2014 Acura MDX
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Originally Posted By: Vikas
I know what you will be driving in 5 years
I couldn't convince them to get "my" color (the white diamond), but it was their second choice. They'll buying the silver moon with greystone silver interior. It'll be pretty. I'm looking forward to trying the LED headlamps.
The only thing I don't particularly care for about the brand new ones is the large dual muffler exhaust system has gone away and you can now see some of the suspension bits, like a Subaru Outback, where you can see nekkid rear control arms. The large dual mufflers of the previous generation hid some of that stuff.
I know what you will be driving in 5 years
I couldn't convince them to get "my" color (the white diamond), but it was their second choice. They'll buying the silver moon with greystone silver interior. It'll be pretty. I'm looking forward to trying the LED headlamps.
The only thing I don't particularly care for about the brand new ones is the large dual muffler exhaust system has gone away and you can now see some of the suspension bits, like a Subaru Outback, where you can see nekkid rear control arms. The large dual mufflers of the previous generation hid some of that stuff.
Originally Posted By: glock19
You mentioned their experience with an older Grand Cherokee. I'm curious what they thought of the new one.
They've owned two previous Grands (and lots of Jeeps in general). A '96 and an '05. The '96 was good. The '05 was LL'd back to Jeep. The vehicle they just sold is a lifted 2012 Wrangler Rubicon, so they were looking for something with a car-like ride. The Durango and Grand Cherokee were both very nice, but didn't offer a good ride. I didn't drive the Grand with them, but did drive the Durango. It drives like it weighs 5,000 pounds. Probably because it does. The Acura they bought in 2005 (that we have now) doesn't drive like it weighs 4,500 pounds, even though it does.
It's kind of a long story. They needed something towable, to tow behind their RV. The '05 MDX was, and they had that for a while. The Jeeps obviously are. The current MDX isn't, though. The SRX is, and that's what he thought he wanted, until he drove it. His criteria is he wanted something as close to a new MDX as he could get that is still towable. Despite having a three-letter name that ends with X, the SRX is no MDX. He was disappointed after that, and kind of back to square one.
Then through some other turns of events, they made the decision to stop RVing and buy a house. They've been RVing for over a decade, and they're at a point in their lives where they've done the RV lifestyle and thoroughly enjoyed that, but they want to be closer to their grand kids and settle into a more conventional 55+ lifestyle. So all of a sudden, the requirement that their new car be towable was removed, and they went straight to the Acura store to drive one. After that, it was just a matter of finding a dealer who would play ball. And it turns out that it's Jenkins Acura in Ocala. They found them through USAA's car buying service (though they're not buying it through the service).
You mentioned their experience with an older Grand Cherokee. I'm curious what they thought of the new one.
They've owned two previous Grands (and lots of Jeeps in general). A '96 and an '05. The '96 was good. The '05 was LL'd back to Jeep. The vehicle they just sold is a lifted 2012 Wrangler Rubicon, so they were looking for something with a car-like ride. The Durango and Grand Cherokee were both very nice, but didn't offer a good ride. I didn't drive the Grand with them, but did drive the Durango. It drives like it weighs 5,000 pounds. Probably because it does. The Acura they bought in 2005 (that we have now) doesn't drive like it weighs 4,500 pounds, even though it does.
It's kind of a long story. They needed something towable, to tow behind their RV. The '05 MDX was, and they had that for a while. The Jeeps obviously are. The current MDX isn't, though. The SRX is, and that's what he thought he wanted, until he drove it. His criteria is he wanted something as close to a new MDX as he could get that is still towable. Despite having a three-letter name that ends with X, the SRX is no MDX. He was disappointed after that, and kind of back to square one.
Then through some other turns of events, they made the decision to stop RVing and buy a house. They've been RVing for over a decade, and they're at a point in their lives where they've done the RV lifestyle and thoroughly enjoyed that, but they want to be closer to their grand kids and settle into a more conventional 55+ lifestyle. So all of a sudden, the requirement that their new car be towable was removed, and they went straight to the Acura store to drive one. After that, it was just a matter of finding a dealer who would play ball. And it turns out that it's Jenkins Acura in Ocala. They found them through USAA's car buying service (though they're not buying it through the service).
Just a point of information: I had a '14 MDX Tech as a loaner a few weeks ago. It was thoroughly nice, better than my '11 in many ways (although I slightly prefer the more chiseled sporty exterior of my '11). The problem was the Contenental tires, they were AWFUL. I could get them to break loose quite easily under acceleration and cornering. I haven't taken the time to research which trim has them and which doesn't but they are utter garbage in comparison to the Michelin Latitude Tour HP tires on some other trims (and my '11 MDX). We had a '10 CR-V with Continental tires and I had to have all 4 replaced by 20k miles. Junk. Short of that, the new MDX is a fantastic vehicle that they will be very happy with.
Their MDX should be built today. I'm sure the SH-AWD Advance has the Michelin tires. If not, they'll probably install them in short order. Their 2012 loaner has the Michelins on it.
Mom said "this rental feels bigger than our old one". I told her that it is...the 2007-2013 generation is wider and a little bulked-up compared with their old 2005. It still hauls buggy, it's just heavier. I told her that their new one should feel more like their old one; I understand the 2014 model has shed 300-500 pounds compared with the outgoing 2013 model.
I rather liked the Continentals on our in-law's 2011 CR-V. They lasted about 45k miles and wore pretty evenly. They gripped like nobody's business on dry pavement. Like many OEM tires, they were a little looser on wet pavement. They replaced them with Michelin Defenders.
Mom said "this rental feels bigger than our old one". I told her that it is...the 2007-2013 generation is wider and a little bulked-up compared with their old 2005. It still hauls buggy, it's just heavier. I told her that their new one should feel more like their old one; I understand the 2014 model has shed 300-500 pounds compared with the outgoing 2013 model.
I rather liked the Continentals on our in-law's 2011 CR-V. They lasted about 45k miles and wore pretty evenly. They gripped like nobody's business on dry pavement. Like many OEM tires, they were a little looser on wet pavement. They replaced them with Michelin Defenders.
The 3G MDX is even bigger than the 2G however the weight reduction (275 lbs. to be exact) is immediately apparent when driving the two back-to-back and that's a good thing.
Is MDX the most popular SUV around NorthEast + NJ/MD/VA area? I am utterly shocked to see so many of them! Obviously, this is the best selling line as far as the Acura is concerned but my biased random sample says that it sells more than any other SUV in that market segment. For example, I saw at the most one Pilot for every ten MDX on my recent trip.
National Sales for April '14 (recent months look very similar):
MDX 5,180 +73.1%
Enclave 4,637 -3.3%
SRX 4,547 +30.7%
X5 4,393 +27.6
Mclass 3,831 +16.8%
QX60 2,281 -11.6
GX 1,639 +140.6%
Q7 1,462 +23.6%
MKT 452 -.2%
QX70 369 -32.7%
MDX 5,180 +73.1%
Enclave 4,637 -3.3%
SRX 4,547 +30.7%
X5 4,393 +27.6
Mclass 3,831 +16.8%
QX60 2,281 -11.6
GX 1,639 +140.6%
Q7 1,462 +23.6%
MKT 452 -.2%
QX70 369 -32.7%
The Lexus RX is best selling, it sold 8,130 in April 2014 compared to a mere 5,180 for the MDX. RX has sold 29,362 to date this year, while MDX has sold 19,777 to date this year.
I believe the RX has been best selling ever since it's debut in 1998. Sales will go up even more when the 2016 RX re-design is released. Although the Lexus NX may steal some sales.
I believe the RX has been best selling ever since it's debut in 1998. Sales will go up even more when the 2016 RX re-design is released. Although the Lexus NX may steal some sales.
Well the RX only seats a mere 5 people so it doesn't really compete (the SRX shouldn't be there, either). Get the segments straight before trying to be smarter than everyone else. The list/segment where the RX competes looks more like the following, where your assertions would be correct.
RX 8,130 +10.8%
SRX 4,547 +30.7%*
RDX 4,344 +2.2%
X3 3,544 +85.2%
Q5 3,293 +1.6%
GLK 3,144 +16.4%
MKX 1,828 +5.1%
QX50 225 +147.3%
*added
RX 8,130 +10.8%
SRX 4,547 +30.7%*
RDX 4,344 +2.2%
X3 3,544 +85.2%
Q5 3,293 +1.6%
GLK 3,144 +16.4%
MKX 1,828 +5.1%
QX50 225 +147.3%
*added
Originally Posted By: gofast182
Well the RX only seats a mere 5 people so it doesn't really compete (the SRX shouldn't be there, either). Get the segments straight before trying to be smarter than everyone else. The list/segment where the RX competes looks more like the following, where your assertions would be correct.
RX 8,130 +10.8%
SRX 4,547 +30.7%*
RDX 4,344 +2.2%
X3 3,544 +85.2%
Q5 3,293 +1.6%
GLK 3,144 +16.4%
MKX 1,828 +5.1%
QX50 225 +147.3%
*added
I think you would know by now that many people compare the RX & MDX, they might not directly compete but they sure steal sales from one another.
And, I never said that they did compete. I was referring to Vikas when he said it seems the MDX was the most popular SUV.
Well the RX only seats a mere 5 people so it doesn't really compete (the SRX shouldn't be there, either). Get the segments straight before trying to be smarter than everyone else. The list/segment where the RX competes looks more like the following, where your assertions would be correct.
RX 8,130 +10.8%
SRX 4,547 +30.7%*
RDX 4,344 +2.2%
X3 3,544 +85.2%
Q5 3,293 +1.6%
GLK 3,144 +16.4%
MKX 1,828 +5.1%
QX50 225 +147.3%
*added
I think you would know by now that many people compare the RX & MDX, they might not directly compete but they sure steal sales from one another.
And, I never said that they did compete. I was referring to Vikas when he said it seems the MDX was the most popular SUV.
I think at one time they did but don't so much anymore. The MDX has grown twice while the RX has stayed close(r) to its original size, which there's something to be said for. Among 3-row luxury SUVs, though, he's right.
The timing belt is a cinch to replace. I did ours last year. It costs $300 in (OEM) parts and 6 hours of your time in the garage on a Saturday morning once every 7 years (or 105,000 miles).
The rear end fluid used to be changed (on the older models) at 15k miles then at 30k mile intervals thereafter. The new ones could be every 15k, I'm not sure. Either way, it's super easy to do. The SH-AWD makes this vehicle drive completely different from other SUVs, and 30 bucks' worth of fluid every 15k miles is apparently the price for that. The 2014 model offers FWD for the first time on the MDX, if you don't like changing rear diff fluid.
The rear end fluid used to be changed (on the older models) at 15k miles then at 30k mile intervals thereafter. The new ones could be every 15k, I'm not sure. Either way, it's super easy to do. The SH-AWD makes this vehicle drive completely different from other SUVs, and 30 bucks' worth of fluid every 15k miles is apparently the price for that. The 2014 model offers FWD for the first time on the MDX, if you don't like changing rear diff fluid.
right..but take it to a dealer and the TB is a grand and $125 for the pumpkin..
this has to be one of the very last TB engines on the market most moved on 10 years ago.
at 30k per year thats an additional $460 scheduled maintenance other models don't have, add that to the poor fuel efficiency ( I was getting as low as 11 mpg. in cold windy situations) and you have an expensive vehicle to operate..this was the only one of many Honda products I was disappointed with...poorly thought out.
this has to be one of the very last TB engines on the market most moved on 10 years ago.
at 30k per year thats an additional $460 scheduled maintenance other models don't have, add that to the poor fuel efficiency ( I was getting as low as 11 mpg. in cold windy situations) and you have an expensive vehicle to operate..this was the only one of many Honda products I was disappointed with...poorly thought out.
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Originally Posted By: dblshock
right..but take it to a dealer and the TB is a grand and $125 for the pumpkin..
this has to be one of the very last TB engines on the market most moved on 10 years ago.
at 30k per year thats an additional $460 scheduled maintenance other models don't have, add that to the poor fuel efficiency ( I was getting as low as 11 mpg. in cold windy situations) and you have an expensive vehicle to operate..this was the only one of many Honda products I was disappointed with...poorly thought out.
Very misinformed, dblshock. If you were paying attention to reviews you'd realize that the J series offers incredible refinement along with great power and class-leading fuel efficiency. The new MDX' are getting 28MPG highway which is incredible for an SUV of its size (and some owners are reporting 29mpg). And I can attest to the fact I was getting 22MPG around town when I had the '14 as a loaner recently. Put these things together and the added cost every 6yr/100,000mi isn't so bad, plus the overall reliability over that period will be better than most.
In my wife's '11 we have never experienced 11MPG even in blowing snow (worst ever is 13, avg is 17, best is 23).
right..but take it to a dealer and the TB is a grand and $125 for the pumpkin..
this has to be one of the very last TB engines on the market most moved on 10 years ago.
at 30k per year thats an additional $460 scheduled maintenance other models don't have, add that to the poor fuel efficiency ( I was getting as low as 11 mpg. in cold windy situations) and you have an expensive vehicle to operate..this was the only one of many Honda products I was disappointed with...poorly thought out.
Very misinformed, dblshock. If you were paying attention to reviews you'd realize that the J series offers incredible refinement along with great power and class-leading fuel efficiency. The new MDX' are getting 28MPG highway which is incredible for an SUV of its size (and some owners are reporting 29mpg). And I can attest to the fact I was getting 22MPG around town when I had the '14 as a loaner recently. Put these things together and the added cost every 6yr/100,000mi isn't so bad, plus the overall reliability over that period will be better than most.
In my wife's '11 we have never experienced 11MPG even in blowing snow (worst ever is 13, avg is 17, best is 23).
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Originally Posted By: dblshock
right..but take it to a dealer and the TB is a grand and $125 for the pumpkin...
This is true; if you take your car to the dealership for everything, it will be expensive.
right..but take it to a dealer and the TB is a grand and $125 for the pumpkin...
This is true; if you take your car to the dealership for everything, it will be expensive.
My folks visited this weekend, and I spent some time with their new car. In a word, it's remarkable.
This is the first opportunity I've been able to spend a good amount of time with Acura's SH-AWD, and it simply transforms the vehicle. You can feel the difference right away. I turned the traction control off and played with it on some rural roads. If you come out of a corner at full throttle with a downshift to 1st or 2nd, you just KNOW the car should push off the road, but it doesn't. You can turn the wheel more and more and the car just STICKS. It doesn't understeer and doesn't oversteer. It just goes. Quite frankly, it was hard to believe how well it performed, even after driving it.
On the road, it's a total peach. Their loaner was a '12 model and they said that it really beat them up (ride was too firm for them). This '14 feels very nice, it really does. It's extremely quiet, the ride is comfortable, handling is good for being 4,300 pounds, and there's a TON of room inside. This engine is supposed to have VCM, but I didn't feel its intervening all weekend. Their AVG MPG since they bought it was 25.5 mpg, which is mostly the trip to North Carolina at 75 mph. Excellent mileage for the performance that it delivers. The 6-speed automatic is tuned great...it doesn't default to top gear as so many modern transmissions like to do...it seems to always be in the correct gear.
The adaptive cruise control and lane keep assist are really impressive. The ACC will obviously keep you at a safe distance from the vehicle ahead of you. The following distance you want to keep is user selectable with a button on the steering wheel. The following distance is relative, meaning that it will shrink and grow as that driver in front of you slows down and speeds up. If traffic comes to a stop, the Acura will stop, without driver intervention at all. But because the following distance is relative, it eases right up to the back of the car ahead, just as I would if I were controlling the brake. When traffic in front resumes, you press the "resume" button on the cruise control and the Acura will accelerate you, keeping the relative following distance you have set. It's really quite smartly done. The lane keep assist is kind of freaky. Yes, the car will steer you along. As long as it finds lane markers, it'll keep you in the lane, within reason. That's more of a novelty than a feature in my opinion. It's totally defeatable, and I thought it was fun to try, but I doubt that I'd ever use it. Dad agrees, saying that he really likes the adaptive cruise, but doesn't use the lane keep assist.
The new MDX is quite a package. For the price you pay for one, I guess it should be. I was totally blown away, however, by the SH-AWD. That system completely transforms a big and heavy FWD SUV into something it's not. It's very, very well done.
This is the first opportunity I've been able to spend a good amount of time with Acura's SH-AWD, and it simply transforms the vehicle. You can feel the difference right away. I turned the traction control off and played with it on some rural roads. If you come out of a corner at full throttle with a downshift to 1st or 2nd, you just KNOW the car should push off the road, but it doesn't. You can turn the wheel more and more and the car just STICKS. It doesn't understeer and doesn't oversteer. It just goes. Quite frankly, it was hard to believe how well it performed, even after driving it.
On the road, it's a total peach. Their loaner was a '12 model and they said that it really beat them up (ride was too firm for them). This '14 feels very nice, it really does. It's extremely quiet, the ride is comfortable, handling is good for being 4,300 pounds, and there's a TON of room inside. This engine is supposed to have VCM, but I didn't feel its intervening all weekend. Their AVG MPG since they bought it was 25.5 mpg, which is mostly the trip to North Carolina at 75 mph. Excellent mileage for the performance that it delivers. The 6-speed automatic is tuned great...it doesn't default to top gear as so many modern transmissions like to do...it seems to always be in the correct gear.
The adaptive cruise control and lane keep assist are really impressive. The ACC will obviously keep you at a safe distance from the vehicle ahead of you. The following distance you want to keep is user selectable with a button on the steering wheel. The following distance is relative, meaning that it will shrink and grow as that driver in front of you slows down and speeds up. If traffic comes to a stop, the Acura will stop, without driver intervention at all. But because the following distance is relative, it eases right up to the back of the car ahead, just as I would if I were controlling the brake. When traffic in front resumes, you press the "resume" button on the cruise control and the Acura will accelerate you, keeping the relative following distance you have set. It's really quite smartly done. The lane keep assist is kind of freaky. Yes, the car will steer you along. As long as it finds lane markers, it'll keep you in the lane, within reason. That's more of a novelty than a feature in my opinion. It's totally defeatable, and I thought it was fun to try, but I doubt that I'd ever use it. Dad agrees, saying that he really likes the adaptive cruise, but doesn't use the lane keep assist.
The new MDX is quite a package. For the price you pay for one, I guess it should be. I was totally blown away, however, by the SH-AWD. That system completely transforms a big and heavy FWD SUV into something it's not. It's very, very well done.
^ SH-AWD. Now you know what some of us have been going on about for so long! Incredible tech, even 9 years later. And they've got a new, lighter version with improved logic coming out later this year on new models!
Congrats to your parents on the purchase and hope it serves them well for years to come.
IMO the new MDX is absolutely remarkable in that they've been able to weave performance and comfort along with power and efficiency all together in a vehicle that "shouldn't" perform like that in either efficiency and handling.
Congrats to your parents on the purchase and hope it serves them well for years to come.
IMO the new MDX is absolutely remarkable in that they've been able to weave performance and comfort along with power and efficiency all together in a vehicle that "shouldn't" perform like that in either efficiency and handling.
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