data2009

Good buy, Lexus crowd.

We traded today our 2010 RX 350 for 2012 Acura MDX. RX was a nice vehicle and many features will be greatly missed (especially push button start and mouse control), but having a need for a 7-passenger vehicle, we are back to MDX and it's winning formula.

RXSF

Congrats, the MDX has been a great success for Acura and I can see why for a 7 passenger vehicle. I thought the dash had way too many buttons but if you can live with that, Im sure the rest of the car is great.

Also isnt the MDX getting a bit long in the tooth? I feel like a newer one is around the corner.

data2009

True on both points, but after looking at everything on the market today, MDX still won for us over other contenders (JX35, X5, Q7, and GX)

And getting over 3K under invoice and 2.19% rate on a lease was too difficult to pass on.
Buttons galore is not a problem for me. Except one - push button start. This we'll miss a lot. My wife stared at "switch-blade" key for 2 minutes like it was an ancient artifact.

It's only for 3 years. Hoping then something else will show up. So far, for almost 12 years MDX still remains the king of this segment, IMO.

dctex99

And you were able to buy from DCH;; amazing, the one in Temecula has a horrible reputation!!!

data2009

This must be one of those East Cost - West Cost (no misspelling here) things. We did not know the dealership, it's not local for us. Very nice salesman. The easiest to deal with finance manager I met - actually advised us AGAINST getting extra service packages. Could be a bit more flexible with accessories, but overall very good experience.

dctex99

For sure; in fact when I saw your "MONTCLAIR" I assumed one in the Los Angeles suburb of Montclair; they have quite a few dealerships thru southern California....but not a good rep....Penske's dealerships are the best to deal with out here!!! Hope you like your MDX; I considered the RDX but could not get into it when I really looked it over; too much Honda in it!!

svofan1

Congrats.. I just went the other way...er...from MDX to RX, yes I had a 2010 and found it capable but for my taste the entrance and rxit on the front and the back as well is easier in the RX in my opinion. If 7 passenger is a must then yes by all means. MDX is a great SUVand noons has the adaptive awd that they do..and it does work great!...but (no discussion intended) somehow the poor mileage (not talking EPA, just REAL me mileage) and the fact that it requiered premium gas (I know..I heard all the comments), the lack of smartstart button etc, made change to the RX....enjoy your MDX in the best of health it is a great SUV...

GoHuskers

This is NOT just any MDX but it is an ADVANCE MDX which I dig. I think if I really need an 7 seater then MDX will be my pick. beautiful color too. $3 below invoice is hard to pass on.

Congrats and enjoy.

data2009

It's my 3rd MDX. I got 2010 RX on my way to get 2010 MDX, it was prior to last redesign. RX won me as I did not like the front/rear end treatment, and technology in RX was newer. We had 2 kids, but no need to move 7 people every weekend, so RX suited our needs well. Plus, wanted a taste of luxury and Lexus service.

After 3 years with RX, I'd say it was a nice vehicle, but not exceptional. Service in my experience was identical to prior 8 years with Acura. Same large LCDs, same coffee, same cookies, same wait times, same loaner requests. Bill was twice as much. RX had minor glitches, but overall it was great -- except for crappy Bridgestone tires I replaced after 30,000 with Toyo CUV Versados (absolutely great tires, I'd recommend them highly - those made in Japan).

I wanted to stay with Lexus, but GX is not exactly a family friendly 7-seater SUV. Not to mention gas consumption and traditional SUV structure.

Both me and my wife felt MDX kept that formula of being the jack of all trades, even if not the master in some of them. Overall, still a winner after 12 years since we picked our first year model.

As for mileage, my wife's city driving yielded around 15-16 mpg in RX. Maybe next we'll try a hybrid, whomever will get to 7-seater crossover with the right formula first. Infiniti had a great chance with JX, it's interior and tech are absolutely great, but CVT, driving dynamics, lack of power, and minivanish looks turned us away, regardless of boasted MPG.

data2009

Exactly! We did not even consider Tech. I absolutely love Acura's Navigation, although I miss mouse controller. Active cruise control is a cool feature, and cooling fans work way better in MDX. Milano leather and seats comfort are also superior to seats from my RX. My wife picked the color combo, and it looks great. Grigio color is somewhat brownish, and plays well with Ebony, which is also more of dark brown than black.

krypttic

iTrader: (1)

When my 2010 RX350 was totaled, I immediately purchased a new 2013 RX350 and found that although it was a nice vehicle, I was kind of bored. I also started to question whether it offered enough performance and features to justify the ~$50K price tag.

"Luckily" the 2013 RX I purchased had a defect and the dealer offered me a full refund after 1200 miles. I took them up on their offer and purchased a 2012 MDX Advance. As the model year is about to end, there are some great deals to be had. I got mine for about $3K under invoice ($7500 under MSRP) and received 0.9% financing for 60 months. I didn't need to finance the whole amount, but I did (I can do much better than 0.9% by investing the money instead of leaving a large down payment). The best Lexus could do for me on a 2013 was 2.7% financing and an RX for invoice (although I did manage to get one dealer to $1K below invoice on the last day of the month).

I think I made the right decision, but do miss some of the comforts of the RX, including:
- Push button start (I think I miss this most of all, scarecrow)
- Touch entry
- Front and rear parking sensors
- Better resolution navigation screen
- Easier control over personalized settings (and more of them)
- Mouse control (although I think the 2010 design with the side buttons is better than the 2013 design with the integrated button)
- Better bluetooth integration (where I could see the song title of the music I was streaming)
- Standard roof racks (these cost money on the MDX)
- A great looking exterior (I think Lexus nailed it on the 2013 refresh and the MDX front end kind of looks like a parrot fish to me).
- Real wood accents on the interior (MDX uses fake wood)--although Lexus is beginning to skimp on these accents now.
- The ability to tune HD radio stations (new with the 2013 model)
- Being given a $50K loaner car to use for the day when my vehicle was in for service

I think what was gained made it well worth it. The Acura MDX Advance has:
- A great SH-AWD system (much better than the RX)
- A really nice (and adjustable) suspension
- Collision Mitigation (brakes the vehicle and tightens seat belts if you are approaching a vehicle too fast)
- Active Cruise Control
- The ability to work the NAV system while the vehicle is in motion (this is huge to me)
- The ability to update NAV software via DVD (rather than pay a Lexus tech exorbitant labor to upgrade via the hard drive).
- A much better sounding audio system (than the premium Lexus one--I suspect the Levinson system is far better, but these are hard to find without placing a custom order). Some people complain about excessive buttons in the center dash, but I actually prefer pressing a button to going three screens deep on the NAV screen).
- Blind Spot monitors (not yet available on the RX, and probably not too common once it is)
- Multiple backup camera views (normal, wide view and top-down)
- More cargo room in the back (by 4 cubic feet)
- Third row seating (I'll hardly ever use this, but it's nice to know it's there and it comes with the extra cargo space)
- HID headlights and tow prep (transmission cooler, heavy duty alternator and radiator) are standard (these cost extra on the RX and aren't installed on many vehicles on the lot--again necessitating a custom order for some)
- MUCH cheaper maintenance (at least 50%)
- Larger tires (this is subjective, but I thought the 235's on the RX were a little wimpy)
- Individual tire pressure display (only the 450, not the 350 has this on Lexus)
- Much better seats (the Milano leather perforated seats are soft, comfortable and look fantastic. They also offer side support and extend longer in the legs).
- More attractive interior (I wanted a gray vehicle with a light gray interior and with Lexus, they only offer the dark wood now, which doesn't contrast well with the other dark parts inside). I have kids, so parchment wasn't an option (although it is gorgeous).
- Nicer interior lighting (I think it's LED)
- A sunglass holder!
- Much larger glovebox
- Better seat ventilation (I could barely notice this on my RX--even at full blast)
- Less common: I see about ten RX's on the road for every one MDX.

One of the selling points when I originally purchased my RX350 was the "Legendary Lexus Service." Truth be told, I haven't found it to be any better than the Honda or Acura dealers I've dealt with in the Phoenix area. In fact, there is certain arrogance with the Lexus service departments I've dealt with here such that if you question why they charge almost $200 to change your oil and do a visual inspection of the vehicle they think you're disrespecting them. The dealers in my area have a nice scam going to charge this much for standard maintenance, and it really disenfranchised me on the brand.

I am by no means bashing the RX350 (after all, I purchased two of them!). For me, however, the MDX Advance made more sense. For 2014, the model is due for a redesign and I suspect that many of the features I miss from the RX will be incorporated.

BTW, I now have a bunch of RX Accessories that I can't use anymore. I've posted a listing in the Classifieds Forum if anyone is interested.

DMC9114

@ krypttic: If you don't mind me asking, what was the nature of the defect that led to a full refund of your 2013 RX?

krypttic

iTrader: (1)

I've detailed in other posts my experience with a distorted front windshield that the dealer was unable to address.

kwbuggy

I guess we Canadians can at least be happy that the MDX is still built here in Ontario, at least until the Fall. Any reason that you didn't look at the RDX krypttic?

KA8

iTrader: (1)

Great choice! I didn't know it's a 7 seater. I've driven many RX's and wan't happy with floaty ride. Can't go wrong with MDX.