Ramblings about the MDX……I’m on my fifth MDX (2001 Touring, 2005 Touring+Ent, 2011 Advance, 2017 Advance, & 2020 Advance). I shop other vehicles (RX, X5, QX60, Q7, Discovery) but believe the MDX has offered the best overall value for the money. I said I was done after 2011, but in 2017 they got rid of the beak and added enough upgrades in the refresh that I stayed with them. I intended to buy the 2017 at the end of the lease, but the lease incentives in March on the 2020 were too good to pass up, so I re-upped at $120 per month less than my payment on the 2017 for an identical vehicle. Plus Acura has a great lease program if you lease another vehicle. They will roll unused miles into the new lease or waive up to 7,500 excess miles. After I leased my 2017 I, unplanned, bought an LS from a client/friend in 2017, then bought a S550 in 2019 from another client/friend so I had 10,000 unused miles that got rolled into my 2020 lease. So, I am paying for a 3yr/10k lease when I can use 40k miles during the lease term.

I would agree with the mention above about the brand being a premium brand and not a luxury brand. The 17 was the first with real wood in the interior and my 20 has more wood. On the MDX forum we would call the interior plastic that looks like wood “Plood.” No heads up display, massage seats, etc, although my 2017 and 2020 has heated second row seats!

There has been comments of decreased reliability, but I have no complaints. Most significant issue was shock replaced under extended warranty on my 2011.

The 2021 seems to me to be a redesign with potential engine change to base model. I can’t see much of an upgrade in technology over the 2020, as my Advance has the typical tech features. Naturally there are already complaints on the MDX forum. Many with the base model say they won’t buy it again if it has a 4 cylinder. In the past, the same 6 cylinder engine has been in all three trim levels (obviously hybrid is different).

 

Sounds like base turbo-4 and optional turbo V6 for the upcoming MDX.

 

.......and has been, probably for the last 20 years or so.

 

The thing with this whole premium vs luxury battle is that if the Acura prices itself out of its current price bracket. Those first leaked interior shots of the Acura seems like theyre going to keep the same level of material usage as the TLX, RDX but up their value proposition with digital screens (1 for the cluster and 1 for the infotainment). So hopefully the price increase isnt too heavy.

The issue remains is what Lexus does. Infiniti's has gone serious with its upcoming QX60 is also finally make some waves with a much better dash layout at least in the so-called leaked interior pics.

 

Lexus doesn't have the image issues that Infiniti and Acura do, so there's less incentive for them to upgrade their lineup. If the Germans and Genesis can't convince them, then I doubt Acura and Infiniti have much sway either.

I will be very surprised if the MDX offers a full digital gauge cluster when the TLX doesn't. And the TLX is no longer the bargain it once was either.

 

in terms of styling the 1st gen is easily the best looking, and yea after that it became increasingly more of a big hatchback in terms of interior space and ground clearance... BSM was almost essential as the rear visibility got worse and worse, which was why my dad was set on getting the advance package which was the only way to get BSM at the time

the 3rd gen was literally like driving a tall heavy car, still nice with the 6 speed but after the 2016 got the ZF 9 speed it was just too many gears and there was basically no point in using the paddles anymore

 

I'd say Lexus has different image issues. While Infiniti and Acura don't offer anything like the LS or LC for example (well there's NSX I guess), Lexus doesn't offer anything like a whole bunch of the models and trim levels that Mercedes, BMW and Audi do.

Lexus is no doubt well aware of what all competitors is doing and what they do and don't do will be determined by their goals and strategies as well as the competition. For all we know they may not be that interested in competing head to head with any of the 'competitors' (let's face it, for the most part, Lexus does its own unique thing, which is one thing I love about it) and are working flat out on EVs and new 'form factors' of transportation (plus bat robots ).

 

I think Lexus has a few advantages over their competitors. BMW and Audi as well Acura have no hardcore enthusiast body on frame models. Lexus also has a bevy of hybrids and now have a EV Lexus UX available in Europe and China. Lexus also has the ES sedan market all to themselves

 

Agreed that having at least some BOF vehicles is a plus.


That, I'll have to disagree with. The Europeans, Koreans, and even still some domestic sedans from Cadillac all provide competition for the ES. Some are FWD, some RWD, and some AWD.

 

RX is a brand of itself and the numbers show (the BOF market has little effect on a affordable crossovers).
The problem isnt that the RX is a bad product, its just that the other products that are on the market or are about to hit the market have really stepped up their game as just about anything that is a crossover will sell in huge numbers.

Waiting for that premiere, to see if those infotainment shots really do add up to the real thing on the 4th gen MDX.

 

When Lincoln cancelled their FWD sedans and Buick said goodbye to the Lacrosse and Cadillac’s XTS....Lexus now has that segment to themselves. Genesis would do really well with a FWD sedan but they would need a hybrid option that’s for sure

 

You're only looking at trees....not the forest. It's true that the domestic FWD competition in this segment (Buick/Cadillac/Lincoln) is gone, but, in the ES segment, it doesn't only compete with FWD vehicles....I disagree with those who say it does. A number of RWD/AWD sedans from Cadillac, the Europeans, and the Koreans also provide competition....especially now that the RWD Lexus GS is being phased out.

 

I'd argue that the ES competes with the CLA and 2-Series Gran Coupe. Even though the latter two are dimensionally smaller, all 3 are FWD-based platforms and priced similarly as entry-level offerings into their respective brands. The Acura TLX was somewhere between an ES and IS, but the new design has now has moved upmarket into being a tweener between where the IS and GS were positioned.

If Mercedes brought over the LWB A-Class from China to the States, it would most certainly be a 1:1 competitor to the ES.

 

I don’t agree. The Lexus ES is now in a FWD forest all to themselves. Add in the Avalon too. MkZ and Lacrosse and XTS made a good effort...the rwd sedans are in a different segment

 

Except i bet most ES buyers wouldn't know what wheels propelled it if their life depended on it.