2014 Acura MDX Tech VS 2014 Dodge Durango Limited
05-10-2015, 03:06 PM
#1
2014 Acura MDX Tech VS 2014 Dodge Durango Limited
Hi Everyone,
We are looking for a new vehicle as the Impreza and Jetta are getting to small for our needs. We don't need 7 passenger seating but when the seats are down the cargo capacity is perfect and still lots of room for the kids.
We have been looking for awhile now and thought a used 2014 MDX would be a good vehicle until we drove a new/old stock 2014 Durango Limited. We where very surprised with the specs and how it drives for the price.
Has anyone here cross-shopped the two and if so what where your opinions of the overall drive and value?
We are looking for a new vehicle as the Impreza and Jetta are getting to small for our needs. We don't need 7 passenger seating but when the seats are down the cargo capacity is perfect and still lots of room for the kids.
We have been looking for awhile now and thought a used 2014 MDX would be a good vehicle until we drove a new/old stock 2014 Durango Limited. We where very surprised with the specs and how it drives for the price.
Has anyone here cross-shopped the two and if so what where your opinions of the overall drive and value?
05-10-2015, 08:48 PM
#2
Intermediate
Couldn't speak to the Durango, but I just traded a 2014 Jeep Grand Cherokee Overland 2WD in for a 2016 MDX. No comparison.
I would encourage you to look up the recall and TSB information on the Durango. 6 recalls on my Jeep in less than 2 years was just too much for me. I lost confidence in the vehicle's current and future reliability. Depreciation was steep and fast on the Jeep; I would imagine the same on the Durango.
Good luck with your decision, but for me, I'd buy the Acura.
I would encourage you to look up the recall and TSB information on the Durango. 6 recalls on my Jeep in less than 2 years was just too much for me. I lost confidence in the vehicle's current and future reliability. Depreciation was steep and fast on the Jeep; I would imagine the same on the Durango.
Good luck with your decision, but for me, I'd buy the Acura.
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Nabooly (05-20-2015)
05-11-2015, 11:33 AM
#4
Couldn't speak to the Durango, but I just traded a 2014 Jeep Grand Cherokee Overland 2WD in for a 2016 MDX. No comparison.
I would encourage you to look up the recall and TSB information on the Durango. 6 recalls on my Jeep in less than 2 years was just too much for me. I lost confidence in the vehicle's current and future reliability. Depreciation was steep and fast on the Jeep; I would imagine the same on the Durango.
Good luck with your decision, but for me, I'd buy the Acura.
I would encourage you to look up the recall and TSB information on the Durango. 6 recalls on my Jeep in less than 2 years was just too much for me. I lost confidence in the vehicle's current and future reliability. Depreciation was steep and fast on the Jeep; I would imagine the same on the Durango.
Good luck with your decision, but for me, I'd buy the Acura.
The kicker is the Durango has a lot more room/cargo capacity, towing, captain chairs, same features as the MDX. I will be going back this week to drive the MDX again but the build quality between the two is very similar with the MDX using a little less hard plastic, I just don't know if its worth $10k+ more??
Looking at recalls and TSB's the 14 MDX is not doing all that great either, I've never owned a Dodge before but some of my initial research has shown they have come a long way and looking at this forum, Honda/Acura haven't been doing all that great either, especially with all the things ive recently read here about the 3G MDX.
30 years ago I would have agreed with you, but today the NA, Asian and Euro manufactures are very close in most areas.
05-12-2015, 01:39 PM
#5
I haven't driven it, but my friend has a Durango with Citadel trim, and that thing is PLUSH! It really is nice inside, especially the leather on the seats. Miles ahead of the leather in my MDX.
I can't speak for the driving dynamics or reliability, but fit and finish is right up there. I was impressed.
Chris
I can't speak for the driving dynamics or reliability, but fit and finish is right up there. I was impressed.
Chris
05-12-2015, 04:23 PM
#7
Intermediate
I'm sure the Durango is nice; my Grand Cherokee Overland was extremely nice. Tons of features, big and small, that added to the experience. But, by the time the 6th recall notice hit my desk, all those creature comforts were overtaken by my concern that it just wasn't going to last. The occasional spontaneous reboot of the Uconnect system added to that feeling. All of those software updates are $122 each after the warranty, and I made the decision as the warranty expiration was approaching that I couldn't keep the vehicle w/o the extended warranty. Once I added up all of the upcoming expenditures on the Jeep, plus the cost of the extended warranty, it actually became a wash, financially, to make a move to the MDX. I agonized over my decision, because there were a lot of things that I loved about the Jeep, but I am 100% satisfied with the Acura. I have a few friends that have driven 200K +miles on their previous generation MDX's. Who knows how long the current generation MDX's will last, but you cannot even have a conversation about it with a Chrysler vehicle.
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05-13-2015, 06:58 AM
#8
05-13-2015, 11:10 AM
#10
Your going to get everyone saying MDX on the MDX side...
A couple members have drove both MDX and Durango... You may want to go over to Car Talk and ask about the durango. You will get a answer from people who have driven (more then a test drive) different SUVs.
I've driven the durango for a day and I loved it.
A couple members have drove both MDX and Durango... You may want to go over to Car Talk and ask about the durango. You will get a answer from people who have driven (more then a test drive) different SUVs.
I've driven the durango for a day and I loved it.
05-13-2015, 05:46 PM
#11
Intermediate
Just my $.02, which is worth even less than that, but I think it is less important to get opinions from those who have "driven" the Durango and more important to get opinions from those who have "owned" the Durango and similar Chrysler vehicles for some length of time.
I owned my Jeep for 2 years. Loved "driving" it and all the creature comforts it provided. Extremely feature rich. Hated taking it in for warranty repairs. Hated spontaneous reboots of the Infotainment system, which never rose to the level of recall, as they were not safety related. My Jeep actually had to be towed in to the dealership with the engine running. Something happened to the transmission. It was in park, but acted if it was in drive. Wouldn't move, wouldn't let me shift, and wouldn't let me shut if off. It even kept running after the battery was disconnected. Service department said it was software and they had to keep it for 3 days to clear all of the fault codes generate when it rebooted. WTH? Hated the extremely steep depreciation, which I assumed was due in part to all of the recalls and reliability concerns expressed by Consumer Reports and others for the Jeep brand in general.
I do agree that you are going to get largely pro-MDX advice here, so it would be prudent to visit other forums that might provide more insight on Chrysler products. I happen to like the way the Durango looks, and I'm sure it rides and drives great. But, after my experience with the Jeep, I won't be going back to Chrysler anytime soon. It's a shame, too, as I think the current Jeep Grand Cherokee is a much better looking vehicle than the MDX.
I owned my Jeep for 2 years. Loved "driving" it and all the creature comforts it provided. Extremely feature rich. Hated taking it in for warranty repairs. Hated spontaneous reboots of the Infotainment system, which never rose to the level of recall, as they were not safety related. My Jeep actually had to be towed in to the dealership with the engine running. Something happened to the transmission. It was in park, but acted if it was in drive. Wouldn't move, wouldn't let me shift, and wouldn't let me shut if off. It even kept running after the battery was disconnected. Service department said it was software and they had to keep it for 3 days to clear all of the fault codes generate when it rebooted. WTH? Hated the extremely steep depreciation, which I assumed was due in part to all of the recalls and reliability concerns expressed by Consumer Reports and others for the Jeep brand in general.
I do agree that you are going to get largely pro-MDX advice here, so it would be prudent to visit other forums that might provide more insight on Chrysler products. I happen to like the way the Durango looks, and I'm sure it rides and drives great. But, after my experience with the Jeep, I won't be going back to Chrysler anytime soon. It's a shame, too, as I think the current Jeep Grand Cherokee is a much better looking vehicle than the MDX.
05-16-2015, 05:56 AM
#12
I thought I would never need the 3rd seat too. But in the first 4 months of ownership we've used it twice. Our kids are grown and no grandkids yet.
With young kids you are likely to need to haul their friends and teammates all the time. The third seat will be an important feature.
With young kids you are likely to need to haul their friends and teammates all the time. The third seat will be an important feature.
05-16-2015, 02:14 PM
#13
I'm sure the Durango is nice; my Grand Cherokee Overland was extremely nice. Tons of features, big and small, that added to the experience. But, by the time the 6th recall notice hit my desk, all those creature comforts were overtaken by my concern that it just wasn't going to last. The occasional spontaneous reboot of the Uconnect system added to that feeling. All of those software updates are $122 each after the warranty, and I made the decision as the warranty expiration was approaching that I couldn't keep the vehicle w/o the extended warranty. Once I added up all of the upcoming expenditures on the Jeep, plus the cost of the extended warranty, it actually became a wash, financially, to make a move to the MDX. I agonized over my decision, because there were a lot of things that I loved about the Jeep, but I am 100% satisfied with the Acura. I have a few friends that have driven 200K +miles on their previous generation MDX's. Who knows how long the current generation MDX's will last, but you cannot even have a conversation about it with a Chrysler vehicle.
05-16-2015, 02:18 PM
#14
Your going to get everyone saying MDX on the MDX side...
A couple members have drove both MDX and Durango... You may want to go over to Car Talk and ask about the durango. You will get a answer from people who have driven (more then a test drive) different SUVs.
I've driven the durango for a day and I loved it.
A couple members have drove both MDX and Durango... You may want to go over to Car Talk and ask about the durango. You will get a answer from people who have driven (more then a test drive) different SUVs.
I've driven the durango for a day and I loved it.
***Mods could you please move this over to Car Talk***
Thanks and thanks to the members here that have already contributed.
05-18-2015, 11:18 PM
#15
The Third Ball
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I would pick the Durango over the MDX...but I am biased as I have a 2014 RT model.
I also had a Challenger RT which was totaled after some dick made a left in front of me, which is why I got the Durango.
I also have a 2014 Jeep Cherokee Limited (not grand) for my wife.
So, yeah I have faith in FiatChrysler. I had my Challenger for 5 years/18k miles and it was one of the best cars I ever had, and I would have gotten another one had it not been for other needs. And my daily driver during that time was a 97 Grand Cherokee.
The Durango is very much a luxury car. No, the dealer experience might not be the same as Acura...but that depends on your local Acura dealer as I have been to great dealers who act like luxury car departments. And I have been to depts that had worse service than your shittiest non-lux marque.
Its got the toys, the build, the materials. The ride is great (but I also have the sport suspension) but the normal suspension is great. The Penstar V6 is a rock solid engine...though I went the with the V8.
I personally think it has the best interior/Exterior design in its class...it has a much more usable 3rd row than the MDX...and has storage space with the 3rd row up...MDX doesn't have much.
Resale...probably not as much as an Acura. Not something thats important to me. People said the same about the Challenger and when it was totaled, turned out resale was surprisingly high.
Drive both and see which you like better. But Im on my third new (4 total) Chryco product in 5 years and I couldn't be happier. And my Challenger was my first American car.
I believe there are one or two TSBs for the Durango (2014 was the mid-model refresh) for minor things..I haven't even had them down yet...there is also one recall which is a firmware upgrade, which I haven't had done yet...its nothing serious.
I also had a Challenger RT which was totaled after some dick made a left in front of me, which is why I got the Durango.
I also have a 2014 Jeep Cherokee Limited (not grand) for my wife.
So, yeah I have faith in FiatChrysler. I had my Challenger for 5 years/18k miles and it was one of the best cars I ever had, and I would have gotten another one had it not been for other needs. And my daily driver during that time was a 97 Grand Cherokee.
The Durango is very much a luxury car. No, the dealer experience might not be the same as Acura...but that depends on your local Acura dealer as I have been to great dealers who act like luxury car departments. And I have been to depts that had worse service than your shittiest non-lux marque.
Its got the toys, the build, the materials. The ride is great (but I also have the sport suspension) but the normal suspension is great. The Penstar V6 is a rock solid engine...though I went the with the V8.
I personally think it has the best interior/Exterior design in its class...it has a much more usable 3rd row than the MDX...and has storage space with the 3rd row up...MDX doesn't have much.
Resale...probably not as much as an Acura. Not something thats important to me. People said the same about the Challenger and when it was totaled, turned out resale was surprisingly high.
Drive both and see which you like better. But Im on my third new (4 total) Chryco product in 5 years and I couldn't be happier. And my Challenger was my first American car.
I believe there are one or two TSBs for the Durango (2014 was the mid-model refresh) for minor things..I haven't even had them down yet...there is also one recall which is a firmware upgrade, which I haven't had done yet...its nothing serious.
Last edited by Sarlacc; 05-18-2015 at 11:27 PM.
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cp3117 (05-21-2015)
05-18-2015, 11:54 PM
#16
The Third Ball
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and I see you have posted this over in the Durango forums Mr. Linty 
05-19-2015, 10:42 AM
#18
The Third Ball
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we ended up buying another house. The durango is still on my list, I'll probably end up picking something up towards the new year. I've been eyeing the new Pilot too..... but not too sure.
05-19-2015, 11:25 AM
#20
Ex-OEM King
I'd buy the 2016 Pilot new before I bought a used 2014 MDX. You'll pay a bit more but the new Pilot but you get all the same features for a lower new car price tag and get a new car out of the deal.
That said, I'd still get the Durango over both. You can get a lifetime bumper to bumper warranty through Mopar on any Chrysler product so whatever happens, it's free to fix. Warranty is ~$2500 depending on if you buy it when the car is new or not. FCA interiors are amongst the best on the market today and the powertrains are the same. Everyone, including Acura, is having a hell of a time with the ZF 9AT but it's just a matter of time before they figure their shit out.
If you don't need a third row seat, buy the Jeep GC as it's essentially the same as a Durango minus the third row and adding some off roading bits. Jeeps have some of the best resale values on the market today so I'm not sure what others are saying that it's bad...
Long story short, no new Acura is worth it over its Honda counterpart and the MDX is no exception. The 2016 Pilot gets all the goodies for a lower price tag, it's a no brainer to go that way. I'm not really all that sure why Acura even exists anymore but whatever.
FWIW, I plan on buying a Jeep GC Overland towards the end of the summer before I have to put the S2k to bed for the winter.
Edit: Oh and the Durango and Jeep both have visible exhaust tips. Which, you know, is a big deal.
That said, I'd still get the Durango over both. You can get a lifetime bumper to bumper warranty through Mopar on any Chrysler product so whatever happens, it's free to fix. Warranty is ~$2500 depending on if you buy it when the car is new or not. FCA interiors are amongst the best on the market today and the powertrains are the same. Everyone, including Acura, is having a hell of a time with the ZF 9AT but it's just a matter of time before they figure their shit out.
If you don't need a third row seat, buy the Jeep GC as it's essentially the same as a Durango minus the third row and adding some off roading bits. Jeeps have some of the best resale values on the market today so I'm not sure what others are saying that it's bad...
Long story short, no new Acura is worth it over its Honda counterpart and the MDX is no exception. The 2016 Pilot gets all the goodies for a lower price tag, it's a no brainer to go that way. I'm not really all that sure why Acura even exists anymore but whatever.
FWIW, I plan on buying a Jeep GC Overland towards the end of the summer before I have to put the S2k to bed for the winter.
Edit: Oh and the Durango and Jeep both have visible exhaust tips. Which, you know, is a big deal.
05-19-2015, 04:14 PM
#21
In the Mid-South meow
iTrader: (2)
Another happy Chrysler product owner here. The Charger has been just as, if not more, reliable than any of the 5 Honda/Acura products I've owned. I can't speak on the Durango or MDX though.
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cp3117 (05-21-2015)
05-21-2015, 12:52 AM
#22
I would pick the Durango over the MDX...but I am biased as I have a 2014 RT model.
I also had a Challenger RT which was totaled after some dick made a left in front of me, which is why I got the Durango.
I also have a 2014 Jeep Cherokee Limited (not grand) for my wife.
So, yeah I have faith in FiatChrysler. I had my Challenger for 5 years/18k miles and it was one of the best cars I ever had, and I would have gotten another one had it not been for other needs. And my daily driver during that time was a 97 Grand Cherokee.
The Durango is very much a luxury car. No, the dealer experience might not be the same as Acura...but that depends on your local Acura dealer as I have been to great dealers who act like luxury car departments. And I have been to depts that had worse service than your shittiest non-lux marque.
Its got the toys, the build, the materials. The ride is great (but I also have the sport suspension) but the normal suspension is great. The Penstar V6 is a rock solid engine...though I went the with the V8.
I personally think it has the best interior/Exterior design in its class...it has a much more usable 3rd row than the MDX...and has storage space with the 3rd row up...MDX doesn't have much.
Resale...probably not as much as an Acura. Not something thats important to me. People said the same about the Challenger and when it was totaled, turned out resale was surprisingly high.
Drive both and see which you like better. But Im on my third new (4 total) Chryco product in 5 years and I couldn't be happier. And my Challenger was my first American car.
I believe there are one or two TSBs for the Durango (2014 was the mid-model refresh) for minor things..I haven't even had them down yet...there is also one recall which is a firmware upgrade, which I haven't had done yet...its nothing serious.
I also had a Challenger RT which was totaled after some dick made a left in front of me, which is why I got the Durango.
I also have a 2014 Jeep Cherokee Limited (not grand) for my wife.
So, yeah I have faith in FiatChrysler. I had my Challenger for 5 years/18k miles and it was one of the best cars I ever had, and I would have gotten another one had it not been for other needs. And my daily driver during that time was a 97 Grand Cherokee.
The Durango is very much a luxury car. No, the dealer experience might not be the same as Acura...but that depends on your local Acura dealer as I have been to great dealers who act like luxury car departments. And I have been to depts that had worse service than your shittiest non-lux marque.
Its got the toys, the build, the materials. The ride is great (but I also have the sport suspension) but the normal suspension is great. The Penstar V6 is a rock solid engine...though I went the with the V8.
I personally think it has the best interior/Exterior design in its class...it has a much more usable 3rd row than the MDX...and has storage space with the 3rd row up...MDX doesn't have much.
Resale...probably not as much as an Acura. Not something thats important to me. People said the same about the Challenger and when it was totaled, turned out resale was surprisingly high.
Drive both and see which you like better. But Im on my third new (4 total) Chryco product in 5 years and I couldn't be happier. And my Challenger was my first American car.
I believe there are one or two TSBs for the Durango (2014 was the mid-model refresh) for minor things..I haven't even had them down yet...there is also one recall which is a firmware upgrade, which I haven't had done yet...its nothing serious.
We are going to drive the Durango once more this weekend and then make a decision being we have been in the MDX a few times now. The MDX is a good vehicle but I have to agree with you that the Durango is easily on par or better than the MDX when you look at the whole package vs value between the two.
The whole luxury dealer experience doesn't really mean much to me being the Acura dealers here in Western Canada aren't really special anyway. They just started using Odyssey's a few years ago for service vehicles to transport customers....before that my co-worker use to get dropped of in a Ford Econoline van with magnetic stickers on the door
(Yes, Acura Canada needs a lesson on what Luxury really is)We keep our vehicles 7+ years, so resale isn't much of a concern and yes the build of the Durango is easily on par with the MDX and that's what gets my attention. When I look at the whole package (Specs, Towing, Styling, Features, etc, etc) its hard for me and the wife to justify (New/Old Stock 2014 Durango) and a (Used 2014 MDX with 35,000 KM) for roughly $8-10K more....sure the SHAWD is better than the Dodge AWD system but definitely not $10K more.
I know which way im probably leaning but the drive and the wife's input this weekend will probably make up my mind.........or if the Dealer sells one or the other.
05-21-2015, 09:07 AM
#23
Ex-OEM King
I'd still take a close look at the Pilot if you can. Might be able to save even more...
05-25-2015, 02:09 PM
#24
Im sure the new pilot will sell like crazy though as it will be a good vehicle but the pricing for what we where interested in here in Canada is going to be $50K plus (or so we are told).
05-25-2015, 02:17 PM
#25
Thanks for the input and advice guys but in the end we decided and bought the Durango Limited (Rallye) this weekend.
The MDX is a hell of a nice vehicle but after looking at the whole package (cargo, interior room, towing, drive, features, build quality, etc). The value of the Durango was just to hard to pass.
A similar price for a MDX would have left us with a 2013 MDX with roughly 50K+ KM's and still not be able to tow as much, plus the styling of the Durango with the Rallye package (Subjective I know) was just way nicer than the MDX.
I wish we could have went for the R/T Sarlacc as that is one hell of a nice vehicle, but the wife didn't want anything to do with that fuel economy and god knows I would have that thing in the low teens all of the time.
Thanks again guys for all of your input.
The MDX is a hell of a nice vehicle but after looking at the whole package (cargo, interior room, towing, drive, features, build quality, etc). The value of the Durango was just to hard to pass.
A similar price for a MDX would have left us with a 2013 MDX with roughly 50K+ KM's and still not be able to tow as much, plus the styling of the Durango with the Rallye package (Subjective I know) was just way nicer than the MDX.
I wish we could have went for the R/T Sarlacc as that is one hell of a nice vehicle, but the wife didn't want anything to do with that fuel economy and god knows I would have that thing in the low teens all of the time.
Thanks again guys for all of your input.
05-25-2015, 03:33 PM
#27
The Third Ball
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Thanks for the input and advice guys but in the end we decided and bought the Durango Limited (Rallye) this weekend.
The MDX is a hell of a nice vehicle but after looking at the whole package (cargo, interior room, towing, drive, features, build quality, etc). The value of the Durango was just to hard to pass.
A similar price for a MDX would have left us with a 2013 MDX with roughly 50K+ KM's and still not be able to tow as much, plus the styling of the Durango with the Rallye package (Subjective I know) was just way nicer than the MDX.
I wish we could have went for the R/T Sarlacc as that is one hell of a nice vehicle, but the wife didn't want anything to do with that fuel economy and god knows I would have that thing in the low teens all of the time.
Thanks again guys for all of your input.
The MDX is a hell of a nice vehicle but after looking at the whole package (cargo, interior room, towing, drive, features, build quality, etc). The value of the Durango was just to hard to pass.
A similar price for a MDX would have left us with a 2013 MDX with roughly 50K+ KM's and still not be able to tow as much, plus the styling of the Durango with the Rallye package (Subjective I know) was just way nicer than the MDX.
I wish we could have went for the R/T Sarlacc as that is one hell of a nice vehicle, but the wife didn't want anything to do with that fuel economy and god knows I would have that thing in the low teens all of the time.
Thanks again guys for all of your input.
There is a reason the Durango is consistently in the top of the pack of not the winner with all the 3 row comparos. Enjoy it. And with the Durango rt, low teens is about your only option...
05-25-2015, 09:20 PM
#28
I drive a Subata.
iTrader: (1)
Congrats! Good choice.
06-04-2015, 05:02 AM
#29
Senior Moderator
Good luck!
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