Max707

Your wrong about this with the GX and 4runner. Your right that the MDX has a nice car like ride and the GX/4runner are more truck like. I am sure your MDX will do all you need on the road, some people just want more. You drive a Lexus, which is an over kill for transportation and there are cheaper cars that provide the same ride handling for less money. But you bought a Lexus, I guess its the same for the people that buy the GX versus buying a MDX.

Pearlpower

iTrader: (2)

Very true

The G Man

Och, have you every owned a 4WD car or suv before? My last 6 cars and suvs have been 4WD or AWD, so I know a little about them. The GX is not a RWD like you said, and you dont have to engage 4wd if you're trying to get out of snow/mud, and you dont have to revert back to RWD at higher speeds?
I have owned both the Gx and the last gen. MDX. The GX has a smoother ride even though it is truck base. The MDX as far as stability system is concerned, its one of the worst or maybe its the way Acura de-tune the stability system for add performance, anyway, it not good in the snow. Then again, I been spoiled by the Lexus stability system who is one of the best in the snow. Hack, my new GS350 AWD is better in the snow than my old MDX

tigmd99

Well, i think that you're in waaayyy over your head here. You clearly do not know much about 4wd systems and not much about the GX. You are wrong.

The GX 4wd system is a full-time 4wd system with a lockable Torsen center differential, low range, and 4-wheel traction control. The center diff distributes torque in varying amounts...50/50, 70/30, 30/70. Therefore, you are ALWAYS in 4wd all the time...torque is always going to both axles. It is an off-road capable 4wd system, unlike the MDX's.

Och

iTrader: (3)

Well in my case, Lexus stability system is their weakest point. The stability system in my GS is downright dangerous - it almost got me into accidents a few times, and since then I'm afraid to drive it agressively because I'm afraid the system will kick in and get me in trouble. I prefer to be in control of my car, instead of electronics taking over. And no offense, but if you rely on stability system for every day driving, then you should take some driving classes. Stability system is really something that should never engage unless it's a real emergency.

That being said, I haven't had any problems in snow in the past gen MDX with all season tires. I drove it in heavy PA snowfalls on mountain roads - no problem at all. It drives and handles very well - dry, rain or snow, unlike the GX which has heavy body roll and feels like it's ready to roll over when taking a turn. Heck, it's embarassing, but at high speeds the MDX handles better than my GS.

Och

iTrader: (3)

Yeah, I don't know much about 4wd systems, that's why I put the "correct me if I'm wrong" comment. In any case, like I said the GX is probably superior to the MDX for offroading, but Lexus does not market the GX as an offroader, and neither does Acura with the MDX. Both vehicles are marketed as Luxury SUVs, and the GX is just substandard with its **** poor handling and silly rear axle.

tigmd99

So, Och, you said earlier that you respect the Land Cruiser and LX, right? Well, the LX is marketed as a Luxury SUV too...and has relatively "**** poor" handling and a "silly" rear axle. What makes the LX OK, but not OK for GX??? You have too many contradiction in your statements. Hell, Mercedes markets my G500 as a luxury SUV, but it has TWO silly axles and really **** poor handling! (BTW, the GX470 brochure does show it off-roading...as does LX brochure.)

Marketing is one thing...what a SUV really does is another thing. I don't buy a vehicle by what it says in the brochure, i buy what i like/need. IMHO, if you buy the GX (or LX), then you get the best of both worlds (regardless of marketing/advertisements)...a vehicle that is comfy yet capable when the road ends. The MDX only provides one half of the world. Since you own(ed) the 1st gen MDX, then you know really well that Acura did in fact advertise the MDX in the early years as an off-road capable SUV. (I am on Acuramdx.org...so, i know a few things about MDX too.) Acura used to advertise how deep water it can go thru, what grade it can go up, how it's 4wd/AWD system is capable, etc.. So, isn't that equally false advertisement too????

And lets face it, if you drive aggressively in any tall SUV (MDX or GX), then you're a danger to society. No matter how good the MDX is, you just cannot deny physics...a tall station wagon will have worst handling capabilities (esp. in emergency avoidance) than a regular car. (If you MDX is a better handler than your GS, then there is something wrong with your GS!!) If you believe otherwise, then i really question your whole viewpoint.

tigmd99

As for Och's view of Lexus stability control, i agree with him. It ain't the best from what i hear. It is far too restrictive and has cause more than a few issues on my 4runner forum, esp. in bad weather where it refuses to let the 4runner get out of it's own way to avoid an accident!

Like i said before, CanadianDriver tested the Acura SH-AWD in the white stuff and found it to be very good.

The G Man

I guess the MDX have improve in its last re-design too. They went back to a mech. 4WD system from the electronic clutch pack design because they needed a more heavy duty AWD system for the SH-AWD system. The draw back is that now sometimes you can feel the rear wheels kicking in.
The Lexus stability system is tune for safety not performance, in the case of the GS, Lexus has added a stability off and a traction off function in their gen 3 GS. No matter how many driving class you take, you can never react as fast as a stability system and you simply do not have control of the functions that a stability system has, such as braking individual wheel to gain control.
The GX does lean more than the MDX on hard turns, thats due to the softer suspension. Like I said earlier, the GX with KDSS will flaten out the turns if handling is what you are looking for. Most GX buyer do not drive their truck like a BMS
If you think the MDX is good in the snow, you need to drive a GX or a 4Runner in the snow then you will realized what a good 4WD system can do in the snow.

tigmd99

Yeah, but at least, the MDX AWD system kicks in, unlike the Toyota AWD system!

I still don't see how the MDX SH-AWD system is worst than Toyota's AWD. Acura's system PROactively sends torque to the rear wheels. Most of Toyota's system is REactive...you must have slippage before it engages or sends power to the rear. (And as noted in video above, this part of the Toyota AWD is far from being effective.) The rear axle is overdriven and this allows for more than 50% of engine power to be routed to the rear tire(s). So, at least in the Acura's system, you know that you have a decent amount of power to the rear axle...not so in the Toyota's AWD system. It is possible that what you experience is more VSC than AWD.

Either way, i still think that the Acura SH-AWD system is superior to Toyota AWD. Remember, if Acura's system was not so good, then why is BMW copying the concept (overdriven rear tire[s]). I hear that Mercedes is heading down that road too. Again, if Acura system is so miserable in foul weather, then why are the big names copying it??? (BTW, BMW and Mercedes are major players in safety technology.)

patgilm

Defining "better" would help also. I considered the MDX before we bought our GX and the MDX did handle much better and was definitely faster than the GX. The MDX also has a better navigation system (although I personally don't care for it), better third row seating storage and HID headlights. However, the GX has better torque and towing capacity, better materials are used on the GX (real wood vs. plastic wood in the MDX, wood steering wheel and shifter, better leather, more comfortable seats, etc.), better off-road capacity that has true hi-low 4wd vs. AWD. I also personally think the GX has a better ride since it is smoother and not as harsh as the MDX which gives the MDX the ability to handle better and drive more like a car (if I wanted a car, I would have bought a car). While I did like a lot of things about the MDX, the one thing I could never get over was the looks. The styling, both the interior and exterior, are aweful. I would have a tough time looking at that thing everyday.

The G Man

BMW is copying Acura's SH-AWD because the system will improve handling performance, not snow performance. Like I said earlier, I would not put too much stock in that you tube video since its made by a Dallas Subrau dealer. They dont show the rear of the car in that video, who knows whats going on there, could be tie to a chain for all we know. Also, that ramp setup they use, the rollers can be locked or unlock, so they may be be able to semi lock it as well. Lastly, they only show one side of the car, who knows whats happening on the other side when they were doing that one wheel test.

tigmd99

But, at the same time, IF the Acura's system is flawed in snow, then the other major brands won't be copying it, right?! I doubt that BMW or Mercedes would copy something that is not safe in snow since, like i said, these two manufacturers are leaders in safety technology. I am sure that Acura's system is the future of AWD. Oh yeah, I think that Mitsubishi EVO X also has a similar overdrive system...so, add yet another manufacturer who has copied Acura's idea.

The G Man

I have never driven the new MDX in the snow only on dry road. From what I have read in AcuraMDX.org is that it better than the last generation. I did owned the last generation MDX for 3 years and it is not too good in the snow. The SH-AWD is alot of fun to drive but did not handle as well as the new X5. For some reason, the new MDX did not feel like it had 300 HP.

tigmd99

So, why have been discussing this for the past 2-3 pages??!! Dude, you have NOT driven the new MDX in snow, yet you have proclaimed it to be bad in snow...worst than your RAV4/Highlander??!! Not to be hard on you, but what exactly do you have to base your unfounded opinion?? All facts to date are in favor of Acura's innovative system. What does dry road have to do with snow performance?? The new system is much different than what you had. You seem like a nice guy, but aren't you assuming a bit too much about the Acura SH-AWD??

As for the Acura MDX engine, i heard same thing...it ain't that powerful. I think that it is a relatively high-revving engine...there is only so much that you can do to a 3.7L V6 to get over 300 hp. Thus, i am sure that it is relatively weak at low rpms (unlike Toyota's engines, esp. GX470's engine). In addition, like Toyota, Acura's tranny is usually conservatively geared...so, that makes the feeling of power even less. The new Acura is also not light either...so, what you said is not surprising at all.

BTW, do you know a guy named, "wwest"?? He have found much faults with Toyota's AWD system...and unfortunately, he also has numerous Toyota tech info to back it up. In other words, Toyota AWD (at least found in Highlander, RX, and Sienna) are NOT very effective in distributing power rearward.