Introduction

Due to an impending baby on the way, we decided to give up our rusting 1988 Legend coupe and purchase an SUV in its place. We considered the 2001 Nissan Pathfinder with the 240hp engine, any 1999 to 2001 Lexus RX300, and the 2001 Acura MDX.
In 2001, the Acura MDX received many accolades for what was apparently a breakthrough SUV. Since then several new luxury model SUVs have come into the fray - the Lexus RX330, and the Infiniti FX35.
A few years ago soon after the MDX was introduced, I had read that Honda was going to come out with a less expensive SUV sharing the same platform. I thought "great! What would it be like - An MDX minus 2 seats, leather, slightly smaller and lighter?" Sadly the answer was no. When the Honda Pilot came out, it sat 8 and looked to me like a gigantic version of the CRV. Not very attractive.
Prices of 2 year-old MDXs have not come down substantially. Quite a high resale value which was bad for us. Thankfully I was able to buy this one from relatives at a reasonable price because they wanted to buy the new RX330.
Why would my wife and I agree to get this? Although I generally do not agree with the purchase of large vehicles due to environmental reasons, we live in a winter-harsh climate and there are just too many heavy vehicles out there today for us to ignore the safety factor especially with a young child on the way.


Exterior Appearance
As far as mid-sized SUVs go, this is heavy. Weighing in at 4420 pounds (without the Touring package or Navigation system), this is Honda's heaviest vehicle ever made. And no wonder it's made in Alliston, Ontario, Canada. Japan doesn't have the space to manufacture vehicles this large cost effectively. The Pathfinder weighs in at about 3800 to 4000 pounds depending on which model you get and the RX 300 at 3715.

My subjective opinion is that it looks better than the boxy Ford Explorers or Jeep Cherokees, about as attractive as a BMW X5 or Infiniti QX4, but not as sleek as the new Lexus RX330s. Only the front end prevents this vehicle from looking too boxy. The back-end still has a pretty square and lifted-up appearance. Its 77" width helps it attain a high 4 star NHTSA rating for rollover rating. Typical SUVs this size receive 3 stars or lower. And although rollovers make up a small percentage of accident types, they comprise a large percentage of accidents which cause deaths.
Attractive alloy wheels compliment the overall appearance of this SUV. One thing I've noticed, and it's becoming more popular with newer vehicles is the absence of a power and easily breakable antenna. In its place is a 6 inch thick fixed antenna on the roof.

Interior Aesthetics and Ergonomics
I've noticed that a common complaint with many buyers of the MDX is the "Simulated" wood accents. I have to agree. I hate it. But on a bright note, at least they don't slather it everywhere. Just the center console and window switch panels. My preference would be the brushed aluminum accents found in the RX300s.
I don't agree with some complaints of cheap plastics being used though. I think the rest of the materials are of good quality, from the leather seats to the plastics being used on the dash, center console, and 6 cup-holders. There is plenty of interior storage, from the large glove box to the side storage compartments by the 3rd row.
As with all Acuras, Cruise controls and secondary stereo controls can be found conveniently integrated into the steering wheel. The MDX comes with a Bose 7 speaker sound system, 6-disc in-dash CD changer and cassette player. Analog gauges are easily visible and well lighted. My only complaint is with the climate controls. The climate display is integrated into the display for direction and trip meters. Not very intuitive but you can get used to it. There's also separate climate controls for the 2nd row seats. Memory settings for 2 drivers on the power driver's seat also memorizes the side heated-mirror positions. The power moon-roof slides as well as tilts.

All seven seating positions come with 3 point shoulder belts. The 2nd row seats include enough child-seat latches for 3. The 3rd row seats would be comfortable only for children or adults under 5 feet. I've ridden back there (I'm 5' 9" 155 lbs) but I'd go crazy if I had to sit back there for more than half an hour. The culprit is the leg room and the difficulty with ingress/egress. But... remember that this is a mid-size SUV and you likely won't find a 3rd row seat more comfortable unless you move into a much larger SUV or a minivan. I've sat in the 3rd row of the huge Lexus LX450 and that was even harder to get in and out of than the MDX's. Headroom, legroom and thigh support are great for the other 5 seats. Anyone up to 6' 2'' should be comfortable.
Thankfully, I won't need the third row, and the MDX's thoughtful design allows me to fold them down as opposed to having to remove them to create a flat large cargo surface. Fold down the second row and this cargo space becomes huge, big enough to throw in lumber and plywood planks. Why anyone would want to risk ruining their nice interiors is beyond me (I saw someone loading 100 pound rocks into his X5 the other day). Both the 2nd and 3rd rows allow for split-folding so you can have pretty long items and still seat 4 passengers. Unfortunately, I'd say the loading height is about 2 to 3 inches too high.

Visibility outward is good with perhaps the only slight obstruction being the C pillars. Side mirrors are large enough to assist with this problem.

Driving experience
Owing partly to its 5-speed automatic transmission, the MDX never seems to have the problem of finding the right gear as my other previously owned vehicles have had. I've always found this a common problem after being used to driving manual transmission vehicles for over 14 years. This is my first experience with a vehicle where the automatic did not irritate me.
Acceleration is adequate for a vehicle of this weight but you can tell that this is a heavy vehicle. 240 horsepower sounds like a lot but on a 4400 pound vehicle it doesn't mean much. It probably feels like 240 in say a Honda Accord? The new MDX has an additional 20 horsepower. I haven't driven it so I can't comment on the difference it makes in day-to-day driving.
Steering is communicative but is a little on the light side. Cornering is fairly flat for a mid-size SUV, better than the RX300 or the Nissan Pathfinder, and an amazing feat considering the MDX also has some extra weight to toss around. The RX300 is probably shortchanged in cornering due to its skinnier tires and narrower track. The tradeoff with the MDX is that it feels wide making parking and getting into the single-door garage a little more challenging than the RX300.

Wind and engine noise are acceptable but most of the background noise on the highway comes from the tires. Not loud but noticeable. No noticeable understeer in any type of weather was present under normal driving. As with the RX300, the MDX is less of an off-road vehicle and more of a winter driving vehicle. This winter, we had a horrible ice storm and we didn't have any problems getting around.


Final Thoughts
Looking at the import 2001 pre-owned market really only gave me a few other choices for reliable mid-sized unibody SUVs. The Nissan Pathfinder and Lexus RX300. I probably would have been happy with any of these vehicles. In this case, I'm not a big fan of the body-colored integrated, molded bumpers of the MDX. I'm always worried about small scratches (not that I'm constantly hitting things). I'd prefer the Pathfinder's protruding bumpers. At least you don't have to worry about very small impact damage. By far the MDX has the most utility, the RX300 carries more prestige and a better interior, the Pathfinder offered the best price advantage and a more rugged feel.
If they offered a slightly lighter 5 seat version of the MDX it would probably suit my needs better. Based on ownership of two other Acuras, I would expect reliability to be great.

Amount Paid (US$): 18800
Condition: Used
Model Year: 2001