2019 mdx sh-awd
 

Powertrain and handling wise, I don’t have anything negative to say about the hybrid Advance. I just let the dct do its thing. The shifts are quick and imperceptible. I’ve gotten used to the push buttons. The only time I use the paddle shifter is coming down a steep grade to control speed buildup. Without a doubt, the electronic dampers work and make it the best riding car I have owned. On the drive home from NY, I was hauling the mail on the switchbacks on I-80 through the Sierra Nevadas into Sacramento. Handling confidence was there to keep it moving. If my copilot was nervous(lol), he didn’t show it. The only time you feel transition from electric to ICE, is when it occurs when taking off from a dead stop. Only time will tell how much of a maintenance hog it will be. Right now I’m enjoying the ride, when I get a chance to drive it.

Yea even after 5 months Im still getting used to the buttons. But it will come with time. Trying to use the paddle shifters is weird for sure. Thats one reason I simply leave mine in normal and let the transmission do its job. So far my only real complaints are the lift gate does not go all the way open and the crappy tires transmit too much road noise to the cabin.

Mooney:
That's interesting you mentioned using the paddle shifters to control speed on downgrades. I just purchased a '19 hybrid Advance three weeks ago and already had it on a road trip through the Blue Ridge mountains, and whenever I was going downhill, the car seemed to automatically hold a lower gear to keep my speed from building up too fast....I'd guess it was in 6th, maybe 5th, when it most likely would have been in 7th on a level road. I would notice it doing that even when I took my foot off the gas. I was in 'normal' on the dynamic mode for most of the trip. Have you seen this in your car yet? I have no problem with it doing that as long as it's supposed to act that way and as long as it's not putting excessive wear on the engine. or transmission.

Aside from that, everything you said is right. It has been pretty awesome to drive so far, even coming from my wife's '10 MDX, which I also enjoyed. The transmission shifts are virtually unnoticeable and I don't even notice when the car is running on battery alone unless I look at the tachometer reading 'zero'. I'm still getting used to the start/stop at a complete stop, but it's nice that the battery gets the car moving before the engine kicks back on. I don't stress about tracking gas mileage on my own very much, but the car is already getting me above 25mpg, which is a pretty awesome perk.

I know it's not the fastest SUV out there, but compared to my old MDX and the rest of the SUVs I test drove, the hybrid is a rocket...it's way too easy to get going quickly, and I really haven't even driven it too hard in 'sport +' or 'S' yet. I'd recommend to anyone that doesn't need to worry about towing to consider the hybrid...the relatively small price jump is well worth the added fun factor and you'll make a good chunk of it back in gas savings anyway.

Brianshick:
The Hybrid DCT does downshift to maintain speed, but I have noticed it allows the car to speed up significantly(upwards of 10 mph over) from the cruise set point. When I am blasting down through the hills and mountains at 75-80, I am not too keen on allowing it to be pushing 90. I don’t like riding the brakes either. My 335D dragged the rear brakes while on cruise when going downhill and caused the rotors to warp(in all fairness, bmw did do a brake job on it under the car’s included maintenance). We have a local commute road with steep grades that the CHP loves giving tickets on, so I try to keep down to 10-15 over the limit which is 55. Overall I think the DCT does a really good job being in the right gear for the job and is not afraid to shift when you ask it too.
Our overall mileage is 20-22. I would recommend the hybrid also.

I was very interested in the sport hybrid but not at its price point new. I no longer find buying new car to be financially sound. I may look at the sport hybrid in a few years though even though I love me a shift knob! today, wife also told me she did not enjoy flooring the 9 speed mdx as much as our 6 speed as it just did not have as much push back. Maybe its because its starting in 2nd gear, maybe its always a gear or 2 above max acceleration? the 2019 drive train is just not as fun to drive as our 2014 in my opinion. It may be the new suspension vs 40+k mile suspension, but it feels like the 2019 model is more composed and flatter feeling in aggressive turns and accelerations. any physical changes between the 2014/2015 suspension components to 2016-2019?