Acura MDX (pre-2007)

will4271

Thanks William for the info. IMO, from what you say... it should like okay even w/o stability control.

There were far more worst tests on Motorweek. Just this week, I thought the Honda Civic Si had to much body movement on the slalom.

ksoman

I think we are looking at atleast one hybrid variant in all the Honda lineup by 2005. For some reason, I believe Honda will put their hybrid to work at helping them to keep using V6 engines rather than v8 engines in the upgraded (next version) MDX, possibly the next RL and the next NSX....

http://www.edmunds.com/news/autoshows/articles/47802/page025.html

halfmoon

I am purchasing an MDX. The dealer is strongly recommending the extended warranty. I generally don't believe they are necessary but my last car was a lemon so I am considering it. The warranty provides an additional 3 years but it is not cheap. Any opinions???

will4271

What was your last car?

I found Honda is pretty much reliable (I have an Accord with 128K w/o any costly repairs) if it is maintained well. So I wouldn't buy it. But again, it depends on the well keeping.

theworm

I'm usually against 'em, but am contemplating one for the MDX...lotsa expen$ive components, and mine's a first-MY '01 so ya never know. Check out www.acurawarranty.com - real Acura extended warranties through a dealer back east (I think).

Haven't seen lower prices anywhere else...for ~ $1500 no deductible 7yrs/100k it ain't bad for the peace of mind...I'm waiting til the end of our 2nd year to buy it though -- the price is the same til then.

sbcooke

Is there any issue with car washes and the antenna on the roof? It doesn't look like it unscrews or comes off. It is a pain to have to hand wash an SUV every time, if the antenna cannot go through a regular car wash?

wmquan

We run through an automatic car wash once a week and have never had a problem with the antenna.

eyebiz

I've driven my 2001 MDX for 11K miles. I've had the driver side seat controls go out, power lock switch replaced, fuel door adjusted, a temp gauge constantly read about 20 degrees off, lost the rear hatch latch trim cover, and had all the seat latch icons fall off. Hopefully, the rest of the vehicle will make it through my 3 year lease. Anyone else with annoying problems with this highly sought after SUV?

cotmc

I'm in the same boat as worm. We already have over 32K miles on our MDX, and I don't see any reason to unload it before it passes 50K.

Please take into account that this is very old info, but I remember Tim at Hondacuraworld was offering very good prices on genuine Acura extended warranties for the MDX. It would be interesting to see how his prices compare to acurawarranty.com. If they are close, I would prefer to give my business to Tim.

Regarding the antenna, it screws off by hand pretty easily (unless it has been overtightened). I noticed that the attendant at our car wash temporarily removed it before running our MDX through the car wash. Ever since then, I've been taking it off before I arrive at the car wash, just to make sure it isn't misplaced. I don't see the need for removing it for a typical automatic car wash, but if someone is going to remove it, I prefer to do it rather than the attendant.

l943973

Hello,

Does anyone know if the heated seats in the MDX covers both the seat bottom and the backside. Also the antenna everyone is mentioning. Is this for the radio. I really dislike the poor reception from the Window grid. (can't reach Baltimore stations in DC or VA anymore).

I know the X5 mention only the seat bottom (in their brochure).

thanks,

wmquan

The MDX's front driver's seat is heated both on the bottom and the back. The passenger's seat is heated only on the bottom, allegedly because of sensors that prevent the side airbag from deploying if the seat is unoccupied or if a small person is sitting there.

The roof antenna is for the radio.

doreened

O.K., so I've driven the MDX and loved it. (I'm willing to put up with small third row seat and the crap that my friends will give me about "true off-road capabilities" - whatever that means).

I found out that Honda is going to market with the Pilot in June (same 3.5l engine as the MDX, seats 8 instead of 7). I understand that the Honda will be a less refined ride, but I'm trying to justify the additional $5-8k to put my order in for the MDX.

Any help?

cotmc

Our MDX just had our (overdue) 30k service performed today. I guess the typical cost at our dealer for this service is about $400, but I was able to keep my cost to about $250. My service advisor was terrific. He worked with me to keep my costs down. He charged me individual prices for specific jobs (such as transmission fluid and VTM-4 fluid changes, a/c filter change, etc), and then he threw in all the inspections and the valve adjustment for free. It also helped that I bypassed the wheel rotation. The reason for that is I am looking forward to replacing the Goodyear tires with new Michelins. With that in mind, why pay an extra $50 for the rotation?

Oh yeah, I almost forgot to mention that my loaner car was a sleek little black 2002 CL Type S. Great car, but why is it taking Acura until MY2003 to add the clutch pedal option??

mjtian

I am getting my '02 MDX in three weeks, anyone have any suggestions on how long I should drive it (locally)before putting the MDX on the highway? My old Camry required 1,000 miles, yet my friend's Audi 4S needed only 500 miles.

Also, with regards to the service discussions, I think my dealer here in St.Louis mentioned something about free oil changes for the first 10K or something. And I do agree with the dealer's arrogance; don't return phone calls, insisting on the MSRP. Hell, I had to threaten my salesman(with the X5 and ML320) before he called me back. Oh well, the price one must pay for a great vehicle.

leftyhef

We test drove an 01 MDX last year. Was a little surprised at the amount of wind noise (have an 00 Accord that also has noticeable wind noise at higher speeds, so I was looking).

The salesman today told me that the 02 windshield is thicker, there is more insulation in the sides and bottom of the car. I guess we should take one for a test drive.

Has anyone done a comparison or have a comment on wind noise differences? Thanks.

jwacura

wmquan:Just a word of caution. Don't assume the presence of a roof rack identifies the MDX as a touring model. True, the touring model comes with the roof rack as standard equipment, while the premium model does not. However, the rack can be installed on a premium model at the dealership.

;-)

wmquan

Quite true, a roof rack doesn't prove it is Touring. However, I figure in a road test they're not as likely to have a premium (base) with a roof rack add-on.

I'm straining to remember but the other reason I'm almost certain that the Touring was what Motorweek tested was that they flashed the "price as tested" graphic and it was a Touring (and not a base with a bunch of accessories added).

It IS a certainty that the model that Consumer Reports tested (that had the tendency to fishtail in the emergency handling test, even with the Michelin Cross Terrains), was a Touring (with nav).

will4271

I got the Motorweek video show #2001 this last Friday. They actually tested both Touring and Premium one. Yes.. it cost me $29.99+ shipping cost but I wanted to find out how bad was the "fishtail" like before I buy the SUV. I watched it like 10 times.

I call it research. I recommend that you see this video before you decide to buy this SUV. Is this acceptable to you?

Better research it before making a $40K mistake!!!

The Michelin tires (TOURING) usually perform better than the Dunlop (BASE) that they probably tested with the beige one.

If consumer reports had one, I would buy it also. If you know how to see it, please let me know?

IMO, consumer reports should make the videos available to the public.

On the video, they showed a granite green MDX with roof rack going throught mud, small stream, bridge. But they never attempted it with the performance test.

But when they did the performance test, they show another MDX w/o the roof rack that was beige metallic. During hard braking, it did show ever so slight of the back coming loose. During the emergency handling test, it had "fishtail" a little too (maybe 1-2 inches) from the graphics. It hasn't change my mind that it is a good SUV. Electronic Stablity will probably help a little but will it hurt ride quality.

However if you read the wording on the motorweek website under PBS.org you will notice the transcript of the show was exactly the same.

http://www.mpt.org/motorweek/reviews/rt2001a.shtml

wmquan

Yes, you're right, the MDX that Motorweek tested was a base. My apologies, my memory was faulty. I checked back to a very old thread discussing the test and found that they had tested a Premium (base) as well.

newsuvbuyer2

I can testify to the fact that the '02 is much quieter than the '01. I tested the '01 a few months ago and was also put off by the noise (to the point where I wouldn't buy the thing). Reading the same rumors as you, I tested it again recently and was impressed by how much improvement they had made on that score. So I bought one (black on black), took delivery and have been a happy camper for a few weeks now. No problems with wind noise at all.

gotothelight

Just attended my new owners meeting at my local Acura dealer. I have an 02 MDX. During the question and answer period I asked what would happen if the VTM-4 button was pushed at say, freeway speeds. The service manager said that it wouldn't hurt anything. But the owners manual says damage could occur at speeds over 18 mph if the button is pushed or if you drive over 18mph once it is pushed. Anyone know what the correct answer is? I'll err on the side of caution of course but with a new teenage driver "learning" to drive on the MDX it would be nice to know.

texas83

Having researched between the RX300 and the MDX, I finally went ahead and chose the MDX. I went to a nearby dealership on the westside of Houston. Talking to a salesman, a middle aged oriental gentleman, I said I would like him to order a white premium model. He told me they only order navigation models because they can't make enough money on the premium models. Shocked and having heard of the Acura arrogance, I ignored it pressing on. I explained that my needs don't justify the added cost. Somewhat annoyed, he told me that he would order it, but these are in big demand and if I wasn't there in one hour after it arrived he would sell it to someone else. Wanting the vehicle, again I ignored the issue and we talked a bit more. He again reminded me I would have one hour to claim my MDX. Agitated, I politely told him I needed to leave. As he walked me out the door he again reminded me that he would order it, and give me one hour. I said "Fine, what ever." The vehicle came in last week and he called my home for three days trying to get me to pick it up. That felt good.

mhenderson1

Maybe the tide is changing. I feel that we as consumers should not take this attitiude, when they are trying to sell us a product. We are in the position of demand. I hope Acura dealerships will from this. The tide will really turn when other compeitor introduce their vehicles to the market in the next few months. Acura then will be begging for customers to come to their showroom.

msh8448

I'm planning to buy an MDX in early summer (June, 02). I've already placed a deposit on one at my local Acura Dealership which is being generous enough to sell the vehicles for full MSRP. Do you really think that prices will come down from full MSRP by early summer? Other than the Honda Pilot (which seems to be less vehicle for less money), I'm not aware of any new car launches that will significantly erode the seemingly-constant supply of MDX buyers. Until the supply of the MDXs outpaces demand, I can't imagine these vehicles selling below full MSRP. Can you??

wmquan

This is pure speculation, but one might be able to get a 2002 for a discount very late in the model year. That's because the 2003 is rumored to be a significant refresh, though any features is pure speculation (most of it centered around a more powerful 3.8 liter engine).

After the 2002 model year started, there were some dealers ready to part with 2001's, sometimes with very modest discounts.

Unfortunately, one takes a depreciation hit if they buy so late in the model year (though the impact is diminished if you plan to keep the vehicle for a long time). So they're certainly not doing us any favors.

Should the higher-trim-level Pilots indeed compete with the 2002 MDX, perhaps by late summer we might see some easing of MDX demand.

will4271

I would've walked away if there attitude was so bad. I live in the SF Bay Area and the salesman gave me a test drive but wanted $2000 above MSRP afterwards. His justification was that they are losing money on the TLs, CLs and others.

I told him MSRP or nothing. He immediately got management to go for $1000 above MSRP. But no takers here. He is still calling me. I answered one call and I said MSRP or no sale. I haven't returned his last call. There should be plenty of dealers, why put up with the nonsense.

Btw, for people who are buying the Oddy's.. there selling at MSRP now. But you may have to drive a little.

will4271

I haven't hear anything more than a new 3.8L engine. I am pretty sure they will do this to differ it from the Pilot.

I think the Pilot material isn't as high quality.

Any new news source?

Also a makeover may also mean a higher price tag?

pvnguyen

It's sad reading posts about people paying MSRP for a MDX. I was in the same situation and refused. Accura/Honda has great quality but it does not justify paying MSRP(+). I ended purchasing a Buick Rendezvous AWD CXL with all the options for $26,600 + taxes. A comparable MDX would have cost me about $41,000 + taxes.

Before you flame me, take a test drive and compare the two vehicles. You will be surprised as I was.

As for the supposely weak, old 3.4 V6 GM Engine, it is more than enough. If you want more power, they do offer aftermarket superchargers for about $3500 installed that pumps out 265 HP/310 pounds of torque.

Just another opinion.

mhenderson1

There are quite a number of new SUV's that will hit the market this summer/fall. Range Rover, Volvo, Toyota, Kia, Mercury, as well as Honda are bringing out new or redesigned vehicles. I'll think I'll wait a little while to see if the market will change when these competitors arrive.

On a different subject, Does anyone think that there will ever be a time when someone can negotiate between MSRP and the dealer invoice again? Or has the market changed so significantly that consumers will have to continue paying MSRP?

mhenderson1

That's just it lower price lower quality. I do not want to be stuck with a car.. a car with an SUV body in which I am taking it to the dealership every other week to have it fixed. Take a look at the Rendezvous chat room and here there complaints. I feel that you made a good decision with what you have considering the price. But with GM's reputation with their vehicles, I don't think so.

pvnguyen

mhenderson1,

That's just it. It is not a lower price, lower quality vehicle. I did go to the Rendezvous chat room and 99% were very happy. My point in the previous post was that I'm glad there is an alternative to all of these snobbish brands like Accura, Lexus, BMW, MB, etc... Who knows. I've never owned a GM car until the Rendezvous and if that's an indication of GM's potential. I'm a new GM owner again within the next two years.

Let's face it. Cars are complex machine and I don't care who builds them, they will have some problems. And at $14K difference, I'm more than willing to take a chance. I did not pay MSRP(+).

I know this is not a Rendezvous chat room so I won't mention it anymore. I'm glad to have read people experiences dealing with Dealers and paying too much. It helped me...

mhenderson1

All I can say is good luck. For me, I just can't afford to keep purchasing a new vehicle every two years. I would like to replace a vehicle every 5-7 years not every two years, and i think Honda has the vehicle quality that will last that long (maybe even longer) with few repairs.

hairong

This summer, Lincoln will start selling the new Aviator, which competes head to head with MDX. The Aviator is based on the Explorer, but is more powerful, more upscale. It was designed to compete with MB MLs and BMW X5s, with a lower price entry point, at that time, MDX was not on the market yet. I will be choosing between the '03 MDX and '03 Aviator this fall, when my current lease is up. One thing for sure, I am not gonna pay MSRP, have never done that, and not gonna do it now.

Take a look at Town Hall's Aviator forum. It has the most info you can find about this SUV on the net.

jerry2281 "MY 2003 Lincoln Aviator" Dec 4, 2001 6:38pm

hairong

>All I can say is good luck. For me, I just can't afford to keep purchasing a new vehicle every two years. I would like to replace a vehicle every 5-7 years not every two years,

That line is so old. You payed about 14,000 more than he did, for Pete's sake. For that much money, he could put it in the bank, use it in 3 years (plus trading in his 3 year old Buick) to buy a brand new SUV with new tech. new feature and a new warranty.

mhenderson1

Maybe $14,000 an a lot less aggravation. Majority of GM products out now are having problems major problems before the car reaches 5,000 miles. Look at the recent recalls on these vehicles. Some people are willing to pay in excess of a price for a high quality vehicle from a reputable company. Some people are willing to pay a lower amount for a vehicle with lower quality. Both of these scenarios are okay in my book. I'm just saying that my ideal situation would be to pay a reasonable negotiated price for a high quality vehicle. There are many other factor which will make up that $14,000 difference such as: time to take off from work to put the vehicle in the shop; inconvinece of not having the vehicle because it is in the shop (other transportation, rental, cancellation of scheduled activities...and so on. You just can't say that "I'll just put that $14,000 in the bank and let it accumulate interest" and expect not having to deal with other problems. Reality does not operate like that.

pvnguyen

mhenderson1,

I could not resist to post anything about the Rendezvous but please take a look at these links:

For the MDX,

http://www.alldata.com/TSB/82/028201GN.html

For the Rendezvous,

http://www.alldata.com/TSB/75/01750238.html

http://www.alldata.com/TSB/75/02750238.html

Tell me who has more major problems and the amount of time you'll spend at the service department.

I plan to buy another car within the next two years because my wife's 1999 Honda Accord has high mileage (82K+ miles). I rarely keep a car for more than 4 years due to high maintenance cost. The $14K difference will allow me to purchase my next car earlier. I'm actually thinking about another Rendezvous for my wife if they still have the $2002 rebate and 5.9% for 60 months in July.

BTW - have you seen/driven a Rendezvous??? Normally, the Rendezvous is compared to the MDX or X5 because of the price difference.

Peter

will4271

What you pay is what you get.

If you are satisfied, you should be happy.

GM has not gotten a good track record for reliablity for new vehicles as records from Consumer Reports has shown.

Honda has better reliabilty but at a higher price. The Rendezvous should be compared to the Pilot not the luxurious MDX.

Just a subjective opinion in these discussions.

Has the crash test results from the insurance institute come in yet?

fedlawman

Consumer reports has shown that Buick has good quality and reliability, and should not be grouped with "GM".

According to JD Power, Buick consistently outperforms Honda and Toyota in quality.

Bulletproof "Honda quality" is as much a myth as
"GM sucks".

gfry

As a fan of Acura/Honda and a owner of a 99tl I read with interest the companies recent concern of the loss of loyal customers and drop of customer satisfaction in several auto mag's and business jurnals.I would suggest they try the experience of trying to buy one of their so called HOT CARS(MDX-Odyssey)and experience what most buyers do,its akin to dealing with a organized crime syndicate starting with the double sticker(pre-paid additional depreciation)plus organized bidding wars when products arrive at the dealers.this painful experience is one that most buyers only want to experience once and usually sees the manufacture as the culprit rather then the dealer.(how does the PT CRUISER buyer feel about now.(double sticker 26k-now 14k) The company builds great cars and then markets them thru a used car sales system.Take a look at the Saturn system never a double sticker and fair and consistant ordering system.I feel and so do many other potential buyers this marketing mania of the new so called "HOT CAR"is going to eventually back fire and damage Acura/Honda.I think the big three can get away with it,but I hope Acura/Honda would develop a marketing system that reflects the quality of their products.I have been trying to purchase a MDX for more than a year and even with the increased production the local dealers still getting 3-5k over msrp.Maybe a company sponsered lease only for the new cars for the first 2 years would stop the second market.Here the used car dealers are getting the cars from Canada and selling them here for 40k.I guess we'll be dealing with that when the new RL,TL,NSX and PILOT arrive.I hope there will a lot of us that will continue to boycot that manipulation.

raybear

Your region has too few dealers and too many customers, other places the MDX sells at list. I'm not seeing any discounts, but since you draw the analogy to Saturn I'm sure you can see why the car can sell at sticker and still be a fair price.

editedby

Gfry absolutely agree Hot car syndrome is running wild. Don't hold your breath waiting for Honda/Acura dealers to improve though... they won't.
My first sighting of a double sticker was in a Honda dealership, and that was over 10 years ago.

texas83

After a long debate over the RX 300 and the MDX, I finally decided to forego both models. I just couldn't get used to the looks of the RX backside and the MDX seats were too uncomfortable, the salesmen were arrogant, plus I won't pay MSRP. From the start, I really preferred the MDX. In time, with the introduction of other SUV models, I'm sure that the MDX price will fall... look at the RX. In the meantime, I bought a 02' Lexus ES300 and got a very good deal on it. I know.... completely different vehicle, but it should handle my needs for now.

mikeintn

I've been floundering around for several weeks trying to decide which SUV to buy. I drove, in order, Envoy, Tahoe, Grand Cherokee, TrailBlazer, and 4Runner. None of them really turned me on, but the Tahoe was leading, but not by much.

After reading Consumer Reports and some reviews on the MDX, I decided I would give it a try. Only at that point did I understand the supply/demand issue.

I found one today while out of town on business and test drove it. A touring model, black/ebony. All I can say is wow, this baby is awesome. Drove like a sports car. I looked down during my test drive and while at 65 mph I was at less than 2000 rpms. Quiet, responsive, strong. It is the perfect size and drives better than any of the others I drove.

Now, if I can sell the wife, I'll be buying this baby tomorrow. BTW, the dealer had a "$2000 Market Value Adjustment" over the MSRP, but the salesperson quickly dropped it to MSRP, which I feel is fair.

This thread was a great deal of help to me in choosing the MDX.

Thanks,

Mike

msh8448

I had virtually the same reaction as you after taking my test drive in an MDX. Although I didn't test drive as many competitor's SUVs as you did, I was immediately impressed the MDX. My suggestion to you for convining the wife...get her behind the wheel of an MDX. To maximize the effect, put her behind the wheel of a couple of the competitor's SUVs beforehand. Good luck!

sbcooke

My Silver 02 was just allocated and due in April! Wohoo!

My dealer who has been unwilling to budge on accessories is seriously considering lowering the price on the running boards. They told me the price is $749, no ifs ands or buts. I told him that he is already killing me at MSRP, he might as well give the boards for free. I told him that I will buy them online for $200, and have them waiting for the truck when it comes in. They can install them their hourly labor cost, $70ish. He is now seriously considering giving me the option for $450. Which might be fair.

will4271

Just curious when did you place the order.

My dealer said that there are two people ahead of me but haven't receive info that my SUV is arriving yet. I placed the order in mid Jan.

will4271

I heard from posts that there are many nuts that needs to be screw in for the running boards.

I wondering if anyone has installed the running boards, rear mud guards by themselves.

mikeintn

Guess it is a good thing I am in sales.....sold the wife on it site unseen.

I am driving the 200 miles, with her, to pick up mine tomorrow.

Black/Ebony with touring package....what a honey. I get to drive it to Austin, Texas (1200 miles) in late March, anxious to put it on the road.

Thanks,

MIKEinTN

leokadia1

Saw a half page ad in the New York Times today. The dealer had 7 MDX's for immediate delivery. I called to see if they had a silver base in stock, but said he could get one in a month. I asked if he was discounting the the MDX's now. He replied no!!! I told him to call me back when they can talk at $2,180.00 off list = $33,000.00 for the base.
I think they will have to have 70 in stack before they consider discounting????

greenlatern

This url below is to a story in USA today on the dangers of third row seats in some popular SUVs.

http://www.usatoday.com/money/covers/2002-03-01-car-seat-safety.htm