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Acura MDX (pre-2007)
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Glad you and your wife came to a decision.
Sounds like you found an unusually nice dealer compared to what some folks here went through :-)
If you look back, you'll see the pricing on the Acura website was substantially lower than that now posted. (I actually may have that info somewhere, and if i find it I'll post it.) In any event, my recollection was that the prices jumped by 20 to 30% at least (some even more). Keeping in mind that the original prices already included the standard Acura markup for dealer profit, I'd guess that "cost" is around half to 60% of the current Acura website prices.
Of course, "cost" to a salesguy is a nebulous concept. He may mean his "cost" from the retail parts counter, plus the standard cost at $70 an hour to install... But, maybe not. A few dealerships appear to be more reasonable.
Just FYI, always call the parts counter to get the pricing for the accessories, then the service guys to see about install- keeps the sales guys honest.
Ard
I'm coming out of a Maxima. Comfort wise, my left leg is better off in the Maxima because it has a hand parking brake on the centre console. My right leg comfort depends upon the length of the trip.
However, I have driven a lot of cars at dealers over the last few months. There is precious little out there that is comfortable for tall guys. My wife's Explorer has marginally better seats than the MDX. The seats in the RX300 and the Jeep GC both seem to be marginally shorter and therefore lack in thigh support. Over the years, the best fit has been in minivans and low slung sports cars (the best was an MGB which permitted me to keep my leg straight). Of the new cars and SUV's I've tested, the best seat is probably the Volvo V70 wagon, or the Saab 9-5 wagon.
I am going to test the new Explorer and the new Envoy when they are out. I don't think that I will find that they wow me so much that I would trade off the comfort against the benefits of the MDX; however, who knows what might happen.
If anyone else has recommendations for the best seats for tall people, please let us know. I'm not into replacing standard car seats but if someone says that it can be done nicely and economically, I'll listen to them too.
You're giving them free advertising. Some respectable dealerships (like Clair) have you authorize it on the paperwork before putting it on. I've had to tell way to many not to put any crap on because some will put their own logos on your paint.
I'm coming off an '88 Honda Accord which never really gave me any thigh support. I usually always sat on my tailbone, but I got used to it and still love that car.
The MDX seat bottom fits me well, but I find the seat back should either be narrower or have more side bolsters. I'm not a wide body at 195#. I wish the door armrest was a little closer too.
I can't believe the MDX designer was 6'5". This car should have had more legroom.
Glad that you like the MDX! Sounds like you concluded you would have no difficulty putting one of the children in a childseat on the passenger side of the 3rd row seat. We plan to do that someday whenever we have more than 2 relatives visiting us. For now, our 2-year old son has been riding in the 2nd row seat.
Before the MDX, I was rather biased against all SUVs. These new upscale SUVs, such as the MDX (as well as M-Class and RX300) have changed that a bit. I don't have the opportunity to drive our MDX very often, but during the few times I get to drive it, I'm always impressed with how well it drives and handles for being such a big vehicle. (I realize "big" is relative. I used to drive a BMW 3-series, and now I have an Audi A4. To me, any mid-sized SUV is "big"!)
Good news on the $300 discount. Every extra hundred helps! It doesn't surprise me too much that some dealers in the midwest may have MDX's available in March. I called one of our Arizona dealers about 3 weeks ago, and they told me they had about 6 MDX's still available for March delivery. That might have changed by now...
Regarding accessories, I agree with ard. I would recommend checking prices at Hondacuraworld, and seeing how well your dealer's "cost" compares in price. Some accessories are easy to install on your own. Others you may want to pay the extra cost to the dealer to have him install them. Before you do, call the parts and service guys to see what their charges will be, compared to what the sales guy wants to charge you (as Ard mentioned).
what i guess is a totaled Odyssey? Hmm.. Oh well, here are the parts.
The pump part# is ACC 56100-PGK-A00RM
DESCRIPTION_________QTY______SELL__
FLUID, P.S. 6 @ 1.24
P.S. PUMP, RM REMFG 1 @ 101.72
TUBE, SUCTION 1 @ 3.93
TANK COMP,P/S OIL 1 @ 13.06
frght 15.16
SUBTOTAL:
PARTS: 176.63
LAB-MECHANICAL 64.80
MISCELLANEOUS 15.16
TOTAL CHARGE FOR CONCERN 256.59
epoe, glad to read that you got your MDX back. What makes you think that the steering pump is from an Odyssey? It is somewhat disconcerting to see the "Remanufacturer" word on the work order.
Good luck!
Drew
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Vans, SUVs, and Aftermarket and Accessories message boards
Though there HAVE been a number of folks here who have gotten a number of accessories thrown in; I remember the most generous one included the running boards.
Glad your wife "loved it." That was my wife's reaction to it too, and she is the primary driver of the vehicle. She had test-driven the ML320 earlier in the day and liked it, but it wasn't a real enthusiastic "like." She appreciated the safety features and what not, disliked a lot of the ergonomics and what she thought was plainness, really didn't like the rougher ride, and didn't like the styling much. But she was smiling from ear-to-ear when she drove the MDX. She liked its acceleration, the sound of the engine, the various feature doodads, the ride, and its relative uniqueness (tons of RX's, lots of ML's around here).
That said, if you have a chance, and think you could fit the vehicles within your budget, you should at least take a test drive of the Sequoia and ML320 before finalizing anything with the MDX. There may be characteristics to the vehicle that you may like a lot more than what is written; auto purchases are just so subjective. The Seq may surprise you in that it handles lighter than it looks, though it's not going to do as well as an MDX or ML320.
The ML320 does have excellent safety features beyond the oft-touted stability control, such as rear side airbags (which the MDX does not have, and the Seq has side curtains which, I feel, are of less value than thoraxic side airbags in a higher-riding SUV). While I think the MDX is quite safe, the ML320 has extra degrees of safety, depending on your driving situation. When it came down to my ML320 vs. MDX decision, it was somewhat easier because at the time, the (2000) ML320 didn't come with child-proof locks and didn't have conventional childseat tether anchors (kinda negated some of its safety advantages in my book). However, those are available now standard (tethers, as required by U.S. law) or as a dealer-installed add-on now (if your dealer can figure out which part # to order).
Picking between a 2001 ML320 and an MDX would have been more difficult, and I would expect that the 2002 ML320, if it adds the rumored cheaper xenons, side curtains, and ergonomic features like steering wheel-mounted audio controls, might be enough to sway me if the timing was different. But the grass is always greener on the other side of the next model year.
Let's see ... I figure you're probably 1.5 to 2 years away from trading in your MDX for ... an improved ML320, the next-gen RX300, the 2003 MDX (perhaps finally with the vaunted VSA), or the upcoming VW.
By then your wife is going to be so used to driving the MDX, that its relative bigness won't bother either you or her, and another SUV will be easy. And your son will need the room.
Meanwhile, we're on the long-ownership cycle ;-) This was only our second new vehicle. Boy, the last test drive day brings back lots of memories. Our son was tiny and only 2 weeks old, for example. I still think about how the MB test drive went that day. I had the salesguy demonstrate the Wonderful second row tumbling and folding seat, and the dang thing jammed in the down position, and he couldn't open it up again. I could practically hear my father-in-law (who hates "German engineering") thinking "they can't even get a folding seat right?!?" or "splitting, folding, tumbling -- that's what you get when you overengineer the seat!" Then on the second vehicle, I noticed a minor, but obvious and annoying gapping in the interior door stripping. Obviously probably a blend of a fluke (have never heard about that kind of problem with the second row, lucky us), some real problem, and the dealership's less-than-perfect approach toward their own vehicles.
Now if we could also have the heated windshield and the headlights...:)
and then decided to put the seats back down. Now
everything works just fine. Did I do something
wrong? I plan to put the seats back up again to
test what happens (had recent back surgery and
can't do it myself) but I just thought I would see
if anybody had any thoughts?
Could it be that you did not latch the liftgate securely when you closed it after raising the seats, but DID latch it securely after you lowered the seats? The liftgate seems securely closed, but the MDX doesn't think so. This is a common problem, and at least one symptom is that the interior lights stay on (I never checked the locking behavior). IF this happens again, check the dash to see if the red liftgate light appears on the vehicle/door check icon on the instrument panel. Our MDX requires that the liftgate be closed "enthusiastically" to guarantee it is latched to the MDX's satisfaction.
We had a Range Rover for a year (before concluding it was hopelessly impractical), and the seats on that were magnificent (along with the fabulous sound system and the nifty windshield with the embedded wiring that would defrost instantly).
right. However, I drove around for three days
like that and I think I would have noticed that
the liftgate light was on. On the other hand,
anything is possible. Like I said, I plan to test
it again today and if the problem repeats itself
I will take it to the dealer on Saturday. I am
a 53 year old female and I don't know that much
about cars but I have followed the MDX boards
religiously and I have never seen anyone mention
this kind of problem. Thats why I thought that
maybe the person who put the seats up for me had
done something "stupid".
Good suggestion regarding Mary's problem. The rear liftgate may not have been securely latched. I've actually driven the MDX off for a few blocks before I happened to see the very small indicator light on the dash board. It's just a little red line at the rear of the MDX figure. Otherwise, I had thought I had closed the liftgate all the way.
The real reason for this post is to ask you which dealer in Phoenix did you use, and who was your salesperson? I live in Scottsdale and work in Phoenix. Although both dealers were offering MSRP with no required accessory purchases, I bought my MDX down in Tucson because they offered me a better trade-in and a free cargo cover. However, based on my limited experiences with both of our local Acura dealers, I would have no trouble recommending either one of them, especially Debra at Bell Acura.
I'm also curious if any of my previous posts within this discussion group might have influenced you into considering your MDX purchase in Arizona? I didn't think anyone was paying attention, but I guess I would be a bit flattered if I had any influence on your decision. I hope the dealer and your sales associate did not disappoint you! Did you have any extra work to do back in California to register your out-of-state purchase?
Otherwise I hope you enjoy the MDX as much as I do.
Actually, I didn't see your prior posts about Phoenix. Back in November, I was determined to find a reasonably available GG touring/nav MDX at MSRP, and I started a radiating search that ended at Bell Acura, in Phoenix. (I was favoring locations which weren't too close to Snow Country). Debra Riffel was the sales person (she is the Internet Sales Manager, I guess). The entire thing was done by email, until the week of delivery. I took delivery on December 22 and got the vehicle home in time for Christmas.
The Bell folks were great; all the information I received was accurate (delivery predictions). They are pretty expensive on their accessories, though, so I didn't get any.
And, as a treat, I got 12 hours of solo driving time in the MDX on the way home!!
Registration in California was simple; I paid California the slight difference in sales tax (I had paid AZ tax in Phoenix), and I had to get the car smog-checked in California, even though it was new. Otherwise, the process was the same as for an in-state purchase.
This only works if the vehicle is 50-state emissions certified, as the MDX is. Vehicles without California emissions certification CANNOT be registered in California if there are less than 8K miles on the odometer, if I recall correctly. There was a fellow at DMV trying to register his new, out of state purchase without California certification, and he was most upset.
(Coincidentally, I found and purchased the Range Rover I mentioned off of the Internet, and that one also came from Phoenix).
Most of my daily trips will be 17 miles each way with a couple of 200 mile each way trips during the course of the year. Once out of break in, I'll set it on cruise.
Love the vehicle - holds plenty and mileage has been 23 mpg highway (first tank) on regular gas and 20 mpg rural commute (second tank) on premium gas. Once out of break in and warmer weather arrives, mileage should get even better.
I highly recommend it for anyone under 6' 6". I wouldn't want to have any longer legs (inseam 36").
you were, of course, 100% correct and saved me from taking my car to the dealer and looking like
an idiot. Thank you, thank you.
My problem started when my house wasn't in the system, although I live in a town outside of Boston. My parents house wasn't in the system. Nore was a condo I go to near Killington.
I then read the manual. They only include detail for 100 metro areas.
I was extreamly upset since they get the technology from Alpine and NavTech (Navigational Tecnologies). NavTech is the leader in digital maps (check out MapQuest), but Acura likes to strip out the streets that actually have buildings on them.
I can't believe that they get the data and don't include it, but thats what Acura told me.
My favorite response was from Alpine, they frankly said that I got ripped off and should have bought their system (which I tried at CES and was thoughly impressed) and saved lots of $$.
Oh, I almost forgot the dealer said that the upgrades were free while under warranty, including the extending warranty. Acura charges only $152 for the upgrade which happen once a year (their current maps date are only two years old!).
Of course this is the only bad thing I have to say about the car, but it ruined my whole experience considering it is 5% of the cost of the car.
Hopefully, they remove it and give me my money back.
Mark
Willing to try an experiment? Send me the addresses that gave your Nav problems and I'll plug them into mine to see what happens. I'm curious to your statement that Acura "strips out" some of the info.
I promise not to disclose any info you send. If interested, send to rx300tc@yahoo.com
TC
I mention this since we're in a new subdivision and our road wasn't even paved 18 months ago, and our house wasn't even built until August, 2000.
I think we'll be fine, at least for local Nav needs. Did it find the streets where the missing addresses were? That is, did it get you close? Or were you completely out of luck?
Can't wait for the new car (40 hours left...)
There was EXTENSIVE coverage on this back in November, with some very irate customers. They duplicated the response you received from Alpine, which is that Acura removes the bulk of the coverage and includes only a few metro areas.
Also, addresses are laid out years in advance, so being able to find a "new" subdivision is not surprising. You just got lucky that you live in a city Acura has decided to leave in.
All in all, it is really cool if you live in one of the big cities. But don't kid yourself: Acura will NEVER release a update/upgrade (call it what you will) that will have decent coverage. There is NO financial incentive for them to do so. Most folks buy/order it, then realize the limitations.
Try to return it. It is worthless for planning any trips from your house.
I'd be astounded to find that it is "working" in all other respects, but "broken" in that it just can't find certain addresses. But hey, if so-let us know.
Ard
If you're so inclined, you can try to park strategically, away from prime spots that are often heavily trafficked and prone to lots of cars coming in and out.
Some folks have added body side molding, either by themselves or at a detail shop. Even with side strips, you're still prone to dings because of the various shapes of car doors. Coupes have extra-long doors. Rear doors of sedans often have a point toward the upper part (that curves over the rear wheels).
However, if you live outside what is included, you will have major issues with it.
Best I can suggest to prospective buyers who test-drive a nav-equipped vehicle is to test the nav at the dealership. Plug in your home address, work address, etc. and make sure it seems to have enough coverage for you. If not, then skip it because you're not likely to get it, and would be better off with a third-party nav system if you so choose.
We, too, park strategically.
jdford led the pack for the moldings. Alternative applications and pics can be found at www.acuramdx.org (click on Forums, then Gallery, then look for "Prostripe and wooddash pics" and "Black MDX with door molding" and "GG Touring/Nav with side molding"). You might need to adjust the "from the last x days" filter in the upper right to see them.
anyone -- I tried to post direct links but kept getting an error msg that "no words more than 100 characters are allowed". Interestingly, none of the links was more than 45 chars. What gives?
1. Lexus RX300 5,798
2. Acura MDX 3,414
3. MB M-Class 3,278
4. BMW X5 3,029
5. Navigator 2,295
6. Infiniti QX4 1,672
7. Discovery 1,132
8. Lexus LX470 870
9. Escalade 706
10.Range Rover 371
Even though January sales are traditionally slower, this January was even worse. Blame the slowing economy, declining stock prices, and bad weather.
A year ago, Lexus sold 6,398 RX's, but it's down to 5,798 this year (despite a general trend toward rising sales, with lower prices, and overproduction). M-class sales dropped from 3,847 units to 3,278. However, one can also speculate that the X5 and MDX are taking away some of those RX and M-class sales (MDX wasn't around the previous January, and the X5 was still ramping up, only 836 units last January).
Infiniti must be chagrined; the "redesigned" QX4 continues to do poorly, dropping from 2,368 units last year to 1,672. Meanwhile, Pathfinder sales are up slightly.
Auto sales in general look pretty bad. Looks like it'll be a buyer's market in 2001.
http://www.jdpower.com/auto/hot_sellers/FindHotSellers.jsp
Coincidentally, I also was one of the proponents on this board several months ago about the "Paintless Dent Removal" companies, many of which operate mobile vans that will come to your office or home to remove the dent(s).
The side molding on my MDX, coupled with the ability of the mobile dent removal technicians to roll-out any dents that slip past the molding, has reduced much of the worry I initially had about the wayward shopping cart and/or inconsiderate motorists. That's not to say I don't continue to park out in no-man's land at shopping malls, restaurants and the like because it has now become habit. But I no longer 'worry' about a dent marring the side of my pride and joy because there's an easy fix should one appear.
http://www.acuramdx.org/forums/showthread.php?threadid=567
http://www.acuramdx.org/forums/showthread.php?threadid=120
http://www.acuramdx.org/forums/showthread.php?threadid=119
One item I've never seen discussed is body-side cladding. Personally, I think it can be pretty ugly, but some folks like it and it can provide even more ding protection. I'd imagine there are detail shops out there that can install the stuff, but I've never seen an MDX with it.
While this may be true to some extent, our address still can't be found by many widely-used mapping sites (for instance, I just confirmed this on the Yahoo mapping site). But the MDX Navi has no problems with it, or our feeder roads. So it appears that it is at least quite up-to-date, though your contention that it is "stripped down" of info may still be true.
This was from around 9/29/00. Once the dealers found out, they went nuts- they wanted to make their money on the accessories. Acura corp claimed that their prices were just suggested, and dealers could set their own prices. Then it became clear that ALL dealers were charging the same 100 to 150% above the MSRP (wow, what a coincidence...) Acura corp pulled the website prices quickly. There were allegations of collusion by the local dealerships, facilitated by Acura regional reps, to make sure the pricing stayed high.....safe harbor violations, etc. etc.
Old Web Pricing:
Front Air Deflector 136
Cargo Cover 87
Cargo Tray 93
Nose Mask 118
rear Splash Guards 52
Wheel Locks 33
Cargo or luggage net 32
Fender Flares 480
Gold Exhaust tip 73
Gold Inner frt. grille 92
Gold Emblem kit 104
Frt Lower Trim 366
Moon roof Deflector 56
Rear Air Deflector 269
Bike Attachment 112
Ski Attachment 122
Running Boards 395
Separation Net 67
Trailer Hitch 207
These were purportedly installed prices. My guess is that these were Acura-to-dealer prices, with 15 to 20% on top. The few items which really required install, they probably had a realistic labor added in, (not the $70 per hour times 3 hours for runningboards, for example).
The only reason for posting is to let folks know what "dealer cost" might be, and just to be aware that the current pricing isn't anywhere near cost.
As you can see, even at the Acura web prices, dealers are doing quite well selling the vehicle at MSRP and making 100-200% on accessories.
Winter storm watch in the Sierras- can't wait.
Keep your black side down,
Ard
The Alpine NVE-N851A DVD PowerNav System with a CVA-1005 display is perhaps the best of the current nav systems. It is DVD based, using a dual layer, single side technology.
Problem is, it will be an "add on". No way to get around the lack of an in-dash screen.
Having said that, the head units have a pull ou screen with a full audio system as well. I'd think you can pull out the Acura radio and replce it with a full Alpine system. Certainly more than the Acura system, but it has hundreds more cities listed. MSRP on the paid is $3300.
And upgrades will ne what Navigation Technologies maps, not what Acura decides to purchase from them. Remember, Acura just wants to sell cars. The Nav system is a way to do that. They have no interest in selling Nav systems... (my cynical opinion)
Ard
Very expensive though;
DVD unit alone without monitor = $1500.
LCD monitor = $800
or
Combination cd, radio & monitor = $1500
Good Luck
You can in fact replace any standard car stereo. The secret is to get the Nav unit and mount it wherever. You then replace your present car stereo with their multimedia head unit. It is so slick! Rather than describe it, see for yourself:
http://www.alpine1.com/html/details.asp?serial=1213&head=100
Most installers I've talked to can do the Nav and head unit for around $3k installed.
TC
quiteness of the SUV (especially for an SUV), I'm hearing an annoying tic-ing sound
from the glove compartment. I know it's the glove compartment, because if I open it
(and leave it open) the noise goes away. It's not hideous, but it's annoying.
Anyone else had this problem?
It might not be feasible to achieve the above for about 3-5 years but I can wait.