Pros:

1. Smooth, powerful ride.
2. Navigation system is quite useful.
3. 6 in-dash CD changer.

Cons

1. Cabin noise above 50 MPH is poor.
2. New model.
3. Waiting time to order vehicle.
4. Quality.
5. Customer service.
6. Useless third row seating.

The Acura MDX has 240hp so it is quite powerful for an SUV and at low speeds is very smooth and quiet. My wife wanted the navigation system which turned out to be more useful than I thought. The 6 CD changer is in the dash which you won't find very often. The reasons I am not recommending the MDX is because of quality, customer service, and cabin noise. If you are thinking of buying this car you have to test drive it over 55 MPH. The cabin noise is quite bad, and I think it is caused by the ceiling vibrating. When I received the car, the seat memory didn't work, and the car had a lot of paint scratches and swirls. The memory and scratches were fix fine, but the paint swirls were never fixed to my satisfaction. After having the car for about 7-8 months, the car developed a clicking sound when I put the car in gear and pressed the brake for the first time. Of course I took it in for service and they looked at it and ordered some replacement parts. After replacing, as Acura service called, "everything under the vehicle", the sound was still there. Their conclusion was that the sound was normal and wasn't a safety issue and referred me to Acura customer service. I talked to the regional manager and she told me word for word what the local service manager had said. She told me that I could meet with the district manager with my car when he comes to town for his monthly visit. Nobody called me so I decided to call the local dealer and they told me he had just been there that week. In my absence and without seeing the car they all decided that the car was okay and I was referred back to the regional manager. The problem is that one technician looked at my car and managers at three different levels who never even saw my car or heard the sound it was making decided that the sound was normal and that I should just live with it. After all this and taking the car in 5 times in the 10 months I owned the car, I decided to look for a new car.

My Acura dealer only offered shuttle service which caused me to miss 2 hours of work everytime I took my car in so I limited myself to dealers that guaranteed loaner cars. I originally did not consider BMW because I thought it was too luxurious for us but we went to the dealer and drove the BMW X5 3.0 with 225hp. I have to tell you that the BMW is fantastic. Even though it is heavier than the MDX and has less horsepower I found it to feel much lighter, quicker, and of course has far better handling. These two cars are not in the same league but of course there is a price difference. To get the BMW with the same accessories as the fully loaded MDX is going to cost around $8000 more. Reasons to get the MDX are size, third row seating(useless except for kids less than 10 years old), and price. The only thing I can say is just drive the BMW and you will want it. I traded the MDX in for the BMW and even though I lost money it was worth it to get all the problems behind me and get into a better car with better service


Amount Paid (US$): 40000
Condition: New
Model Year: 2001
Model and Options: MDX Touring w/Navigation