my lease is ending this april and i have been under pressure from my family to let it go in favor of the '11 MDX. I already have a turbo sedan so what the hell make room for a big V6 just debating the trims right now and colour choice but i havent closed the deal yet i have to sleep over this one. have to get rid of all mods including hondata.

 

I don't know how big your family is, but with size comes weight. The MDX is 700 pounds heavier and you feel every single one of them when you turn the wheel. As I have recommended to other AZ members in your situation, spend the extra $10K and get a Cayenne. Would you prefer to miss the RDX, or be happy that you bought something better?

 

The MDX will be our next vehicle in the family. I'm waiting to see how the all new MDX stacks up to the current MDX model to decide new or used down the road. If money was no object, I would go for the Cayenne S or Turbo model with every option checked. The Cayenne gives you what you want; the MDX gives you what you need. From what I can tell, the Cayenne isn’t much larger inside to a RDX and weighs 200-400 lbs more than a MDX (depending on what options on the Cayenne)? You might get less performance and MPGs from a V-6 6AT Cayenne compared to the MDX.

What I need a very reliable luxury SUV vehicle that is inexpensive to maintain, sporty handling, decent mpgs, plenty of tech and reliable for up to +150,000 miles. Even the current 5 year old design MDX stacks up very well against the much newer SUV out there. The Cayenne is my Lotto SUV and the MDX is my real life SUV.

 

I am on that same boat of upgrading the RDX for a bigger car. I have however looked at the new Explorer and I like it a lot. I have not driven it and doubt that it will behave like the MDX/RDX does....and I could really do without the tsunami of buttons in the Acura's dash





In terms of customer "pampering" Ford will probably be miles away from Acura, and that would be the reason I would not go for them. As far as reliability goes I am not too concerned since they have come a long way....of course a first generation Ford would be a bad choice, but I really like the car.....

 

I saw the new For explorer at a car show last year and it looks pretty good IMO. But as for handling like the MDX/RDX; I am not quite confident it can match up to a Acura.

 

I am sure it wont, is not even trying to. However, what you gain in versatility, room and technology, plus what you save in money it may be a good compromise for a family car.

 

The new Explorer is very nice and I hear ya on the Acura dash buttons, but I think Acura is trying to continue to provide a quick way to make changes that used to be simple; fan speed, radio station, etc.

Ford's system requires multiple steps; scrolling through menus, touch-screen or voice activation, all of which they have had trouble with. Way back in 1994, we had a Taurus that required you to look away from the road for several seconds, just to find the menu to balance speakers or change the bass.

I'll feel better about the Ford when they get those systems working right.

 

explorer in the same sentence as mdx?

the MDX is prob Acura's best vehicle in the lineup, and basically has been since its first makeover from the Pilot spin off. It combines everything that is truly great about the brand: value, affordability, performance, luxury, versatility. cannot go wrong, ever, with the MDX. Id take it any day over basically anything but the Porsche or even the Audi. The MDX signifies at least i think, a consumers best buy in the segment. I really dont buy into car reviewers gripes with anything button-related. If you are basically not retarded and drive the car on a somewhat consistent basis, do you really have trouble with the buttons? really? And speaking of buttons, american car's steering wheels arent exactly simple, forget the dash. case n point, check the explorers out w/those cumbersome navigation pads, ugh. And quite honestly, in the concern of driving and being able to operate the car and its functions, the touchscreen operation of primary functions like HVAC and even the stereo at least imo is an unbelievable aggravation. no thanks.

that said, if u go mdx, enjoy it! love that truck!

http://www.caranddriver.com/reviews/...mparison_tests

 

6 in one hand, half a dozen in the other...screens Vs. buttons...
In the end is whatever you prefer.

Yes...

 

thatd be an EMPHATIC NO from me....i think that'd be like comparing the CR-V to the RDX, you can make the similarities, almost easily, but its just not the same product. Whether you are considering performance (MDX smashes it) or luxury (Debatable on what you consider lux at that point) or quality, or engineering, the Ford is a monster in weight....i dunno....thats really a stretch comparison

 

http://www.caranddriver.com/var/ezfl...390c289162.pdf

http://www.caranddriver.com/var/ezfl...6c022cf046.pdf

 

i would agree that its certainly in an arena of compromise among a crowded family hauler segment, but i just dont see it going anywhere near a luxury market in competition....not even sure its a great value starting at 40k when the top of the line fully loaded w/nav pilot is 40k (and thats w/Honda reliability, resale etc)

 

Right and wrong. MDX has more cargo room, however the Cayenne is lighter:
MDX =4627lbs
Cayenne =4398lbs.

As for the mileage they are both the same shitty 16mpg or so. I have 17.8avg mpg in the RDX right now, so remember it is an SUV.

 

If I had to choose between the Pilot and the Explorer I would do the Explorer. I can't stand the Pilot's styling, interior and exterior. In terms of the Explorer's weight they didn't say that it was "inspired" by the Range Rover for nothing.
I don't see the Explorer V. MDX comparison to be a stretch. They both have three rows, they are both soft roading SUVs, they both have similar horse power and mpg ratings, and if you were to actually get into one you would perceive how nice and well done the interior is. They do somewhat cater to people seeking different things from their SUVs, being the Acura the "performer" one, but most people don't care about that, just the true enthusiasts will.
As far as reliability, lets wait and see what happens with Ford's new products, so far they have done well with what they have put out lately.

 

$10K? I assume you're referring to the new Cayenne (non-S) with the VW 3.6L 300hp V6. Do yourself a favor and spec even the base Cayenne close to what the MDX offers and you're close to $70K. That's a base Cayenne with the Vdub V6. Porsche itemizes so many options that options can total $20K without even flinching. I should know as my father owned an optioned-out Cayenne S w/ 21s.

I'm sorry man but I don't see this comparison at all...the MDX and the Cayenne appeal to two different customers and the MDX, IMO, is a far more sensible choice.

 

and who looks at 10K as pocket change difference?


"cocaine is a hell of a drug" - Rick James....nice Avatar
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9PR_rzF8ofw

 

+1. Those magazine guys drive 10 different cars in one afternoon and then complain about button complexity. They don't take any time to get comfortable in the car -- it's as if they think the cars should be designed for their flighty evaluations instead of the owner who will spend hours in it every week.


Agravation and worse. Changing the fan or vent or radio select with a single button push or knob turn is clearly a faster and less cognitive process than finding it on a touch-screen menu -- dare to look at the road for a moment and the screen reverts back. It's tech for the sake of tech, -- meanwhile someone is crossing the centerline, trying to find the sub-woofer control screen for "Smoke on the Water".

I have a great idea. What's with those old power window switches? So yesterday. Let's bury window controls in the touch-screen menu too.

 

Do your homework before you decide to offer an online rebuttal. Comparably equipped the Cayenne is $10,200 more, just like I said. And people who are looking at an MDX ARE cross shopping the Cayenne, I am proof of that. Here is the comp:

 

thought this would be of interest, mainly, on the Explorer and why it rated LAST. shit quality out of the box and that my touch freak show.

...not that the Pilot did much better...Honda has to make a better product these days.

http://www.motortrend.com/roadtests/...son/index.html

 

I read the entire review before you posted this....To put things in context, they were dealing with an early pre-production car. Also, as always, with new technology there will be bugs (My Touch Sync or whatever it's called), and I would expect a lot in a Windows based system.
From all the cars tested, two were first generation cars, the Durango and the Explorer, all the other have been out for some time. I was very impressed with the Durango, but still like the Ford better.

 

regardless of pre production - does not replace the fact that the controls should include actual controls, i thought it was a decent highlight of the limitations of such a touch system in a vehicle. Regarding the quality issues...i think its fair to say that it is what it is.

 

You can't say "regardless", it was a pre-production car and all of the pre-production cars have quality "issues". As for having actual controls, there are separate buttons for things, you are not limited to the screen operation.
Do I think that MT is right saying that the Traverse is a better car? Do I think that the Highlander is a better 7 passenger car? Probably not. I am not saying that the Explorer is not the shit, because it's not, but it's a huge leap in the right direction for Ford.
I would give them a couple of years to work out bugs and then make a judgment call on the car as a whole.


You know, you can always get a Q7, they are great.

 

wow this thread really grew, i had no idea. well i decided to keep my RDX and buy it out. I did look at the Cayenne and the Explorer but as for the Cayenne it was more expensive than the MDX and the explorer i did not like how it drove. it reminded me of a rav4 which is a car i despise. Reason i decided to keep my rdx is because acura wants $2000 from me to bring my car to new condition. the roof needs some work cause of hail damage and some minor scratches and stuff that needs fixing. also all my mods need to go. So i dont want to go through the trouble of changing everything back to stock and also spending $2000 on top. Im happy with my rdx and im keeping it.

 

I have owned Explorers, mainly from the late 90's (Limited Trim) through the early 2000's in Eddie Bauer/V8 trim. They have been the biggest POS and still remain to this day a POS. they drive awful, the quality sucks, and the window sticker is astronomical for what you actually get. The new one is a step in the right direction but just a small review from MT indicates at least to me, being a previous owner, that the Explorer hasnt evolved much. I was under the impression that there are no radio or HVAC controls w/the Touch option. A fully knobless dash is an electrical nightmare if something develops an issue and frankly, should still have some sort of manual override which at least from pictures doesnt look to be the case. In any event, Ford has come a long way in a short amount of time since detroit blew up and i give them props. But i wouldnt touch an explorer with a 20 foot pole.

 

This days very few things are "manual", just because you turn on a knob doesn't mean you are moving something mechanically.
I understand your preference for knobs, after playing with the Sync dash I have to agree that their system is not there yet. What I dislike the most is that there is no feedback as to what you are pressing.


There are two knobs in the XLT though...

 

Go for the Jeep Grand Cherokee SRT 8

 

It hasn't come out yet.
The new generation GC is gorgeous. Although while playing around in it I noticed some ergonomic issues, and it doesn't have a third row.

 

whatever buy american, wait did i say american? i meant canadian xD