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I have been lurking in the MDX forums since early 17 and after much research and back and forth with my so, we decided to go after a CPO Hybrid. Only problem was that not many are on the resale yet and white with black interior was rare too. The Cali dealers were wanting near initial retail when one did show up on their lot. I opened my search to other states and found a dealer exec car never titled in NY that was virtually flawless(I didn't find any flaws) that had 9300 miles on it. It was priced 3-6k less than anything available here and it was the only white with black that I had found. Myself and a friend flew to white plains, the dealer sent an uber and maybe 4 hours later we were on a 2900+ mile cross country drive back to the west coast. With my friend working the two maps(one a real time weather app) we made it back in 4 days. We managed to drive right through those significant tstorms that hit the Midwest the week of July 1. The only somewhat annoying thing about the MDX is the adaptive cruise kills your momentum as you are overtaking big rigs in the lane next to you. A very comfortable ride at 80 and when you hit the mountain switchbacks, it has confidence inspiring handling. .
Enjoy-you are driving an exceptional vehicle that very few know about. Have mine since November and it is outstanding in every way. The 7 speed transmission is a pleasure and my overall mileage is 27.7 (almost 8,000 miles). It is an exceptional vehicle for long trips as well.
Congrats! Excellent taste in both the drivetrain and color combination . Did you end up with the tech or the advance?
I'm still surprised that the SH isn't getting the attention it deserves, the power delivery and driving dynamics is far superior to the 3.5L gasoline-only variant.
I am on my 6th MDX since Oct 2000. My new 2018 MDX Adv Hybrid is by far the best. It is really fun to drive every time I go somewhere. I have only tried the Sport + twice, but will use it more as it remines me of my 3 Corvettes I had long ago with power and noise. The best things I like are intown gas mileage of 25 to 26 MPG, the super quietness and not even hearing the gas engine turn on, the auto door locks, the set and steering wheel movement when turning off, not having to put the car in park when turning it off, watching the tachometer go to "0" all the time, and the folding mirrors. I still need to investigate the Apple Car Play more. Also to be different from my other MDXs, I got the San Marino Red with Parchment interior.
I have been lurking in the MDX forums since early 17 and after much research and back and forth with my so, we decided to go after a CPO Hybrid. Only problem was that not many are on the resale yet and white with black interior was rare too. The Cali dealers were wanting near initial retail when one did show up on their lot. I opened my search to other states and found a dealer exec car never titled in NY that was virtually flawless(I didn't find any flaws) that had 9300 miles on it. It was priced 3-6k less than anything available here and it was the only white with black that I had found. Myself and a friend flew to white plains, the dealer sent an uber and maybe 4 hours later we were on a 2900+ mile cross country drive back to the west coast. With my friend working the two maps(one a real time weather app) we made it back in 4 days. We managed to drive right through those significant tstorms that hit the Midwest the week of July 1. The only somewhat annoying thing about the MDX is the adaptive cruise kills your momentum as you are overtaking big rigs in the lane next to you. A very comfortable ride at 80 and when you hit the mountain switchbacks, it has confidence inspiring handling. .
I like your style! Most folks would settle for what is available in the local area and be dissatisfied for the next 2-8 years with their purchase.
Did you keep track of your mpgs the entire trip? I make similar trips and I'm thinking the sh-sh-awd would up my current average of 19-21 mpgs for my 11 MDX to around 25-27 mpgs with the combo of hwy and city vacation driving (really hurt paying $85 to fill up my MDX in Santa Barbara last month).
Pens Fan:
Due to a desire to get back, we took I80 from Jersey all the way to the SF Bay Area...I was pushing 80mph(no matter the posted limit) and my copilot was comfortable at 75...our overall fuel mileage was 25.6 mpg. Strong winds, constant stopping and starting on the told road pay booths, thunderstorms and detours around them and stopped I80 traffic starting in Des Moines, all conspired to slow us down and affected the mileage.
I used the DCT paddles to keep the speed under control when coming down the steeper inclines...worked great.
DLCU2:
Once my longtime SO saw the Advance MDX, it was Advance or nothing...so white with black Advance it was and it was the only one I found. A lot of parchments out there. It goes without saying, that I am more impressed with how it drives than she is...lol. Lack of production numbers I think keeps this model rare and relatively unknown.
Mrgold35:
The most reasonable priced one I found in California was in Fresno for about $2500 more than the one in Scarsdale. Fresno was modern steel and black. I really couldn't ask her to settle after I'd found the white one. We are going to Olympia wa in a couple of weeks and hope to get a better sense of highway mileage. Portland will be a test on the hybrid side. Seems PDX traffic rivals NYC traffic.
Steameng8:
would have loved to have an 18 with the upgraded screens and apple car play. I am still learning what the 17 can do. My work truck is about the same color as your 18....can't tell you how many times someone has made a comment involving fire trucks...lol
Congrats. Surprised the ACC slowed you down if rig was in the other lane. I have not experienced that at all
We are almost neighbors. I just moved from Bay Area to east of Sacramento
Still have a ski boat in Discovery Bay
Yeah the Acc picks up big rigs maybe 50% of the time of the rigs are in an adjacent lane either side of me. Sometimes it would react to cars too. Mostly big rigs and motor homes and just as you get to the rear bumper as you overtake, all your momentum is lost. The mdx is not the only car with acc that does it. I much prefer plain old cruise as I am better at anticipating what the car in front is going to do. I really like the car and looking forward to learning all the secret capabilities it has.
PS: my bro drives a big rig for a living and he has the same complaint about acc
I’ll bring it up to Acura service Dept, but I pretty much know how it’s going to end....unable to duplicate that issue...working as designed. I’ll recommend they drive it back to Scarsdale to see what we experience...they’ll decline the offer...I’ll utilize the ol standard cruise...which I like better anyway. The other car we have does the same thing. My brothers Cascadis big rig does the same thing when he’s using his adaptive cruise.
It doesn’t do it from a distance behind, only when you get a couple car lengths behind as you are overtaking and then kills your momentum. Before I learned how to set for standard cruise, I was kicking off the acc as I approached a truck and then reengaged once I passed. It doesn’t do it all the time, but maybe 30-40% of the time. My copilot was experiencing the same thing.
We still enjoyed the ride back.
We will be taking a trip to tumwater wa in a couple of weeks. Hoping I can replicate on demand what it was doing. I thought it might be while we were all in a curve on the interstate but it also would happen when straight as an arrow roadway.
My girlfriend commented on Sunday how much nicer the MDX rides...she never notices subjective things like that...lol
Have you tried adjusting the follow distance to the minimum for the ACC? My 11 MDX Adv sometimes display the same characteristics if my follow distances are set to mid-max range at hwy speeds of 75-85 mph. I also noticed the ACC follow distances automatically increases as you up your speed +75 mph and it becomes more sensitive to slower big rigs downrange. I usually set my ACC to the minimal on busy Interstates and mid range with less traffic. If if feel the ACC disengage, I just put my foot on the gas to maintain my speed and take my foot off the gas when I pass. I found ACC works best with low to medium interstate traffic with long straight runs.
I'd second mrgold35's idea: simply apply the accelerator if you feel the ACC responding to a "false target." This is much easier than cancelling and re-initiating the ACC. I only rarely have the problem the OP is describing, but I normally drive in ACC with the foot hovering over the throttle in case I need to brake, and this makes it easy to override the ACC with your foot. I've never driven an ACC system that did not occasionally require this override.
Pens Fan:
Due to a desire to get back, we took I80 from Jersey all the way to the SF Bay Area...I was pushing 80mph(no matter the posted limit) and my copilot was comfortable at 75...our overall fuel mileage was 25.6 mpg. Strong winds, constant stopping and starting on the told road pay booths, thunderstorms and detours around them and stopped I80 traffic starting in Des Moines, all conspired to slow us down and affected the mileage.
I used the DCT paddles to keep the speed under control when coming down the steeper inclines...worked great.
this is very good stat. Given that you were on a very long trip the mpg number is very reliable figure. For what it's worth my Lexus RX450h does about 25.5 mpg on the highway doing about 75 to 80mph. (and this is with a larger battery capacity)
Wallyo:
based on 2900+ mile trip experience on I80, I think that when the radar(or whatever it is) senses the obstruction in the other lane, i believe it starts to apply the brakes as the deceleration is greater than just closing the throttle. My concern is if I am applying throttle while it’s applying brakes, it’s hard on the brakes and I am of course using way more fuel trying to overcome the drag of the brakes. The bmw we had, would drag the rear brakes trying to prevent a speed buildup while going downhill while on the cruise control and it warped the brakes.
I am going to the distance to the minimum and try it again and see what happens.
Wallyo:
based on 2900+ mile trip experience on I80, I think that when the radar(or whatever it is) senses the obstruction in the other lane, i believe it starts to apply the brakes as the deceleration is greater than just closing the throttle. My concern is if I am applying throttle while it’s applying brakes, it’s hard on the brakes and I am of course using way more fuel trying to overcome the drag of the brakes. The bmw we had, would drag the rear brakes trying to prevent a speed buildup while going downhill while on the cruise control and it warped the brakes.
I am going to the distance to the minimum and try it again and see what happens.
I don't think this car drags the brakes if you're on the throttle, I think it relinquishes control. I've often used the throttle to overcome a slow response to a vehicle that's moved away from me, or to temporarily lessen the following distance, as well as for a response to false targets. Try it and see what you think. I'm surprised you're having this much trouble, and just today I took I80 from Berkeley to Sacramento and back, and had not a single instance of response to a false target. I passed a lot of 18-wheelers too. Do you keep the radome (front grill Acura logo) clean? Is there any possibility of even a small front end impact or a misalignment from the factory?
I don't think this car drags the brakes if you're on the throttle, I think it relinquishes control. I've often used the throttle to overcome a slow response to a vehicle that's moved away from me, or to temporarily lessen the following distance, as well as for a response to false targets. Try it and see what you think. I'm surprised you're having this much trouble, and just today I took I80 from Berkeley to Sacramento and back, and had not a single instance of response to a false target. I passed a lot of 18-wheelers too. Do you keep the radome (front grill Acura logo) clean? Is there any possibility of even a small front end impact or a misalignment from the factory?
I was making virtually same round trip for many weeks in a row. Started on Peninsula, but did not engage ACC until on I80. Like you I did not have a single false engagement. Also did trip from Peninsula to Medford, Or and back up I5. I don't recall a false engagement.
I have had a situation in my previous car (RLX) where collision avoidance flashed alert prior to ACC disengaging - the opposite of a false. Was very surprised at the time
I was making virtually same round trip for many weeks in a row. Started on Peninsula, but did not engage ACC until on I80. Like you I did not have a single false engagement. Also did trip from Peninsula to Medford, Or and back up I5. I don't recall a false engagement.
I have had a situation in my previous car (RLX) where collision avoidance flashed alert prior to ACC disengaging - the opposite of a false. Was very surprised at the time
Well, I've got to admire your patience in waiting until I80 to use the ACC. I use it *all* the time to inch along on the Bay Bridge! The RLX behavior is, I think, understandable. I believe the ACC is limited to only partial braking and is waiting for you to take over the brakes after the warning. If you don't take over, it will finally go into full-bore emergency braking, known as collision mitigation. This full-bore braking mode is something you really don't want to experience: I've never had it in the Acura, but I did once in a Subaru Outback (with their entirely camera-based system), and it's both scary and raises the risk of being rear ended by someone who does not have a collision mitigation system, which is almost everyone driving behind you.
On the subject of sudden stops and being rear ended, my Acura came with a dealer-installed "Pulse" system, which pulses the third brake light four times in very rapid succession when you apply the brakes. Since using this, it is *very* obvious that people behind me habitually allow much more following distance. I highly recommend it, but it is only sold through dealers, for, in my case, $195 installed. You can read about it here: https://www.pulseprotects.com/. In the 1970s, working as a pilot, I was involved in the very first testing of multi-flash wingtip strobes and tail beacons, and they were found to be very effective in recognition for an interesting reason. Apparently the human brain is "designed" to detect and focus on moving objects, and the first flash redirects the eye's attention, while the rapidly following flashes deliver the "information." In approaching airports in day or night conditions, I had many tower controllers ask about the lights on the plane, for they had made visual contact long before they expected to. Now such aircraft recognition lights are virtually universal, with two or three flashes, now usually three.I think this is why the Pulse system in so effectively working to keep people off my tail.
what I meant was that the ACC was still applying throttle when the collision mitigation warning flashed. There was no easing at all. I jumped on the brakes before any automatic braking kicked in.
My outbound trip was very early in the morning - no inching at all. On the reverse trip later in the week in late afternoon I would avoid I80 altogether and go down I5 to 580 and across San Mateo Bridge. I lived just south of that bridge
what I meant was that the ACC was still applying throttle when the collision mitigation warning flashed. There was no easing at all. I jumped on the brakes before any automatic braking kicked in.
My outbound trip was very early in the morning - no inching at all. On the reverse trip later in the week in late afternoon I would avoid I80 altogether and go down I5 to 580 and across San Mateo Bridge. I lived just south of that bridge
Or well, that RDX behavior is definitely not good. I have no idea what would do that.
Wallyo
I am going to try the minimum distance thing and see if it makes a difference. Car got a good wash after the cross country drive. I prefer the plain old cruise control as I just don't like running in a pack of cars. I can see and avoid and maintain a steady speed much better than acc. I am happy that the standard cruise is selectable for the times I don't want to play follow my leader. I will let you all know if I notice a difference next weekend.
I sometimes get a good pack of vehicles I can run with on the interstate at 5-15 mph above the speed limit. The pack usually yo-yo their speed because of traffic, hills, and/or road conditions. I set my MDX ACC speed to 90 mph even if the pack speed is around 85 mph. The ACC does a pretty good job maintaining the proper distance between vehicles and it can adjust to the yo-yo situations at any speed and terrain. I really don't like to use regular cruise control with the same driving conditions and have to drive without using cruise on the same roads in my 08 RDX.
I find the ACC is too aggressive in maintaining the minimum following distance. In those yo-yo situations I feel the MDX is constantly switching between brakes/acceleration. I wish there was more of a tolerance/spring zone where the vehicle would coast in between brakes/acceleration.
I almost or never use the closest following distance, the "one bar" setting--I normally use the "two bar," sometimes the three if I'm being followed too closely or there's erratic driving from the car in front of me.
I/we drove to Olympia Wa and back via I-5. I used the standard cruise setting without worry and I prefer the standard cruise. This car is quiet and comfortable and the ride is the best of all the cars I have owned. I Used comfort setting most of the time and sport setting when taking the curves from Redding through southern Oregon. I Used the Sport+ once to get a good hole shot left turn across 4 lanes of traffic that was doing 70 when turning from Hwy 113 onto Hwy 12. Fuel mileage was 25.46; 25.03; 26.33 and 1 fill yet to be determined. My cruise setting was 75mph.
Dealing with Oregon and Washington state drivers, reconfirms my belief that Kali drivers are not the worst in the nation...lol
Last edited by Mooneyn666gs; 08-02-2018 at 03:08 AM.
that is some 2000 miles. excellent data points. does the road get hilly at all after you pass the pancake flat part of the I-5 on your way up? Do you think it impacts MPG?
Out of red bluff on north there is a constant uphill with climbs and descents through half (about 150 miles) of Oregon and it most definitely affects mileage. Over all there is 250-300 miles of ups and downs on I-5 from Red bluff to Rice Hill Oregon.
i just test drove the sport hybrid certified preowned today and felt the performance of the car underwhelming, and some of the hybrid system/engine response to pedal quirky. how do you like your day to day drives? anything that you can note that is different with the hybrid system that you notice in terms of driving feel, things you like, dislike? i only got to drive in the urban areas and short route. smooth acceleration and ride, but the hybrid system just threw me off.
Shenofjo:
I feel that the performance of the car is above average for its price range. The 3.0 combined with the hybrid system makes it slightly faster than the standard MDX 3.5 and I really like the 7speed as it shifts quick and imperceptible during forward motion. Sometimes there is a slight clunk when selecting reverse. The quirk I observed on our trip to Washington, was the car was parked on a bit of an incline and it required more throttle than I anticipated to get it moving...I am attributing that to the DCT quirk.
Think of this hybrid system as there to maintain momentum once moving. Creeping around parking lots it works good too. From a standing start to city speeds, you are going to find the engine starting to get you up to traffic speed. Once at speed and with practice you can induce it to go electric whole going with the flow. The transition from ice to electric is seamless and spooky in a way. I find myself trying to induce the electric side to engage every time I get to drive it.
I now have about 1,800 miles on my 2018 Advance MDX and still love it and the way it drives. The first few days, it took getting use to the 1 second delay in starting from a stop, but it really jumps fast without jerking your head every time it starts. I am still happy the intown gas mileage went from about 16-17 MPG on my 2014 Advanced MDX to about 25-26 MPG on my 2018 Hybrid. My intown driving is not on a bunch of large fast divided 4 lane roads, but lots of stop lights. It is so great to see the Tachometer go to "0" as you drive and is so quiet you can not easily tell when the gas engine restarts when you accelerate. I have to fill up with gas much less now. The car is fun to drive every time I get in it.
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07-13-2018, 02:24 AM
. Did you end up with the tech or the advance?
