry since my wife and I are having Twins. Experts advice getting a double stroller and individual carseats to save on space. It's great for singletons, though! Again, thanks for your feedback. See you back in the PF forum.

tonychrys

Hell, you don't need my stupid advice... you need a nurse maid!

Congrats and happiness!

wmquan

Twins? Wow! Best of luck to you and your wife!

I _hope_ this won't be a serious problem but you should probably look into this sooner rather than later: A lot of infant seats have trouble fitting into certain vehicle positions. That is, they end up bumping into the vehicle's front seats. This will depend on the seat you get, the height of your second row seat, and the positioning of the front seats. So this could affect your choice of seat.

Usually Babies'R'Us and/or Toys'R'Us, and some of the better baby stores, let you take the demo seat out to your car to see if it'll fit. And I know that both stores will let you return the seat as long as it hasn't been really used and comes back with original packaging.

If you don't already have it, I'd recommend the "Baby Bargains Book". It's a bit preachy and heavily opinionated, but it does have good reviews and some money-saving tips on everything from strollers to baby foods to bottles to clothes to cribs. Their web site is at:

http://www.babybargainsbook.com

john_lise

Listen...if you don't mind not having the third row seating (which is only for kids anyway), I strongly suggest a fully loaded Highlander V6 LTD AWD. The way I see it...I saved $7500 (Canadian ...since I live in Canada) for a superior vehicle. Yes, you can actually get this SUV for under MSRP ($2800 in my case)!! I test drove both, the HL had no rattles or strange noises and 1000 miles later it still doesn't...and the AWD is truly AWD...along with the VSC option, you can't beat it! Only thing I wished on the Highlander is memory seats. If you have a small baby, you will appreciate the lack of a center console...sure makes it easier to get back there.

By the way, I am not a Toyota salesperson (I didn't even like my salesperson), just putting in my two cents worth!!!

landcruiserman

I plan to purchase a MDX but will not pay MSRP. For those of you that have paid full price, what has the Acura dealer done to earn the $2500 to $3000 above the invoice price. Not a bad profit for 1 hour of paper work and a car wash. I'll wait for the dealers to make their $$$ and the stock market to drop some more before I ask for my discount. Splitting the difference between invoice and MSRP seems very fair. If any Acura dealers would like my business, please let me know.... and I'll trade in my Cruiser.

photo3

Has anyone out there been "off road" with their MDX? I'm still considering the MDX if it can handle dirt, rutted, potholed roads in order to get to more isolated areas. I'm not talking about rocks and boulders, just very rough roads. The salespeople (of course)say it's excellent and can easily handle them. I'm hoping so. I did see the underside of the vehicle, and even though the muffler and tailpipe seem very exposed, I'm not sure that we would hit any large rock hard enough to ruin it. Since 90% of the time we are in civilized areas I'm not sure if I need something heavier and more suited to offroading. Any ideas are appreciated.
Thanks!

drb6

I believe the folks that want to buy the Premium/Base model seem to be ones waiting forever. Does any one disagree?

filippone

1.placed order for base ss mdx 2/13 dealer says i will have it
by end of the month. Other dealers in the ny area have offered me a base black or beige which i passed on to wait for
my preferred silver.
2. Most cars can handle mildly rutted dirt roads so if this rigg
can't do a little better we have a major problem. I don't think
we do.
3. this pricing structure will not last forever ,I love this car but
I am haviing second thoughts,bet others are too. Time is our
friend with price. maybe wait is not such a bad thing

x5lover

All the MDX owners, please excuse my stupid question because I am really curious.

Do all the MDX have only one muffler?
I've seen some pics on www.acuramdx.org showing
some MDX with two mufflers which is one at each side.
But from the Acura website, it seems that all MDX only come with one muffler.

Does anybody know why?

Thank you.

JBaumgart

Well, I finally got tired of waiting and decided to cancel my order. The MDX must be especially popular here in Minnesota, as my Touring/Nav silver which I had ordered in early February was supposed to not be delivered until June. After having recently attended the auto show, and with spring just around the corner, the new car bug hit especially hard, and I decided to purchase an Audi allroad which I just picked up this past Saturday. Can't say enough good things about it, but this is not the place, so I'll just say "good luck" to all you MDX owners (present and future) - the MDX is a helluva vehicle and a very good buy (if you can find one!).

wmquan

The "two muffler" MDX was just a joke. Someone doctored a shot.

x5lover

There are two at www.acuramdx.org that I can tell it's fake.

But this one really looks real.

http://www.acuramdx.org/forums/upload/MDX4.jpg

mattrichter

Good luck on the Allroad. That's what I really wanted but it's more and my wife doesn't want one. My wife and I cancelled our order from Los Gatos Acura and placed a new order with Cerritos Acura in LA. They quoted 30-90 days and no premium over MSRP.
My wife and I are aslo looking at the 2001 PAthfinder and the 2002 Explorer. Both are selling well below MSRP, closer to invoice. I agree that Acura is blowing it big time. They have a nice SUV but it's in a competative market segment. With the discounts on every other brand and model out there, all Acura is doing is allowing their dealers to screw a bunch of customers. Not a good way to start (or continue) relationships with customers.
I wish more of us told acura to screw their over and above MSRP prices. But this car goes to a segment that buys what they want when they want it, so I doubt if there's any hope of a mass uprising!
Anyway, good luck with the Allroad!

Matt

nwaring

I remember awhile back that there was a modified MDX at the Sema show that had duel exhaust.

msu79gt82

I have always refused (and still do) to pay even $1 (one) above MSRP. Please note that many (a significantly large percentage!) have paid thousands over MSRP. Factoring in the many who paid over MSRP (that includes those who technically paid MSRP for the vehicle, yet paid a dealer premium for accessories, even unwanted forced accessories) the true market value of the vehicle is at or above MSRP. I am only aware (there could be a handful more) of one individual who paid less than MSRP. He was a repeat customer who ordered before they arrived and no one knew the coming popularity. Thus there are literally thousands who paid at or above MSRP for a vehicle so popular that there is at least a month long waiting list. The overwhelming majority wait two to three months!

We needed a car now. We have been making do for quit a while. Waiting until next October (the consensus guess for the 2002 release) is out of the question for us. And no one can acurately predict if the dealers will discount then either. After much research and soul searching we chose the MDX as the best car for us. In my particular case the dealer charges full MSRP for the car. However they throw in the first two years of factory recommended maintenance free on all vehicles they sell, including MDX. They have no forced accessories and sell the accessories you want at a discount. Depending on circumstance they may even give some accessories free, which they did for me. Thus when it was all calculated out, we actually got it for less than current TMV!

I highly recommend the dealership, John Eagle Acura in Houston: www.houstonacura.com

mg75

I think, we (potential MDX buyers) are all in the same situation, i.e. keep complaining about having to pay MSRP to be on a 3-month waiting list... But do we really want to pay under MSRP and have not a 3-month waiting list, but maybe 10-12 months?

aip00

I am also looking for a MDX and refusing to pay the MSRP. It doesn't seem to be very hard to find a MDX in my area but no dealers would give me a discount. If any dealers would give me a $1,000 below MSRP, they would have my business and my recommendations(I have 2 other friends who are looking for one).

renov8r

I suspect that the wait times that some folks had been quoted were somewhat exaggerated.

Acura is probably speeding up production a little bit. Some folks "higher up on the waiting list" having probably lept off. The stock market fall can not be a good thing either...

I have seen many times in the past where a "hot car" has cooled and salesguys who pulled "premium charge" shtick have had to resort to actaully calling around and asking for your business -- what a concept.

Hang in their aip00 -- the longer we wait the better position we are in.

mvs1

Hello to all. I currently own an RX300 but have been viewing the posts on this forum and would like to share my purchasing experience with a similar vehicle. When the RX first arrived at the dealer(in 98') which I have a relative that works there I could have had the first one of the truck and pay $500 over MSRP. The vehicle was at that time in high demand such as the MDX now. I like most rational buyers refused to pay the premium, and held out until the car was discounted enough. I ended up getting the vehicle about a year later at a discounted price. In 2000 Lexus raised the price by $1000 the only difference was the look of the spoiler. My point is that if demand continues the possibility of Acura raising the price could become a reality paying MSRP could turn out to be a reasonable deal a year later. Also if someone is willing to pay MSRP or beyond then selling to you at a discount would not make sense for a dealer, there in business to make money! If my experience is any indication the the MDX will not be discounted for at least a year. The bottom line is that the consumer has all the power even if you feel as if you do not, if you don't pay the dealers will have to discount the vehicle in order to move units. Simple supply and demand.

mdguyx

I have my SS base MDX @ 3mos. and wondering what tire pressure works best for the GOODYEAR tires on the base MDX. I find that the recommended 32psi seems to soft and mid 30's psi works OK. I never checked the pressure right after picking it up but I bet it was much higher...
Any thoughts?

philw2

Stop by Acura dealer today in Austin. There were several MDX's on the ground, unsold.

chiller2

A while back someone asked if there was a problem with loss of tire pressure. A few weeks ago I added 0.5 - 1.0 psi to my tires to get them to 32 psi. I checked again today and they're holding fine, no losses.

chiller2

I've been swamped at work and at home, finally called Acura CS to complain about my navi unit that works intermittently. The rep I spoke with hadn't heard of others having the same problem (i.e., I get the message "Database is old, please consult your dealer."). While he took the time to listen to my gripe, he said CS prefers that owners try to do what they can to work out their problems with the dealer before they try to resolve it through CS. He also said the same general thing that there is a wait time because parts are backordered. I contacted my dealer sales rep, and I suggested swapping out with a unit from one of their other cars. He said he'd check and wasn't sure if the TL, et al use the same unit. I haven't heard back yet so I'm about to call again.

Other problem #1: on recent start ups, I noticed my trip computer doubled and then tripled my average mpg and miles travelled (from ~17 to 32 to 64 mpg, and ~200 to 400 to (rolled over) 1000 miles). Anyone else have that problem? Both reset automatically on my first refill, no problems with that. Btw, averaged 17.4 mpg over first 234 miles, premium gas, mostly freeway driving in the rain between 30 and 65 mph, couple of local shopping runs mixed in.

Other problem #2: My Trip A and Trip B odometers won't reset. Any tips/clues on that would be appreciated, else I'll just add it to the list of things for the dealer to look at.

clarkfleenor

Our MDX is making serious humming noises that I believe are coming from the AC compressor. We took delivery Jan 31, and now have 1,300 miles.

Once the vehicle warms up and you come to a stop (foot on the brake in drive) with the AC compressor running, it makes a very noticable humming sound. If you turn off the AC, shift to nuetral or drive, let off the brake, or give it gas to increase the rpm's, the noise goes away. The warmer the vehicle gets, the louder it is. It gets to the point I can feel a vibration in the steering wheel and brake pedal. Needless to say, it is very annoying.

I took it into the dealer for a number of relatively minor problems. They did not take this noise seriously. I took it back a second time. They agreed they could hear it. They tested their demo MDX and told me it did it too, so that's the way they are. After another week of listening to it, I called the dealer, who is now supposed to be checking with Acura. Have heard nothing in four days.

I saw one other post with this problem. I live in Florida and suspect most others aren't running the AC yet. I have owned 4 previous Honda's, including currently a 2000 Odyssey, none of which made a noise like this. It's not acceptable in a cheaper car, much less this vehicle. It's bad enough I will sell the car if they can't fix it.