oh, jumped the gun on that. Thought you were talking to me

 

The question was actually directed towards black label. But next time I'm down that way I'll be sure to hit up their service department for a free lunch

 

the MDX beat the X5 in a Car and Driver comparo. At from what I remember it was a legit beat....not on "value for money". The said it was sportier and nicer. I am sure it was the X5 3.0.

20k more is no joke. You can buy an nice toy in that kinda money and get all the sportiness you want.

 

+1 on the Q7 ( )

 

You got a point, but sometimes even higher mile leases can be offset with great incentives.

For instance I was reading on another forum about the incentives for the 07 XC90s (a month ago): V8, 7k off MSRP, 62% residual, and .00026 money factor, 24 month lease, 12k miles a year, first payment + tax + tag due at signing. The residual was not great, but the discount plus the low money factor (less than 1% interest rate) made it a great deal. 15K miles lowered the residual another 2%. VCFNA will lease their cars with up to 19,500 miles per year, with option to buy extra mileage.

 

Now that you say you might be tempted with good leases, I will suggest you check the current 08 XC90 Sport deals. This is an excerpt from another forum, for a loaded one:

http://forums.swedespeed.com/zerothread?id=85048

 

If buying, the MDX is the best bang for the buck, IMO.

Somehow, AHFC has arranged to offer some horrible leases on the MDX though. This is for the base model:

 

V8 X5 = fully loaded MDX plus a used mazdaspeed miata. The BMW math never works out (although the 335 is a bargain at this point).

 

BMWs are for the brand conscious, not the money conscious.

 

That is right. This somehow explains the scenario (from another forum):


http://forums.swedespeed.com/zerothr...&postid=757118

 

I know, I know. You've gotta really see value in that badge to fully justify the cost of these euro makers. MB is even worse! At least BMW makes a good vehicle. With MB you are over paying AND getting an inferior product (IMO).

I'm not really attracted to the brand cachet (that's the reason I'm struggling with the decision) However, I'm attracted to technology like a moth to a light I own an 07 Acura RL with EVERY feature they had. Even had Collision Mitigation to monitor the cars in front of you with radar and provide a 3 stage alert system to assist in avoiding accidents. I find that stuff to be very cool. If the MDX had all the stuff my RL has, I'd buy it in a heart beat.

I've decided I'm just going to lay low and see what rumors surface about the MY09 MDX. Maybe it will get a MMC refresh and they will add some stuff. Hell, it didn't even have auto dimming mirrors until this years 08 models! Very underwhelmed by it right now.

 

good for you.

it takes a lot to be patient and wait for what you want...especially when it involves so much money.

it's so easy to let emotions and the thrill of buying a new car take over.

 

I noticed no one mentionned it, but I had a ride in my coworker's SRX last week and I came out impressed!

 

Part of the reason is that the service is included for the new cars. When things are free or included people usually jump on it quicker than if they have to come out of pocket that day. I guarantee any manufacturer with the same service offer as BMW would have a very busy service dept. Don't get me wrong I'm not saying that things don't go wrong with Beemers they do but BMW is on par with most manufacturers except for Lexus as far as service issues are concerned.

 

Might be nice to drive in but not to own - unless you have lots of free time to spend in the service dept.

GM's getting better and have some winners right now. The SRX ain't one of them. The V8 model had black circles all the way down the page on CR. They literaly could not have scored any worse. Don't see that very often

 

The SRX has pretty bad reliability.

 

The SRX has pretty bad reliability.

 

forget about that one then

 

Northern MA, I don't know about the buffet, but they always seem to have bagels muffins and fresh coffee.

 

yea did u look at the volvo xc?? i thought that was an attractive car that was somewhere in your price range. I think the porsche cayenne is a nice car! I would die for that car especially the cayenne turbo..

 

 

i really like everything about the xc90 except the headlights.

 

I think I'd go for the MDX before the XC. The XC doesn't offer any additional tech from the MDX, plus, it doesn't have the reliability of the Acura. I think for me, someone who appreciates handling and also likes tech, the field is narrow. BMW and Acura are at the top for me. Lexus has the GX (to trucky for me) and the RX (to girly for me). Mercedes has the GL (to unreliable for me) and the ML (to small for me). Volvo, Cadillac, Audi, they all have things that turn me off but I'm not going to bore anyone with that list. If the BMW X5 was $15k less I think it would be a winner but at $70k loaded, it's just overpriced. It's worth $55 at MOST.

You gotta be willing to pay for that cachet if you are going to buy a BMW or MB. I guess I just don't love myself enough to spend $15k more then I should on a car.

HEY, that's a good new slogan for Acura!

ACURA; For those who love cars more then themselves.......

I like that

 

*Never* underestimate cachet.

This is one of top criteria even for people who don't admit it.

It is bad HAVING TO BUY your second choice... if the first is within you reach, of course.

 

touareg maybe?

i can't justify spending $20k more just for a few other options. both seem to deliver what you want generally. thinking of $20k, you could spoil a nice new car for a 16-18 year old at that price...

i would have loved a $20k car 2 years ago, even now i would have loved if my parents bought me a car.


i say unless you're in love with the x5, like honestly dream car. go for it.

 

I would take either one.

 

I'm not saying that the Touareg is a POS, but here's a personal story I wanna share...

a couple years ago... one of my clients asked for my opinion about SUV's... and it was around the time when the Touareg first came out. So, I simply suggested her to take a look... I really didn't know much about it. Anyway, next thing I know, on her next session... she tells me that she went and looked at some... and ended buying one (a V8). I was kinda surprise that someone would just run out and buy a car from a simple suggestion from me... anyway, since she's had it... she's had nothing but problems... I think another visit or two to the service dept. and she can claim the "lemon law". And I guess supposedly, according to her... the service dept. threats her really bad... often times not offering a loaner, so she's had to rent cars while it was in for service (something there doesn't seem right) Anyway, I feel bad cuz, I still train her on a weekly basis... and as some of you know... back in March, I picked up an Infiniti FX45... and I've dressed it up a bit (wheels, springs, exhaust, smoke'd tail lights) and I've been getting a lot of compliments... including her. And I know she's thinking... "why didn't you suggest THAT car back then???!!!"

 

No, I wasn't in love with the X5. That's why I decided (along with everyone's help here) not to buy it and wait another 6 months to see what rumors start emerging about the 09 MDX, RX, X5, etc. I spent a good amount of time analyzing the x5. The one I wanted was on the showroom floor so I had a great opportunity to explore it and then test drive one. Bottom line; I'm not paying $70k for that suv, it's overpriced. I can certainly afford the payments, but, I'm not rich. $20,000 is still a lot of money for me to piss away. I'm too sensible to bring myself to overpay for something simply because I like the styling. It's not like you're deciding between a $50 shirt and a $70 shirt. This is big money and logic must prevail.

By the way, sat in a 750Li while at the showroom. For another $100 a month I could have been in that car!!!! Man, I wish I was in the market for a sedan. THAT car seemed a like good value. It always seems the top end vehicle in a line is the best value. I think manufacturers accept less profit on these lower volume cars just for the "halo" effect they produce.

 

I can't imagine the mid-cycle refresh on the MDX to be earth shattering, Honda will usually add a few additional luxury features, but they don't tinker with the powertrain.

Next RX? If it's for teh wifey, I'll give you a pass. :wink:

X5? You've already decided it's too expensive and given the Euro/USD exchange rate it will only get more so.

 

The vehicle is PRIMARILY for the wife, but, I'd still need to drive it too. I agree the current RX is too curvey for my taste (like most Lexus' sedans except maybe the IS). But, it's getting a redesign in 09 and getting stretched to a 7 seater (so they say). I'll reserve judgement until shots come out. So far I've only seen test mules so we can be sure something larger is coming but can't determine what sheet medal changes they are planning

If Acura announces they are adding keyless start to the MDX for 09 and maybe an adaptive cruise option, then it's a slam dunk decision, regardless of what Lexus does to the RX.

 

I'm having trouble finding a model change matrix for Acura. Can anyone tell me the different features between the 07 and the 08 MDX? As far as I can tell, the only diference is the auto-dimming rearview mirror, but there's gotta be more than that...

 

also the removal of the color aberdeen metallic. Thats it really, they fixed some minor issues such that have been corrected on 07's by dealers.

 

^^ I'm asking cuz Acura dealers here are dicounting the 07's very nicely to make way for 08's and it's pretty compelling as long as we're not missing out on anything significant.

Although, swore I'd never buy another first year model.

 

if you're willing to wait to see what kind of changes will be made for a refreshed MDX and/or next generation RX, would you consider looking into the next generation infiniti FX?

supposedly that's going to be a bigger car too (7 seater).

 

No, I don't like the current FX and I'd be reluctant to buy a first year Nissan. Buying a Nissan/Infiniti product always worries me (especially a first year model). They're more hit or miss then Toyota and Honda. I think a moron could walk into a Honda dealership and buy the first car they saw, and not make a bad decision. The new MDX is very solid for an FMC.

Nissan is a different story. They make the M , but also make the QX You just gotta walk carefully in their dealerships to avoid stepping in shit.

 

Neither.

We owned '06 X5 V6 (wife drives) and it was ok then but not anymore. Heck, my 6.0L modded GTO has better gas mileage. So, gas mileage issue, too heavy and with more frequent trips we decided to actually lease this time more efficient, powerful with more cargo room '08 Lexus RX 350. The upgraded '07 X5 still felt heavy but has more room and some extra features however gas mileage still unacceptable. The only reason we didn't like MDX due to a bump in the middle of the back seat. We have 9mo. old twins and we want someone to seat between them so flat bench is a must.