upnorth85

I had a test drive of the 2014 RDX and 2014 MDX this Saturday. My background, I drive around 25k miles annually for my Consulting work manly on freeways and go to isolated areas of the state where snow can remain on the road without cleaning when it is very windy. I am replacing a 2007 CRV EXL With 180k miles on the odometer, and not a single breakdown. Wife drives a 2013 Lexus 350 RX. I am highly unimpressed with the Lexus service interval of 5k compared to my 10-12k for my CRV. SO Lexus was out. I have strong preference for Honda due to low maintenance and high reliability. Replacing CRV, because during winter under high winds, the CRV becomes "lighter" due to wind lift and can under certain conditions become highly burner able to skidding. So here is my report of the test drives:
2014 RDX tech with AWD. absolutely did not feel as luxury. View from the cabin was excellent due to the engine hood tapering down. Cornering was very disappointing. Was disappointed to know Bluetooth only supports Blackberry for SMS. BB had a January 14 US market share of 3.41%, less than even windows phone. RDX is out of my consideration.

Then did a test drive of 2014 MDX SH AWD Advance. Handling was superb, especially cornering. The lane assist and adaptive cruise control were very impressive. Something essential to me on long drives when driving alone. This could be life saver optional items for me. I did not like the raised hood, that reduced visibility. With no kids at home, the 2k entertainment system and rare heated seats and huge cargo is a waste. What I could have liked would have been the RDX with these options. My Garmin GPs has lane assist and shows speed of every road in the US. Was disappointed that the Acura navigation does none of these! Why don't car companies parter with Garmin? The ideal would be to allow me to project my ipad through a HDMI cable, like I do on my treadmill at home and watch netflix, and this would even work for google navigation.

For now, I liked the 2014 MDX advance, but will wait and see the 2015 model and keep my search on. Plan to try out BMW etc. I am not much sensitive to price at this point in my life. Prefer a non flashy luxury vehicle for safety and comfort.

Any advice?

mrgold35

You will be hard pressed to find anything close to the MDX with the same mix of price, tech, luxury, safety, space, handling, fuel efficiency, and reliability for the same $$$. Any smart phone or tablet will fill any lacking technology gaps or tech not offered (yet) in Acura vehicles. The service interval will be about the same as your RX350. You will be looking a A or B service every 5,000 miles (with 1, 2 and/or 3 additional service items) every 2-3 months at $50-$350, depending on the dealership:
A: Replace Engine Oil
B: Replace engine oil and oil filter. Inspect various systems and components. (See applicable service manual for details)
Select Additional Service Items
1: Rotate tires and check tire pressure and condition
2: Replace air cleaner element, check drive belt, and replace dust and pollen filter
3: Replace transmission fluid and transfer fluid (if equipped).

You might also consider an extended warranty at time of purchase since the MDX is all new and you will out of the standard bumper-to-bumper/powertrain warranties in 2-3 years. We still don't know how the direct injection engine and updated tech will perform with high mileage, normal wear/tear and time.

driver

My wife and I are looking to buy MDX Advance as well but we were not very impressed with interior sound proofing on our test drive yesterday. At highway speeds we heard a lot of wind noise in the cabin. Also some parts of interior material just didn't look/feel like a luxury SUV that is priced close to $60k should look/feel like in our opinion. We like the versatility of the MDX but we aren't convinced 2014 is the one we should buy. Also we think the 2014 build quality is subpar based on our observations of the MDX on the show floor. And who knows where reliability of the 2014 will be since it's completely new.

As noted by upnorth85 other options like MB and BMW are much more expensive and I'm not sure if they are necessarily better. If cost isn't a factor perhaps you could look at MB GLK, which is smaller but has good MPG and more luxurious interior in my opinion.

jimihaha

That's weird... One of the best features of the new MDX is the quiet cabin. My friend who drives a lexus RX said that MDX is very quiet. I also don't notice alot of wind noise while driving it at 60, 70 or 80 mph. I am a bit impressed by how quiet it is when our audio volume is on 2 and I can still hear the music clearly while cruising on the freeway.

$57k is the top price you're going to pay for the MDX. That's the top of the line. Take that $57k to BMW, MB, Audi or Lexus and I doubt you can buy a 3 row SUV in their line up that has all the tech features the MDX has. I'm pretty sure you'll only get the base model with that price with the Germans and Lexus.

I'm fine with the MDX's interior. Yes, the MB, Audi and Lexus has better interior but I don't want to pay extra $10k or more for it.

driver

We are planning to test drive another MDX Advance to see if it's any better. I know what you mean about the price on other luxury brands. I tried building BMW X5 and it was in the $70k range. Tried MB GLK and it was in the $60k range. MDX definitely has more value if I could find one that is put together well.

kareshi

You may want to checkout the new 2014 Highlander Hybrid Limited Edition. It looks superior to me with most, if not all, of the MDX features. It's also $10K cheaper

jimihaha

Yes, I've been seeing a number of complains about the quality build of the new MDX lately. But I have no problems with mine (except for the paint defect which the dealer took care of) and the build date on mine is 9/13. Just a piece of advice, when you're decided on the MDX, do buy it from an Acura Dealer that has good customer service review. If you can wait, go for the 2015, as most of the issues with the 2014 will probably be resolved.

jimihaha

Or wait for the newly redesigned Honda Pilot too. I would rather get the new Pilot than a Highlander.

If he wants an SUV that is kinda fun to drive, he'll be terribly disappointed with the Highlander.

akat

kareshi, 10k cheaper compared to what MDX model? At least in our area Toyota doesn't build a Hybrid Limited with Driver Tech and Ent packages, but if it did it would be more comparable feature to feature, and the price difference compared to MDX Adv/Ent is more like 6k than 10k.

driver

When is the new Honda Pilot coming out?

I agree with you assessment of Highlander. I think it was solid at everything but I didn't love anything about it although I do like the bluray player for the entertainment system.

Husker4theSpurs

It's a polarizing design, but you may want to check out the Lexus NX coming out toward the end of the year. Comparable in size to the RDX and BMW X3. There will be a turbocharged 4 and a hybrid as far as powertrain options. The hybrid will likely achieve mid to upper 30s for fuel economy combined.

Regarding the MDX ... We really like ours. We have had other luxury models (Lexus, etc.) and the MDX is the quietest so far. My only real complaints stem from the Nav clunkiness (not a deal breaker) and the choppy sounding suspension around town (sound more than feel). Otherwise we are really happy. I like the Lane Keep Assist a lot but don't find the radar cruise as great as it doesn't work as well on Interstates as on highways. With accessories, etc our MSRP was over $60k though ... We like the fact it's a bit understated on the luxury persona versus other luxury brands.

driver

We are planning to add ~$3k in accessories which dealer will sell at cost. I think these accessories really add to the look and functionality to what looks nice already. However there definitely is mfg build quality/consistency since we did see few MDX with door gap consistency at multiple dealers.

With so much tech going into these vehicles I think there will be few glitches. Few are experiencing the similar gremlins on the 2014 IS350 F Sport which was completely new design except for the engine.

I have adaptive cruise control on my Lexus and it definitely has room for improvements. Trick I found that helps is to keep the distance setting to the shortest.

Lexus NX while it looks very nice, I don't is the right car for us. I like the versatility of the MDX especially with couple of active kids at 10 & 9 years old.

unr1

LKAS is amazing isn't it

kareshi

LKAS is nice to have. But frankly, I can't imagine a driver on the road that's unable to stay in the lane

upnorth85

If I end up buying an Acura this summer, it will be an MDX Advance and precisely because of the lane assist. When working long days and traveling, fatigue is the single most common reason for accidents. This feature will save many lives over the next decade.

jimihaha

The Pilot is due for a redesign for its 2015 model. So most likely, it will be out before 2014 ends.

mazymus

Hmm, wonder if it will be worth waiting to see what the 2015 Pilot will be like vs the MDX. Looks like the top of the line Pilot will be about 41K vs 57K for top of the line MDX. I will have to decide if the extra $16k in MDX will be worth it.

LongBallLarry

Industry insiders have stated that the next gen Pilot has been pushed back a year due to higher than expected level of offering from the Highlander.

There was no 2015 Pilot at the NY auto show and other major auto media outlets have recently stated a 2016 Pilot will be the next gen which will be avail sometime next year. Then you have to ask yourself if you are willing to get an early version of a new gen vehicle.

LongBallLarry

I'm guessing that top of line pricing for the Pilot will be higher than that.

driver

Highlander can go up to $53k so if Honda wants comparable SUV they'll have to go up to $50k. But if Honda is $50k you might as well just go with Acura.

jimihaha

That is the big question... will the new Pilot have all the features that the MDX has? Maybe. The 2014 Odyssey EX-L has the LDW and FCW just like the MDX Tech but there are some features in the MDX that are not even available in the Touring Elite of the Odyssey. But then again, the Odyssey is a "luxury" minivan. Just put the Jewel Headlights on the Odyssey and you can slap an Acura badge on it.

I doubt they would give the Pilot the same engine the MDX has. We test drove the 2014 Pilot Touring and the MDX is miles away better . The Pilot looks really outdated. It is underpowered and the interior is not that nice compared to the MDX. The MDX has better mileage too. But the thing is, we test drove the MDX first and then the Pilot so the comparison will be really glaring. And it is really a pain to access the 3rd row seats. But it is quite an unfair comparison since the 2014 Pilot is almost at the end of its design cycle. The Pilot Touring AWD costs around $43k MSRP and the MDX Tech SHAWD costs $49k. The only thing the Pilot beat the MDX Tech is it has the Rear Entertainment System, which I really don't think is worth the money. For $6k more, I'd choose the MDX Tech all day everyday.

The good news is, Honda is trying to elevate the interior. The new Accord and Odyssey interior are really nice. So the new Pilot has a good chance of being really good when it comes out.

jimihaha

I haven't heard of that... maybe it is true since I can't find anything in the internet about a redesigned Pilot. But it is a bad move for Honda to delay the Pilot, the current gen Pilot is really looking outdated (especially the interior) compared to its competitors. And the Highlander is looking nice, although I don't like the exterior. And since Toyota had that acceleration problem, it's hard for us to buy a Toyota/Lexus product again.

I really don't have problems with buying a new gen vehicle because I only buy when I need to. Our situation was, we were having our 2nd baby and we needed a bigger car before she came out. I test drove the Pathfinder, the Odyssey, the QX60, the Pilot and the MDX. And the MDX came out on top. I plan to keep the car for a really long time so I have to choose what I really like and not settle and we don't have the luxury of waiting for another year. So I picked the MDX, knowing Acura is known for their reliability. So far, I am still very happy with my MDX, no buyer's remorse whatsoever. I'll choose it again if I have to do it all over. No car is perfect, sure the MDX has some areas that need improving, but those areas are really not bothering me.

jimihaha

I doubt Honda will price their Pilot close to $50k.

Anyone buying a Toyota Highlander for $53k is crazy. That is MDX money and the MDX is leaps and bounds better than the Highlander in any category. Heck, I would swallow my pride and buy the Odyssey Touring Elite for $44k than pay $53k for a HL.

akat

Highlander tops out at around 45k (with all options checked). Highlander Hybrid is what is north of 50k (around 51k with all options checked). And even at that price, you still get halogens (w/ LED DRL).

jimihaha

Yup, that's about right. But for $45k, I would rather buy the Odyssey Touring Elite. The HL is not really fun to drive anyway, so why compromise the space and comfort, might as well get the van. It sure would drive like an Odyssey anyway. The only bright spot for getting the Hybrid HL is you get 27 MPG City or HiWay. But that is MDX / QX60 money.

driver

I'm with you. I would prefer the MDX Advance at that price. But obviously there are people buying Highlander Hybrids at those prices and it probably works for them so I'm not going to judge them for doing so. You add few accessories like remote start, running board and towing hitch and Highlander Hybrid tops $53k.