I just moved to a new city for work for few yrs, and trying to get a used SUV.

Right now, I'm considering 2011-2012 2G MDX and 2011-2012 X5 35i.

1. For same price, X5 normally got higher milage than MDX

2. X5 costs more for services&parts than MDX

3. but X5 is faster and got better handling (maybe?) than a MDX (Correct me if i'm wrong on this)

Looking for you comments and maybe give me some more recommendations beside x5 and mdx, thanks in advance.
(my budget: $30000-$35000)

 

What are your priorities in terms of what you are looking for in your SUV? If reliability (in terms of less time in for maintenance, etc.) is #1, then you should probably go MDX. If it's not, then there might be some pretty compelling reasons to go X5. Can you elaborate on what you are thinking?

 

im looking for performance, reliability, all of them.

Well, my priority is gonna be safty, then reliablity, performance is gonna be 3rd position. In this case, MDX might be the better choice? and any other suggestions?

 

Sounds, to me, like the MDX would be your best bet given your priorities.

 

Another question is why an SUV and not a car? And also, why a larger SUV instead of a smaller one?

 

MDX over X5

 

butt butt, he wants a race car.

 

1st gen Cayenne GTS is what you're looking for. Yeah it's toothy. But the soul..

 

MDX is a great vehicle but my opinion could be biased since I own one!

HOWEVER, there are some pretty significant differences between the two cars that could end up being a tie breaker!

The X5 has more luxury than the MDX to an extent. Auto wipers, tap to blink signals, self drying brakes, etc are some of the small things that make the BMW more luxurious than the MDX. Depending on the options you could end up with a Heads Up Display, lane departure warning, night vision, etc; things the MDX wish it had in it's dreams. With that said, I personally find the interior of the X5 to be a bit bland compared with the MDX.

Driving Dynamics: SH-AWD on paper will make the MDX appear as a clear winner but that's not really the case depending on what you like. SH-AWD is amazing, on interstate on/off ramps, empty roads and some tight turns it'll carry you through and you'll have a smile on your face! I've taken a ramp doing 50MPH (rated for 25) that I certainly would have never done 50 on in my TL and no higher than 55 in the 760. It's downfall comes with some higher maintenance costs but and with one thing that the BMW has that the MDX does not, a Turbo. The Turbo on the X5 might change the driving dynamics completely! The MDX is no slouch but it is a bit slower than my TL and it's noticeable with city driving. The X5 with a Turbo and possibly a retune will be faster than the a TL or faster than the MDX can dream!

Cost: The MDX won't cost much for the initial ownership period (under 100K miles). Tires, Brakes, oil, filters, are probably going to be the same as the BMW if you shop around and buy the stuff online (price match tires, amazon for filters, etc). The MDX will need it's 100K service which can be about $750-1K for the whole deal. The BMW will need a similar service which can be $300-1K, but you can get it at a reduced price since a lot of the work can be coupled with other repairs.

For example I had the spark plugs done while they were repairing something on the 760 that required removal of the plugs. BMW charged me $18 dollars a plug as they don't accept 3rd party parts but they didn't charge me a dime for labor. 12x18 = $216 for new plugs. Standalone new Plugs on a 760 are 1K as there's a lot of labor involved.

The BIG difference is long term for BMW vs Acura. BMW sadly doesn't build stuff to last anymore (plastic cooling system????) and it'll probably need to be in the shop. Friend with an X5 needed a new water-pump at 50K and then at 100K, covered under BMW extended warranty (almost 7K for it at his dealer). Also with it being turbo'ed, it has the potential of the High Pressure Fuel Pump Problem, wastegate rattle, carbon buildup, etc that can easily add up past 5-6K in repairs. I wouldn't touch an X5 without any sort of aftermarket warranty. Expect to spend 3-7K for a good warranty; I recommend a Platinum Exclusion plan. I got one on my 760, it's paid out over 50K in repairs since 2010. The MDX is pretty much the complete opposite of reliability compared to the BMW. Factoring this into your budget might throw the BMW out the window completely.

MPG/Insurance: MDX and X5 will be similar, the X5 may do slightly better since it won't be AWD but the turbo could though that whole thought out the window. I've gotten 38MPG Average in a Turbo 2013 328 while trying to get the best I could out of it, and also gotten 15MPG Average just because I wanted have fun while driving it. Insurance will probably be more on the X5 but in it might be like $5-10 dollars a month per person.

 

It's for a 70 pound Labrador and my kids.

 

Yes, the car that I'm driving in my hometown is faster than my 3rd Gen TL. So performance is important to me

 

Get the MDX.

The SH-AWD is superior and it handles better than the X5.

Resell value is better than BMW.

Maint is way cheaper than X5.

And best of all you have guys like me that can give you a WORLD of How-To info on any Acura!

 

MDX. I'm biased but experienced on this one. We bought a '13 tech.

 

This. I was going to suggest a Porsche Cayenne or an Audi Q7. While I like the X5, the reliability would scare me a bit. The Cayenne is pretty good... as is the Audi. I would choose either of them over the X5.

As for the MDX... it's my favorite Acura and really one of the only models I like from them... but I'd still go Audi or Porsche every time...

 

Q7 3.0T? or 4.2?

 

those aren't large




Poster, we are going through the same debate, with a few others in the mix (Tahoe, Range Rover, Sequoia).

I actually think we are leaning towards the MDX or Tahoe......but also have thrown the pilot in the mix since it has more room then the MDX

 

is Tahoe reliable? pilot maybe got little more room than MDX, but no luxury at all.. I heard that the RANGEROVER is just like x5, no reliability... Sequoia is full size SUV, i just need a mid size one.

 

The Pilot interior will most likely put you in an MDX. It's really dated and cheap feeling.

 

CPO x5 Diesel all the way

 

lol the BMW scares you but the Audi and Porsche are ok? I wouldn't touch any VAG product outside of warranty with a 10ft pole let alone an Audi or Porsche.

IMO, TDI or nothing.

Well by large I mean larger than a CRV/RAV4/Escape/whatever.

+1, Pilot is very dated at this point. Time for a refresh.

OP, throw the Jeep Grand Cherokee in your search list. In EcoDiesel form, it's capable of 30+mpg while having the cargo capacity you want. If you need a 3rd row seat, it'll unfortunately not have that, otherwise it's fantastic.

 

The Tahoe should be very reliable from a drivetrain point of view. I can't speak to the features, but it is essentially a Chevy truck and is built to be beat on.

 

Agree, most of the body on frame trucks are going to be very reliable. If you're willing to wait a few more months, the Ford Expedition/Lincoln Navigator are both going to be offered with the 3.5L turbo V6 which should give them substantially better fuel economy. Both trucks are gigantic (I have an older Expedition right now and have yet to find something that doesn't fit within reason), comfy, reliable (mine has been bulletproof), and very capable.

 

3.0T with a chip


Yup. I've known about half-dozen folks or so with an X5 over the years... with the exception of one which was OK, all bad experiences. Regarding Audi and Porsche (and even MB), much larger pool of experiences second hand, plus having previously owned 2 Audi's, AND a Porsche 911 and MB E350 (both out of warranty) in the garage currently... all have been bulletproof. All better then any Acura I've owned.

So yeah, I'd go Audi or Porsche all day every day without a worry in the world...

 

^ You are one of the very very few who would go Audi without a worry. I've owned two VAG products (Passat 1.8T and A4 1.8T) and both were complete piles of crap. I know a bunch of people who have gotten the newer (2010+) A4's recently and all of them have traded them in within 3-4 years because they spent more time in the service bay than their own garage.

My 330 was fine overall, once it got over 110k miles there was a lot of stuff that needed replacement due to wear and tear but before that it was great. I've heard from a lot of people that Porsches are very reliable though...except for the Cayenne because it's essentially a hopped up Touareg.

 

As the current owner of a 12 MDX Tech (and former owner of a base 09 MDX), personal bias in favor of the MDX has been posted enough times. That said, I have a 12 MDX tech mainly because I A) need a third row occasionally and b) the E70 exceeded my budget. Arresting those two factors, I probably would have gone the X5 4.8 route.

As great as my MDX handles, the E70 V8 that I drove for a bit felt about as surefooted as the MDX. All told, I've yet to have any regrets with the MDX, which sightings of the E70 4.8 (or M) being the only source of my 'what if' moments.

 

My experiences with the Cayenne have been that if you stay with the Cayenne/Cayenne S... you'll be OK. Jumping from NA to turbo may open you up to issues down the road. Really depends though. If you say on top of your maintenance, things seem to be good regardless of engine... but some electrical gremlins may get you (thanks Touareg!).

Regarding Audi... I was a little nervous to keep the A6 out of warranty... but it was awesome the entire time we owned it. For the A4, we had the 2.0T and it was bulletproof all-around. Neither were kept very long out of warranty (A6 may have still been in when we traded it), but neither was traded b/c of fear... they were traded b/c we got a good deal on something else a little newer (A4 traded for A6... A6 traded for E350). But the E350 has been out of warranty for a year or so now and no issues. The 911, well, that's a used car in the truest sense of the word... but based on the previous owner's records and my experience so far... it's been awesome. Yes if something breaks it will cost more then an Acura or Honda... but you gotta pay to play .

And just to be clear, I'm not "afraid" of BMW's in general... just the X5 (and to a lesser extent X3) b/c of what I know of them. Doesn't mean I wouldn't buy one if I really wanted one

 

how about a JEEP GRAND CHEROKEE v8 5.7, i think i can also get a pretty nice deal on this one too, just not so sure if it is reliable..

 

^ Buy the diesel not the V8. Just as much torque and far better gas mileage.

 

Yea, Tahoe's are reliable, but that's also why you buy a CPO car. I've seen plenty of people put 200K+ on Suburbans/Tahoes

 

yea, that's my thoughts....but this will be the wifes

 

yea, we have a 2006 navigator and that's what something new will be replacing. We've been happy with it so far, just getting old.

 

Ahh.

Out of all the interiors, my wife only liked the Q7 and the MDX. She couldn't believe how out of date the Pilot's was.

 

How about a GRAND CHEROKEE V8 5.7? > MDX ?