dms666

So the lease was up on my '04 RX330...what to do? With the relatively high residual and my growing family, I decided to look into other vehicles. I was looking at SUV's with three rows of seats. I found a beautiful '06 Acura MDX, fully loaded with navigation, backup camera, etc. so I jumped on it.

I am very impressed with this vehicle, even more so than the RX330. I had forgotten what a smooth shifting transmission felt like! I have no regrets with the RX but I am even happier now with the MDX.

The G Man

I did the opposite, went from a MDX to a Lexus, built quality is like night and day. My MDX was a 04 and it has tons of problem, I hope they have worked out those issues in the 06. Good Luck

Lexmex

You traitor

Just kidding

MDX is a good vehicle...one my slights against it is it sometimes rides like a tank, but it does have a lot of creature comforts and power to boot.

AM1

iTrader: (6)

i like the mdx, the ride is so much better and less "floaty". i might get an mdx when the lease on the rx is up. well that or an LX.

The G Man

That is one of the diff. between a Lexus SUV and an Acura SUV. The Honda will always handle better. Toyotas are more of a luxury ride. The other big diff. I have notice is that Toyota trys to build a good overall car, everything from engine, built quality and material used. Honda spends most of its R&D on engine and performance and lacks in built quality in my opinion.

Frankr66

you think the honda has a smoother tranny? seriously?

miniround

i've driven my mom's 06 mdx and I would have to agree that the ride is more sporty, compared to my 00 RX...

also drove an 07 mdx. I'd recommend that car to anyone. what a fun ride. It was like being in a sportscar, no joke.

But yes, if you want to have a sporty SUV get an MDX...but if you're looking to drive around in a million dollar living room get an RX.




...can't wait for a new LX

dms666

Absolutely! How many transmission updates did your RX require until it stopped that awful gear searching, hesitation, transmission slips, down-shifting, etc.? I had encountered many other owners with the same problem. Between the RX and MDX, it's like night and day. Yes, the RX has a nicer ride, but for the transmission, the MDX wins hands-down.

anulex

Having test drove both before opting for lex, i can comment with some sorth of authority. The MDX is a more sturdy vehicle. But the LEX, now that is lot more comfortable smoother and quieter. all i need is a bed and a big screen tv and i would sleep in my RX. The MDX imho is not as goodlooking as the Lex. I am a Honda man. My heart has a Vtec in it. Infact i own an Acura too. However, there is no SUV that rides as quiet and as comfortable as a lexus. For an SUV all i want is space and comfort and Luxury.

BBHanks

I couldn't agree more...

AM1

iTrader: (6)

i dont think honda build quality is any less then toyota. the main difference with honda and toyota i think is honda spends money on R&D and technology and focusing on a smaller group of cars. whereas toyota just keeps making a lot of cars and the bad ones or ones that dont sell good get killed after a while. i know for sure that if i could i would trade my RX in for a MDX, i would without a second thought.

The G Man

While the MDX looks good on paper and offer nice handling and a world class engine, the overall built quality of a Honda truck or suv is still very poor compare to Toyota. Honda had its share of transmission problem as well, there was thousands of MDX and TL transmission they had to replace due to over heating during the early 90s.Take this from a previous MDX owner who was once a die hard Honda man.
There is no question in my mind that Toyota builts a better overall vehicle. In the years pass, Honda use to have the best Japanese engine, but Nissan and Toyota have already caught up. Bottom line is Honda spends their R&D money on technology while Toyota spends the across the board, R&D, quality control, production technology, material research, built quality and drivetrain technology etc. Last year Toyota spend more on R&D than any other auto manufacturer in the world. IMO, the new Acura is not built to last like the old Acura Legends, remember those? They were built like a tank.

My3rdRX

I'm with you, dms666 ~ except I turned in my 04 RX for an 07 MDX.

I too love every thing about the MDX except I do miss the rain-sensing wipers and the adaptive headlights. According to Consumer Reports, Honda/Acura has the "best reliability overall...and consistently high test scores" (Apr 07) and the highest resale value of all makes. Also, the May 07 issue of Car and Driver rated the 07 MDX No. 1 in an 8 mid-size luxury SUV comparison (interesting that they didn't compare the RX350 to the MDX, but used the GX470 instead! The others are MB ML350, BMW X5-3.0si, Volvo XC90-Sport, VW Touareg-V6, Land Rover LR3-HSE and Cadillac SRX-AWD V8)!

Not too shabby !!!

rxovermdx

Totally agree with G Man, Honda/Acura uses cheaper plastics, wood, and I bet many more. When I took out the door panels on my old 06 Pilot(to swap speakers and to install Dynomat, I was shocked. There was one torn thin cotton sheet, they call it 'sound-proof material'.

Also, if you live in an area with lots of potholes and cracks, i.e. Chicago, LA...MDX interior will become a 'rattle chamber', but I must admit as a guy, I like MDX/Pilot exterior design (I am a firm believer that exterior is only good for show-offs and the overall ground-up quality is where u get real bang for your buck).

Jim

dms666

If I didn't know any better, I would've thought you were talking about the RX! The 330 was (and possibly still is) notorious for the creaking dashboard.