Tony Pac

Fam - need some help! A very good friend of mine called me today to ask a few questions about 2018 MDX. He is very interested in Tech or Elite model. He is single guy...no wife or kids. But he needs the MDX for:

- long trips across Canada. He loves outdoor activities (skiing, hiking, surfing and etc.) so his equipment need to fit.
- needs to sleep in the car time to time lol yes sleep. If he is driving from Montreal to Vancouver. He may take a 5 hour break, sleep and then take off again.
- works from the driver seat. Literally he told me that he wants to set up his computer like cops in the front with a stand. Comfortable seat
- Some off road capabilities.

Please let me know if you recommend an Acura MDX for this guy. He has Lexus GS in mind but he thinks gas will be a huge issue.

thanks in advance!

Donn0128

Acuras are nice vehicles. The big difference between the two is second row buckets vs bench seats, surround view cameras, ventilated vs non vented front seats. There are a few other things, but not enough to be worried about. The MDX recomends 91 octane premium fuel, but will work just fine on regular. If he is doing a lot of driving he might look at a hybrid. I really wanted a Honda Pilot Touring, but after driving one the seats are not near as comfortable, so we spent a bit more and got a 2018 MDX SH AWD Tech. Love the sat radio and huge hard drive to store my music.

mrgold35

I think I would lean towards the Advance/Elite model if I was going to spend that much time in the vehicle. I really get a lot of use from the front/rear parking sensors and 360 degree surround cameras in low speed tight surroundings. The electronic dampers will provide a more sporty or comfy ride depending on what is needed. The auto heat/cool seat do a good job for me keeping my backside comfy all year (90-105 degree summer, 20s-30s temps in winter).

The hybrid version would be a good choice if you do A LOT of city driving or the driving environment is high altitude with hill climbs and switchbacks/winding roads. The hybrid and 3.5L MDX are pretty much even with mpgs on long hwy runs at any speed. The hybrid will perform better with handling and high altitude driving because of the electronic dampers, tq vectoring/regen braking work with or without gas engine power, and the 3 electric motors are not effected by thin air. The hybrids do have the same interior space, same gas tank size, and same roof rack limit of 165lbs. The hybrid might be the way to go for off road since the EV mode/regen braking/tq vectoring will work up or down hills and you will have the same 400-450 miles range on the hwy or crawling on dirt road.

The big downsides with the hybrids are:
- little to no EV with extremely cold temps (I still get 21-23 mpg below freezing compared to 24-27 in warmer temps)
- tq vectoring, regen braking, and battery pack charging stops at +80 mph (becomes fwd)
- no towing; but, you can add a hitch for cargo box or bike rack
- no spare tire; but, a full size spare will fit with or without the OEM hitch

Tony Pac

thanks so much for the info. I will share with him the info. Basically he wants a reliable, spacious and comfortable car. He really cars for a nice ride. And since he will be doing a lot of highways and long distance, he doesn’t want issues and mechanic trips lol!

mrgold35

The hybrid has the same M.I.D. codes and service intervals as the sh-awd MDX. The differences with the hybrid are:
- 4.5 qts of oil for the 3.0L instead of 5.7L qts for the 3.5L
- 7DCT and rear twin electric motor units take the exact same trans fluids (different from the 9AT and 3.5L sh-awd rear diff)
- the hybrid has two cooling systems that take the same coolant and same 100,000 miles change interval (2nd unit for DC inverter)
- hybrid has larger front brakes

I've taken 5 road-trips alone, with wife, or up to total of 4 adults from ABQ, NM, to San Antonio, TX, (11 hrs one way), one trip from ABQ, NM, to South Padre Island (+15hrs one way), and a 1600 mile round-trip to north/south rims of the grand canyon and Sedona in my hybrid. Very comfy, plenty of power, seeing 26-29 mpg at 80 mph, you can see a country mile with the LED headlights at night, and the 450 mile range made nice to gas up in larger cities with a Sam's or Costco's with cheaper prices.

MCRacer

very good summary. I haven't had a chance to take our hybrid through the mountains, but I agree with your summary.

I'd also add that the 7 speed DCT coupled with the front electric motor to give very smooth clutch engagement solves the problem other mfg have had with DCT. And the 7 speed DCT is as close to perfect transmission as I've seen yet. Instant response, crisp shift under hard acceleration, smooth shifts under light load, immediate downshifts.

And the advance features are well worth the $$$ IMHO. We love the rear bucket seats, but don't have any kids at home and the rear buckets are very comfortable for adults with us. The only time we've used the 3rd row was when we gave the grankids a test drive with our daugther and SIL in the back seats. Other than that the 3rd row is down for great storage area. IMHO offering the advance with a rear bench would probably entice more people to get the advance model, those that need a 3 person second seat.

bmoua15

Depending on his price range a Mdx would suit him well. I would look into a good 18inch wheel/all terrain tire combo. If it was me I would purchase a 2016+ Tacoma and do a overland build.

Tony Pac

Believe it or not he looked at Tacoma. He is still exploring. But so some reasons, from outside and reviews he thinks MDX might be the best fit for him.

mrgold35

Half my family are Toyota/Lexus owners over the years (Tacoma, 4Runner, FJ Cruiser, Highlander, Rav4, IS250). The biggest complaint they have is the lack of standard tech (they buy the cheapest models) and seats being flat and uncomfortable for long road trips. I put almost 500,000 miles in 14 years between my 06 TSX, 08 RDX, and 11 MDX and the Toyota/Lexus owner's traded in 3X more times during the same amount of time.

jefferson88

The MDX will be a perfect car for him. Mine is a 2017 Base with SH-AWD.
I also have no kids and I find this vehicle to be the perfect size for my needs. I've only needed the third row once this year but I'm glad I have it as an option.
Weekdays it serves as a perfect commuting car because this thing devours highway miles. The ACC and Lane Keep Assist are excellent tools for reducing driver fatigue and the seats are great. On the highway cruising at 75 (the legal speed limit in my area of New Mexico) I easily get 26 mpg (approximately 9 l/100km).
Weekends it is all the adventure vehicle I need. It has decent enough ground clearance to overland and tackle most marked off-road trails. I've gone out into the desert with my buddies in their lifted/modified 4Runners and kept up just fine on the moderately-rocky terrain. I frequently camp inside the car with the rear seats folded, and the middle row slid forward. My setup includes a 2" thick inflatable sleeping pad topped with full-sized 3" thick memory foam mattress. That ate up any useable headroom in my previous Outback but in the MDX I still have room to sit up and move around inside without needing to open the doors or rear hatch.


Regarding working from the front seat: I'm 5'10" and sit far back from the pedals with the steering wheel fully extended toward me. When parked, the seat doesn't slide back much further than my normal driving position and retracting the steering wheel doesn't free up that much space. You can fit a laptop on the lap but you still need to look down to use it so it wouldn't be comfortable for very long. Sitting in the front passenger seat is an improvement because there is no wheel in your way. My favorite place to work in the car is in the second row. The seatback reclines and the front seats slide really far forward making the second row more spacious than the front. You can even use the front center console as a footrest. It's a great mobile office in my opinion.

I'd recommend your buddy goes for the Tech model over the Elite. Sure, he has to give up fancy leather and the ventilated front seats, but that will gain him bench seating for the second row instead of captains chairs which is more practical for transporting people and often negates the need for using the third row. It also helps for creating a flat load floor in the cargo area which is good for runs to the hardware store and the previously-mentioned car camping. A 2018 Tech model will also not have the annoying idle start/stop system. There's no right or wrong choice as everyone has their own priorities in a vehicle. Happy searching!

Donn0128

Since the OPs friend plans to sleep at least some in his car he will want a flat floor. So the Tech is his best choice. The second row buckets will have a split between the seats making for a narrow sleeping area.

mrgold35

I had these pics of my MDX hybrid Adv with the seats down. The seat and center console are pretty flat. You would have the option of sleeping in the front seat reclined or stretch out in the hatch. The 2nd row capt. chairs don't recline all that much.

Tony Pac

Thank you guys. You’re all awesome. I am meeting him this Saturday. Will share the info. Really appreciated it.

Tony Pac

We went to test drive the Tech and Advanced models. Honestly, MDX is an awesome car. It's a big car but it's very smooth and doesn't feel that big. My friend really liked the car. We went to Lexus dealer to test drive GX but they asked to come back this coming weekend.

In terms of price, quality, space and functionality MDX is a huge winner. No doubt people love MDX.

NeoGeoH

Another advantage to consider is that aside from warranty work/claims, an Acura can be serviced at any competent Honda dealer. Often for less $ on labor costs. We've owned 3 Acuras (2004 TSX, 2013 RDX, 2018 MDX) since 2003 and never paid an Acura dealer for service once. Local Honda dealer has been great.

As others have said the highway MPG is really pretty impressive on the MDX. We road tripped a few times in our 2018 Tech, SH-AWD, averaging 80mph and got close to 30 MPG with 3 adults and luggage, through the Appalachians (from Ohio to East coast). MDX is a great long-hauler. Not sure about sleeping in it, but that is more a personal choice.