tigmd99

The GX ALWAYS sends power to both ends...ALL THE TIME...THE REST OF IT'S LIFE. IT IS ALWAYS IN 4WD ALL THE TIME. This is NOT the case with the MDX. This is a huge difference...i am not sure why you do not see this.

Low speed off-roading?? Do you mean 4-LOW mode?? Yes, the GX has this...MDX never had it. Again, i have no idea what you're trying to say. So, for low speed off-roading, the GX trumps MDX by a freaking mile with it's fulltime 4wd with 4-LOW. MDX merely gets by with this bogus "VTM LOCK" BS which is clearly false advertising.

Oh wait, i have to explain to you what 4-LOW means. It is a means to multiply your engine drive power by a factor (2.56 i think on GX). So, whatever your engine outputs is multiplied by 2.56...so, the power that your tires get is much higher than what your engine puts out. In addition, and equally important, 4-LOW provides tremendous control of your vehicle's power delivery and overall off-roading driving. It allows you to go slowly (but with plenty of power on tap), allows you to go up and down with tight control of your speed/power.

Just by your weird logic, the GX can do what MDX does all the time instead of only below 18 mph. So, even with your weird logic, your argument goes down the drain!

Once again, you do not know off-roading. You have no clue. Go out of your sheltered life and go off-roading with someone who has a clue!

Think this one thru...i don't want to embarrass you anymore. From your example...if you go over a rock, then why is the ground clearance better on independent suspension?? (Hint: it is not. in fact, solid axles are better in your example.) THINK IT THROUGH IN YOUR HEAD ABOUT WHAT HAPPENS TO THE VEHICLE AS IT GOES OVER A ROCK ON ONE TIRE. (Hint #2: see picture i posted above.)

A Jeep Wrangler Rubicon will be better than H1 in most places, except for wide open sand driving or over washboards. Hell, i will even challenge that my G500 can do more stuff better than H1 can with those exceptions.

Och

iTrader: (3)

Yeah, and Acura's system also sends power to all four wheels all the time. Im not sure if you realize that.

I butchered your picture here a little bit. That's what it would look like if the H1 didn't have an independant suspension.

tigmd99

Acura is 2wd unless you accelerate or something like that. It ain't full-time. It is an AWD system.

Keep thinking about your situation. Looking from the front of the vehicle. As the independent suspension approaches a rock and goes on top of it, what happens?? The tire that is on the rock goes up, right? Well, what happens to the differential (center of the suspension)?? Ahhh yes, it stays at the SAME height. It does NOT move up with the suspension stroke. This is why independent suspension is good ON-ROAD, but bad off-road.

Same situation with a solid rear axle that is ALREADY higher than independent suspension (9.5" vs. 8.0" remember?). So, as the solid axle on one side goes up the rock, what happens?? The whole side of the axle goes UP. The diff pumpkin actually goes UP...thus, increasing clearance over a huge boulder...and the increased in clearance is over a wider area too!

Then you add in that solid axles are inherently stronger than independent suspension and more durable, it isn't a contest at all.

Go to any local off-roading/rockcrawling place and ask them which type of suspension they prefer. I would bet 99.9999% of people would say, "solid axle."

Och

iTrader: (3)

Thats absolutely not true, its full time AWD, although its FWD biased. It sends something like 70% of power to the front wheels and 30% to the rear wheels, and has the ability to vary the power distribution depending on slippage. With VDIM on it sends full power to all wheels, but it should only be used offroad at low speeds.

Doesn't that scenario vary depending on the spring/shocks rates?

But that pumpkin is still there and can become an obstacle, while the control arm goes up and is completely out of the way.

Well, obviously, since there aren't any vehicles with independent suspension that are suited for offroad use. Vehicles like MDX aren't very durable for offroad, and H1 is just too expensive and overall impractical. Plus you have readily available lift kits and other modifications for the solid axle systems.

ben_caron

1st gen pathfinders were body on frame with an underpowere engine.
2nd gen (the one I owned) was a unibody with an "ok" engine.
3rd gen paths are back to body on frame with an appropriate engine.

And clueless execs at nissan are going back to a unibody crossover styled pathfinder for the 4th gen.

ben_caron

Could not agree more. No use trash talking other vehicles: both have strenghts and weaknesses. MDX outdoes the GX on any track, any day of the week, while the GX outdoes the MDX on any dirt road. As I said, if I had to own just one car, it would be a close call between the CX-9 and the MDX, with the MDX ahead in my book.

tigmd99

MDX has VDIM?? Or are you talking about VTM?? As noted above, VTM-4 does NOT reliably lock the front and rear together...and has durability and reliability issues. VTM does not have any effect on lateral distribution of torque. Even if VTM-4 does work as advertise, then how is this equivalent to GX's lockable center diff and low-range??? Do you even understand what 4-LOW is?? Damn, i spend all the time explaining you this and you still do not understand! Is it that hard to understand??!! Let me try and explain this to my 3-month old and see if he understands this before you!

Are we talking about the new MDX or old MDX?? The old MDX only sends power to the front until either there is slippage or under acceleration. The new MDX only sends 10% of power to the rear most of the time.

The problem with these systems is that it is REactive. Acura SH-AWD attempts to solve this problem by sending power to the rear when you're accelerating or around corners. Good solution, but it is still not as proactive as having 50/50 power split all the time...the nice thing about GX system is that it does vary even more torque to the rear under certain conditions too. So, it's better than MDX's system in this regard because it does what the MDX does BUT has even 50/50 torque split other times while MDX only sends 10% to the rear.

I hope that i am not teaching you something that you don't already know about your own MDX!

NO, the above advantage of solid axle over independent suspension does NOT depend on shock/spring rates. The vehicle weight will compress both shock & spring on the side going up the rock. The axle pumpkin moves out of it's own way when going up the rock...the clearance actually increases, unlike the differential of the independent suspension which still hangs at same height.

BTW, the MDX control arms are actually fat (stamped steel) and hangs low. Control arm goes from the center and dips down low and then go slightly up to the tire. So, really, if you look from the rear of the MDX, all you see are the control arms...it's only at the very center that is 8.0".

See this thread for more info on your ground clearance: http://www.acuramdx.org/forums/showt...threadid=26050

Remember, the GX pumpkin is 9.5" off the ground. The MDX's center axis is only 8". So, right off the bat, the GX is higher, even with the pumpkin. And then you add in the advantage of the solid axle over the rock, it's a no-brainer.

So, we agree, the MDX is not built for off-roading...then, why the hell are you arguing?!! Dude, accept it, your MDX (not new one) was based on a freaking minivan, which was based on an Accord!! It was low to the ground with body parts hanging everywhere near the ground. No skidplates...no protection whatsoever.

End of discussion.

ben_caron

• Untrue, it is NOT full time AWD, it's a clutch pack. Furthermore, the 70/30 split is the original SH-AWD that was used on the Honda Prelude and the Acura Legeng or its successor.

• The MDX model is 90/10 FWD biased, just like the CX-9 and the Acadia. This was a real turn-off for me...

• The GX can and always uses full time 4WD at ANY speed, and it will not damage anything. No clutch packs in there.

• Hmm didnt you just claim the MDX would give the GX a run for its money?

• I thought the Hummer was the ultimate beast? I'd go back to my Grand Cherokee over any Hummer, any day of the week.

Why do you despise the GX so much? You've never even driven one according to one of your posts!!!

Craniotes summed up everything:
In conclusion, as a daily driver on pavement, IMO the MDX is a better car (notice that I said "car"). But again, if life takes you off-road, a true SUV like the GX beats the MDX like a bad monkey, and the trade-off is negligible for most drivers.

Vive la difference, I say.

tigmd99

Here are a few owners talking about VTM-4 and off-roading:
"It's also worth noting that operating in VTM-4 is a bad idea unless your stuck. I think it locks the rear differential which means that if you turn, the wheels will still turn at the same speed which causes one wheel to spin; when you turn one wheels turns faster than the other.

VTM-4 is a bail out for getting out of a ditch, mud, or up an icy driveway; it shouldn't be used for regular offroading unless you get stuck or think you might get stuck, and it should be turned off immediately upon clearing the area."

"I remember one early pioneer who took it "three-wheeling" over rocks, and bent the rear opening so much he couldn't get the hatch closed."

"Personally, IMHO, from a purely "ground clearance" standpoint the MDX does not live up to it's Medium duty claims. I remember reading a test (in some trucking magazine, I think) where they said some component of the MDX hit hard during an off-road drive........I'm almost convinced it was one of the suspension control arms which hang dangerously close to the ground (I've gone under an MDX and physically measured the clearance at the arms and it's about 7.6 inches from the ground and around 7.2 inches at the extreme edge)

.........So, in conclusion, I would believe the MDX is suited mainly for light duty off road applications. Consumer Reports came to a similar conclusion in their evaluation of the MDX"

Enough said.

LexFather

Exactly. Both are SUVs that are aimed differently and are executed differently. Both have their highs and lows. The GX won 4 wheel off-roader of the year twice, not bad for a luxury SUV.

The MDX is more RX than anything, with more room and more sport. The GX is more RR than MDX.

LexFather

By this post, Acura is the perfect brand for you.

GatorGreg

I'm guessing he also prefers blow up dolls to real women


Wow, is that right? The guy's never even driven a GX and he claims it's "substandard"? Too funny

Och

iTrader: (3)

I misstyped, VTM is what I meant. And old MDX sends power to all wheels all the time, get your facts straight.

Pearlpower

iTrader: (2)

Och, it is you that have posted so much erroneous information that your entire credibility on this thread is nil and at this time it appears that you are more interested in baiting for an argument than to present straight facts.

You have no interest in a SUV , know nothing about them other than what you pasted in the past few days, absolutely know nothing of the GX which you dissapprove of only from a stand point that you did not care for how others have posted about Acura being near luxury and so you thought this was a welcome call to you entering this discussion and starting arguments in a subject matter of which you have no interest in.

When I stated above that you should bow out gracefully I meant it to help you out as your continued limited knowledge on the subject does not place you in good standing here.

Are you cognitive of how you come across here?

Och

iTrader: (3)

Yeah, I'm sure the MDX would give the GX a run for its money offroad. Some people make it sound like the MDX is completely uncapable, but thats simply not true. It's got a pretty beefy suspension setup compared to many other crossovers, and while it's not as durable as the GX, it will hold its own.

In any case, if you intend to do hard core offroading, there are much better options then GX or MDX.

I wouldn't want to drive a Hummer on daily basis either, but for offroading a stock GC just wont compete with H1.

And why do some members here despite the MDX so much? They probably never even driven one either. I personally don't care for either MDX or GX, SUV are just not my thing, but I find it hypocritical when people that are driving a rebadged 4Runner call the MDX "near luxury" or "still a Honda". I personally don't judge a vehicle by the badge, I judge a vehicle by what it is. Both Acura and Lexus have their own share of good and bad eggs, but in the case of MDX vs GX, the MDX is just seriously better. Offroading aside and towing aside, it beats the GX in everything else - luxury, egronomics, space, utility, build quality, acceleration, handling, ride quality. It will outrun the GX on dry, wet or snowy road, unless there's like 3 feet of snow. I can't think of a single reason to get the GX over the MDX unless you planning to offroad. Of course, you could argue that the GX has real wood, but I personally don't care, the fake wood in the MDX looks gorgeous.

And I doubt very much that Lexus uses real wood, I know my LS does, but I highly doubt my GS has real wood. Take the wood shiftknob off in any of the newer Lexus vehicles - it's hollow inside. I'm pretty sure it's molded plastic.