narutoninjakid

Hi, Everyone,

Have a 2009 Honda Pilot EXL right now and looking to upgrade soon. Noticed the perception on the forums and many places online is that Honda/Acura quality has really dropped with the new ZF9 transmission. There are many complaints on the new Honda Pilots as well as the MDX and other Acura models concerning the ZF9 transmission. Many online have even reported selling their car as soon as possible to get rid of the issues. Noticing these cars are getting alot cheaper especially the 2014 -2015 models. Browsing around seems many can be had for under $30,000 especially with higher miles around 40,000-60,000 miles. Am I wrong in assuming that the higher mileage vehicles have been " tested/trialed" and have proven to be good units ? Bought my Pilot at 100,000 miles and it is still going strong so i was quite surprised to see the luxury counterparts having all these issues. Is this due to all the issues with the transmissions ? Any way to ensure you get a vehicle with a good transmission ? Or is this a car you better buy with some factory warranty ? Would appreciate any feedback on your car and any issues you've had with it or are these model years no go until Honda/Acura but a new transmission in newer models. Let me know. Thanks.

jzhu625

iTrader: (2)

FYI for other folks might looking for some info
2014-2017 Safe to Buy? Seems to be many issues - Acura MDX Forum : Acura MDX SUV Forums

RDX10

The 3G MDX actually isn't nearly as bad as some people make it to be to be honest with you. The 2014's had some minor software issues as well as a somewhat clu ky suspension due to crappy rear shocks. The other complaints were a somewhat laggy infotainment setup. 2015 they fixed a lot of the software issues but I believe the annoying rear shocks are still there but I also believe they have a fix for it.

Oh also FYI the 2014 and 2015 MDX used the old 6 speed automatic (which many prefer). The 2016 MDX still looked like the 2014-2015 models but had the 9 speed and new generation 2 SH-AWD system. 2017 was the mild redesign.

bblueser

Having owned an '09 Pilot for 8 years, and putting 78k miles on it, I am very satisfied with the overall performance of my '17 MDX with the ZF 9-speed transmission. Car and Driver magazine said it best, when they wrote that the the MDX's 9-speed was good, but not perfect.

I much prefer the 9-speed's broad gear ratio spread over the Pilot's more limited 6-speed ratios. The MDX's extra low 1st gear provides very strong acceleration off the line, and with your foot in the throttle, good punch up through the other gears. Gears 8 and 9 allow the engine to turn at a relaxed 1800-1900 RPM at 75 mph, whereas at that same speed, the Pilot would be around 2500 RPM. That difference alone makes the 9-speed a worthwhile improvement over the 6-speed.

Honda's only error on the 9-speed, in my opinion, was not thoroughly testing and perfecting the electronic controls before installing the transmission in the '15-'16 TLX, and '16 Pilot and MDX. Other than an occasional reluctance to downshift under certain conditions, the 9-speed in my '17 MDX works well, and I would not hesitate to buy the same vehicle again.

narutoninjakid

Thanks for the info. Nice to see some have only few minor gripes with the transmission.

narutoninjakid

Thanks for the information. I would probably go for the 2015 or newer. I learned from my Pilot to skip the first model year. I like the 2016 for the standard safety features they added. Now all I need is the heated steering wheel and ventilated seats. I do like the 2017 pilot but the rear en of the vehicle just looks very strangle and convoluted to me. The rear of the mdx is much better in my opinion.

RDX10

I would also avoid the 2014's too just because it gave them a chance to work out the kinks for 2015. From what I read 2015 introduced a ton of software fixes (remember that this was the first year for that 2-screen setup). Go test a 2016 MDX and then a 2015 back to back and see how you feel. The ZF9 has inherent design flaws (or features) that mean no matter what you do software wise, it will always be a little bit clunky. I drove a 2016 MDX for a few hours, I found that the transmission was fine 95% of the time, but when I wanted to drive sporty it was sluggish. I could partially remedy this by using the sport + mode. Or by putting it into full manual mode and shifting it into low gears to stop the upshifting. In Canada the heated wheel comes with the tech package and ventilated seats on the elite package. Not sure how it works in the states.