ngerstman

The new Acura MDX has gotten some rave reviews, brand new vehicle. My wife drives a 2011 MDX and I think that it is pretty good. The gas mileage sucks on the 2011 but is much better on the 2014. The new one is actually smaller than the old one, which is good and the interior is much nicer. A good value proposition but there are a ton on the road!! Thanks. Regards. Ned.

ngerstman

I considered a new Grand Cherokee before trading in my 2005 rx for the 2011 CPO rx. The user reviews scarred me away from the Jeep. Too many nightmare stories on brand new vehicles, from electical problems to tranny issues. No thanks!! While far from perfect, the standard rx still has the best trade-offs for my money and crappy NJ roads. Regards. Ned.

ngerstman

The only complaint about the MDX seems to be regarding the double video screen and the user interface. Not sure how much of an issue or just nit picking. Thanks. Regards. Ned.

SW17LS

The reliability is not great on the Jeep. Some of the stories really are scary (I post on a Jeep forum too), and being a longtime Lexus/Toyota owner I am really not used to constantly having little things that need repaired. For me its little things, but a lot of them (switches go bad, etc). Its a shame because the Jeep is a really nice vehicle. Hopefully one day they get it right.

ngerstman

What year Jeep do you have? How long have you had it and how many miles? How does it compare to the rx and which rx do you have? Thanks. Regards. Ned.

SW17LS

Its a 2011 (first year of the current generation), I've had it since new (2 years 3 months) 38,000 miles. I don't have an RX, but I looked heavily at the RX then and recently as I've considered replacing the Jeep since its out of warranty.

The Jeep is way more robust than the RX, its obviously heavier duty, better 4WD systems, more off road capable. The RX is much more road oriented, although the Jeep rides incredibly well on the highway. I think outside of the LS the Jeep may be the best highway trip car I've ever owned. The upper trim Jeeps are nicer inside than the RX, Overlands have leather dashes and real wood, nappa leather. Material quality is better on the upper models.

Reliabilitywise the RX will be way better.

ngerstman

I had generally read great things about the new Jeeps including how much Mercedes genetics that it has. The interiors looked great but I did find the exterior design ultra conservative bordering on boring. I was really surprised when I read so many user complaints about major problems in new to one to two year old vehicles. I would have thought that a few years into the model life they would have ironed of all of those issues. Too bad. I was looking for a five passenger mid size SUV and the reliability concerns really scared me away. At the end of the day, the trade-offs of the rx still seemed to be in the zone of the best available. It is as smooth as could be and beautiful but could use better driving dynamics. Thanks. Regards. Ned.

SW17LS

Different strokes I guess. I think the Grand Cherokee is the best looking SUV on the road personally. Its clean, masculine, I love it. We get more compliments on it than any car we've ever owned too, which surprises me because they are everywhere (there are 5 on my street alone). Just last week my wife was sitting at a stop light and a guy came up and knocked on the window just to ask her about the Jeep and say how much he liked it. Weird. Fast food drivethroughs, gas stations. People come up to me at the carwash...bizarre.

If anything it got worse with the 2014s. They introduced an entirely new infotainment system with a TFT gauge cluster and people are having a lot of problems with that. But, if it says anything about how nice a vehicle it is, even with my issues I'd buy another one over the other offerings in the segment. I drove everything, I did not drive one vehicle I would rather have than my Jeep...let alone a higher trim model.

Smooth...but as for beautiful we'll have to agree to disagree. Different strokes again I suppose.