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Acura MDX (pre-2007)
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That's one reason I think MB showed some class when it kept its dealerships from charging above MSRP when the M-class was introduced and very hot. Of course, that resulted in huge waiting lists, but what can you do.
And I'd imagine there'd be someone who would find such a practice "un-American" and un-capitalistic, and demand the vehicle in one day because they're willing to pay over MSRP. There are folks like this, we all know that, else the dealers wouldn't get away with it!
I think MB has a lot more control over their dealer network than Acura does. I don't know how much control Lexus has over its network.
Actually, we just went through this discussion on the RX300 board and it's partially true. Here's why.
Prospective owners were complaining that they couldn't get, let's say HIDs, without getting a "package", i.e., sunroof, other factory options, etc. After experimenting with different zip codes on the Lexus build-your-own page, I found out that the availablity for individual options actually varied depending on part of the country you were in! It isn't the dealers pulling this, it is in fact Lexus "marketing" making the decision of what will sell best in what part of the country and shipping the configurations to the U.S. ports.
Not that this still isn't "undesirable" for some folks, but we too were ready to jump down the dealers' throats for this. Seems like they were actually not to blame in this instance. Go figure.
Drew
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When we had the infant seat installed in the MDX, we had it almost in the middle of the second row, on the 60% portion of the 60/40 split seat. Because of this, the seat stuck out slightly in between the two front seats, but we were able to shift both front seats all the way back (that is, all the way aft with the fore-aft adjustment, as opposed to reclining the seatback all the way back). I can't be sure if your husband would fit in that circumstance but I'm pretty sure he will.
The infant seat (Century Avanta SE) is certainly one of the bulkiest ones around, and its folded-down handle only slightly rubbed against against the back of the driver's front seat.
With the infant seat in this position, an adult could comfortably sit in the 40% seat portion. An adult could also sit to the left of the infant seat on the remainder of the 60% portion but elbow room was a bit sparse. Best to put the right arm up and around the back of the rear seat.
We never tried putting the infant seat right behind the the front seat in an outboard position (safer to put it in the middle, in any vehicle). I think it would work though it might slightly compromise how far back the front seat can go, at least as far as in its absolute rear-most position. Again, our seat was very bulky.
Ask for Matt Kerridge and tell him I sent you. He knows my userid. Although he may not be able to do much about wait times, he/they will treat you fair. Get on the waiting list, and if you are negotiable about color the wait may not be "too" bad?
John Eagle Acura:
MDX at MSRP w/ no forced options.
Factory recommended 2 year service free.
Vehicle protection plan free.
Discounts on all options.
Reasonable prices on tinting & pinstripes.
http://www.acuramdx.org/forums/showthread.php?threadid=1018
and
http://www.acuramdx.org/forums/showthread.php?threadid=1373
I was told anything wider could cause too much stress on the strutts.
I get about 2 to 3 mpg less now - I used to get between 17 and 18 mpg, I now get about 14 to 16 mpg.
The ride is a little more rough because of the lower profile tires, but handling is a lot better than the stock Michelins.
Rail
Waiting for people more expert in car matters than I to weigh in ...
Right you are rxcure, if the new wheels and tires were properly "plus-sized" and the new tire compound isn't significantly stickier than the old tires, there shouldn't be that much of difference in MPG.
If someone has the time, they should calculate the overall wheel diameter of the OEM rims and tires against railr's new ones to see if there is an overall size difference.
Power/performance: Very good in general. Drive/handle well on I-5, up/down hill, country roads, local streets. Kept passing other SUVs at the Grapevine uphill. Saw a few MDXs, X5s and many RXs and MLs.
Wind Noise: At over 70 mph, I still feel the noise is a little high even with the moonroof visor. This is compared with our other car(volvo).
Seat comfort: was OK although not as good as the Volvo.
Seating/Cargo capacity: amazing with a vehicle of this size. We had 2 kids(full size car seat and a booster) and an adult in the 2nd row. The adult(happened to be my mom-in-law!) never complained of any discomfort. At the back, we put a single and a double strollers, a folded play pan, 2 small size carry-on's, 4 large size duffle bags and a child carrier. With all these, my view through the rear mirror was still clear!
Milage: 24 MPG at 65-75 mph. Dropped to under 20 MPG at over 85 mph.
The negative: LA traffic was terrible! Good Friday 5:30PM on I-405, we were moving at about 10 miles per hour. I guess the milage was around 5MPG during that 10 miles. Was it supposed to be a holiday for most people? When we left in the morning, the traffic in the south SF bay was absolutely clear.
WRT to traffic: welcome to the club, it was bad everywhere. As we like to say in the Northeast, holidays and weekends are just an excuse for the amateur drivers to come out on the roads. We sat in holiday traffic for no reason... no accidents, no trouble, medium car volume. Just a bunch of morons slowing it down for the rest of us.
The herd needs to be thinned....
Agree with Tony on the traffic. However, I noticed the lane width of the busy LA highways seems to be narrower than in the highways here. Maybe they pushed the limit to squeeze out more lanes for the crowd.
My dad went to the great rated dealership near him (and 850 miles away from me) and their Silver/Ebony Tour Navi demo with 1500 miles is available. It has the following accessories:
Fender Flares
Running Boards
Wood Wheel
Wood Meter Trim
Wood Shift Knob
Rear Mud Guards
Tail Gate Deflector (painted Silver)
Special Pin Striping
They will sell this MDX to me for $41,000 even. When I price out the accessories installed at Acura.com they come to $2749 (not counting pinstriping) Tim's price w/o install or pinstriping is about $1900 (not sure how to price Painted deflector or pinstripe) So essentially...I am getting all these accessories/pinstripe already INSTALLED for $1500 over MRSP to compensate for demo/mileage. Also, I can pick it up on 30 April. It will still be used as a demo until then. Any OPINIONS out there????
PS: This was the first time my dad saw or heard of an MDX. He LOVED it. He test drove the demo and told me flat out "You need to buy that car!!!!"
Chris
A demo is a used vehicle. No one pays more money over MSRP for a used vehicle.
And when a vehicle is purchased, the buyer has the right to take the vehicle as soon as the contracts are signed.
Sorry, but this 'great rated' delaership is taking you for a ride. Please, don't buy into the hype of the MDX. It is a great vehicle but if you're really serious about buying one, place your deposit for a new one. Just my opinion.
for mileage survey results. your #s are pretty common for city driving...
And you might come out a little ahead ordering a new one instead of taking the one they have on hand, but then you are deprived of the car for quite a long time that you could be driving it. I wouldn't sacrifice a car you like just for the principle of it. If we'd been offered the chance to get our MDX significantly earlier by paying another $1000, we probably would have done it.
I think "crikey" was assuming the dealership wouldn't let you have the car until April 30, whereas I read your post as meaning that you wouldn't be able to get to the dealership to pick it up until then. I also think he misunderstood you as saying that you were paying $1500 for the *privilege* of buying a demo, whereas you meant that you were getting all the accessories for such a comparatively small amount of money because it had been a demo. Did I read you right?
Good luck on your decision! I really think you'll like the MDX!
IMO, gross inaccuracies. He either thought we were morons or was (more likely) one himself. First, he told me the listed base MSRP of $35,705 was for 2-wheel drive! When I pointed out that the sticker listed one of the "standard features" as 4 WD, he said "no, you have to order options to get 4 WD" ("pay no attention to that man behind the curtain"). He then told me the car came
only 2 ways -- either as a 2WD, stripped, or as a 4WD fully loaded with the top options package (about $4,500) plus a few extras that I didn't need. When I asked if I could order the car with what I wanted on it, he said "that would take at least 4 months." When I then said "I can wait" he told me that they would only order the car after taking a non-refundable $5,000 deposit!
Where do these guys get their training -- Wal-Mart? When I then went to an Acura dealer (in Poughkeepsie,NY) they told me that for $34,850, you get not only a knowledgeable (and nice) salesperson but a fully loaded 7-seater, no gimmicks, no extra unwanted junk. Sounds like it's worth the wait, for a $1,000 refundable deposit which I gave them.
Just a warning to anyone who unsuspectingly wanders into Greenwich.
I am a little surprised at the difference in pricing between Canada and the United States. I paid MSRP for my DX (Touring - only version available in Canada) and paid $30,080US - with options (running boards, hood defector) and freight it came to $31,616US. That seems like quite a difference in price (vs. the $35,000+ MSRP I've been seeing in some of the posts).
Has anyone been given an explanation for that difference in price?
The dealer whom I bought my MDX from late last year has a new MDX on its lot available to the first customer who wants it. It's a base emerald green model. I'm guessing more available MDXs will be arriving there soon. For anyone in the Southwest, or even in Northern California, having to wait many months or pay over MSRP, you might consider this dealer as an alternative: Beaudry Motors in Tucson, Arizona. I think their website is at beaudrybuydirect. Tracy Beaudry in their Internet Department offers MSRP pricing, $500 refundable deposits, and no required packages or accessories. Accessories can be installed at the same price as advertised on Acura's website.
I hope this info is helpful, and that it is not considered direct solicitation. I'm just a previous customer who keeps in touch with this dealer, and it sounds like there are some people who might appreciate knowing when MDXs are available for immediate delivery.
The MDX is a great vehicle for many of us, but nobody should pay greater than MSRP, nor should anyone pay unreasonable prices for unwanted accessories. Personally, if I had to wait until July or August to buy a 2001 MDX, I would strongly consider waiting for a 2002 model. I doubt dealers will be discounting 2001 models at the end of summer. Just my $.02!
I fretted for many days over this issue. I crunched the numbers over and over and came up with the figure I felt was fair. After many phone calls and wheeling/dealing, I ultimately talked directly to the Sales Manager and requested the moon. He did not give me the moon. So, I then made my final offer. He paused and said my offer was several hundred below what he really needed. However, I kept at him as I regaled him on the horror stories of dealerships in my area taking people to the cleaners. I also told him that his dealership had received very favorable comments on the Internet (Acuramdx.org) and he finally agreed. Let's just say I am getting a slightly driven MDX fully loaded with tons of accessories (that I would have ordered on the internet and not been able to install myself) for way less than what Tim at Honda Acura world.com is selling them for. I feel very good about my purchase...and not to mention the fact that I am getting the vehicle in one weeks time.
Even though I have not seen the vehicle, my father has test driven it and says it is a real beauty. He fell in love with the thing and was quite disappointed when I was seriously considering not taking the offer just because it was a demo. Anyway...the fellows I spoke with over the phone (did the whole deal over phone) were very pleasant. So, I will let everyone know what I think when I take actual delivery.
Hope this helps!
Drew
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Steve
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Vans, SUVs and Aftermarket & Accessories Message Boards
2)Were you still braking after you started to "turn in"? (Do necessary hard braking FIRST, then accelerate lightly thou the turn, asp. with DX's system!)
3)Also make sure rear tire pressure is not lower than the front--unless you LIKE the overseer (NOT recommended for average drivers!)
4) Were you near the outer edge of the pavement?--dirt & debris ("marbles" to racers) can make things unexpectedly slippery--lets figure possible factors out.
I intended to bypass it, but must have hit the wrong key in above posting, and its vocabulary is so limited it incorrectly substitutes--didn't even know "oversteer", for God's sake !!! CORRECTIONS:
Porsche; oversteer; esp. not asp.;thru not thou; MDX not DX--- I finally figured out why so many posts refered to a "DX": the spellchecker changed MDX --Drew! can they add some basic auto terms and model names at Edmunds'BB software????
P.S.-On 2nd thought, there IS some entertainment value in what the spellchecker does--just noticed some "international intrigue" was added in post #2139 above, by changing the spelling to refer to the "DX"'s "hood DEFECTOR"!!