tffm24

I will not. Was expecting a lot from a luxury SUV > $50 grand.

RL06tech

Absolutely not!, for 50K I expected a pointy star, a beany hat, a shield with a prancing pony or at least some Olympic rings on the grill. If it doesn't have those its a definitely POS car...............

Who are we kidding, this car if fantastic, and it kills all European competition for much less $$$$. Best MDX yet, even if the radio interface is a little complex. Id buy one for every member of the family if I could!

CGTSX2004

iTrader: (1)

My father, who is on his 4th MDX, has said that this one will be his last. I think I am going to try to convince him to go for one of these if he is serious:

http://www.autoblog.com/2014/05/27/n...rior-revealed/

dzionny_dzionassi

Your father is a wise man... 2014 Mdx materials went down the hill, but still it is really good value..
Volvo interior looks much better...

Lalin

I will not go as far as saying I would not buy an MDX again. However I would definitively not buy this generation. If the 4G improves a lot in the many areas that trouble me, i would reconsider.
I wonder what the outcome of your question will be in this group of owners that plunked over $50k for their car.

unr1

those of you saying you wouldn't buy... can you please say why? What are the cons that would have made you purchase another vehicle?

Edward'TLS

A definite YES, but only for the 3rd generation MDX.

Oil Fighter

I second this. Please elaborate a bit, to help future buyers.

rhn75

It's a great car when it comes to value for the money, very comfortable with a solid engine and great handling. It's my 4th Acura so I'm obviously loyal to the brand. Having said that I do find myself less and less attached with the brand to the point where I question whether I would by it again. Most of this has been covered but i'll restate for those asking for elaboration:
1.It is still a tier 2 luxury car. That fake wood on the interior looks horrible and shouldn't be on a $56k car.
2. Parts of the leather seats are actually cloth, ok on my ford but not acceptable on this car
3. I've seen better rear view cameras on cars half the price
4. Dual screen layout is buggy and slow. it takes too long to boot when starting the car. I've even found myself on occasions already out of the parking spot before rear view camera is on and guidelines are displayed
5. I have to hit two buttons to switch air recirculation on or off. Since my options are on or off why not have same button press toggle between both? Just an example of the new interface taking away from the user experience
6. I have the tech model and the ELS sound system sounds horrible. I can't imagine what the base system sounds like
7. Jeans color definitely wearing off on parchment interior. That should not happen.
8. Acura option bundling is getting bad. The only way to get front parking sensors on a "luxury" car should not be a $7000 advance package. The offer them on the advance so why not list the, as an accessory like the rear sensors?
9. I've had a lot of noise issues which I know can be expected with first model cars but they are disappointing nonetheless
10. Changing the voice guidance volume on the go is impossible without going through several menus. Most other car manufacturers allow you to do that by simply turning the volume knob on the go

I could go on and on. At the end of the day it is a great car and has been very practical for my wife and I and serves our needs. I don't regret buying it but I lack the emotional attachment and excitement every time I drive it to say I would definitely by it again.

Hope this helps

Edward'TLS

No one car or SUV is perfect, because it is impossible to please all buyers, for which every single one of them has vastly different requirements/priorities/preferences than the rest.

Therefore, we should view the 3G MDX as a complete package, which consists of price, technology, reliability, performance, safety, features, software stability, etc., etc.

So the question comes down to that is there another luxury SUV package (within the 3G MDX price range) that is vastly superior than the 3G MDX, and that has significantly less technology/software stability/usability issues ?

driver

I can't blame people expecting more especially if you bought the Advance at close to MSRP of $57.4k but for those who are getting the Tech for ~$45k I think this car is great value assuming you didn't get one with build quality issues. You can easily spec a Highlander for more than that and even Santa Fe is close to $40k. I would pick MDX over those two without hesitation even if it means I'm taking a little bit of chance with possible first model year issues ( hopefully no issues ).

There is definitely room for improvement on the MDX but can Acura do that without adding too much cost which could put it out of range of many who are currently buying this for value it has.

I definitely think they should add more luxury (options) to the Advance model since those are aimed at buyers who are willing to pay to get what they want!

jimihaha

For me. it's "would I really want to spend $50k++ on a base Lexus/Audi/BMW/Benz?" For less than $60k you get the top of the line MDX with SH-AWD. Yes, the MDX's interior is inferior to those other luxury brand but you get what you pay for. For me, it is luxurious enough by my standard (coming from a 2004 rav4 LOL) and I feel really comfortable in it. And I am not dropping $60k or more on an SUV just because the interior top notch. And I bet those $60k and up SUVs have their share of bugs and mechanical problems too.

Like the other people here said, the Pathfinder, Pilot, Santa Fe, Explorer, Acadia are over $40k with their top of the line models, just add more a few thousands and you can get the MDX, which is way better than those.

I think the better question is "Would you still buy the MDX if they splurge on the interior but it prices itself equal to those other luxury brands?" I wouldn't. Some of you with deep pockets, probably yes, but Acura will lose a lot of buyers too.

To answer the OP's question, yes, I would still buy the MDX but this time I will go for broke and get the Advance with SH-AWD. I have the Tech with SH-AWD.

I am already thinking of trading my MDX for an Advance model when they do a mid cycle refresh (with most of the problems sorted out) and intend to keep it till it runs no more.

RL06tech

I bought a heavily optioned advanced at 62 grand, I think it was a great deal. A similarly dressed X5 would have been 10000 more. For that money I would have gotten a car that offers essentially the same or lesser performance with a slightly more sumptuous interior look and feel, that is, if I optioned for the still more expensive leather. I can definitely live very happily with less fragrant leather for a smaller price, and hopefully much better reliability.

hadokenuh

Agreed with most of your list except this one. Can you tell me which brands offer parchment leather interior (or light interior for that matter) that is resistant from jean stains?

I've always thought this is a maintenance item, i.e. leather cleaner.

MDterpX

I've only had mine a week (SH-AWD Tech), but assuming the same buying conditions (eg same competing models to choose from, same budget, etc.), I would absolutely opt for the MDX again. I should point out that, thus far, I have not experienced any of the issues that others have reported. I know that for some people issues popped up between 5,000 and 10,000 miles, so you may have to ask me again in 6 months.

Fibonacci

You would have a better argument and earn more credibility if you explain what your disappointments are exactly and what other "luxury SUVs" you are comparing it to for your $50 grand.

I've already been on record with my minor complaints, but overall, its a nice improvement from the 2G.

tffm24

Ok. Here are the reasons I will not buy again.


The auto engine starter (OEM) does not work half the time. (Its advertised to work from 324 ft distance.)
Rear camera is not clear.
Brakes are soft and lackluster.
Voice recognition does not work for me at all.
City mileage not as advertised. Get only 15 to 16 mpg.
Difficulty getting in/out of the vehicle.
Navigation cannot be programmed when in motion.


I am not comparing the MDX to any other SUV because this is my first luxury purchase but prior to the MDX I had a Honda Odyssey and was very happy with it for nearly 11 years and 187000 miles on it. So my comparison is basically with my Odyssey with which I had hardly any complaints.

Edward'TLS

^^^^^

Should have bought another Odyssey. Then you'll feel all at home.

Steve-H

Yes I'll buy another, but I kept my 2004 AWD Tech package for 10 years and I hope the 2014 AWD Tech package will be as great a car. After 6 months the 2014 is even better than the 2004 which I find almost impossible to believe. The car for the price is great, and the car itself is great. 28 mpg at 70 mph at high elevations on the highway in New Mexico and Colorado! Yes, I'll buy another but I may not have to for a long time.

tffm24

Looking at the number of complaints will be trading mine soon as the warranty is up.

driver

Warranty is for 4 years / 50k miles. How could yours be up after only a year?

I agree with you about backup camera quality on the MDX. I thought it was bad on my Lexus but compare to MDX my Lexus looks like HD vs SD on MDX. LOL! Better quality camera can't be more than $100 more than what they put in.

tffm24

I said soon as the warranty is up. Not in the next year but after 4 years.
BTW the rear view cam on my 2013 Subaru Legacy is superb and its loaded more than the MDX! It has the AWD, lane change warning and adaptive cruise control and costs less than 30k!

driver

Sorry. I misread that.

I'm not sure if Subaru Legacy is good comparison to SUV with 3 rows of seating or one that has vast cargo space when seats are folded. Different priorities on these cars and there will definitely pros and cons on many things for different people between the two. I agree that some MDX is suffering from build quality issues and material parts are not all high end. But it has very good aspects also like cabin quietness, external and internal styling, mpg, better handling than most SUVs in it's price range and versatility that it offers.

My Lexus IS350 F-Sport also has more features like Adaptive Cruise Control, Rear Cross Traffic Alert (I can't believe this isn't a standard safety feature on all cars), fast shifting 8 speed transmission, Collision mitigating braking, variable gear ratio steering, adaptive variable suspension ects... but believe it or not it doesn't come with memory seats. I could not believe $50k Luxury sports sedan wouldn't have this as standard feature or even an option for that matter! But most people who buy it don't mind because areas where they did put money into like handling and ride makes up for it.

Honestly for the money you spend to get a 3 row SUV with features and styling that it offers I think MDX (Tech more so than Advance) gives a great value. This is why we bought it. They just need to bring the build quality to be consistently good. This is the first time where I requested to verify vehicle build quality before purchasing. I'm sure dealer probably thought I was nuts but some of the build quality I've seen on MDX is crazy bad and I wouldn't want to own those for 10+ years.

Good luck with your next new perfect car.

tffm24

Wow, no memory seats in the IS350 FSport! Well, there is never a perfect car!
Do you think the 2014 MDX tech is better than the RX350? What's your opinion?

driver

It's my opinion but yes, 2014 MDX is better SUV than RX. I like how it handles and both exterior and interior styling is more pleasing to my eyes. MDX is also quieter and gets better gas mileage and feels more sporty when you want it to. Also MDX is much more versatile with it's 3 row seating option. I'll bet that next redesign on RX may make that a very good option and they may even add 3rd row seating but current design is very dated and not very appealing to me.

My wife loved the ride on the RX but in my opinion it's no better option than a nice AWD sedan. Now my wife loves the MDX and she has no regrets about getting MDX.

nvsage

This will definitely be my first and last MDX. I rather a la carte the options then do what Acura wants you to do. I wanted the technology package with the advanced, but I do not want the entertainment! Why would anyone want to waste all that money on an entertainment package when you can get 2 iPads for half the price! Also, It's sad that on a 50k car, you have to spend more to get roof rails! I understand buying cross bars, but really Acura, roof rails? The car without the finishing touches of the Advanced package looks like a Toyota Venza to me! The thing that really pisses me off is the build quality! It sucks! I thought my 2013 Grand Cherokee was sloppy, but my 2015 MDX isn't much better. I must of gotten a Monday or Friday car. I can go on and on and on. I understand no car is perfect, but I never expected this out of Acura. No wonder Hyundai is catching up so fast!

upnorth85

My non working DVD and spots of paint on the front lamp, kind of put a bad taste in my mouth and regretted not going in for a second RX to complement my wife's 2012 RX. Acura badly lacks the luxury feel of a Lexus. That said, I am willing to be open for now and if my maintenance and running costs are more similar to my old CRV ExL, I will not hold this against Acura. I have worked a decade in automotive Industry and can visualize what is happening as they moved production from Canada to the US.

NWRL

I'm sure you're right that moving production has something to do with some of the build quality issues. Also, if I remember correctly I think Honda screwed up Civic reviews/sales a few years ago with really cheap materials until they got flamed by Consumer Reports etc and fixed it in a refresh.

nvsage

I was afraid of that and was hoping by purchasing a 2015 they might have some of the kinks resolved. I guess not. I will also say, the rear view camera is one of the worst resolutions I have seen in a car!

SnowflakeVT

I am a 2nd time MDX owner with the first being a 2004. I didn't have the navigation on the 2004 but used a Garmin and then my iPhone to get to new addresses, so I made do with the 2004. I do like the 2014, but it is much wider than the 2004. I would have purchased an RDX but the interior quality and the technology was not as good as the MDX, and since I am not that tall, the large capacity for skis with the seats down works better than putting them in a cargo container on top.

Overall, very happy with the 2nd MDX, but if a higher quality RDX comes out in 4 Years, I may do a swap to downsize.