I thought so too but it's only on paper apparently. Alex on autos from YouTube tested both of them and the mdx came in at 6.1 sec vs 6.5 for the rx. Big difference from the 5.9 for the mdx and 7.9 for the rx that's advertised.

 

No but it can be a safety factor when passing. It's nice to have a little in reserve. Lexus advertises more power but it's apparently slower than my 2010. Kinda like the saying....you never have too much gas unless you are on fire. Never too much power either.

 

Interesting. I feel the 2016 seems to not break a sweat compared to the 2014.

 

Would you say the 2016 is quick, slow, average? Similar to the poster above, I don't want to get caught with no power if I need to pass or merge. Any issues with that?

 

I have never owned a MDX ergo not able to compare the two vehicles. I can tell you that I have had the RX350 for the last 18 days and I love the car. It suits my needs. A third seat , for my wife and me, is a complete waste, that's one reason I never considered the MDX.
This car is quiet, comfortable , tight ( no rattle -no matter the road condition), well appointed, and the fit and finish is excellent. Also, the handling is fine. If I wanted a car to enter the Grand Prix ,I would have gotten something else although there are times on back, windy roads, I do see how well it handles-- verdict ( repeating myself) fine for me, not so much for my wife when she's with me.
Bottom line--I'm glad that I sold my 2013 RX 350 ( 19,600 miles on it) and got this vehicle. BTW-- I was not sold on the grill but now I love it. As to waiting-- can't help you there but , personally, given my age ( good health though) I don't buy green bananas. Also, I don't like planning trips for next year- maybe three months from now ok. Good luck with your decision, You will make the one that's best for you.

 

I would also add that the seats are much more comfortable that the 2013 and the safety features are terrific. I am leaving out some things but you get the idea.

 

If I would to get a 3 row SUV then I will get Highlander.

 

Which packages and features did you get? I would only be getting the premium package, moonroof, heated and ventilated seats. No navigation since I usually just use my phone anyways and without the additional packages it looks like I wouldn't be about to get the additional safety features until the 2017 model is released. I wonder if that effects people's opinion of the vehicle?

 

AWD, premium pkg, 20" wheels, h&c seats, safety pkg, moonroof, nav, heated steering wheel, bamboo matte int., -(-this is off the top of my head) Originally Posted by cec327 View Post

Just picked up RX350 AWD--- $ 53,299 - MSRP
$ 49,772 - Invoice
$ 47,696 - Sale Price
$ 51,222 - OTD ( 6% sales tax; tags; and dealer fees)
$ 49,772 - $47,696 = $ 2,076 under invoice * this price does not include the complimentary mud guards that will be installed when the arrive at the dealer.

Truth be told-- I am stunned to get such a deal.

 

That's sounds like a great deal. I'm basically shooting for under $45k otd with a $48k MSRP. I'm in Maryland with the same 6% tax. I'm thinking that might actually be doable closer to the end of the year after seeing your deal. Especially if the 2017 model is already out. Thanks for the information.

 

Both the 3rd gen RX and the 4th gen RX are showing independent test results for 0-60mph in the 6.8 to 7.1 second range. So yes, the MDX will be more fleet, but if 7 seconds and 295 horsepower are not enough to keep you out of harm's way, then I think you are not leaving enough room between you and the cars around you.

My first car had somewhere around 80 hp, if I recall (1985 Honda CRX HF). I remember when I got my '86 MR2, at 115 hp, and I was like "whoa...".

 

^^to be fair, your 1985 Honda was far far lighter. New cars have a lot of pig fat of weight to offset these gobs of HP.

The Miata 155 HP with 2100lb of weight is such a fun fun car....now that still wows me

 

It's not always about leaving enough room...like if someone switches lanes into you and you need to gun it so you don't get sideswiped. It's mostly just comparing what's out there and noticing that the mdx is advertised at a full 2 seconds quicker than the rx. That would definitely be the difference between having a bad day or not. After driving the rx it felt quick enough so I'm not that worried about it anymore. And the independent test seems to show that the difference is more like 0.5- 1 second.

 

^^^ In this case, it would be appropriate to look at 30-50 mph and 50-70 mph times.

MDX:
Top Gear, 30-50mph: 3.5 seconds
Top Gear, 50-70mph: 4.6 seconds

RX350:
Top Gear, 30-50 mph: 3.5 seconds
Top Gear, 50-70 mph: 4.9 seconds

http://www.caranddriver.com/reviews/...ic-test-review
http://www.caranddriver.com/reviews/...wd-test-review

 

Yeah the tests I saw put them close enough that it didn't matter anymore. Lexus itself shortchanges the rx at 7.9 to 60 though. That would probably be a problem if it was actually that slow. For my mostly city driving I was interested in the 0-30. I think tests showed the rx being quicker than the mdx to 30, which surprised me.

The quiet smooth ride probably hides how quick it actually is...but its hard to judge how quick these cars are when it's that close.