financeman1

I brought my car in today for some minor service ( hood chips promised to be fixed when i bought the car, broken fog light lens replaced, replacing heated seats bulb that is burnt, oil change w/ mobil 1 syn + wix oil filter, rotate and balance tires) and i asked for a RDX to test the turbo out. Well, there were no rdx's available but i got a MDX!!! Below is a brief review of the car:
INTERIOR is incredible. The PLIIx surround is incredible, especially on the trance channel 82 on XM. The nav screen is beautiful. Electonic control for tilt/ telescoping steering wheel is awesome. Very luxurious and 09 tsx buyers should be in for a treat. I dislike the awkward center console that has 2 sections that split in the middle- it opens to the left and right, not upwards like 99% of center consoles. The back seat seems small. They should offer this suv as a 5 seater or 7 seater- a 5 seater with a bigger back seat. But Acura's way of saving costs is offering few options and the options they do offer is in packages.
EXTERIOR looks like nothing else on the road. All of you already know that or can look it up online.
ACCELERATION is nice. Felt faster off the line than my 05 auto and at low speeds, but I floored it at 50 and it felt slow- took longer than my tsx to speed up. It may be faster, but didnt feel that way when accelerating at 50.
HANDLING is also nice. SHAWD is not the best thing ever, not as cool as vtec imo, but very nice, esp if you live where it snows. What i like the most about it was the lack of body roll. I got on the interstate very fast and the SUV felt very balanced but heavy. The tsx is so much more agile- maybe it has to do with a 3 foot lower center of gravity(duh) and being lighter. But I could only imagine it handles light years better than the previous gen MDX.
Ill give a better update on other differences later on- but I was estatic on my way to work this AM in the MDX- did i say the interior rocks!!!

dom

Love the new MDX.

LuvMyTSX

I haven't been in an MDX yet, but I think the exterior rocks. I've been seeing quite a few on the roads lately (3 today and also 3 RDXs, which I never see). I'd like to try one out as a loaner, too, even though I'm not really an SUV lover.

Mokos23

I'm hoping for a TL type S for a loaner when I bring in the car for the 40K

drigo

MDX is very nice...interior is plush...i just don't like what they did with the center part of the front grill...

NJSGTI

Im taking mine in for service this coming Tuesday. I hope Im as lucky as you were. Last time I got a loaner it was a TL and I wish they gave out the new TL-S as a loaner too.

SeanS627

my wife got an RDX for a loaner last time we took the TSX in for service

an impressive ride, just too small for our family

surferdude

I disagree... I like the older model better (both exterior and interior). The rear is too boxy and the the front grill is funny looking to me. From the side its alright though... That said I like all the bells and whistles of the new MDX, just not the design.

But that's my 2 cents...

jerzpwr

all the loaners that they give out here are TSX. oh wells... but i wouldnt mind getting something else as a loaner.. even the RSX.

jesuswalks

Pretty much the only thing i hate about the MDX is the stupid front and rear plastic bumpers. They look so stupid. They should of at least gave an option to get them painted.

They should of offered body-colored bumpers that came with the sport package, it would look much sportier and expensive.

ostrich

WOW! How nice! I was just thinking yesterday.... if I had to replace my wonderful TSX tomorrow, what would it be? I certainly had the MDX on my very short list of vehicles to consider!!!

SeanS627

my wife's next car will either be a MDX or a QX56

financeman1

I know I am lucky. I talk alot to the my girl in the service department. I think if you develop a relationship with those guys you can can get more done. However, i dont know if the chips in the hood are really fixed( i stopped andlooked at the car and they still dont look right) I just noticed the rear view camera tonight and the incredible controls that the back seat has( full rear AC controls, heated seats, dvd, XM...) My freinds love the car. I can definately see this as my next vehicle, but I dont know if its sporty enought ( X5 )

zainzb06tsx

So ive taken my tsx in 3 times for minor things, which would be about 2-3 hours long. Each time i have went, i have asked for a loaner, because i had errands to run, not once was i given a loaner, even though i saw a mdx loaner sitting in the front, the service guy said 'sorry man, i dont have any right now'. Perhaps its because im 17, but hey, i gave my business, i deserve to get the same amount of respect right? and i also understand that it would be dangerous to give a 17 year old a car they dont own, but hey, there are 40 year olds that drive crazy too!

ChrismanTSX

I'm thinking of the MDX to replace my wife's Pathfinder, maybe in a couple of years. I liked the understated nature of the previous gen, while I find the new one a bit more 'in your face'. Definitely growing on me!

A dealer normally will not give a loaner to a 17 year-old kid, as most of their insurance policies would not cover anyone under 25. Some may have policies covering 21+, but those would be the exception...

ck123

thought you had to be 25 to get a loaner. i went to get an oil change and the guy offered a loaner but i said no because im 19

3stageWDP

A Hundai Sonata WTF? I BUY A 40 plus car and u make me look like a POS
by giving me a rental HUNDAI (couldn't care less if i spelt that right). PLUS I PAID CASH F@#*_!@#$ CASH FOR THE CAR and bought it there.

F#*@ them i'm changing dealers.

fast1

Not every car on the lot is a loaner candidate - just the ones designated as such and those are intended to be sold at discount once they are driven a bit! I don't think you'd want your brand new car to have 2000 miles on it because it was used as a loaner.

financeman1

Age hasnt been an issue for me, but I go in dressed professionally and talk alot to the people in the service dept. She was even saying yesterday how I am prob more responsible than some of her other drivers that get loaners ( even though I had 6 people in the MDX last night). I appreciate them and they take good care of me- esp since I got the TSX certified from them. But after driving more, some of the ergonomics of the MDX are not nearly as user friendly as the TSX. The millions of buttons below the nav screen intimidated my friends ( i felt right at home) , but that is how most luxury cars are now. The TSx is a drivers car, but the MDX is made to tow people around in luxury- and AWD and a 300 hp motor wont change that in a big suv. I even began thinking last night how much heavier awd makes the car and it might be better to lighten it up a great deal without AWD and just improve the overall suspension - the fx 35 handles great without awd.

SeanS627

then theres always the fx45 too

black label

In MA, you have to be 23 to rent a car or get a loaner car from a dealer. Acura actually has a loaner car program, there are cars that are specifically designated for the loaner program. The window stickers for these cars say "LOANER CAR" on the window sticker to differentiate them from the cars that are for sale.

mrgold35

My wife already made it clear our next car will be the MDX with the sport/entertainment/technology package. The MDX looks kinda bare without running boards or side body molding or a roof rack on top. I convinced her to wait until the mid-model refresh in a few years so Acura can add:
- cylinder deactivation and/or hybrid model
- 6 speed auto tranny
- adjustable pedals
- Auto Day/night rear view mirror standard
- maybe a V-8 option, ( 4.2L with +330hp OR 4.6L with +360hp)
- more HP from the 3.7L (+315hp)
- Different front grille (hopefully aftermarket will have something)
- More interior/exterior color choices (no quartz)
- Keyless entry, push button start, and remote start
- Auto locking doors when placed in Drive
- Active cruise control
- Memory seat settings that adjust side mirrors, pedals, custom MID settings, steering wheel, and radio presets
- Heads up display for the driver with the option of doing tach, speedo or both.

And keep the price under $50,000 for the top of the line model. I don’t think I’m asking for much.

SeanS627

the motors probably won't be changing but the comfort stuff might

just look at the 04 TSX vs the 06 TSX

wait until the mid model change for the aesthetics to change and you should be happy

financeman1

6 speed tranny is highly unlikely, but it would be great. Cylinder deactivation and bigger engine is also unlikely. The push button start should be standard. I could have sworn the doors locked once you are in the vehicle- I kept having to unlock the doors all night and never locked them. My friends and I all came to the conclusion that it is overpriced. The only thing truly great about it is the high level of sophistication inside, and I need more than that for me to spend 45k on a SUV. Its just too slow compared to the V8's. One of my friends said she would definately rather have a XC90 (loves volvos) and the other will get an acadia which has very nice features for 30 k. Once around 45k, you have more options- but I think I am just obsessed with the X5 for a couple thousand more.
BTW, age has never been an issue for me because you have to be 21 to have a loaner car at my dealership- just read it today. Dress/ professionalism has nothing to do with it.

ostrich

Hey Sean, after I posted that, I saw the Infiniti EX!!! WOW! What a car! Now, I may be changing my mind....

SeanS627

is there in EX because I don't see one

ostrich

Sean, the Infiniti EX will be their CUV that is coming this fall. It will debut at the New York Auto Show next week! Here are some press release photos:





Isn't this so very handsome?

SeanS627

looks too similar to the FX and is it set for production or still a concept?

the wife's next car is going to be something big like the QX56