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Acura MDX (pre-2007)
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Again, the tricky part is getting a screw fastened (along with a little retainer clip) because the rear wheel gets in the way. A lot of do-it-yourselfers have found it easier to remove the rear wheel while doing it.
Hope this helps!
No doubt the RX300 is everywhere, but if Honda doesn't differentiate its version of the MDX sufficiently enough from Acura's, then you'll see a lot of MDX-like vehicles floating around too. The RX300 is a very pleasant vehicle and of the three that may fit your needs, will probably give you the best reliability. Please note that a "SilverSport Edition" is out or is coming out, basically a cosmetic trim with a supposedly more "Euro-tuned" suspension. The RX300 forum can give you more info on this.
As Drew said, you can't deactivate the rear side airbags in the M-class. Some people don't mind, some people are concerned about it. Since it's a child's safety, I couldn't and wouldn't say with absolute certainty over whether or not it's something that should be part of your purchase decision -- it's up to you and your own judgement.
If it helps, there have been no documented cases of injuries from these rear side airbags.
If a child is properly restrained with a five-point harness, he or she should never get dangerously close to the side airbag. That said, children are remarkable in their Houdini-like ability to wrest themselves free of any restraint, and could possibly find themselves leaning dangerously close to the airbag.
MB obviously feels that the benefits outweighs any risks, while BMW feels otherwise when it comes to rear side airbags and children. In your case, I'd still recommend placing the childseat in the middle of the second row, whether you get the MB and its side airbags or not. (Unless outrun can show us some new information that can enlighten us.)
One item that'll help are the newer car seats for post-toddler-size children. It used to be that when the child outgrew their forward-facing convertible seat (usually at around 40lbs), they went straight to belt-positioning boosters. Fischer-Price has the Futura, which can hold a child in a five-point harness for up to 60lbs. And Britax is about to release the (probably very expensive) Super Elite, which will employ a five-point harness for up to 80lbs! (Unfortunately, the seat will be large enough that it won't be airline-compatible.)
Those seats have the advantage of a better restraint system (5-point harness) than using a re-positioned seat belt. Though this is tempered by the fact that some children won't tolerate being in a 5-point harness past a certain age and/or size.
As far as accessories go, you'll have a number of options for installation. Items like the cargo tray and cargo cover are no-brainers even if one isn't mechanically inclined. For something like side steps, a lot of service shops would be able to give you a labor estimate for installation.
If some of your local Acura dealer service departments are on the up-and-up, their service departments should be able to quote a "fair" labor estimate for installation without being "spiteful." The key is to contact the service department directly and get a labor-installation quote. Of course, the labor rate they charge will be higher than a neighborhood service station, however.
Luckily, a MB dealership was right down the street. We decided to peek at the ML. It did have more space than the RX, but probably not as much as the MDX. We took it for a test drive and were pleasantly surprised. It did have somewhat of a bumpy ride, but it really just reminded us of our BMW. I guess it's the German construction. Are MB salesman very non-pushy? Or did he not think we were interested? He didn't hard sell us and he pretty much let us walk us off the lot.
So, now we are in somewhat of a quandary. I need to do more research on the ML, but it still seems like the MDX is still more for us - on paper. However, we just can't seem to test drive the darned thing. It is hard to make a decision based on faith. At the same time, we don't want to just decide on the ML only to find we would have preferred the MDX. The wait time is unbelievable on the MDX, and the ML is definitely an acceptable choice, and we can have that NOW.
Thanks for all the input because I was dead set against the ML until you guys gave me some more information. I am still not too excited about the exterior and the interior controls seem a bit awkward. Also, no separate climate control, and the CD changer in the trunk. I had that in my Accord, and it wasn't too bad, but it sure would be nice to have an in-dash CD. Also, the ride isn't the most luxurious, but it's not a Pathfinder, either. Safety is important, too. It does seem like a more heavy-duty car.
All that said, I still think we need to drive the MDX, but I don't know how that will ever happen. Know anyone in Sacramento who'll let me drive theirs? HaHa
Well, I'm off to research the ML a bit more.
It depends on what you consider a luxurious ride. Some like to feel like their riding on a cloud, and others don't. FWIW, some dealerships don't air down the tires to the proper specs (29psi) and hence the ride may be bumpier than necessary. The ML's ride is definitely firmer than the MDX's though, partly since it is designed to go off-road and you don't want the vehicle to bottom out easily on bumps. German vehicles are also usually firmer than Japanese vehicles. The MDX is designed for only light off-roading.
Again, if you have any questions, feel free to ask in the M-class topic. For MB dealership recommendations, have a look here:
sshowitt "MB M-Class Owners: Dealers & Service Experiences" Jan 30, 2001 12:32pm
Drew
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Vans, SUVs, and Aftermarket & Accessories message boards
The "German feel" I think has a lot to do w/ the "heavy" steering. Some people like it. Some hate it for not being "luxy" enough. I know some people hate this year's BMWs because BMW tried making the steering too light to accomodate the average American driver :-)
Climate control for the ML will be in MY2002. You can get an in-dash single CD (probably get them to throw it in) as an option. No CD changer in dash unfortunately. You also may want to test the ML430. Focus on the road feel and not the engine power. The difference is in the bigger wheels and thinner rubber, so it feels *much* sportier and less trucky. If you like it, you may also want to think about the Sport pkg or upgrading the tires to Michelin Cross Terrains.
Definitely test drive the MDX. I also drove one to make sure I wasn't making a mistake w/ the ML. You don't want to make a mistake w/ a 40K purchase. You shouldn't have that hard a problem finding an MDX in the L.A. area if you want to take a day trip. Enjoy the shopping. It's a fun experience as long as the salespeople don't pester you or give you the horrid "what can I do to get you in this TODAY" shoving...
I figured that coming off the 3-series, you'd like the ML320's steering and handling and wouldn't mind its ride as much. As I mentioned before, Rob (cotmc) can share his experiences too, and he was driving a 3-series as one of his vehicles when he made a purchase decision.
One key question for you to consider is whether to buy a 2001 ML320 like the one you drove today, or wait for a 2002 and the various upgrades to standard and optional equipment. The M-class discussion board will provide a lot of insight into the differences between them. You'll likely be able to get a good discount on a 2001 ML320, especially as the 2002's get near. In past years, MB has offered their dealers an incentive so they could cut the price further, since the spread between invoice and MSRP is not much, compared with the MDX and the RX300.
You'll also need to decide if you want to buy the ML's extra-cost third-row seat option, as you have to get it at the time you get the vehicle, and can't add it on later.
It sounds like Acura dealerships in your area aren't forthcoming with test drives. Some dealerships make it a policy to always keep a demo or two around, it may take some calling around to find one. Obviously you wouldn't make your decision based on a paper assessment of the MDX alone. You may test drive it and really hate it, or dislike it, or love it. We had test-driven the ML320 months before we test-drove the MDX, but we made sure to test-drive the ML320 again the same day we finally got to test-drive the MDX.
And please don't forget Ken's suggestion to check on MB and Acura service departments in your area. You can ask on message boards about the service departments in your respective areas. Where I live, there's one conveniently-located MB dealership, and one that's less so, and one that's a bit of a distance. We had already had excellent dealings with the nearby Acura dealership's service department, they have always responded well to my wife and have never patronized her. Unfortunately in my case, I got back some lukewarm and negative feedback from a few M-class owners in my area about the service at both local MB dealerships.
And also, when you're asking, please make sure commenters differentiate between their sales esperiences and their experiences with the service department. They can be two very, very different things!
I noticed that my steering wheel is slightly off center. By that I mean that going straight, it's actually "aimed" slightly to the left. Another way of saying this is that the horizontal part is not level, probably off about 1 inch...lower on the left than on the right. I've always been under the impression that means that the vehicle is out of line. Since I only had a few hundred miles on it when I noticed, I was pretty sure that I hadn't hit a pothole or curb and that it was delivered to me out of line. So I took it back. They set it up on the alignment machine and it was perfect. The service manager told me that they could reset the steering wheel, but that the spline that it sits on only has eight teeth (think of it as gear-shaped). Because of that he felt that it would likely end up being tilted off center to the right and that getting it in the middle was unlikely.
If this is true, then Acura engineered this wrong. And if they did, then all of us must have this problem. So before I get it done or insist that they recheck the alignment, I thought it best to check if any of you have this same problem. I vaguely remember that someone was talking about their steering wheel being offcenter several months ago, but that was before I took delivery and I didn't pay much attention. I tried to find the discussion, but couldn't. Any help greatly appreciated.
__________________
Drew
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Vans, SUVs, and Aftermarket & Accessories message boards
Drew
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Vans, SUVs, and Aftermarket & Accessories message boards
BTW I answered ghotie's Q over on acuramdx.org -- the dealer should be able to align the steering wheel to 12 o'clock no problem. The car COULD be in alignment, which he (and the dealer) says it is, but the steering wheel just needs to be centered.
Has anyone had a similar experience with Sunnyside or with acquiring a Mahogany/touring from any other dealer?
Fastfingers
Thank you.
idea is resale value, there is always an "add"
for running boards ,whichever sport ute you look
up in the blue book..in short..you could recoup
part of your investment later if you trade or sell, all the while you get to use those babies.
I believe that I stand corrected. I've talked to a few people about car seats in the past, and they've said that the left or right is better because of the reason I stated originally.
But it seems to be the overwhelming majority of experts (as noted in the http://www.carseat.org web site) that the rear-middle is the best position for a baby car seat (if you have one child). This was my original theory until I was told otherwise.
Now I'm going to move the car seat back into the middle.
Sorry for the confusion...
-Craig
Just my rant for the day! Thanks for following up.
and
http://216.122.199.143/forums/w163/vthread.asp?messid=1818
Going back to the MDX, any expected changes/improvements for 2002 ?
By the way, overall rankings on that 7-"Designer SUV" test, with comparative points given in 11 different categories were:
MDX- 1st/91 points
BMW X5 3.0- 2nd/89
Lexus RX- 3rd/86
Mitsub. Montero 4th/84
M-B ML320- 5th/80
Infinity QX4 5th/80
LandRover Disc'y 7th/72
VERY GOOD statistics on space, performance, load capacity, and seating comfort, in the magazine! www.caranddriver.com only has the text, unfortunately !
Can I get it within a month or rightaway
Thanks
I am on a waiting list that is about 7 months long in Sacramento, but it is at MSRP w/o forced accessories. If I were you, I would just start calling around, and if you are willing to pay extra, you might get lucky.
Good luck to you.
Scott
Enjoy your new MDX, it's never going get the mileage of, say, a Honda Accord.
Thanks.
-hl
Digits 1-3: 19U = Honda of America Manufacturing, Passenger Car
Digits 4-6: UA5 = TL/Inspire 4-door, 3.2L SOHC VTEC V6
Digits 7-8: 64 = 4-speed automatic, non-NAV
65 = 4-speed automatic, NAV
66 = 5-speed automatic, non-NAV
67 = 5-speed automatic, NAV
68 = Type S, 5-speed automatic, non-NAV
69 = Type S, 5-speed automatic, NAV
9th digit is a check digit
10th digit is the model year designator
X = 1999, Y=2000, 1=2001, 2=2002
11th digit is the manufacturing plant code. In this case, A = Marysville, Ohio plant.
12-17th digits are production sequence numbers. Canadian models may or may not begin with an 8 versus a 0 for U.S. models.
I haven't noticed a softening of the ride over time, and we've had ours since early October. We're fine with the ride comfort, however.
I'd imagine that some tires might make the ride a bit softer, but there'd be some compromise. This is assuming that the Michelin Cross Terrain SUV's in the Touring model you drove ride a bit more comfortably than the Goodyear Integrity's that come with the base.
See if you can test drive a MDX base, I'm positve you will feel a difference.
What made the biggest difference was lowering the tire pressure from 40-42psi on delivery to Acura's recommended 32psi. Overinflated tires will make the ride pretty harsh, and Acura dealers overinflating was noted on numerous occassions @ acuramdx.org.
If it's not the tire pressure (test drive at another dealer to confirm), it might be a result of Acura/Honda being "stiffer" (more handling oriented) than American cars. You should have heard my comments after one of my coworkers w/ an Expedition gave us a ride to lunch...I was used to driving an Integra...it totally freaked me out :-)
I remember back when I mentioned that I was shopping for a new SUV and mentioned that I was looking at Acura, Lexus, and MB. They gave me a hard time and said "why do you want to over pay for those pieces of junk?" To each their own ;-)
He bought it to tow his wife's horse trailer which she never got. He also gives me unending crap about my "snooty" ML -:
I just shrug and tell him I push it as hard as my old Integra (with extra safety gap for stopping distance) and it doesn't squeal or lean much when I push it. :-)
First, I think that pricing and wait vary greatly from state to state....even dealer to dealer.
I live in Minnesota and I'm on a 4-month wait for my MDX, which I should get next month (I can't wait!!!). I spoke to a woman who waited just 6 weeks for hers (I'm jealous)!
All three dealerships in the Twin Cities have one on hand to test drive. You may have to wait to get your turn, but it's there. I can't believe that any dealership would expect someone to buy a car from them without being able to test drive it!
As far as pricing goes, I saw Tony's comment that right now the RX is the best value out there. Not in Minnesota!!!! I have been on the lookout for the past 6 months comparing the two vehicles because I love them both. It came down to more bang for my buck and I chose the MDX. The extra room was also a huge added bonus.
I recently got a call from a Lexus salesguy about a used RX (2001) with around 9,000 miles on it for $40,000. OR I can wait for a new MDX and pay $35,000. Pretty much a no-brainer for me. The benefit of the RX would have been a 6 CD changer and memory seating. Not worth it.
My husband has test drove both the RX and the MDX and favors the MDX. He's 6'2 and likes the extra room in the MDX. The ride is smoother in the RX, but the MDX's ride is still very nice. Also,we live in Minnesota and one of the reasons I'm getting an SUV is because I actually will utilize the AWD.
Here, there are no such things as discounts on RX's, or do I doubt there will be on the MDX's. People NEED them here and they will always be in high demand. Why give us a break when we'll by them without one???
Another thing Tony said too (not picking on you Tony) is about people commenting on "wasting" money on the MDX, RX, MB...
I priced out a 2001 Explorer - Eddie Bauer with the extras on the MDX, and it came out to be just under $40,000! That's no bargain!!!
Anyway, I've done extensive research and am very comfortable with my choice of the MDX. I will be happy, my husband is already asking me when HE can drive it, and the dog will be very happy to have all that room in the back!
I am looking forward to posting a message when I take delivery so I can give you my opinion of my purchase when I'm really an owner!
Thanks to everyone for their thoughts and opinions!
You're right about tire inflation, though. It's amazing how many dealers have it off.
Without my knowledge or approval the dealer added $399 First Place Finish (interior and exterior protection). I didn't learn about this till I was in the Controller's office about to write a check. It was either pay the $399 or walk out so I paid. What a way to run a railroad.
I think you can go on line to acura.com and there is contact information there.
I would even copy the BBB. That is plain wrong. Now that you've taken possession, demand that money back. Happen to have a friend that's an attorney? Ask if there's some recourse. DO SOMETHING!!!!
If you don't, then it's going to happen to the next guy who can't wait to FINALLY pick up his (or hers, as in my case) MDX.
My last suggestion is to print the name of that dealership here as well, so others know to go elsewhere, or buyer beware.