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Acura MDX (pre-2007)
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Transpower
Acura markets a CD Changer accessory especially for the MDX, but they DON'T provide the necessary pre-wiring within the MDX? That's gotta be a big disappointment! Hope you are successful this weekend!
To houtexan:
I second your reasoning for buying the base model, except for one item. I would like a power passenger seat, not so much for either myself or my wife, but for instances when one of us has a guest in the MDX. I still agree that the price difference for the Touring Package is too much for my own tastes. By the way, if you don't have any loose items in any of the rear storage compartments, then I would definitely have that rattle examined by the dealer. We've had our MDX for 3 months and 5500 miles without any rattles. Good luck!
To Albert123:
Agreed. HK is not exactly a high-end manufacturer. Also (in my opinion), Bose sells home speakers mostly due to a good PR program and market saturation; not because of sound quality or value. They can sometimes manufacture some good car speakers, however.
I remember being very impressed a few years ago when I first heard that Lexus was using Nakamichi for their upgraded stereos. When I recently heard they would start using Mark Levinson, my jaw dropped to the ground! By the way, the LS430 is not the only model with this upgrade. Lexus also offers a Mark Levinson upgrade in the LX470, GS400, and the GS300.
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To abyrne:
Sorry. You happened to tune in at a bad time if you're not a stereo buff! Why the off-topic discussion and lack of details on the MDX?
1) Some of us have been reading and contributing to this forum for many months, which makes it easier for an off-topic discussion to pique our interest. In other words, many of us have already discussed the likes and dislikes of the MDX features. If you go back to October and November posts, you should see some excellent basic information, as well as some good personal opinions, on the MDX. Hopefully, more and more new owners will contribute additional information and share their opinions, but there will always be some new subject that hits the right chord with those of us who have been here awhile!
2) Due to supply vs demand, pricing is fixed at MSRP (and sometimes above). This prevents many discussions regarding discounts. The "What price did YOU get?" or "Is this a good price?" posts often seen in other forums are not repeated here.
3) There have been very few problems to report about the MDX. There are some minor issues, such as the "little rattle" description that seemed to catch your attention. (By the way, the post that you seem to be ridiculing said "lowest" volume setting, not "highest"! Wow!!!) This car is simply not aggravating owners enough to post many complaints within this forum. The MDX has held up very well so far, especially for a brand new model.
Guess it's an Acura "thing" for better or for worse (well, for worse!). Please do let us know if you try the wiring yourself, and how you fare. Good luck!
Mike
If you know any negatives, let me know. Otherwise, if you're looking, they claim they have ordered a lot of Silver/Touring and Black/Touring.
Thanks for any help.
BTW the other dealership in town has called me twice with GG/tour/navi but they want almost $4k in forced options. Not going to happen.
Has anybody experimented with protective molding or strips?
As far as the Bose issue, it is my only complaint in an otherwise great car. As an audiophile, I wish the Bose had a midrange control +/or a sub woofer level control. My Lexus base system(Pioneer) is superior although the Bose is adequate. As a general observation, of all the SUV's I drove, including the Sequoia/JBL unit, all of them were just adequate.
Also, is there an headlight auto off feature on the touring?
Drew
Host
Vans and Aftermarket & Accessories message boards
Yes. The lights will be turned off after 15 seconds normally (or 10 minutes the longest). Your owners manual has all the details.
You sure know how to attract controversy, heh.
Exclusive Wheel Design - no value.
Michelin Tires - preferred over the Goodyears.
8-way power passenger seat - definite advantage.
2-position memory - very definite value to me.
Memory linked to remote - a luxury only.
Passenger side mirror tilt-down - we have a very narrow driveway so will be used.
BOSE music system - better than base model.
6-disc in-dash CD changer - definite value to me.
Roof rack - I'm considering having the dealer remove it.
Although TP is an expensive option, I prefer the MDX with it.
Has anyone else done this or consided this. I'm not so sure I want to be the test case for such a proceedure.
Again, I do miss the memory seats but that's all. The stereo upgrade and the 6-disc changer is strictly lux for me. A power passenger seat is overkill. And no-one seems to like the racks.
The tires are not a big concern too since all tires get replaced eventually. I can get better tire when these wear out.
I actually think the linked remoted to memory seats is a bad thing. My remotes are interchanged all the time. If my wife grabs my remote and if I had a Touring, oophs.
BTW, you seem to have silenced the poster in Vans after your message about the child seats/tethers. Good job! ;-) Oh and you were wondering about the tethers for the ML? Here's a great picture. Didn't you say that ISOFIX/LATCH would be required for MY2002, at least in the US? If so, that would coincide nicely with the MY2002 update, wouldn't it?
Drew
Host
Vans and Aftermarket & Accessories message boards
Anybody here waited longer than I do?
A Highlander loaded with a limited package will be about $35000 MSRP. This is close to the MDX.
It's not really the bargain you think...
(Can't do a list all and search with this excellent, state-of-the-art software.)
4 wheel chains are best, any vehicle.
If only one axle is to be chained:
In 4 wheel drives, the rear axle is best to ensure braking does not stop the front and allow the rear to slide around.
In RWD vehicles, of course the rear.
In FWD, the front, but watch out when braking.
On to crashes:
Here is a link for the roll-over ratings released today:
http://www.nhtsa.dot.gov/nhtsa/announce/press/pressdisplay.dbm?year=2001&filename=pr02-01.html
Ard
There is no way I'd pay that for Highlander, as the Acura offers so much move value. Toyota has overpriced the high end Highlanders. The lowerpriced 2wd cloth seated version may very well be a good deal.
Thanks for the info. Not necessarily a show stopper. Do you know of any good 3rd party warranty companies? Also, how would I find out various issues relating to customs/ tarrifs, etc.? Any thoughts? Any Canadian dealerships recommended to contact?
We used theE-Loan draft with low 6.56% APR, no problems at the dealership.
The car rides great, well worth the 3-month wait. So far we put on about 200 miles (but, only 12 miles was driven by me
The LX470, although quite a bit more plush than the MDX, is also a much better vehicle than the MDX for going off-road and for towing. On the other hand, compared to the MDX/RX300, the LX470 is more cumbersome to manuever; it's weight makes it slower to accelerate from a stop; and it provides terrible fuel economy.
If you don't intend to tow a trailer or a large boat, and you also don't intend on going off-road, then I believe the MDX is definitely the more practical choice. It isn't as plush, but I think it provides a fairly smooth ride, especially when the tires aren't over-inflated. I'm hoping we're getting to a point in our economy where the extra $20K you save on the MDX might be better invested in the stock market!
So far no real down sides.
Mike
http://www.nhtsa.dot.gov/hot/rollover/
The bad news is that they have only released the ratings for a limited number of vehicles. E.g. the MDX, ML, RX300, etc. are not in there. Worse yet, within the next few months they'll rate many more but only the RX300 was mentioned as being one of the upcoming ones.
Doubtless that these ratings are very controversial. They do not account for differences in vehicle dynamics, e.g. suspension stiffness, tires, and many other factors that may contribute to rollover.
It's important that a reader remember that the rating is for the likelihood of rollover (based on a purely static factor) ONCE YOU CRASH. It does not rate the likelihood of entering such a crash.
Some other interesting items:
- The Honda Odyssey scored 4 stars; the only other true minivan, the smaller Mazda MPV, had 2.
- The Honda Accord was the only rated vehicle with a 5 star rating.
- Most SUV's that did get ratings were 1-3 stars.
- The NHTSA thinks enough of electronic stability control systems that, with the rollover resistance rating, it will publish an additional column specifying if the vehicle has stability control. Sort of a two stars+ rating.
NHTSA's FAQ states the following:
"What makes Electronic Stability Control (ESC) promising is the possibility that with its aid many drivers will avoid running off the road and having a single vehicle crash in the first place. However, ESC cannot keep a vehicle on the road if its speed is simply too great for the available traction and the maneuver the driver is attempting, or if road departure is a result of driver inattention. In these cases, a single vehicle crash will happen, and the rollover resistance rating will apply as it does to all vehicles in the event of a single vehicle crash."
Thus, stability control is viewed as a positive, enough to list with the star ratings, even though it does not have a direct effect on the star ratings.
I bet that this will really force Acura to implement VSA in an upcoming MDX model year. Even if the MDX's star rating turns out to be relatively good, the existence of the column for stability control and recent publicity will make Acura bigwigs think they're at a competitive disadvantage. As it is, the Acura CL-S and upcoming TL-S have/will have VSA.
BTW, Canada required top tether anchors on passenger cars starting 9/1/99, and 9/1/00 for LTV's.
http://www.nhtsa.dot.gov/cars/rules/rulings/UCRA-OMB-J08/FinalRule.html
Mike
However, I'm afraid you will not be able to buy a "top-of-the-line" 4x4 Highlander for anywhere near $26.5k.
I suspect once most people sit in the interior of a Highlander they'll notice the differences between the RX and MDX very quickly. Toyota won't put the same level of materials and features into a less-expensive SUV, most noticeably at the lower trim levels. I suspect that you'd have to get the most expensive versions to get something more similar to an RX or MDX, or just stick with the less expensive trims.
FWIW, I was very surprised that both the Highlander and RX do not have steering-wheel mounted audio controls. You'd think that'd be obligatory by now.
I would wait at least three months after the Highlander's release before buying one. It will EVENTUALLY be discounted pretty well (certainly much better than the MDX!). But as experiences on the Sequoia forum have shown, the first few months usually have Toyota dealers selling at MSRP or close to it, to impatient buyers who have to be first on the block to have it. The Sequoia is starting to be discounted more substantially now, though with Toyota you may not be able to find close-to-invoice deals on a hot model.
I hope your MDX arrives soon, and that your dealer is not playing games with you. I can certainly understand your frustration.
In Washington with Clinton and Gore leaving I beleive that the climate will change where the emphasis or priority will be more towards the auto MFGrs than the consumer's saftey. Which is too bad. I have to commend both the President and the Vice President for trying to improve auto saftey.
Big storm coming to the west coast in the next couple days with several feet of the white stuff. That means more adventures in the Sierras this weekend. I'll Keep track what rolled over off the Mountain Highways. Let see if NHTSA is correct. Driving to the sierras with your Explorers or Blazers anyone??? The rolly pollies of the auto industry!!!
galvang:
I think the safety improvements are more driven by lawsuits than politicians ;-)
Speaking of which, with the Odyssey receiving 4 Stars I would expect the MDX to recieve a favorably high rating as well. I am sure it will affect future insurance rates.
was totaled by the insurance company after being rear-ended (though the car is still
drivable--just missing right turn signal and usable trunk)...Anyway, I got the non-touring
with navigation for exactly MSRP. Maroon colored. The car is supposed to be available
before the end of this month (Jan). [The reason it's available so quickly is that this car
was "postponed" by the original purchaser]. Got it from Clair Acura outside of Boston.
I inquired about a few options, and the dealer showed me a price list where they were
priced about 30-40% above the list prices on the Acura site. So I passed. No pressure
to buy any of them (which was nice).
So here's the deal. The options I am mainly interested in are the cargo cover, the
cargo liner, the rubber floor mats, the side steps and the basic carrier rack. It
looks like HondaAcruaWorld.com has the best prices on these (much cheaper than
the dealer). Can someone comment on the following:
1) Rubber floor mats: Worth buying? Are they big enough to truly protect the floor during
the wet, dirty snow months? Or should I just buy crappy generic floor mats at Costco
for this purpose?
2) Side steps: How hard are these to install? I don't have access to a lift, so I'd basically
have to scoot under the car to put them on. Is this going to be a hassle? Someone
mentioned there are dozens of bolts to install...
3) Roof rack: I've heard a number of people saying they don't like this. Is this a waste
of time? How hard to install?
Thanks.
Side Steps.........426.40
All Season Mats...91.00
Cargo Cover.......104.00
Cargo Liner.......152.10
Cargo Tray........89.70
Cargo Net..........37.70
Separation Net....78.00
Roof Rack.........128.70
What about the warranty? Does it work in the U.S.?
What do you know about your vehicle history - why it was at auction w/ less than 1k miles. Is there a simple way to change climate control to U.S. system? How do I get in touch w/ the used car dealer in Oregon to maybe get more info?
I've not done the steps, but look back in these topics there is EXHAUSTIVE discussion on this.
Roof rack seems simple. I've looked at the instructions in the service manual, and it looked straight forward. Folks seem to dislike the racks. I just purchased a Thule ski rack that will bolt directly on to the factory racks without any clips/adapters/etc. Very Clean install.
I did go the cheap route and picked up a rubber, high lipped cargo tray at Costco of $13. Perhaps I'll pick up a Weathertech/Husky/etc brand custom fit in the future. For now it is good enough for wet crap/skiboots/etc.
I've also got the separation net. Excellent when you are stuffing the back high. (It also adds to that macho/utilitarian look out the rear view mirror.)
In my mind, the rea luggage net is a must. Keeps bags/etc from sliding about.
Of course, all the interior accessories you mentioned are designed to be removed and replaced by the owner, so there is no install..
Ard
PS. Update. Dealership can't figure out what washers are needed for the VTM-4 differential drain plug. Seems they have some in the bin for the part # but they are a different size than what's on my vehicle. They want to get new ones and have me "drop by to check the size". Very impressed. Can't imagine what P930turbo went through.
Probably true. However, the weight distribution of the MDX may be fairly different because of the vehicle's different dimensions, higher ground clearance, and heavier, raised drivetrain. It's quite possible that the MDX will get a 3-star rating which will, as far as the star rating goes (but not the stability control "boost"), will put the MDX favorably in the SUV class. If it gets a 4, that'd be pretty spectacular based on what's currently expected of SUV's.
Galvang & Ken:
There is a document buried on NHTSA's web site that actually correlates star ratings to Static Stability Factors. Unfortunately I don't have the link here; I remember posting it here some time ago but the new software doesn't make it easy to find.
The idea was that they took ranges of SSF's based on injury data, and assigned them to stars. So you can take the star rating and at least derive a range of SSF, though not the actual SSF.
A key item is how they calculated center of gravity (COG) -- that is, how much passenger and cargo load was added to the vehicle when they computed COG. As long as it's consistent, it may be a pretty good empirical measure than what car manufacturers may publish (since some manufacturers may compute COG based on the vehicle being totally empty).
Yes the warranty is good in both the USA and Canada, includes road-side and all that jazz. One should be able to pick and choose the warranty one wants from the company one wants, probably even on the net. I saw a post back a few weeks with some suggestion on how to change the climate control back from centigrade but I haven't taken the time to try as yet. Probably a thorough scan of the manual would answer that question too. As to why it was auctioned? I imagine the Canadian dealers may have got more MDX's per capita than the yanks, and pedalled some off in dealer auctions to boost their numbers but it could be anything. The car is in perfect shape, the title was good and so I am not sure it matters really. I have seen two more here in town that I suspect are Canadian transplants parked at the same dealer. The dealer is Bob Lanphere Honda/Chrysler in Beaverton Oregon. They are on the web. I didn't think much of the dealership (the Chrysler lot at least, where I bought the MDX). The play the usual American car lot games that I so detest. But, I have my MDX at a decent price and with no real headaches so what the heck.