Guys, I've been researching 07 MDX but it seems that used MDX's are priced bit higher than the used 07 RX350's, which is good news for MDX owners. I am thinking of looking at RX350 due to the better value.

has anyone owned MDX and RX350 and give me some good and bad of both?

 

Im not sure about 2007, but I was stuck making the same decision when purchasing a 2011 model. I test drove both and for pretty much the same $ I decided to go with MDX due to the following reasons.
1)Third row of seats.
2)Bigger Vehicle.
3)Feels more sportier to drive.
4)Not to many on the street.
5)RX seems more of a girly car (maybe it's just me)

On the other hand I think Lexus is more reliable(not sure if you getting a warranty)

But if it was up to me-MDX all the way

 

I agree totally with your assessment Sivitaliy, although not so sure about the reliability difference in the '07 models. I just couldn't go with the feminine, rather plain look of the RX, and neither could my wife as it turns out. Also, most of the RX's I've seen, except maybe the latest models, had a very conventional looking muffler can and short curved tailpipe hung under the rear bumper. What's that about in a luxury vehicle? Not only the MDX, but most other CUV's of that size have dual exhausts exiting straight through integrated portals in the rear bumper.....much more finished and classy look.

 

IMHO, the 07 MDX is better (depends on personal references here) than the 07 RX350 in many ways (that's why am in here and not at ClubLexus). I am sure other beloved MDX owners here will point out more than I can come up with at the top of my head.

Overall the 07 MDX offers a more stable and sportier ride because of its SHAWD, while the RX's ride is softer. All 07 MDX are SHAWD while most RX are FWD. The MDX also holds its value better cause everybody seems to want one, especially the ones with Sports/Entertainment packages. Technology-wise, the MDX is clearly a neck above.

Again in my opinion, the MDX Navigation is so much better and much more user friendly. One of the obvious difference is the MDX nav allows driver inputs (destinations, search, etc) while the vehicle is in motion and the RX doesn't (though there are ways to bypass this on the RX).

I had fortune of owning the RX300 AWD, RX330 AWD, the LX470, and now an 07 MDX over the years and there are minor plus points of owning an RX over a MDX. I believe the RX only requires regular gas when the MDX recommends premium. The MDX requires Honda maintenance parts such as ATF, Differential oil (atf), power steering fluid, etc. But overall, these are minor points most MDX owners willing to live with.

 

you have to drive both of them, first the rx then the mdx and make a decision then.

 

Definitely drive them. We have an RX300, but I've driven the 2nd gen RX and it was very similar. The RX is smaller, pretty comfortable, and generally "softer". I'm kind of tall, and find the RX seats to be uncomfortable in terms of thigh support. The seat does not adjust either high enough or upright enough to my liking, but it takes a longer drive to become aware of it. Seat comfort is a big factor in preferring to drive our Odyssey minivan over the RX, even though the RX is otherwise quieter and smoother. And I can't say enough good things about my RL's seat (best I've been in).

If you choose an RX and you're lucky, you'll have an independent Toyota dealer that will service the car for much less than the Lexus shop.

 

Well said. The Lexus RX requires Premium gas like the MDX

 

My wife chose the rx over the mdx in terms of styling...I wanted the mdx...so the rx clearly is more liked with females imo....we drove both and to me the mdx rides just as nice as the rx although "sportier"....I settled for the lexus but its not really settling when your getting a 45k new vehicle...I do get jealous when i see a new mdx though.....uggghhhh

 

The MDX is a 7 seater. The RX is a 5 seater. The appropriate comparison for the Lexus RX is an RDX.

I have an MDX and my parents have an RX350. The RX350 is very cushy and not sporty. The RX tech package is hard to navigate. I kept sliding left and right on the seat when turning. annoing. no support.

 

I've had / have both Lexus, Toyota, and Acura OEM navigation systems. I like the Acura better. I didn't think I would....I thought I'd like the Lexus touch screen better than the mdx's "controller". I know the newer RX's have the "mouse" but I think 07's were still the touch screen.

 

Here in Socal, I think about 95% of the RXs that I see are driven by females. I think the corresponding figure for MDX is around 75%. So I guess the MDX is a little less feminine. If that's a big factor though, I'd probably just go for the Infiniti FX, which is predominantly driven by males.

MDX is a lot more fun to drive than an RX. I guess one of the advantages of the RX is that it is most probably easier to park (better rear visibility, and smaller)

 

The current design of the FX is horrid. I hate where Nissan is going with it's design language.

Although the old shield on the MDX is better, the current models still look pretty good. I would go with an MDX any day over the RX.

 

Yah, my personal opinion is that the Infiniti EX35 is better proportioned in design than the FX.

 

Still not as terrible as the direction Acura has gone in this department.

 

If you live in an area with snow, the MDX has a better awd system. I found this on youtube.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YidkaqlW9ns

 

Good video, thanks

 

My wife had a hand-me-down RX400H from her Dad when we had our first kid & it sure helped us great deal to haul her around .. of course I was the main driver since her 7-month preg. Overall it was nice on the gas (about 25-28 MPG) but it felt a bit floaty & tires used to screech when I turned corners too fast ... I've been a acura man all my life so when our second gal was due, I persuaded her to let me get a MDX instead ... more power, better handling, and it sure doesn't look a girly SUV anymore ... lol ...

But like the other OP pointed out, you should check them out both ... I do missed those Lexus service loaners though ... one more thing about Lexus, you can't input Navi when the car is moving which sucks big time to me ... MDX can do both voice or joystick but I still prefer my TL's touch screen ...

 

RX is a small ride comparing to the MDX also RX seems to be more of a ladies car

 

Love the video! Thanks for posting. MDX vs RX, it boils down to exactly the points above:

MDX is a MUCH better ride
MDX has the 3rd row

RX is Toyota with a brazillion recalls

 

RX is also more expensive for maintenance and repair than MDX. Check out the prices on the oil filters for both vehicle and you'll know.

 

We did a research on both RX 330/350 and MDX before buying our '07 MDX.

Originally we test drove a '06 RX330 and fell in love with it because the ride was very smooth and pleasant. After that test drive every other vehicle we test drove we compared to the Lexus. Though further reading brought up the known Toyota issues in the RXs...

Lexus appears to have the same issue which plagues Toyotas - unintended acceleration. What also came up were reports from Lexus owners of problems with down shifting gears, especially the lower ones (2->1).

Apparently there were 11 accidents out of which 5 (or 7?) deaths occurred with Lexus RX vehicles as a result of the unintended acceleration or gear shifting problem. Yet that's still not a good reason for Lexus (Toyota?) to issue a recall. I suppose because it's a luxury vehicle it might hurt their sales...or whatever.

Further more, RXs are narrower than MDXs and more prone to tipping over in sharp corners which is another reason why we opted for MDX (which seems to be lower but definitely wider).

And if this was not enough, the cream on the top (disappointment wise) was a report from an owner of two different RXs that the vehicle produces extremely high magnetic fields (in the range of 100 milli-gauss) in the area of the front dashboard, steering wheel, driver and part of the passenger seat.

To give you an idea, that kind of magnetic field equals standing underneath High Voltage transmission lines (the big 115KV or 230KV ones). Also noted was that fields in the range of 2-3 milli-gauss have been shown to produce cancer, leukaemia and DNA mutations in children.

Suffice to say, even if only some of these reports are true, would you drive yourself and your family in a vehicle like that?

On the other hand, MDX (at least '07) does not turn up with any reports as bad as the Lexus RXs, and the only recall that comes up for it is an issue with a bicycle rack.

As a side note, the magnetic field problem appears to be plaguing many vehicles and is much more apparent in the hybrids, which I would stay clear of.
Consequently, I bought a tri-field meter and intend to measure and map the fields in our MDX just to make sure we are not slowly killing ourselves while driving.