f=ma

gotta love the juxtaposition

Allen K

iTrader: (4)

If it was just you the wife and the Kid I'd say stick with your sedans. But you mentioned that you liked to bring the dog so I'd say get the SUV

SLegacy99

When I was little we lived in St.Louis and traveled to Chocago every Xmas. My mom had a Toyota Van and my dad a Honda Prelude.

LexFather

Bob,
Welcome to Clublexus. I think everyone has given pretty good advice an one SUV/one Sedan is a good move. Now I recommend getting an actual SUV and not something with no utility and it defeats 80% of the purpose of buying such a vehicle.

If she likes the MDX, don't argue, just get her what she wants if possible I'm no Acura fan but the MDX is the best looking out of the ugliest lineup around and it has ample space and I am also a fan of the interior layout (busy but different) and features. It has decent power and pickup as well.

If you want to save some money, look at the last generation Pilot. The new Pilot really doesn't do much anything better than the old one.

I also recommend checking out the Venza and Highlander. The new RX 350/450h has debuted as well.

Also check out the Buick Enclave. I think its superior or on par to the status quo (RX/MDX etc) and deserves a very good look.

Finally give the Hyundai Veracruz and Kia Borrego a look as well, they are also pretty good and get overlooked by many people.

CK6Speed

iTrader: (1)

When my wife got pregnant we traded in our BMW 3 series for a new RX330. It came in handy a lot. The convertible baby carrier car seat/stroller combo alone will take up practically all the trunk space (The stroller part) of a sedan. There is no question you can carry more stuff in the SUV. We were also moving at that same time and hauling all that stuff from one house to the other the SUV really did help out a lot.

My advice is to buy your wife the Acura MDX since she wants it. I personally am not really an SUV guy, but my wife wanted the RX330 so that is the car we got. Please the wife during this new time in your life and everything will be that much better

GS3Tek

iTrader: (8)

I myself used to say that too. I wouldn't trade the cargo space and convenience of a minivan over an suv

If she's set on the MDX, so why not get it then for her?

mmarshall

I agree with much of what 1SICKLEX has posted here. The Pilot would be an excellent choice.....pretty much the same vehicle, mechanically, as the MDX, but with a lower price and a more space-efficient, squared-off body that will actually allow you to carry more inside than the MDX. You could also check out the smaller Honda CR-V (I'm a big fan of the CR-V's build quality), but it might not be big enough, roomy enough, or have enough engine.....a V6 is not available.

The Enclave is roomy, with a big third-row seat, and is really plush looking inside (no question about that), but much of that rich-looking interior is actually the same old GM plastic underneath, with the wood-tone and chrome just being a surface coat......though the steering wheel has real wood. Its repair record, so far, according to Consumer Reports, has been worse than averate......mostly from body and hardware-related problems.

The Hyundai Santa Fe and Veracruz are also excellent choices, ride well on rough roads, and carry excellent warranties. They are also well-built, with good fit/finish, but I was not impressed, in my review, with the Veracruz's steering....it was almost complete novicaine.

LexFather

GOod post MIke.

We are to assume wagons are out the picture?

Neo

iTrader: (3)

You can get away with 2 sedans. With the dog, however, an SUV would definitely come in handy. We are a sedan/SUV family with the SUV being the previous gen MDX. When the kids were younger, the SUV helped with all their stuff. The SUV does come in handy when you need to haul stuff. Now that they are older, it is not as crucial. It has found new life as my business vehicle. Like Jim, the MDX has now become my clients hauler in my work as a Realtor. I also have room for all my supplies, signs, ... my mini-mobile-office.

I know not everyone likes the MDX. Your wife likes it (so did mine which is why we got it) so that should be a consideration. I know there are a lot of choices out there but I am happy with the MDX. If I will ever replace it, it will be with the current MDX or one of the larger MB offerings (GL, ML).

mmarshall

Thanks. So was yours before it.

Not necessarily. The Ford Taurus X, available with AWD, is a good possibility, with an average repair record for newer ones, but will soon be out of production. The Volvo XC70 (which I recently reviewed) or a used Audi All-Road would be classy choices, but both are rather pricey, and the All-Road is already out of production, necessitating a used one. Reliability of both has been worse then average. That's why I did not recommend them in my last post....but, for some people, reliability is not the most important factor.

The Subaru AWD wagons, IMO, are superb, reliable, and have an excellent AWD system (I myself, of course, own an Outback), but may (?) not be physically large enough for his needs. They are not particularly roomy inside, although the all-new 2009 Forester, despite its general cheapening inside, has noticeably more room inside than the 2008.

pisaykotik

We also have an SUV + sedan combo. The MDX gets used from the usual short trips to Costco/Ikea/all other huge shopping stuff to long roads trips. The interior space is just right for us. My son actually don't mind sitting in the back for several hours (ex. Bay Area to Las Vegas) as long as the DVD is on. Get an SUV, everyone will thank you for it.

MI350_55

Congrats on becoming a father!

Ditch the MDX and check out the new Pilot instead. You'll get more features and a better value for what you'll spend. The Touring 4WD w/ DVD is loaded and it still gets 24mpg on the highway .

roushracin

Thanks for the welcome and the congrats! I've been showing some of these posts to my wife and she loves the ones where everyone is telling me to buy her the MDX so she will be happy.

SoCalSC4

I just don't get this... driving an SUV makes her more youthful, and NOT a mommy?

I completely fail to understand American's phobia of wagons and vans.
By far they are the most useful, spacious, and offer the most carlike
driving dynamics.

Get her the MDX. Perhaps she'll shut up and settle down.

Otherwise you'll never hear the end of it.

SUVs ARE the new "mommymobiles." Perfect!

TwiBlueG35

I would suggest a Toyota Venza and a Subaru Forester.