Edmunds: MDX vs QX60 vs RX350
08-19-2013, 07:36 AM
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Safety Car
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Edmunds: MDX vs QX60 vs RX350
3 Midsize Luxury Crossovers Do Battle
Published: 08/19/2013 - by Mike Monticello, Road Test Editor
After a spirited romp on a twisty section of Mulholland Highway in the 2014 Acura MDX, 2014 Infiniti QX60 and 2013 Lexus RX 350 F Sport, 1 of Edmunds' more opinionated editors hopped out of the Acura and pronounced: "Yep, no doubt, the MDX wins this test."
If only it was that easy.
How these midsize luxury SUVs handle themselves is only 1 small aspect of this comparison. We still needed to assess long-haul seat comfort, headroom, cargo room, ease of access to the 3rd row, standard active safety features, fuel mileage, stereo quality, etc. The boring stuff maybe, but also the important stuff.
That's because all-wheel-drive luxury crossovers have to do everything from carting the kids to baseball practice to picking up groceries, making Home Depot runs and taking the family on vacation.
So we jumped back in and continued on. There was plenty of poking, prodding, measuring, phone pairing and, oh yes, plenty more driving to do.
The Class Standard: 2013 Lexus RX 350 F Sport AWD
Lexus is out to change the way you think about its mild-mannered 2013 Lexus RX 350 via the new F Sport model. The F Sport package consists of firmer shocks and springs, more aggressive bodywork, contrasting white stitching on the black leather, aluminum pedals and 19-inch dark graphite wheels.
At its base price of $47,895 (including $895 destination), the RX F Sport comes with all-wheel drive, Bluetooth, satellite radio, a USB port, 10-way power/heated/ventilated front seats, power sunroof and hatch, wood trim and lots of leather.
Options like a blind-spot monitor, a head-up display, 15-speaker Mark Levinson audio system, navigation and front and rear parking sensors upped our as-tested price to $53,924. 1 option not included in that price is a 3rd-row seat, so the RX is the only vehicle here that's for 5 passengers only.
Its silky-smooth 3.5-liter V6 is rated at 270 horsepower, just like all RX 350s, and comes mated to an 8-speed automatic transmission with standard paddle shifters. Going for the F Sport package requires all-wheel drive, but its EPA fuel economy numbers are still reasonable at 21 mpg combined/18 city/26 highway.
The Minivan of SUVs: 2014 Infiniti QX60 AWD
Infiniti's QX60 (2013 models are known as the JX35 which is what we used for this test. Other than the name change, there are no differences between the 2) is an SUV for those people who wouldn't be caught dead driving a minivan. You know who they are. At 196.4 inches long riding on a 114.2-inch wheelbase, it's a land yacht among these 3.
And the QX doesn't fake the 3-row deal; it's the real thing, with enough space for adults along with a handy 2nd-row seat-folding mechanism that makes 3rd-row access a breeze.
Although the QX60 is powered by a 3.5-liter V6 just like its 2 rivals, it makes the least power (265 hp) while carrying the most weight (4,595 pounds). Unlike its 2 rivals, the power is put to all 4 wheels via a continuously variable transmission (CVT). EPA ratings are 21 mpg combined/19 city/25 highway.
The 2014 Infiniti QX60 AWD starts at $43,945. Standard equipment includes heated power front seats, wood trim, power sunroof and tailgate, 3-zone climate control, full keyless access, Bluetooth, USB port, satellite radio and a 6-speaker audio system.
Our tester rang up at $57,435, but it was loaded to the gunwales with back-up collision prevention, blind-spot warning, lane-departure warning, radar cruise control and an around-view monitor with moving object detection, along with dual 7-inch color monitors behind the front headrests, Bose audio with 15 speakers, ventilated front seats, heated outboard 2nd-row seats and navigation with an 8-inch display.
The Driver's Choice: 2014 Acura MDX SH-AWD
Since it came out in 2001, the Acura MDX has been exactly what you'd think the luxury arm of Honda would build: a family-friendly SUV with a frisky personality.
2014 sees the arrival of an all-new MDX, though it's not readily apparent from the outside. But underneath is a new, lighter chassis unique to Acura's midsize crossover. The use of new high-strength materials along with other weight savings contributes to a 329-pound loss versus the last MDX we tested.
The previous 300-horse 3.7-liter V6 was swapped for a 290-hp, direct-injected 3.5-liter V6 with variable cylinder management. Paired with a 6-speed automatic with paddle shifters, the MDX SH-AWD gets the best EPA highway rating of this group, with EPA ratings of 21 mpg combined/18 city/27 highway.
Also new is Acura's IDS (Integrated Dynamics System), which allows the electric-assist power steering to be switched among Comfort, Normal and Sport modes. Choosing Sport also increases throttle response and adjusts the torque proportioning of the all-wheel-drive system.
While the MDX SH-AWD starts at $45,185, our fully loaded Advance/Entertainment model, with navigation, premium Acura/ELS audio system with 12 speakers, ventilated front seats, power tailgate, blind-spot information, lane-keeping assist, radar cruise control and a 16.2-inch rear DVD screen boosted the as-tested price to $57,400.
Like the QX60, the MDX has a 3rd row, though it's not as cavernous as the Infiniti's. In fact, the MDX falls right in between the RX and QX in most dimensions.
PHP Code:
Acura MDX
Infiniti QX60
Lexus RX 350
Price as Tested:
$57,400
$57,435
$53,924
Horsepower:
290
265
270
0-60 (sec.):
6.8
8.2
7.3
Quarter-mile:
15.0 @ 93.2
16.0 @ 89.2
15.4 @ 90.3
60-0 braking (ft.):
129
120
123
Slalom (mph):
60.7
60.0
62.4
Skid pad (g):
0.82
0.78
0.78
Edmunds fuel
economy (mpg):
18.0
16.4
20.5
The RX 350 F Sport is confused. The stiff suspension shouts, "I'm a performance crossover." But its on-road handling isn't nearly sharp enough to make up for its sometimes choppy ride quality. The jumpy throttle doesn't do the RX any favors either, as it never feels natural, even with the most delicate right foot.
In fairness to the RX, it is capable of some admirable performance. Its 62.4-mph slalom speed was best-of-test, though that was largely because its stability control system was the least intrusive of the 3 vehicles. The steering has heavy weighting and good initial turn-in, but there's precious little feel as you try to aim it around curves.
The abundance of body roll is surprising given the stiff settings. We also noticed that the front tires give up grip quickly in tight turns. And what was the most lenient stability control system in the quick transitions of the slalom turned into the most aggressive in steady-state cornering. As such, the MDX with its high level of driver feedback meant the Acura could slice away from the RX pretty much at will any time the road turned curvy.
The RX's V6 was the smoothest of the group and the quietest at full throttle. The 8-speed automatic, though occasionally slow to react, delivers smooth, subtle shifts. The RX easily smoked the big Infiniti in acceleration tests, hitting 60 mph in 7.3 seconds (7.0 with a 1-foot rollout as on a drag strip), but that still left it a half-second slower than the Acura.
It's definitely not all bad news here, though, as the RX proved fairly efficient, coming the closest of the group to matching its EPA rating of 21 mpg in combined driving with an average of 20.5 mpg overall.
The RX is also extremely comfortable in day-to-day driving. Its leather seats may lack lateral support, but in terms of comfort they're the best here. It also has the most luxuriously padded center and door armrests. And because the RX is a 2-row crossover, it doesn't have to worry about the 3rd-row compromise. So it's no surprise that the Lexus is easy to get in and out of, with the lowest front and rear step-in heights according to our measurements.
The RX's 80.3-cubic-feet max cargo capacity with the 2nd-row seats folded shockingly beats the larger Infiniti, though it's still about 10 cubic feet shy of the Acura.
While the F Sport is decidedly un-Lexus in terms of ride quality, the cabin itself is classic Lexus. The materials are top-notch with plenty of thick, padded leather. Aside from the flimsy radio knobs, everything feels substantial and precisely put together.
The 8-inch display screen has terrifically sharp graphics, but Lexus' computer-mouselike Remote Touch Interface is more trouble than it's worth. We would prefer actual buttons or a well-designed touchscreen. Without question, the optional Mark Levinson 15-speaker audio system produced the heartiest, crispest sounds of all the vehicles in this test.
Unfortunately the 2013 Lexus RX 350 F Sport doesn't have enough extra sport in its driving dynamics, whether in terms of handling or straight-line acceleration, to make up for the sacrifices in ride quality. This F Sport is a neat theory in principle, but it wasn't executed in a way that made us like it more than the standard model.
2nd Place: 2014 Infiniti QX60 AWD
The 2014 Infiniti QX60 has neither the performance pedigree of the MDX nor a sport package like the RX 350. Rather, the QX60 is like an SUV version of Nissan's Quest minivan.
The largest and heaviest of this group, the QX doesn't take to twisty roads kindly. It was the sloppiest handler, both by instrumented numbers (60.0-mph slalom, 0.78g skid pad) and the ease with which the other 2 pulled away from it on the road.
Not that this was a huge shock to us, as the Infiniti carries 160 pounds over the Lexus RX and a whopping 270 pounds over the newly svelte Acura MDX. And you feel the Infiniti's heft as it flops from side to side on its soft suspension, this corner-wandering action compounded by overly light steering.
What the QX does exceptionally well is go straight. Bumps? What bumps? With the cushiest ride of the group, the QX laughs heartily at road imperfections. The QX's cabin is such a comfy, quiet and luxurious place to while away the miles, it prompted 1 editor to quip, "Kansas, we've found your crossover."
Surprisingly, and despite plenty of nosedive, it stops the shortest of the group, too, with a reassuringly firm pedal. 60 mph to 0 took just 120 feet, versus 123 for the Lexus and a dismal 129 for the Acura. Of note, the QX is the only 1 of the 3 with ventilated rear brakes. They showed 0 fade, which should bode well for long mountain descents.
The QX's interior falls just short of the Lexus' in terms of pure richness of materials, but ahead of the Acura, and the wood-trimmed 2-tiered center stack is easily the classiest of the field. Plus, unlike the other 2, the Infiniti allows all the major climate and audio functions to be accessed via the center stack, meaning you only have to go within the 8-inch center screen for little-used tasks or the navigation system.
With a handy 2nd-row seatback/cushion tilt action, access to the 3rd row requires hardly any crouching or squeezing. And there's enough room back there for average-size adults to sit comfortably. It's a better overall 3rd-row setup than the Acura, so if you need 7-passenger flexibility on a regular basis, the QX is your best bet.
You'll pay for all that room, however, as the QX also turned in the poorest fuel mileage, averaging just 16.4 mpg during the course of the test compared to the MDX's 18 and the RX's 20.5.
Despite its large size, the QX ties the MDX for behind-3rd-row cargo capacity, at 15.8 cubic feet, and has the least max cargo room with all seats folded, at 76.4 cubic feet. But it also has the most load floor width between the wheelwells of the group, according to our measurements.
For many, the QX could be the best choice here. It has the most people room, the best access to the 3rd row, the most comfortable ride, the most user-friendly controls and, according to most on staff, the best looks.
But we don't live in Kansas, so the QX finishes 2nd in this test.
1st Place: 2014 Acura MDX SH-AWD
The 2014 Acura MDX won this test not because of its superior handling. Instead, its win can be chalked up to finishing at or near the top in nearly every other category as well.
If you care the least bit about the act of driving, the MDX is the 1 that will warm your soul. Its V6 is the most eager of the 3, and it provides true aural pleasure. Not only did it storm to 60 mph faster than the Lexus and Infiniti, it was 0.5 second quicker than the last MDX we tested.
The 6-speed automatic shifts crisply and quickly under full throttle, yet gives nearly imperceptible upshifts any other time. Unlike the Lexus, it will hold gears to the 7,000-rpm limiter when using the steering-wheel paddles and it delivers crisp throttle-blip downshifts.
There's a noticeable VTEC switchover snarl at 5,000 rpm, but unless you're at full throttle in Drive mode the transmission does everything it can to make sure it shifts before you get to hear it. Blame previous MDX owners who complained of the noise.
It's also the reason why there's plenty of sound-deadening material throughout the cabin as well, including 3-layer acoustic glass for the front side windows. It worked. The MDX was the quietest when cruising at 70 mph.
On paper, it appears the MDX's handling was aided by the widest tires of the bunch, its Michelin Latitude Tour HP all-seasons measuring 245/55R19 front and rear. Even with a healthy amount of understeer, the MDX posted a test-best skid pad of 0.82g versus 0.78g for the RX and QX.
Helping the Acura dominate in the twisty bits was its 3-way adjustable steering. Our staff proved why this is a handy feature, as some preferred Normal, even through canyons, while others set it to the quicker-reacting Sport all the time.
But its lackluster 60-0 braking number of 129 feet showed the MDX's handling goodness was more due to its fine suspension tuning than tire grip. And the weak brakes meant distances got longer with each stop. Pedal feel, whether on road or track, was spongy and uninspiring.
Inside the MDX there's a completely redesigned cabin. While the materials are adequate, they aren't up to Lexus levels and the design isn't pretty like the Infiniti's. 1 editor said of the V-shaped, black-plastic-dominated center stack: "It's just plain dull."
Which would be fine if it worked well. Acura's button cleansing from the center stack forces nearly every function to be done via the lower 7-inch touchscreen or the odd tilting/scroll wheel controller for the 8-inch upper display. The result is that even changing simple things like fan speed or adjusting the seat cooler level now takes no fewer than 2 actions. Even with the touchscreen's haptic feedback, it's a silly system.
Climate/infotainment aggravations aside, the rest of the MDX's cabin is excellent. The front seats, while not as cushy as the RX's, are superb in their combination of all-day comfort and body-hugging lateral support. The 2nd row is quite high, though, with plenty of headroom, a 2-fold effect that aids 2nd-row leg comfort along with 3rd-row foot room.
3rd-row access is a snappy 1-button-push affair to slide the 2nd-row seats forward, but it's still a bit of a squeeze for adults. Getting back out is more of a chore because the 3rd row sits so low. The MDX benefits from a fully flat load floor, the lowest cargo loading height (according to our measurements) and the most max cargo room at 90.9 cubic feet.
The MDX managed just 18 mpg during its time with us. But in a comparison with the Lexus and Infiniti on the 116-mile Edmunds test loop, the MDX returned 22.4 mpg, versus the RX's 21.3 and the QX's 18.9.
What's Good for the Goose...
Whether you're into driving fast or slow, straight or curvy, hauling a truckload of kids or maybe it's just 2 people going out to dinner, the 2014 Acura MDX SH-AWD does it all well.
The same can't be said about the 2013 Lexus RX 350 F Sport. It's sitting on a fence, trying to figure out if it should lean toward sporty or cushy, and it ends up doing neither well. Yes, it's finely crafted, but there's not enough "sport" in it to feel great. The firm ride will be a deal-breaker for some, as will the lack of a 3rd-row option.
The 2014 Infiniti QX60 AWD is slow and inefficient compared to the Acura and the Lexus. But damn if it isn't the ultimate people-hauler. Probably why it's completely uninspiring to drive.
The 2014 Acura MDX just had too many "bests" to be denied: the best handling, the best front seats, the quickest acceleration, the largest max cargo capacity and the potential for the best fuel economy. And without question, it's the driver's SUV of the trio.
But more than that, the Acura MDX was the 1 we'd most like to spend time in. It makes daily chores feel much less like, well, chores.
The following 4 users liked this post by TSX69:
08-20-2013, 07:37 AM
#2
Racer
Great review, and checks all the right boxes. The QX60/JX feels huge, squishy and ponderous with the droaning 3.5L/CVT, and the Lexus is smaller almost RDX size, with classic "we tried to make it sporty and now it just rides badly but still doesn't handle well" Lexus attempt at sharper feel.
The MDX really checks all those marks, and wipes the others out in real world. Hope to see more comparos. Who would ever think the Acura would be marked as the quietest on the road, too
The MDX really checks all those marks, and wipes the others out in real world. Hope to see more comparos. Who would ever think the Acura would be marked as the quietest on the road, too
08-20-2013, 08:45 AM
#3
Safety Car
Thread Starter
Car & Driver
Like a jack-o’-lantern in mid-November, the 2014 Acura MDX looks softer and lumpier than the ute it replaces. Less menacing, too, its dual exhausts having been castrated in the redesign. But Acura assures us this 3rd generation of its 3-row SUV doesn’t concede anything to models previous. In fact, the new 1 allegedly laps the Nürburgring 8 seconds faster than its predecessor.
Touché!
Cliché, too. While nobody from Acura would divulge an actual lap time, we hit 60 miles per hour in 6.4 seconds and ran the quarter in 14.9 seconds. That’s 2-tenths quicker in both measures, despite the new model’s smaller-displacement V-6. Rated at 290 horsepower, the 3.5-liter V-6 is down 10 horsepower compared with last year’s engine but now employs direct injection and cylinder deactivation. That’s good for a 3-mpg gain in EPA combined mileage. We averaged 19 mpg overall, a 2-mpg improvement over the MDX we tested in 2010.
New MDX outruns old thanks to a serious diet. Weighing in at 4336 pounds, our top-of-the-line, $57,400 MDX Advance with Entertainment package and Super Handling All-Wheel Drive was 326 pounds lighter than the last loaded MDX we put on the scale. Acura has revised the SH-AWD sport-mode calibration to boost the amount its outside rear wheel is overdriven in corners, but that didn’t lead to any improvement on the skidpad. The new model pulled the same 0.85 g we saw on the last MDX’s trip around the circle. Braking fared better, with the 2014 model stopping in 178 feet and offering superior pedal feel.
The new MDX is quieter at both idle and freeway speed, too, which is not a bad thing. Yes, a front-wheel-drive model is available for the 1st time, and the new Integrated Dynamics System has a “comfort” mode for those feeble-armed drivers who want their fairy-tale pumpkin carriage to all but steer itself to the ball. Put the new MDX in sport mode, however, and you won’t have to worry about making it home by midnight.
Specifications >
VEHICLE TYPE: front-engine, 4-wheel-drive, 7-passenger, 5-door wagon
PRICE AS TESTED: $57,400 (base price: $43,185)
ENGINE TYPE: SOHC 24-valve V-6, aluminum block and heads, direct fuel injection
Displacement: 212 cu in, 3471 cc
Power: 290 hp @ 6200 rpm
Torque: 267 lb-ft @ 4500 rpm
TRANSMISSION: 6-speed automatic with manual shifting mode
DIMENSIONS:
Wheelbase: 111.0 in
Length: 193.6 in
Width: 77.2 in Height: 66.7 in
Curb weight: 4336 lb
C/D TEST RESULTS:
Zero to 60 mph: 6.4 sec
Zero to 100 mph: 17.1 sec
Zero to 110 mph: 21.5 sec
Rolling start, 5–60 mph: 6.7 sec
Standing ¼-mile: 14.9 sec @ 95 mph
Top speed (governor limited): 114 mph
Braking, 70–0 mph: 178 ft
Roadholding, 300-ft-dia skidpad: 0.85 g
FUEL ECONOMY:
EPA city/highway driving: 18/27 mpg
C/D observed: 19 mpg
TEST NOTES: The 1-2 shift is always automatic, but manually controlling the upper gears yields quicker acceleration.
VEHICLE TYPE: front-engine, 4-wheel-drive, 7-passenger, 5-door wagon
PRICE AS TESTED: $57,400 (base price: $43,185)
ENGINE TYPE: SOHC 24-valve V-6, aluminum block and heads, direct fuel injection
Displacement: 212 cu in, 3471 cc
Power: 290 hp @ 6200 rpm
Torque: 267 lb-ft @ 4500 rpm
TRANSMISSION: 6-speed automatic with manual shifting mode
DIMENSIONS:
Wheelbase: 111.0 in
Length: 193.6 in
Width: 77.2 in Height: 66.7 in
Curb weight: 4336 lb
C/D TEST RESULTS:
Zero to 60 mph: 6.4 sec
Zero to 100 mph: 17.1 sec
Zero to 110 mph: 21.5 sec
Rolling start, 5–60 mph: 6.7 sec
Standing ¼-mile: 14.9 sec @ 95 mph
Top speed (governor limited): 114 mph
Braking, 70–0 mph: 178 ft
Roadholding, 300-ft-dia skidpad: 0.85 g
FUEL ECONOMY:
EPA city/highway driving: 18/27 mpg
C/D observed: 19 mpg
TEST NOTES: The 1-2 shift is always automatic, but manually controlling the upper gears yields quicker acceleration.
08-20-2013, 08:50 AM
#4
Safety Car
Thread Starter
USA 2day
Acura's redesigned MDX crossover SUV wins a "recommended" rating from widely consulted Consumer Reports magazine today.
The magazine calls the vehicle "pleasant and well-rounded," and says it has a comfortable ride and a "hushed cabin."
Acura benchmarked 2 Detroit models for interior quietness: Ford Flex and Buick Encalve. Acura says domestics nowadays probably have an edge, overall, in designing low-noise interiors.
That qualifies as a significant turnabout -- a premium import brand using vehicles from the Detroit 3 as standards.
MDX ranges from $43,185 to $57,400.
CR says that handling did some backsliding, despite other improvements. It is "less agile" than the previous model, the magazine says.
And, oh those nettlesome electronics. "The multi-screen dashboard design is unintuitive and can be distracting," CR says.
The publication says, "The new 3.5-liter V-6 engine is quick, responsive, and refined. The MDX delivers impressive fuel economy of 20 mpg overall."
The new model, on sale since June 20, is popular. Its July sales were 29.5% better than they were a year earlier, according to Autodata. But the new 1 hasn't had time to boost the model's overall tally, however. The 1st 7 months, MDX sales are down 16.3%, Autodata reports.
Industry-wide new-vehicle sales in July were up 14%, and in the 1st 7 months, up 8.5%, according to Autodata.
08-20-2013, 10:07 AM
#5
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Oops
Meant to post these last 2 in the reviews thread. If possible, mods please move.
Thanks!
Thanks!
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