Just wondering if some of you owner consider the Honda Pilot? They are basically the same vehicle (yes, I read the differences), but just wondering if there were other factors in your decision that made you choose the MDX instead?

If I look at an used 2011 MDX, I can get brand new 2013-14 Pilot. Your thoughts..

 

i considered it for a second. why i didn't like it:

too big
too boxy
not too sold on the overall looks
too ordinary
despite the same platform with the MDX...it's not the same car.
i was spoiled with the fit and finish of the Acura lineup b/c of my TL. hard to go backwards.

couldn't see myself driving a box on wheels.

bottomline...the pilot just didn't resonate with me AT ALL. it has plenty of utility, but it blends in with the sea of ordinary and boring soccer mom cars (not to say the MDX wouldn't fit that category). the look of the MDX had a more sporty muscular lines and the comfort of a great road trip vehicle that could handle itself nicely (SHAWD).

everyone has different needs and wants out of a car...these were some of mine...

 

one of my friends has owned a few Pilots and loves them. Great for transporting her dogs, and her exercise gear.

 

No comparo to MDX..... NUFF said....

 

I guess the qn we asked ourselves in 2010 was for a fully optioned out Pilot ( or Highlander ), how much would we save in $$$ vs the MDX we had in mind. It was not that much more $ to pony up for a car that we would be living with for 6 or 7 years ( I think at the time we assessed it was only going to be $2.5-3k in savings if we did not go for the MDX ). So we went for the MDX to get what we really wanted. Feel like it was money well spent.

 

Same?! Not even close. I owned both, actually several Pilots and on my first MDX, and besides some shared components that you are most likely referring, everything about those two vehicles is different. Pilot is a hauler, bigger, boxier, slower. MDX is, to me, a sports wagon. Different handling and drivetrain (for serios driving 4x4 on Pilot is a joke, to be quite honest), different engines (3.5 v. 3.7), bottom line different purpose. Pilot served me well, no complaints, but honestly thing can't touch MDX in any way.

 

We just bought a certified 2013 Acura MDX Base with 12,000 miles yesterday. We had spent a couple of weeks weighing the MDX, Pilot EX-L and Highlander SE.

Interior

Pilot's 3rd row of seating was more useful than the 2nd generation MDX (the 2014 MDX 3rd row area is great). MDX had much more comfortable and pleasant interior than the other two. The Pilot's center console was not for us. The plastics and trim in the Highlander and Pilot felt and looked cheaper than the MDX. The front seats were much more comfortable in the MDX than the other two. No USB port in the MDX. EX-L and Highlander had nice display screens for the backup camera and other functions. Would need the Tech package for the USB and display in the MDX.

Driving

The driving experience was significantly better in the MDX. We test drove all vehicles in wet and cold conditions. MDX felt like it hugged the road - like driving a sporty station wagon. Pilot drove like a minivan and was louder. Highlander's steering was very loose, but drove OK in general.

Cost

Pilot or Highlander were going to be more economical on fuel ($50/month cheaper with our driving habits). New Pilot EX-L was going to cost us only a few hundred dollars less than the MDX. New 2013 Highlander would have been about $1500 cheaper for us. Certified MDX had the best warranty of the three. Maintenance will be highest for the MDX.

If we hadn't seen the MDX, I think we would have gotten a new 2013 highlander SE over the Pilot EX-L because it was about $1500 cheaper and we don't plan on using the third row for adults or very often.

 

how many roadtrips have you been on in either your MDX or TL. What has been the longest trip.

 

^^since owning the MDX: longest trip in the MDX...8hrs up and 10 hrs back (in the rain for 8 of them). we've been on a handful or so of 3-6 hr trips. we have a few more scheduled for this year.

TL...longest was 4 hrs on a couple of occasions...it was a painful bumper to bumper experience with a stick shift and tired body. never again.

 

I looked at many high end and even lower end models before settling on the MDX. I still think the Ford Explorer has a better edge as far as technology goes. We already owned a TL and have been pleased thus far. I always think that Acura offers a pretty decent selection of amenities (not the latest cutting edge stuff) but the price point can't be beat even if you're buying new vs the luxury competition with equivalent setups.

 

I drove a Pilot EX-L for 5 years and loved it. Yes, it is boxy and big, but that' the point of a Pilot!
Last year I bought a 2013 MDX w/tech and like much more the looks and the way it drives.
A few days ago I picked up a 2014 Pilot EX-L for my company and was very well surprised with all the interior and finish. The only troubling thing was the trip computer in the instrument cluster. It was an LCD display like a video game from the 80s. Really terrible and difficult to read.
If you don't care for the prestige of a semi luxury name like Acura and can live with the big boxy looks, save yourself the $12k or so price difference and go for the Pilot.

 

brings back memories of our numerous roadtrips-downpours driving from Washington state to California along the coast, downpours driving downhill on the west Virginia turnpike, rain, snow, sleet on trips from NC to NJ-numerous accidents-the normal 9 hour trip taking 13 hours. I learned to drive stick in NYC so if you can handle that you are a diehard manual transmission lover. I used to drive my MT car from Blairstown, NJ to Westbury, NY once or twice a week for over a year. Most of the drive was bumper to bumper but it did not change my love for owning MT.

 

That summed it up for me

 

the MT in bumper to bumper for hours on end gets old. it's those few times i say to myself...AT would be really nice. once the road opens up and you row your own gears is where the fun begins i find myself bored sometimes driving the MDX b/c AT. it inevitably rains on our trips home from events for whatever reason. gotta love SHAWD! it is nice to not have to think about shifting gears too much when your whole body is stiff and sore from racing. cherish those memories girlie!