New MDX kicks butt

[TheEaglePilot]

The new MDX beat out seven other deluxe SUVs in a Car & Driver comparison.

http://www.caranddriver.com/comparis...mdx-sport.html

I do not mind admitting that if I had had the extra $15,000 or whatever, I would love one of those new MDXs. I even think they look awesome. The worst thing C&D could name was the grille, and I think even the grille is cool.

Chris

[jl_ss]

and they're already selling for invoice.........

[Seattle]

We test drove the new MDX before we bought our Pilot. We liked it but we thought they tried to make it too sporty. We had the money to buy one but we felt the Pilot would work better for us.

[TheEaglePilot]

Originally posted by jl_ss
and they're already selling for invoice.........

Well, invoice is $36,266, so OK, it was only $9266 more than I paid.

Maybe I should have gone to law school instead of getting a Ph.D.

Chris

[tangotango99]

Originally posted by jl_ss
and they're already selling for invoice.........

and can you verify it?

[robottik]

I really like the interior of the new 2007 MDX. I sat in it at the auto show and was quite impressed.

The exterior however is where Acura messed up the redesign IMO. The front end is OK (if a bit too blingy) - but the back end is damn near as bad as an Aztec. (OK, OK, nothing could be THAT bad! Maybe it's more in the Subaru Tribeca range.)

But regardless from the article sounds like the car handles quite nicely and I wouldn't mind taking one for a test drive.

[Scoobs]

I sat in one at the Toronto car show in February and all I could think of was "WTF, this looks like something from the Jetsons."

Car and Driver also said this about the MDX

"Goofy grille, cluttered center stack, no low range 4WD"

" The center stack's 50 buttons and switches looked like something NASA would reject"

[jl_ss]

Originally posted by tangotango99
and can you verify it?

Go to www.acuramdx.org and look for recent deals. I joined that forum first when we got an MDX in 2003 and follow both forums. The 2007 MDX started out selling well but sales have dropped to pre-redesign sales volumes. A redesign usually increases sales for a while because the outgoing design is usually dated and lacking in comparison to the competiton. But Acura also significantly increased the price which pushes it into another market altogether. While it can compete mechanically with BMW/etc, it can't compete in prestige. A lot of people buying in that price range will not consider an Acura because it is viewed as "near" luxury. Simply upping the price does not mean it will be considered by a buyer that wants the prestige of a BMW. The RL fiasco is proof of that. Acura has also lost some of the customers that wanted a little more luxury than the Pilot and viewed the jump to the MDX as worth it - now that jump is wider. Thus there are some good deals to be had on MDXs.

[jl_ss]

Originally posted by Scoobs
I sat in one at the Toronto car show in February and all I could think of was "WTF, this looks like something from the Jetsons."

Car and Driver also said this about the MDX

"Goofy griille, cluttered center stack, no low range 4WD"

" The center stack's 50 buttons and switches looked like something NASA would reject"

I thought the grill looked bad in pictures. I've seen a few around and I think it looks much worse in person.

[robrecht]

Originally posted by robottik
The exterior however is where Acura messed up the redesign IMO.

I agree, liked the styling of the old MDX better.

[foxhallow]

I've been a happy Pilot owner for nearly five years and recently sold my '03 Pilot EX with 87K miles to my sister. She drives fewer miles than I do and wanted something that handles well in the winter driving. The Pilot is a great vehicle, but I went with the '07 MDX vs. a new Pilot this time for one key reason - interior road noise. I listen to music or do business on my speaker-phone a lot. I always thought the interior noise in the Pilot was excessive. I replaced the original tires with Michelin's long ago, but that didn't seem to help. I've had the MDX for about two weeks and what a difference! It's quiet like a luxury car, but still has most of the utility (folding seats & 4wd) of the Pilot. The styling of the new MDX is a matter of taste, and I like it from all sides. My only gripe so far is the dash surfaces seem to have a static charge that attracts dust!

[TheEaglePilot]

The NYT weighs in with a less glowing assessment of the MDX:

http://www.nytimes.com/2007/05/13/au...ws/13AUTO.html

[mkaresh]

The MSRP didn't change much when you consider the features in the Touring Package are now standard. But they were selling the 2006 for well below invoice, so there was a large jump in transaction price.

That they're able to sell more 2007s than they sold 2006s despite the price jump is fairly impressive. The RDX is the real sales disappointment.

[mkaresh]

Originally posted by TheEaglePilot
The NYT weighs in with a less glowing assessment of the MDX:

http://www.nytimes.com/2007/05/13/au...ws/13AUTO.html

Still quite positive overall. Everyone seems to be criticizing the controls.

[GreenMachine]

I just read that Honda redesigned the head restraint on 2007 MDX's made in May 2007 and after. The original design got only a marginal rating from the IIHS. Now with the revised version, it gets a good rating, and the whole vehicle is now a IIHS top pick. Way to go Honda!!

Although I have to admit I don't know why it wasn't right the first time. I hope the early buyers will be able to swap theirs out.