gavriil

Acura Sets Pricing for 2004 MDX SUV

The Daily Auto Insider
Wednesday, September 24, 2003
September 2003


Acura, Honda's luxury division, says that the 2004 MDX SUV, which just went on sale, will be priced at $36,400. The MDX with Touring Package, which adds a roof rack, premium Acura/Bose Music System and other additional features, will be priced at $39,000. The MDX with Touring Package comes with two available factory options: the Acura Navigation System with Voice Recognition priced at $2,200 and the Acura DVD Entertainment System priced at $1,500.

Acura said in a press release that, "despite numerous improvements," 2004 MDX prices reflect a "modest" 1.8 percent increase, or $700, compared to last year based on a sales-weighted average.

The 2004 MDX has a new dual exhaust system adding five extra horsepower for a total output of 265 horsepower. Styling enhancements include a redesigned front fascia with a more integrated chin spoiler, the addition of satin chrome finish trim front and rear, and a sportier taillight assembly. Two new exterior colors, Aspen Pearl White and Burnished Bronze Metallic are added for 2004.

New features for 2004 Acura MDX:

Output increased to 265 horsepower at 5800 rpm
Torque increased to 253 lb-ft between 3500 and 5000 rpm
Side curtain airbags with rollover sensors
Tire Pressure Monitoring System
Redesigned front fascia
Integrated chin spoiler
Dual exhaust
Satin chrome finish front and rear trim
Redesigned taillights
New projector-type headlights
Acoustic windshield glass
New colors: Aspen Pearl White, Burnished Bronze Metallic
New wheel design (Touring Package)
Power lumbar support on driver's seat (Touring Package)
Brushed metal-look instrument panel trim
Enhanced Acura/Bose Music System (Touring Package)
Ambient foot lights and welcome illumination
Enhanced functionality of second row seat (40 percent slide increase)
Enhanced leather seat material and inserts

gavriil

That's pretty impressive. They managed to keep the price down after all these improvements. Good for them.

pimpscls

ne pics of the improvements

pimpscls

265hp aint bad its pretty quick for an suv right

Shawn S

Still no Xenon headlights on them ???

Chaptorial

Yeah whats up with that?

265 is more than us. Bastards.

gavriil

What the hell happened? No Special Ed in yesterday's Crank Yankers episode! I was totally dissapointed.

gavriil

Here is a video of it:

http://www.acura.com/models/model_ga...ection=qtintro

NOVAwhiteTypeS

shawn i think they finallly do, look @ the video about 3/4th and you'll see the hid projectors lit up

Red Rider

Nice, they've added 25 H.P. in the last 2 years. Now all it needs is the SC

bigman

why isnt that motor in the new TL with the true dual exhauts damn. Acura has a VQ killer on there hands and they dont even bother. Imagine the new TL having this motor with 270, the TSX A Spec hving a base 225 3.2 litre motor with 6 speed. Acuras line up will be so much stronger. Nissan doesnt have problems sharing the VQq across many platforms on 2 seperate brands.

nandowong

I think acura should do this and start sharing the mdx awd in the tl, rl, and their new coupe. they spent all that money on r&d in the mdx awd and only use it there? come on acura give me awd 300 hp coupe

nandowong

yes its towards the end, they look good

gavriil

I saw a spy pic on a Car and Driver show on TV (I believe). It looked a lot like the current MDX. They said it will be marginally larger. They also said that Acura will use a 3.7 liter V6 making at least 300HP!

Could that be the TL Type S engine used next year?

titan

Damn. 300HP? HP wars are crazy.

TypeSAddict

Type S? Thread link please!!!

gavriil

TL Type S = Personal guess.

gocubsgo55

nice. a 3.7L V6 would be a nice upgrade to the RL a couple years down. something like 325 HP and 285 Lb./Ft. Torque would be nice. That way, the TL could get a 290 HP 3.5L with 250 Lb./Ft. or torque .

Glad to here Honda can still bring the heat with HP. Wow, thinking more about it, how about taking that 3.7L, which WILL be very smooth, boring it out to 3.9-4.0L, produce 380-400HP, and put it into the new NSX! I love dreaming

Anyway, I wonder what the Torque numbers will be. I also wonder what will happen to the Pilot, which also uses a 3.5L engine.

Collective27

Ha, that would be nice, but its still in question whether there will even be a new NSX.

gocubsgo55

off topic, but Honda has said that they will make a new NSX. The problem is that the resources just are not there to make what they want, which is a hands-down "beat em all" supercar. The only problem with the current model is its looks and straight-line speed, which honestly is not bad. However, when you're up against v10s and v12s, it's hard to keep up. A potent V8 will probably go into the next NSX. Remember, Honda's chairman stated that it will come back. Well see soon enough.

Ruski

hold on to your transmission

phile

and for 88K large...

If it is to continue using a V6, the rumored 400HP from the HSC concept, while good for a V6, doesn't really stop the presses...

gocubsgo55

exactly what I was thinking. The good thing about Honda is, though, they try not to listen to what the presses say. The press wanted Honda to make the RL a RWD V8. Well, take a look at what Honda did; a state-of-the-art AWD system with a 300 HP V6! Many more examples, I just can't think of them .

goldmemberer

I wasn't the only one disappointed by the RL's testing. I wish it were faster. I wouldn't care if it had a 2.4L I4 engine base... it just needs more power and torque to earn the respect it deserves. I think it's a great car, but I think Honda's V6s have reached their peak. Time to make the V8 they've been avoiding.

heyitsme

Can't see it with the RL only at 300hp.

phile

I don't think the RL really needs a V8, but the V6 should have a displacement of 3.8L or somewhere around there...it just needs a little more grunt.

I think once you've reached 4.0L, it should be V8, but RL doesn't need that much power.

CLovis

I think its gonna be in the TL Type R.

Edward'TLS

The AWD system is a power drag, same with all AWD/4WD cars. Go for RWD, lose the power to the front wheels, then the 0-60mph time could be shaven by 1/2 a second.

dozorca

All the RL needs is a gas-electric hybrid system. In 4 years, when the a new RL comes out (hopefully), Honda will be able to extract more tq and hp then it can on the accord.

So,

300hp - 3.5L V6
40-50hp electric (so far 15hp on the accord)
------------------------------


260tq - 3.5L V6
150tq electric (hopefully not just @ 840rpm) ( so far 100 on the accord)
------------------------------



So 340-350hp and 410tq. Who needs a V8?

Edward'TLS

The Acura division is a higher performance entity that doen't have to follow the fuel efficiency objective of the Honda division as in the Accord. The RL is a high performance car, whereas the Accord is a popular bread-and-butter fuel-sipping economy car selling to the lower income general public.

With the AWD hardware already designed in, the RL can have similar configuration as the HSC concept, with a 300 hp 3.5V6 powering the rear wheels, and a 100 hp electric motor powering the front wheels. It will sure cut back the 0-60 time to around 5 seconds.

goldmemberer

If that goal were achievable within the next couple of years, I would agree with you. Honda just shouldn't do a V8. But really, it's not. We won't see those kinds of figures being put out by a Honda hybrid any time soon; it's going to be a Toyota that does it first.

Look at the Lexus 400h. Sure, it's been delayed, but Lexus has extended contracts and leases for everyone who was on the waitlist for it. It's scheduled to finally arrive in a few months' time. Judging my how rock solid their vehicles are, I don't blame them for the delay, cause nobody's going to let unreliability in a Lexus slide just cause it's a new technology. I'm probably not alone in noting that while Honda was working on introducing their hybrid tech into the Accord, Toyota played it real real smart. Most people who worry about fuel economy wouldn't much wanna spend ~$30k on an Accord when they could just spring $10k less for the 4cyl version, no? But SUVs are gas whores and that's more or less where the tech is needed, so Toyota went for it in their best selling SUV.

Both companies are doing hybrid systems with V6s. The difference is the Toyota's sure enough about theirs to release is into their luxo line and risk their credibility. Sure as fuck, if anyone's going to be putting out a high powered hybrid car in the next 2 years, it's going to be Lexus. And they have kickass RWD platforms to work off of, plus V8s galore.

Honda's lagging not only in the Hybrid dept. (which I don't get, since their technology is more seasoned) and the V8 dept, while Lexus is damn near to perfecting both.

Edward'TLS

It is very unfortunate that Honda has a very small range of cars and trucks, compared to Toyota and Nissan. If Honda developed a V8, there is simply not enough vehicle application to recoup the huge development cost. However, Toyota and Nissan has many more V8 applications, especially on the big truck lines and luxury car lines.

vybzkartel

On Acura.com

Nice!!! Check it out, man!

cM3go

what the hell? it looks just like the RDX

Speed_Racer

Yumcha

Looks interesting...I don't mind it!

jwong77

Same headlights as the Concept 4, ugly grill though.

Infamous425

doesnt look like theres room for a 3rd row

mrdeeno

I think it's gonna be around the same size as the Audi Q7, or whatever they're calling it, which also has a 3rd row.

It's probably gonna be a hit moreso than the first one. Anyone take any guesses whether it'll have VTM-4 or SH-AWD?

aaronnn

i think i'd prefer the VTM-4 for the big and beefy utility vehicle.

that concept looks like the beefed up steroid version of the rdx.
i wish they can add some muscle-y aggressive looks to the MDX for the upcoming gen. the one out now has too many mommies driving it.