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Acura MDX (pre-2007)
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As for trying the 2002 Explorer, I have driven a 2002 Eddie Bauer. I've got a 97 Eddie Bauer and the new ones are much cheaper inside. I've got the SOHC 6 and it's a rocket. The 2002 seems much slower and the ride, though much improved is worse than and not as controlled as the MDX.
Needless to say, told the dealer he can keep the vehicle. I've been on the wait list since Dec.'00, and just got word that I've moved from 19th to 5th. We're probably looking at two more months, which is fine with me. Paying MSRP is bad enough, but more than MSRP for a used is absolutely ridiculous.
I'm not sure where you are getting your prices on the 2001 Exploder Eddie Bauer Edition. I'm no fan of Fords, but I do know my pricing. There is currently $2000 cash back until August so that dealers can get rid of these things. I went to www.carsdirect.com and configured (using my zip code) a 2001 with evey conceivable option and it prices out as follows:
MSRP= $37,970
Invoice= $34,463
CD Price= $32,763
Like I said, Ford is giving these things away.
You're right about MDX delivery (being sporadic), here in the NY area folks luck out and get them within 4 to 6 weeks sometimes. I hope your wait isn't too long, I'm sure you'll enjoy it once you get it! Definitely watch out for the dog nails on the leather seats, I think they sell pet barrier nets for the MDX to keep them in the back.
My initial impressions are exhilarating.
I do however have a few concerns.
#1) the seat isn't as comfortable as I'm accustomed to in a luxury sedan.
#2) With the 3rd row seats folded down, every time I shift gears or stop I hear this annoying flapping banging noise. I first thought it was the 3rd row headrests that were stored in a rear compartment ,but I removed them and still have the same noise. I haven't yet determined where it's coming from.
Overall the drive is really smooth and handling is great. The Navi system is perfect for someone like me who has a poor sense of direction.
I love the MDX. I just have to twaek these minor issues.
Insofar as the flapping/banging -- if it isn't the headrests -- could it be the "fuel tank sloshing"? Other thing to check is positining of the seatbelts in the 2nd and 3rd rows -- are the outboards banging against the pillars? Is the center properly mounted in the ceiling?
Good luck and let us know.
1)Numerous strands of material poking through the leather perforations of the driver's seat's bottom portion.
2)Auto function of driver's window does not work.
3)Slight moaning sound audible when pressing the brake at slow speeds (not from brakes themselves but possibly from the master cylinder hydraulics).
Will be at the dealers this week. Anyone else with similar problems? Minor but annoying issues in an expensive vehicle.
Also, buying the vehicle was not a pleasant experience as my previous purchase of a 99 TL from same dealer. They were bloodthirsty in selling a popular model. May have lost me as a future repeat buyer.
It's not as good as my Camry V6 in terms of mpg. But I drove through 2 thunderstorms and I'm glad I took my MDX on this trip.
I hope Acura comes up with a permanant fix very soon..
Your description of the clank/clang/clunk indicated that it exists with the 3rd row down. It also didn't describe "the thud" to which you're referring over @ acuramdx.org -- that's more of a one-time "thunk/thud" and typically manifests on hard braking/turning or going over speedbumps @ 20mph.
Are you sure you're talking about the same thing. If not, check your rear seatbelts and make sure they're properly attached to the rear pillars AND that the metal buckles are clipped to the belt itself. You might also check the jack compartment (rear left).
rr53 --
Seat fuzzies - known issue. They'll wear off (well, your butt will wear them off) in pretty short order. More noticable on black, of course since the lining inside the seat is offwhite.
Auto function shoulda been caught on dealer prep if they were paying attention. So should any odd humming/moan from the brakes/cylinder. BTW, everyone's brake makes an audible "hiss" when pressing the pedal -- it's just the compression of the hydraulic thingamajig that returns the pedal -- but your moaning description sounds way beyond that!
Thursday he calls me and says we have two unexpected factory allocations available in 2 weeks and 4 weeks. Do you want for MSRP and no options? Why would they not give these to folks in line with $500 down already. Scam!!! Cannot wait until Alabama plant is up and MDX is sold at a discount in 18 months!
INKY
I agree, if there is such a waiting list, why is this guy offering me the vehicle instead of the folks signed up. Some poor customer with a downpayment who really wants the vehicle is getting screwed.
Rail
------
'01 Mahogany 18" wheels, silver side steps...
a Mahogony Touring. I think the economy, high gas prices and the like will make the 2002's readily available. I give great credit to dealers who hold the line at MSRP.
INKY
It doesn't occur all the time but it happened a # of times today while the car was at rest as soon as I quickly turned off the ignition one loud flapping sound. I restarted the engine and once again as soon as I turned it off quickly I reproduced this same sound.
Any suggestions as to what this might be?
It's not the seat belts, buckles or rear headrests in compartment. I now see that it happens with the rear seats up or down.
Thanks for you help.
PS what is the small rubber stopper for on the lower center of the interior tailgate. I pushed it in and see some silver lever but can't figure out what purpose it has.
INKY
I believe the attitude of Acura Sales people will eventually bring this company down. We are looking at other vehicles. The new Buick Rendezvous is well equipped -Has the same size 3rd seat and has a few more extras for 6 K less. It also is a 2002. However, it has about 50 horses less. A bit of a trade off.
Inky- Where is the dealer offering the Mahogany?
Fastfingers
Scott
There are two that come to mind that contacted me after the fact with availability. One is Acura of Valley Stream, NY and the other is Island Acura, NY.
Monmouth County Acura, NJ (?) was doing the dealer slap-on accessory to the max. When I was shopping the MDX I reported back to this board that the dealer had succeeded in jacking the price $6000(!) over MSRP with every conceivable add-on and "service".
Best of luck if you are shopping, I hope it goes well.
We asked Sunny Side Acura of Nashua NH if we could be at the front of the list for 2002 and they said January- maybe. They really don't care. I recently purchased an Infiniti g-20 and the Infiniti dealers are world class when it comes to customer satisfaction. At a minimum Acura dealers should make an attempt to be concerned about their customers. Sunny side and few other Acura dealers really don't care.
Fastfingers
After getting our of the MDX into my 1995 Camry, the Camry felt more like the luxury car. While the engine and brakes are adequate for a car this size, the ride reminds you that you are in an SUV. Body lean is still evident on normal turns and you still feel every New England bump.
I was disappointed. I still offered to buy the demo (which of course they wouldn't), but I came away feeling ready to hit Edmund's to check out the Explorer, Mountaineer and other 3 row options. The MDX is a raised minivan with a $11K premium.
I'm starting to think all the posts here are ACURA sponsored propaganda. This car is merely a nice minivan in a disguise to satisfy the pretentious soccer mom -- unfortunately I married one. FMV should be $31,500 falling to $29,000 when the competition catches up.
Sadly, Toyota is using cheaper material on their newest Camry's. My brother also has that model. The dash plastic is harder and cheesy looking on the new ones :-P
The MDX street ride is the best tradeoff I've tried and it feels the most "carlike" of the midsize SUVs (but I have an ML instead for various other reasons :-). I think you'll find that other SUVs will have more lean (with the exception of the X5) and pothole feel, but please post a comparo w/ the Explorer after you've tried it. I'm curious. The ML also has a 3rd row option, but it sounds like you want a fold down/hide away 3rd row; you also won't like the pothole feel of the ML.
Shouldn't Edmunds start a separate CUV area now, since there is a flood of these car based "SUV"s-- MDX , Highlander , Rendezvous, Santa Fe, Escape/Tribute , and VW Porsche and Honda about to join in. ?
These New England roads weren't the late february chasm-type potholes; it was more the patchwork variety. I have spent a three weeks of the last 2 months in rented Volvo Cross Country cars and was expecting that the MDX was gravitating towards this car-like feel. While the bumps were not aggravating, everyone was apparent -- much more so than on the XC.
Also, as it is a higher vehicle it did have an apparent lean on turns, albeit probable less than other SUVs. However, because of this one still needs to drive this vehicle as an SUV. I was able to disregard this and drive with abandon the XC. But with that comes the tradeoffs, the XC for all its apparent size had very little interior cargo room and the spare tire hatch in the back that they call a third seat is criminal.
I thought I would be able to compare the MDX to the XCountry, but the Volvo is more a SV than a SUV. I will try to test drive the Explorer and its cousins this weekend and will report back.
Hope this helps!
Drew
Host
Vans, SUVs, and Aftermarket & Accessories message boards
Seriously, though, most drivers seem to think the Touring Package model, with its Michelin Cross Terrain SUV tires, handles better and has less road noise and a smoother ride. However, one won't get as smooth a ride as a Lexus RX300 (which isn't Lexus-sedan smooth, in my opinion, but very good for an SUV).
That said, as has often been stated here before, and I'm sure you're aware, ride comfort is an extremely subjective area. E.g. I find the Volvo XC's ride to be more punishing than the MDX's.
I'm with Ken; if you can go up to the high-30's, low-40's, an ML320 with the M7 third-row seating feature is a good option. Its ride is somewhat harsher but perhaps its characteristics would suit you better. Another vehicle to consider would be the Mitusishi Montero.
No doubt that overall, the quality of Acura sales service is not as high as Lexus, and it starts with the corporate office. Though there are actually many good Acura dealerships you don't hear about.
Unfortunately, this bad experience should remind folks that one should always get everything in writing whenever possible. A lot of the slimier salespeople who talk "low price" and "I'll make this deal with you" become curiously higher priced when you ask them to pen it onto paper.
On the otherhand, when I went to the Acura dealer they went out of their way to be professional, courteous and make the whole process as near to enjoyable as parting with $40K can be. 8-)
Guess this just goes to show that there's good and bad everywhere...
I agree that Your Mileage Will Vary, as there are some excellent Acura dealers, and some bad Lexus dealerships. I think my local Acura dealership is as good as the local Lexus dealership, and in some ways, better. Then you have to go past just the sales experience to the service experience. In my area, I think the Acura dealership's service department is better than the MB dealership's service department, and that was certainly a factor in our purchase decision.
I also think Acura can learn a thing or two from some other brands. E.g. MB has a much tighter rein on its dealerships, and is thus able to hold most of them to MSRP on hot vehicles. Meanwhile, the much more independent Acura dealerships pretty much make their own decisions. While most are good, there are plenty of examples of dealerships gouging, e.g. charging above MSRP and/or forcing accessories, sometimes overpriced.
To be fair, a lot of the good, ethical Acura dealerships that AREN'T gouging just can't please everyone when the vehicle supply is exceeded by the demand. One can legitimately complain that they won't sell a perfectly good demo, but then there are a lot of people who would prefer that the dealership keep demos around so they can actually test drive the vehicle on their way to making an educated decision, whether it's for an MDX or not.
Details at:
http://www.acuramdx.org/forums/showthread.php?threadid=1656
I'm not trying to plug another system; this is something that's been a hot topic (along with the leaking mirrors and the thud) for MDX owners and prospective buyers.
Without having stepped in the ML320 I know what to expect in terms of ride and amenities. While its unsubstantiated, this supports my feeling that the MDX truly is selling over 5K too high. I'm taking one for the home team and going to help shift the demand curve to the left -- I'll let my local dealers know. There's a dearth supply of people mover's in the 30K range and I'm sure all manufacturer's are now aware of it and will fill the void.
The MDX is a great car, don't get me wrong. However, I won't be buying one unless it drops into the lower quarter of the 30s.
Is hondacuraworld.com the best place to purchase MDX accessories?
Is the full nosemask/bumper mask removable without lifting the hood? (I'm concerned about theft).
How functional is the acura cargo net? Is it worth $40? Are there any non-Acura branded alternatives that work well.
What are your general opinions on the running boards vs. sidesteps. I like the "sporty appearance" of the side steps in pictures but I haven't seen any on the road. Has anyone self-installed the side steps/running boards on their MDX?
Thanks for your help.
Is it also true that the middle seats (second row) seat belt assembly hangs from the ceiling and is a nuisance?
Don't know why Honda has not fixed the wind noise problem on all its cars which is quite annoying?
Thanks
The ML320 does have the second row sliding feature.
It is true that the middle seat belt, when in use, hangs from the ceiling, but it isn't true that it's a nuisance. When the middle seat belt is not in use, it fully retracts into the ceiling. When it is in use, it does hang, but you really don't notice it after you drive a few times with it. The rear view mirror, as small as it is, shows a large expanse and the belt is a thin line in it, and not distracting. I guess if you wanted it to be distracting you could try attaching some stuffed animals to it ;-)
Honda vehicles have traditionally had more road noise, and probably wind noise, than their Toyota counterparts. That said, some people don't find any issues with wind noise in their MDX's, and some do. With the fix that DMor posted, that could be a major step.
The sidesteps are installable by the do-it-yourselfer but it's fairly tedious since about 72 bolts have to be put it. It'll help if you have a power tool to do it, and it'll help more if you can lift the vehicle. Those who have done it have been satisfied with it.
Running boards vs. sidesteps is a taste issue. I think the sidesteps look sportier, while the running boards look more refined.
I can't answer your question about the nose mask. For nose protection, you might be better off with an XPel-type solution ("invisible bra"). I think there's an Edmunds discussion board here on accessories where you can get more info on these alternatives. I don't like the masks because you can trap a lot of abrasive dirt behind them.
I like hondacuraworld.com, as their prices are highly competitive, and their service is excellent. Most items are priced including shipping so there's no shock at the shipping charge.
Some posters have mentioned cheaper prices by going to Canadian dealers and taking advantage of the exchange rate, but I don't know of any web sites for it (you might have to call those dealerships' parts departments yourself). www.ahmotor.com also sells discounted MDX accessories so you can compare those as well.
The quality of the interior will be nice, but please don't raise your expectations that it'll be like an S-class, or an RX300. I'm not saying this to spite the vehicle, just that as you said, you have an impression without having stepped into one yet.
Please keep in mind that the 2002 ML320's will have a number of standard and optional enhancements some may find important. You can get more information on these on the M-class discussion board. Good luck!
Drew
Host
Vans, SUVs, and Aftermarket & Accessories message boards
Still can't decide between the ML and MDX? 2K over MSRP is a mental block for me plus the wait.
http://albums.photopoint.com/j/AlbumList?u=137587
For more information about the M-class, please feel free to ask the owners in the Mercedes-Benz M-class discussion topic if you haven't already done so. There is also a live Mercedes-Benz chat tomorrow night (every Tuesday night, in fact) at 6-7pm Pacific, so you may wish to drop by too.
Good luck with your decision!
Rear facing is a completely different matter. The back of the car seat hits the back of the second row. An infant seat might work, but I would personally sit back there myself before going that route.
As for 2k over MSRP, just don't do it. Not in this economy when competitive viable options exist and many reputable Acura delearships will sell at MSRP while even throwing in an option or 2 like mud guards, etc.
The good dealers are out there - do some homework/research and MSRP with a smaller than expected wait is very attainable.
If you must have instant gratification, the ML is your best 7 seat alternative besides a minivan. Surely not popular in this topic, but we love our Odyssey also.
Good Luck - DC
If you're in the bay area, there are quite a few dealers that don't charge markup -- Stevens Creek, RedwoodCity to name a couple. Don't pay the markup especially now. I know some people cancelled their orders because of the free fall of stock price. Even when the economy wasn't bad(last Nov), I was able to talk my dealer(Sunnyvale) out of the markup greed.
Simply a must have and very reasonable when compared to 3rd party alternatives. I do not even bother removing it any more. Allows you to fully maximize the cargo space while limiting shifting and sliding of items placed higher than the second row. I actually travel with 2 dogs taking up 2/3rds of the cargo area and our stuff the rest. The separation net keeps everything in the back and a modified metal 3rd party 'car pet gate' keeps the dogs and stuff separated.
Worst . . . The roof rack for my Base model.
A moment of weakness because I liked the look better.
On where to buy. William is trying to be politically correct and present multiple purchasing options, but Tim at Hondacuraworld is the ONLY choice IMO. You can shop price and perhaps find a slightly better deal - although HIGHLY unlikely considering free shipping on most orders through Tim. But, Tim's customer service and attentiveness are unpararalled. In an industry with a shaddy reputation, don't bother with an unknown commodity -- Tim is the real deal.
Since I do not post much anymore and to remove doubts of self promotion on Tim's part, I have purchased from Tim:
Base Carrier Kit
Complete Trailer Towing Pkg - had installed by my dealer and saved big $$$
Separation Net
Mud Guards
Honda Odyssey Extended Warranry
etc., etc.
LOL,
Johnnyreb