Swornallegiance

I'd have to say that there are probably some subjective and objective improvements, as well as drawbacks, on the 3G compared to the 2G. I can totally see that, and whether you are pleased or disappointed depends on what you value. In my opinion there are some things that just need to be done right for a luxury vehicle. Soft touch, rich materials are essential to the whole idea of a luxury vehicle. I absolutely hate when people act as if it's wrong to complain or make statements like "buy something else." That makes no sense.

What's more disturbing is that it seems to be their goal to bring the brand down market instead of moving up market. Honda hit a home run with the Accord. It seems Acura is doing the opposite. I still like the MDX, but I'm not blind to its faults. Make the starting price $1k higher and put real leather and better materials in it overall.

Vegas_TL04

^^^ Totally agreed. It also makes no sense that Honda gives the Accord LaneWatch, then doesn't give to their luxury brand, Acura. Further, they offer the LED headlights/running lights and now Honda has them. Yes, the new Accords will have an LED headlight option. What is left to differentiate a Honda from an Acura? Nothing. It's polluted and there's no reason to buy the Acura except to pay more and in theory receive a luxury experience. Right now I would totally buy an Accord over the TL. Will be interesting to see the TLX. However; my guess is, it will follow suit with the MDX and RLX and not be a standout in its class. It will have "new" features that other luxury brands have had for 5 or 10 years.

blackman

Hope you enjoy your new 13. As you said to each his own. Before my decision to purchase a 14, I took a look at the 13. Exterior is still nice though I still prefer the 14, I took a look at the centre console and the gazillion buttons and did not even bother to test drive it. That plus a lot of the latest tech missing which were even present in my 5 year old muranno was a deal breaker.

Swornallegiance

Good point about LaneWatch. Also, where are my fog lights on my $49k SUV? Oh yeah, they are optional. WTF. They are on my $28k Accord.

Vegas_TL04

^^^ You also forgot that they removed the XM Weather from the 2G MDX. The new sun visors do not telescope out like they used to in the 2G. The "LED" tailights are just that. The front amber turn signals are NOT LED, nor are the rear red turn signals. Come on! They couldn't really have made those LED? No exhaust pipes - instead cheap/red reflectors. No spare tire on the FWD. All Honda seems to be interested in advertising right now is that they are the first ones to add a vacuum to the TOP packaged Odyssey. WOW! Who really cares? If you have kids, you already have a portable vacuum from Oreck, Dyson, dustbuster or what not. Or their "red headed stepchild" in the MDX commercials. Why not highlight what the vehicle has against the competition, or in general? It's like everyone is either robots and/or asleep at Acura. Yes, I know, I sound jaded. Because I am by this 3G MDX and all new products Acura has put out (ILX & RLX).

Vegas_TL04

Thank you, sincerely. I am sure the 2G 13 MDX will be great. I have no reason to think otherwise as the 3 other 2G MDX I owned were fantastic. I really think the ODMD (touchscreen) is polarizing. I would much rather have buttons rather than the way Acura has executed this. In theory, the idea behind the two separate screens is not bad. But, they poorly executed it. It is way too slow, the screen is very hard to see in certain lights, and horrible for anyone who wears polarized sunglasses as you get brown splotches ALL over the screens. I think it's absolutely ridiculous that with the big ODMD screen, which is supposed to primarily service as your audio/climate interface, that it does not display the artist name anywhere. You have to press the AUDIO hard button, wait 5 seconds for the little music note icon to appear on the top "NAV" screen. Then to scroll through takes forever as the screen has to "jump" frequently. It is very slow, the resolution of both screens is also poor. Plus, there are too many submenus within menus. It's like software engineers only laid it out but never had actual users test it. IMHO, the touchscreen is far more distracting and takes your eyes off the road much longer. I know the little screen between the speedo and tach is supposed to assist that, but it's just not the same.

blackman

One thing that I do agree with you on is a needed upgrade to the touch screen on the speed, its ability to display artist names and some modifications to stuff being in sub menus. I would also liked to have the nav display other things such as speed limits. I am not a software guy but I hope any upgrades will be software based and not in need of any new hardware. All in all, i do like the screens. I don't have too much of an issue with resolution or using polarized sunglasses. It could be different as I have the Canadian elite version of the mdx.

Vegas_TL04

In my field of work, I run an electrical/power generation industry corp. I constantly have meeting with my software engineers and OS guys about their new code and interfaces. From an engineer's standpoint, they always want to do this submenu type display. I constantly have to guide them into making the base user interface quick, easily accessible, and fast. I tell them to bury more advanced, much less commonly items in other menus. They always fight me too on the number of hard keys and soft keys. They shouldve left some more hard buttons out for the user and not buried so many controls in different menus. But, it's over now as I just received a call my 13 is ready for pickup.

sOLLEx

I totally agree with the safety concerns revolving around the trendy touchscreens in almost every luxury brand. Before, u could blindly touch and feel for the button u needed and now u have to concentrate more on which part of the screen your touching and it is hard to see in bright sunny conditions. Not everyone can walk down the street and send a text message at the same time...but our ipad obsessed demographic has commanded the migration of touch tech into our dashes where it will need to double as the gauges for all this brainpower that these engineers have had to develop in order to keep up with each other and sell more cars than the other guys. However, Honda has more homework to do on these screens.

db22

Vegas_TL04 I agree with just about everything that you have noted with the 2014 and have stated my point of view on most of the items that you have mentioned. I have, however, been flamed by numerous people who have spent approx. $50K on their 2014 and the fact that they have made that decision skews their POV.
You are fortunate to be able to afford to trade frequently to allow for you to execute your beliefs in what a car should provide because most people cannot afford to go back to a 2013 and that makes them subconsciously endorse their 2014.
One other note regarding the 2014 "quality digression" is the smell when you enter the car. I was very disappointed that it smelled more like a Ford than an Acura. It may not be important to some people but a higher end, quality car should actually smell like one too.

Vegas_TL04

Couldn't agree more. it's absolutely amazing at how much better the ergonomics are on my 13. I was totally amazed at how much better it is. The screen is placed in the appropriate spot. The buttons are where they should be. All controls are easily located. The screen is perfectly visible in daylight and nighttime. I can see the screen perfectly with my polarized sunglasses on. Only thing I miss from the 14 is LED headlights, IDS adjustments, better backup camera w/ dynamic guidelines, and better small center/color display in the gauge area. THAT'S IT! It was so awesome driving to work with a kick-ass sound system in the car again.

Vegas_TL04

Thanks and well said. It is so funny and interesting that you mentioned the smell. I immediately noticed the smell in the 2013 was much richer when I sat in the 13 last night. I suspect it is due to much higher quality of leather, or maybe the air in the Canadian factory just smelled better! HA! BTW, I'm not done with Acura corporate. Spoke to GM and GSM. I have videos of everything and pictures. They are getting in touch with regional and national reps. If I would have pursued replacement of the 14, I would've just gotten another 14 - and we all know I don't want that. Besides all the problems, failures, and quality issues, there were so many things I didn't like about the 14. It would've taken weeks, and by that time, all new 13's would've been history. I'll see if I can get some compensation after the fact - though I'm not holding my breath. I don't think anyone believed the extend of the rattles of windows and panels until I showed and played videos for them last nite. They were not at all happy with what they saw and in disbelief. I think a fair settlement would be to refund me the difference I lost in on the quick trade, but I'm not expecting it to really happen. I'm sure it will help that this is my 13th new Acura since 2000.

AdvanceMDX

I purchased a 2014 MDX Advance and I do not have many complaints. I am 6' tall and 215lbs and I think the seats are extremely comfortable. I did find that the rear bumper had a small alignment issue where it was touching the side panel on the driver side but the dealer had sent it to their body shop and they realigned it. Not a big deal. As far as the looks, I liked the looks of the MDX but with all the accessories I love the look of the MDX. (Roof rails with cross bars, Moon roof visor, Mud flaps, Advance side steps, Fog lamps and body side moldings). Now I am looking for a bug deflector for the hood. At least with the accessories you can personalize it a bit for you. My experience is that Acura wants their customer to be happy so if you are unhappy talk to the dealership manager where you purchased the MDX and ask for help. I have a feeling they will work everything out with you. You did like the MDX enough to buy it so with a little help from Acura I think you will like it again.


2014Acura MDX Advanced\Entertainment Pkg.
WhiteDiamond Pearl\Eucalyptus
FogLights
AdvanceRunning Boards
MoonroofVisor
BodySide Moldings
MudFlaps
RoofRail Crossbars
Towpackage
SpareTire Kit
WheelLocks
AllWeather Floor Mats
CargoCover
FoldingCargo Tray

Vegas_TL04

[QUOTE=AdvanceMDX;14709372]I purchased a 2014 MDX Advance and I do not have many complaints. I am 6' tall and 215lbs and I think the seats are extremely comfortable. I did find that the rear bumper had a small alignment issue where it was touching the side panel on the driver side but the dealer had sent it to their body shop and they realigned it. Not a big deal. As far as the looks, I liked the looks of the MDX but with all the accessories I love the look of the MDX. (Roof rails with cross bars, Moon roof visor, Mud flaps, Advance side steps, Fog lamps and body side moldings). Now I am looking for a bug deflector for the hood. At least with the accessories you can personalize it a bit for you. My experience is that Acura wants their customer to be happy so if you are unhappy talk to the dealership manager where you purchased the MDX and ask for help. I have a feeling they will work everything out with you. You did like the MDX enough to buy it so with a little help from Acura I think you will like it again.

Unfortunately I feel it is quite ridiculous that a brand new car is put on a lot with misaligned body panels. I think (in my mind) that's a VERY big deal and Acura should be embarrassed, to say the least. There is no way I would authorize a brand new car of mine to be sent to a body shop to have panels re-aligned, but that's me. I replaced the 14 MDX and I couldn't be happier with my decision. The dealer attempted to fix the windows multiple times-only to make it worse and had no direction from Acura engineers/corporate. It is a design flaw with the car. They are having other clients with the SAME problems I had. It took some time for people to put some miles on before their problems began emerging. I was one of the first to take delivery of a 14. I hope you do not experience any of the problems. Word on the street is a NEW software patch is supposed to be coming to fix all the VSA/ABS, FCW failures, etc. I wouldn't hold my breath. The last software patch was supposed to fix it and did not.

AdvanceMDX

I do feel for you. I know how disappointing it is when you spend a lot of money and look forward to getting something nice and it only brings heartache. Awhile back I special ordered a Jeep Grand Cherokee Limited. It took almost 90 days for build and delivery. The day I went down to pick it up the fun started. First the battery was dead. They got it started and the trans cooler was spitting out fluid. They fixed that issue and when I was on my way home I realized that the cd changer didn't work, Shortly after that the transmission didn't shift properly. Then it was one problem after another. The Jeep was in for service more than it was driven. It got to the point where I didn't want to drive it anywhere out of fear of a breakdown. I must have gotten lucky with my 2014 MDX. Everything looks good, It drives well with no knocks or rattles and I don't really have many complaints as of yet. I had a 2006 MDX and never had any issues with it. That was one of the reasons I decided on the 2014 MDX. I guess only time will.



2014Acura MDX Advanced\Entertainment Pkg.
WhiteDiamond Pearl\Eucalyptus
FogLights
AdvanceRunning Boards
MoonroofVisor
BodySide Moldings
MudFlaps
RoofRail Crossbars
Towpackage
SpareTire Kit
WheelLocks
AllWeather Floor Mats
CargoCover
FoldingCargo Tray

Vegas_TL04

Yes, time will tell for sure. Granted, any car manufacturer can have lemons, and some are WELL KNOWN for them (i.e. Government Motors, BMW, etc). However, we have (2) 14 MDX's left in the family and the 2nd one is starting to have all the problems of the first 14 MDX I got rid of. Fortunately, I don't have to drive that 14 MDX, but now my sister is left with the problems I had. She has the terribly bad vibrating/snapping/crackling windows now at highway speed, and she has her dash lit up with warning symbols like a Christmas tree. The front driver door and front passenger door also rattled like crazy. Let's hope you have a trouble-free experience. This whole situation has left a really bad impression with me regarding Acura. It's clear that my car was NOT an isolated incident as another family member is having similar problems, and new problems I didn't have. Plus, the dealership is seeing ALOT more of them coming in with these problems. A software patch is not going to fix badly vibrating windows and panels, misaligned body panels, or crappy materials.
I'm happy again with my new 2013 MDX replacement until something new catches my eye. Unfortunately I was banking on the 2015 Q7 to be a winner. So far; from the spy shots, it looks like they've gone the direction of mom-ifying that one. It has a much lower stance and will probably look like a wagon, like they did to the 14 MDX. The SQ5 is still a winner in my mind. Pretty soon, if everyone starts turning their SUV's and crossovers into wagons, the only [luxury and/or near lux] SUV's left will be either Grand Cherokee, Range Rover, Escalade, and Cayenne. And...now the 15 Escalade looks like a freaking goofy/futuristic Volvo wagon from behind. What are these people (designers) thinking (besides lowering an SUV to the ground to get better gas mileage)??? What ever happened to adjustable suspension that lowers and raises the SUV to improve ingress/egress and highway mileage/handling?? This technology has been out forever.

AdvanceMDX

VEGAS_TL04, Do you happen to remember the build date of your 2014 MDX? I wonder if the issues are related in some way to the build date.


2014Acura MDX Advanced\Entertainment Pkg.
WhiteDiamond Pearl\Eucalyptus
FogLights
AdvanceRunning Boards
MoonroofVisor
BodySide Moldings
MudFlaps
RoofRail Crossbars
Towpackage
SpareTire Kit
WheelLocks
AllWeather Floor Mats
CargoCover
FoldingCargo Tray

Vegas_TL04

^^^^^
Mine was the # 1343 MDX to be built when decoding the VIN#, so it's in one of the early batches. My sister's is in the 5000's. I'm not sure what my mom's VIN is, I'd have to look. I think Acura was foolish to bring the plant to the USA. Just wait until the UAW tries to get their hands in there, like they are doing to VW. Quality is bad now, just wait. All of my previous MDX's came from the Canadian factory. My TSX's came from Japan. The only car I had any failure on was my 2004TL, built in USA. All the TL's had rattling problems, but everything else was so great about those TL's at the time, I looked past it. But when so much is wrong with the 14, it's hard to look past the quality issues. I'm sure I'll be flamed, but I prefer my cars to come from Europe, Canada, or Japan. Quality control and work ethic is far superior in foreign countries. The new MDX was entirely conceived in the USA, from design to engineering and then production...and it shows.

AdvanceMDX

Thank you for the info. It may be hard to admit but I think you are right about quality control but it is not only with cars. It is not an excuse it's a shame.


2014Acura MDX Advanced\Entertainment Pkg.
WhiteDiamond Pearl\Eucalyptus
FogLights
AdvanceRunning Boards
MoonroofVisor
BodySide Moldings
MudFlaps
RoofRail Crossbars
Towpackage
SpareTire Kit
WheelLocks
AllWeather Floor Mats
CargoCover
FoldingCargo Tray

Vegas_TL04

^^^
Absolutely agreed. Cars being one of the biggest purchases you make, I sort of lump that all in together. But there's a whole other argument about the state of the Government, Presidency, Congress, and Economy that isn't appropriate for this board discussion that has to do with quality and manufacturing in the USA. I put alot of miles on my car. I suspect I was one of the first to put any significant mileage on the 14 to develop these problems. I dumped the 14 MDX with 5000 miles on it. People that have had theirs longer and started getting into more miles are now creeping into the dealership. Not that it should matter, but it does make me feel better (not that people are having problems, but that I was NOT the only one) and let's the dealership know I wasn't a kook or crazy, though I was never treated that way. Again, wish you all the luck on your MDX.

Vegas_TL04

Just came across of picture of the MFG door sticker. Build date was 05/2013.

beach109

Since introduction, I've never seen a client come back with any issues except:

-Once, a rattle from the underhood area. Ended up being one of the plastic "beauty panels" around the top of the underhood area. Easily replaced, no more noise.
-Questions on features or how to use items...

...but that's it. Nothing else. No other noises, no misaligned parts, no performance issues. I'm sorry to hear you had such a poor experience, but rest assured it is an extremely rare and odd anomaly that it happened.

db22

Again, I agree with your conclusions which can also be reached when comparing a TL to an RL. TL = born and bred in the USA, RL= born and bred in Japan. I know that there are a lot of TL lovers on this forum but the difference in the 2 cars is night and day with respect to fit, finish, quality and materials etc..

db22

Maybe the ZDX will make a comeback

As for the ingress/egress issue, you mean like a "kneeling" bus?

Vegas_TL04

I assure you it's NOT an isolated incident. Proof of such is that my family purchased (3) new 14 MDX Tech, (2) w/ SH-AWD and (1) FWD. My 14 Tech SHAWD was plagued with problems, as mentioned in all previous posts under this thread. My sisters FWD 14 is having all the same problems, plus new ones. She is getting every single warning light come on on the dash when driving, that's power steering, VSA, ABS, FCW, etc etc. Her window rattles developed and are getting worse. She now has the front driver and passenger door panel rattles. There are several others on this forum that have had body alignment issues and think the materials, fit, and finish downright suck. Don't be so quick to dismiss claims and legitimate problems (provided with proof) because you have a vested interest in selling the 14 and want to dispel the problems this vehicle has. I'm not saying ALL of them have problems, but when you purchase 3 of the 14, and 2 are plagued with problems (separated by 4000+ MDX's made in between the 2 VINs), it is NOT an isolated incident. I will give you that you basically have (2) types of people on these forums; well, three. 1. The enthusiast that normally participates. 2. The average consumer that is having problems and searching for answers. 3. The enthusiast that normally participates off and on, but also has problems. I assure you if you go talk to the service manager at the dealership you work for, there has been more than ONE person with a problem on a 14 MDX. Either, that, or perhaps your dealership is very low volume.

Vegas_TL04

Say it ain't so! The only nice thing I can say about the ZDX is it never appealed to me, but I guess it did to some. As soon as it landed I had a bet with the dealership it would NEVER live past it's first life cycle. Let's just say I won the bet and then some . They kept telling me how hot it would sell and would be. HAHA.

I've read several recent articles from different automotive sources that say the "crossover coupe" is all but dead. I'm surprised MB is still pursuing the MLC, as the X6 sales are dismal also. Hey, maybe even the Nissan Murano Crossover Convertible will sell out! (I think I see pigs flying).

HAHA! Well, Lincoln has had the technology built in for years. Hell, my 1991 LS400 had air ride suspension that lowered the car for ingress/egress and lowered at highway speeds for better fuel economy, handling, etc. I believe Range Rovers still do this, as well as Navigators. It's not a difficult concept to execute, but makes sense. Give the driver the control to adjust how high they want the vehicle, etc. Best of all worlds.

Kyrra

While it's highly unlikely that you both got lemons, it is possible you and your family just got unlucky with the units you got. Honda is the only one that knows for sure the "problem" rate of all the MDXs they have produced so far. A sample set of 3 cars is nothing when you look that at least 16,000 MDXes have been sold across the US thus far.

I'm wondering how far apart the build date of yours and your sister's MDXes were (maybe there was a small stretch with issues). Maybe you got unlucky. Maybe there really is a problem. Sadly, without polling a large % of MDX owners or Honda telling us, it's hard to know.

Vegas_TL04

^^^^ My 14 MDX was #1343. My sisters is #5676. Over 4300 MDX's were built in between the 2. Remember, the dealership is now getting others in with the same problems. Not just my family. We all know that Honda would never report the problem % of vehicles, that's why JD Power and others exist. I'm guessing the 14 MDX won't be receiving any initial quality awards.

Edward'TLS

Just wonder, are all 3 problematic 2014 MDX's bought from the same dealership ?

Vegas_TL04

^^^ the selling dealership that sold us all three at one time has no bearing on these problems. All three cars were sourced from other dealers' inventory from across the country. All three were separated in production line by several thousand MDX's. The problems have to do with the source - namely the factory in Lincoln, Alabama and the R&D/engineering staff at Honda/Acura corporate, and also the bean counters, analysts, and even attorneys that make the decisions ranging from what products to include, what materials to use, and how to assemble and build them.

johnhyre

My 2014 mdx tech was made 6/13. handles and drives nice. BUT the electronics are a piece of CRAP. Lights come on, voice controls dont work. back up camera is a piece of
sh-t. It is not a luxury vehicle. its my 5th and last one

Vegas_TL04

^^^
Exactly. The engine/powertrain and IDS system are great, but that's where it all stops. The electronics are terrible. It's almost like they installed beta versions. I've already covered all that, but the slowness combined with the two screens competing against each other, just leaves alot to be desired. Plus with the NAV screen locking up/freezing and/or rebooting alot, it made it worse. I never "voiced" my complaints about the voice controls as I was already labeled nothing but a complainer -but they were bad. Since everything is now nanny-ized and you can't select/use phonebook while driving, you were forced to rely on the voice controls or use the steering wheel controls. The call history was VERY slow to load on the small screen between the speedo and tach, and 1/2 the time it did not even load or advised it couldn't import call history. Then you could not identify which number for the person you wanted to call using that small screen. When using voice, 9 out of 10 times it never selected the right person. Made sure windows were up, AC fan down, etc. Bad news.

david77ds

I just purchased a 2013 MDX SHAWD and I love it. The comfort, the power, and the styling is great in this car. I think I will let Acura work out the new model before trading up but I couldn't driving anything else but an Acura.

db22

"trading up"? There is very little evidence that suggests that a Gen 3 2014 is trading up. The MDX reign has had its day: it peaked with the Gen 2 MMC (10-13) and will decline with the Gen 3 because the competition is too fierce and Acura screwed up on many fronts.

If the Gen 3 MMC fixes all of the quality issues, makes the Sat/Nav/2 screen info/entertainment system kluge a viable operating environment, includes the features of the Canadian version and then some, then it may stand a chance in the marketplace but right now Acura is relying on allegiance but it cannot for long.

I too was impressed with Acura (I own 2) but I cannot state that I won't be driving anything else. The RLX is no revelation from an RL and the gen 3 MDX is less than it was.

Vegas_TL04

BELIEVE ME! Stick with the 13 until they fix/improve the 14+. It was a costly mistake for me going to the 14. I am so much happier with the 13 I just got. Acura has alot of work to do to compete with the offerings of competitors, not to mention improving quality/materials, lack of equipment that others have had for many years, etc. Simply having the best fuel economy at an attractive price can only hold it off so long against its competitors, especially when the "newness" wears off. The loyalty crowd (which I used to consider myself as until this 14 purchase nightmare) will have all but traded out of their current acuras into the 14 or 15 MDX mostly by the end of MY14 or MY15. I can't see this vehicle lasting Acura 7 years like the Gen 2 did. The price range that the 14 Advance SHAWD has entered at at $58K US, I think this will have more going to Audi, MB, or Mercedes to spend an extra $5k or so to get the latest tech with a vastly better MMI or iDrive system, quality hi res screens, power folding mirrors, more optional wheels and aggressive sport packages, arguably better styling, full LED lighting EVERYWHERE, adaptive headlights, wifi, better sound systems, better/real interior/materials, more prestige, etc. Let's face it, when you are spending $60k on an Acura, it's not anymore difficult to spend 65-70k on a BMW. Especially considering how aggressively BMW and MB subsidize their leases and have high residuals. Best of luck to Acura trying to sell the new RLX Sport Hybrid at 70K. Yep, I have on good word it WILL BE 70k.

Vegas_TL04

I think Acura's reign with me has ended. After all of them I've owned, every model has gotten progressively worse overall in my mind. Acura started this niche and has completely shifted its model. No longer is it a sporty, performance leaning vehicle with great interiors, attractive styling, or great value. I'm crossing my fingers Audi doesn't screw up the new Q7. ML leaves something to be desired when driving (too soft), but does look ALOT better with the new Sport Package Plus One for 14. The GL is just too damn big for me, and overpriced IMHO. I'm running out of good Lux SUV options and may be left with only Cayenne, SQ5, Q7, or RR. (poor me, right? )

blackman

lose some gain some. Acura did gain me a first timer with the 14 mdx.

CL9 Jon

what was was Acura's total reimbursement for the '14 to '13 swap? Anything?

Vegas_TL04

I'm currently working on that as we speak. No details I can provide yet. The dealership helped substantially soften the blow and were more than fair to me. As far as Acura's compensation...TBA.

Edward'TLS

I guess the 2014 MDX wins the heart of new MDX buyers (me included), but loses the heart of old-MDX owners who want to trade up to the new SUV.