2011 Acura MDX ??

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Over the weekend we traveled with our friends and since we happened to show up fashionably late, ended up traveling in the 3rd row of the 2000 Odyssey (150K miles?). In our own 1999 Odyssey, I don't think I have ever traveled in the third row.

For two of us, it was quite comfortable there. 7th adult would have been little pushing it though. When the time comes to replace our Odyssey, I am still inclined to go with another one rather than Lexus RX or Acura MDX as nothing beats the comfort and utility of the minivan.
 
Originally Posted By: Vikas
But if you did have the 7 passengers inside, is there any room left over for their luggage?


Well, there won't be a whole lot of room, no.

You can't have it all. If you need room for 7 adults plus luggage, the MDX is not the right tool for that job. It works great, however, for day trips with grandparents and grandkids. My wife and I are in our mid-30s, and we use the 3rd row of our MDX regularly, for friends, for our own kids if grandparents are in town, etc. My folks have a 2014 MDX, and when we're visiting with them, we generally ride in their car, using all three rows.

I didn't mention the 3rd row capability to say that it'll be useful for everyone. Clearly, it will not. But it is a differentiating factor that the OP may be able to use (or not).
 
Well, we bought it. Nice SUV I haggled up to $8,250 for our trade and gave them their asking price of $25,700 $7,500 is low trade and $8,500 is high trade value according to the books, and their list price on the SUV was clearly down in private party territory. Im overall pleased with the trade. they did throw in lifetime powertrain (motor and tranny) if I let them do the service on it.. still pondering that. $60 full syn oil changes
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Originally Posted By: rjundi
I have a 2007 which is same generation but different nose and 5 speed auto instead of the 6 in the 2011.

I purchased my 2007 MDX tech in 2011 with 83k with new tires, brakes and all maintenance done to date with cruddy body work on door now rusting for $20k.

Now with 130k it has required a AC relay($9 part common Honda problem) and a belt tensioner($100) outside scheduled maintenance. The bluetooth unit did die but have no bothered replacing. The fluid changes my Subaru mechanic are dead easy including rear diff and transmission as he asks me to buy specific Acura fluid($50ish) but charges $20 labor for either service(nuts!) during oil change in winter at state inspection. It does require an expensive maintenance $700(Subaru indy)-$1200(dealer locally) at 105k.

Basically typical Honda experience for me. No siginificant issues. The motor is quite powerful and driving dynamics for what is quite good. The downside for me is 19MPG average. We are a family of 5 and it suits well for that and friend in the third row. The main reason we own it is family vacation home has 700' elevation climb over 1 mile on gravel followed by 1/4 mile driveway across open field that drifts in. Minivan's even with winter tires or even AWD cannot handle it. Not important but the SH-AWD is an absolute hoot on gravel roads leading to house.


Make sure tires do not vibratrate before delivery. My prior Michelin Latitude did have on do that and has since gone since changing tires to Nokians.


Thank you for your detailed opinion ! great feedback, honestly the AWD was the main selling point for me, we also live down a private gravel lane with hills and turns and when it snows its a real pain. My wife simple loves it already (she says she's dreaming) its without question the fanciest car we have owned yet.
 
yes sir, that's it. and they did mention they had it for awhile, thus the lower than average price on it.
 
Originally Posted By: OtisBlkR1
$60 full syn oil changes
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Not necessarily. The 2011 MDX takes 5W-20, so the dealer is likely servicing it with conventional 5W-20 unless you ask for something different. Did they say specifically that they use (and charge for) synthetic oil?

For some reason, I don't think Acura ever moved the 3.7L engine to 0W-20 (even though I believe that it'd be fully appropriate for it). They moved the earlier 3.5L engine (such as in our 2005 MDX) to show 0W-20 as being "acceptable", but not for the 3.7L.

2012OilAppGuide.jpg
 
It's a pre-2013 so I don't think it has VCM, so synthetic is not as necessary as the VCM engines. Nonetheless, this is an engine with a complex PCV and EGR system, so it appreciates low NOACK.

Change the PCV even if there is no service interval for it. Consider doing transmission drain and fills more often than the service interval. Partial DnF's are fine. There is a transmission filter that has no service interval.

Many run forever without valve adjustments, but if you hear lifter tap, get it adjusted ASAP. Use only NGK plugs.

Here is one guy who put together his own maintenance schedule: http://www.mdxers.org/forums/18-maintenance/44752-2011-mdx-maintenance-schedule.html
 
Here's what I do, trying to keep it simple. Every...

5,000 miles...oil change/tire rotation
25,000 miles...transmission d&F/PS fluid d&f/VTM-4 fluid d&f
50,000 miles...coolant d&f
100,000 miles...timing belt/spark plugs

I change the cabin filter seasonally and the engine air filter whenever I feel that it needs it (which is very infrequently).
 
Originally Posted By: Hokiefyd
Here's what I do, trying to keep it simple. Every...

5,000 miles...oil change/tire rotation
25,000 miles...transmission d&F/PS fluid d&f/VTM-4 fluid d&f
50,000 miles...coolant d&f
100,000 miles...timing belt/spark plugs

I change the cabin filter seasonally and the engine air filter whenever I feel that it needs it (which is very infrequently).


This is round about what I will likely let them do. the car comes with a lifetime powertrain warranty so I guess I will break weak and let them maintain it.. (not completely decided just yet) This may require a new thread and Q&A for opinions.
 
Last edited:
Originally Posted By: HangFire
It's a pre-2013 so I don't think it has VCM, so synthetic is not as necessary as the VCM engines. Nonetheless, this is an engine with a complex PCV and EGR system, so it appreciates low NOACK.

Change the PCV even if there is no service interval for it. Consider doing transmission drain and fills more often than the service interval. Partial DnF's are fine. There is a transmission filter that has no service interval.

Many run forever without valve adjustments, but if you hear lifter tap, get it adjusted ASAP. Use only NGK plugs.

Here is one guy who put together his own maintenance schedule: http://www.mdxers.org/forums/18-maintenance/44752-2011-mdx-maintenance-schedule.html


wow, now that's a detailed write up. I saved it and printed a copy for my garage.
 
That is one heck of maintenance schedule! To be perfectly honest, that is just way overkill but if that makes you sleep easy at night, why not? Every fluid replaced at 15K miles? May be on a 1950 vehicle with 1950 fluids but really not needed on a 2015 vehicle with 2015 fluids.

Frankly, if you follow what Honda/Acura tells you to do, it will last 15yrs/300K miles.
 
Originally Posted By: Vikas
That is one heck of maintenance schedule! To be perfectly honest, that is just way overkill but if that makes you sleep easy at night, why not? Every fluid replaced at 15K miles?

I may be wrong, but I think he did the 15K service at 15K and then every 30K thereafter.

Love that he listed all the part numbers.
Originally Posted By: Vikas

Frankly, if you follow what Honda/Acura tells you to do, it will last 15yrs/300K miles.

Probably! I do the transmission a little bit more often than the factory service schedule for my Pilot, but everything else I just follow the scheduled intervals.
 
triple drain n fill every 15K is tad overboard even on a Honda transmission made from the finest glass one can ever purchase!
 
Yeah, im going to pick up 4 quarts of DW1 this week and do a drain and fill ASAP and get that ball rolling.. otherwise both the diffs and the transfer case can wait till 50,000 when I put this girl on a full syn diet.
 
Originally Posted By: Vikas
That is one heck of maintenance schedule! To be perfectly honest, that is just way overkill but if that makes you sleep easy at night, why not? Every fluid replaced at 15K miles? May be on a 1950 vehicle with 1950 fluids but really not needed on a 2015 vehicle with 2015 fluids.

Frankly, if you follow what Honda/Acura tells you to do, it will last 15yrs/300K miles.


With my intention of 7-10 years of keeping it and under 200,000 miles till trade in, im figuring Engine oil every 7,500 (full syn) and I will do 3-4 quarts of DW1 every 30,000 and the transfer case and diffs every 50,000 (unless the factory schedule calls for something else) I haven't looked it over yet.. this is just guessing off my hip however I think those are pretty safe suggestions.
 
Originally Posted By: OtisBlkR1
With my intention of 7-10 years of keeping it and under 200,000 miles till trade in, im figuring Engine oil every 7,500 (full syn) and I will do 3-4 quarts of DW1 every 30,000 and the transfer case and diffs every 50,000 (unless the factory schedule calls for something else) I haven't looked it over yet.. this is just guessing off my hip however I think those are pretty safe suggestions.


Acura recommended VTM-4 fluid service intervals of 30k miles (with the first at 15k). I don't know about the models with the SH-AWD system...so do check that.

I used to do 30k mile intervals, but moved that to 25k because it's divisible into 100k, and I can always stay on the same miles checkpoints dropping the hundreds digit. 75k, 100k, 125k, 150k, etc.
 
Originally Posted By: Hokiefyd
Originally Posted By: OtisBlkR1
With my intention of 7-10 years of keeping it and under 200,000 miles till trade in, im figuring Engine oil every 7,500 (full syn) and I will do 3-4 quarts of DW1 every 30,000 and the transfer case and diffs every 50,000 (unless the factory schedule calls for something else) I haven't looked it over yet.. this is just guessing off my hip however I think those are pretty safe suggestions.


Acura recommended VTM-4 fluid service intervals of 30k miles (with the first at 15k). I don't know about the models with the SH-AWD system...so do check that.

I used to do 30k mile intervals, but moved that to 25k because it's divisible into 100k, and I can always stay on the same miles checkpoints dropping the hundreds digit. 75k, 100k, 125k, 150k, etc.


OH, well good call on the VTM fluid.. ill go that route then.
 
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