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Review 3 of 172
Price Paid:
$39000.00
from Acura of Salem Year / Model Reviewed:
2007 MDX Strengths:
Reliable. Comfortable
Reasonable handling and road manners for an SUV/minivan type vehicle.
Cheapest car in it's market class.
Loaded with standard tech items for those who are impressed by them. Weaknesses:
Poor fuel economny for a car with such limited seating and towing capacity.
Many annoying "features" intended as luxuries which get in the way and can not be disabled.
Poor visibility to the rear.
High road noise for what is marketed as a luxury care.
Cheap looking interior, fake wood, etc.
Strange, dated, retro styling. Only a samall audience would like this look when you go to sell the car. Summary:
This is a comfortable, well made car that should appeal to those who like every kind of tech feature at a bargain basement price but be ready for poor gas mileage. If you are looking for utility be advised it will not tow a large trailer well or seat more than four adults comfortably. Although competent it does nothing particularly well to justify the price.
We bought this vehicle hoping it would tow a subtantial trailer. The tow rating, at 5,000lbs, appeared adequate. I swallowed some hyperbole from an independent professional review suggesting this vehicle could tow a horse trailer or a wooden sailing vessel. I was willing to overlook what I considered strange styling and a cheap looking plastic interior in favor of reliability in a sturdy car.
It has turned out to be comfortable and reliable. There have been only a few glitches which were fixed by the dealer almost before I knew they were there. Acceleration is adequate but not impressive. You have to rev the engine way up to get it to move in real world driving like entering the freeway. The seating is comfotable despite the hot in the summer and cold in winter low grade leather trim heated seats that only warm the bottom of the passenger side and not the back. It is high-centered yet stable in cross winds (for an SUV). Many of the features, like Bluetooth and an XM radio with a short teaser subscruotion go unused. I don't have the time for programming more gadgets. Some of the features are just annoying: If someone else in the family drives the car they will easily erase all of your presets for the radio by pushing the wrong button and replace them with random stations without evening knowing it. Some are worse. If the driver is not careful with the key when exiting and shoves it against something in pocket or purse it will roll down all the windows including the sunroof without your knowledge. Hope it does not rain because this and other annoying features can not be disabled. It has power window buttons which, unless you are light on the touch, roll the windows all the way down, Worse and even dangerous if there are children around, the windows roll all the way up without stopping. Again this feature can not be disabled. Visibility from this car is a serious, dangerous, drawback. No matter your height, you simply can not see well out the rear for backing. It is dangerous, and on occasion I have resorted to getting out and raising the tailgate to see where I am backing. You can order a backup camera as part of an option package, but I understand it takes 10 seconds to activate when you select reverse.
We have family including adult children coming and going, and this has been the last vehicle to leave the driveway. No one picks this car to go anywhere. The Volvo wagon is more practical, the Tundra will actually tow a heavy trailer, and the BMW 330i is fun to drive.
We had the MDX only 10 months. It just did not fill any real need well. I tried pulling a 5,000 lb trailer, but that horse the reviewer was saying we could pull had better be a skinny one if you think you are going pull that horse trailer with this vehicle. The smallest hills overwhelm it and the maximum tongue weight allowed is only 500 lbs. Gather any speed at all and it wants to sway from side to side. It is just to light, and has too little power and torgue.
In summary, this car is pleasant but forgettable. We decided sell it. You will not get much for it; they have a reputation as gas guzzlers. It will pull a trailer, but it must be a small one. The seating is comfortable, if you have only four adults, but if you are taking more, just take a second car. The "cargo" space is not large enough to justify chosing this over a sedan, and if you were to raise the little back seat, there is none. The performance in routine driving is adequate, but you can't see out the rear to back or change lanes. The "super handling" is not super, it's no better or worse than any other relatively heavy vehicle I drive and the vehicle is certainly nothing to look at. I would be very careful in buying one if you anticipate towing anything but a light trailer, and if you have determined you want to buy a Honda, chooe something like the Pilot where you will not pay for annoying "features" you may never use. I have never been impressed with gadgets and add-ons like moon roofs and thermostatically controlled heaters in a car. I prefer solid driving performance and reliability. This vehicle can deliver those for you but at more than you need to pay and burning more gas than you need to buy. There just isn't very much "utility" in the this sports utility vehicle. The MDX would be better for someome who really enjoys tech items like Bluetooth, XM and memory seats and does not mind that much of the features are pre-programmed and can't be changed by the owner. Similar Products Used:
BMW 3301, Toyota Tundra, Volvo V-70 wagon. Toyota Sienna minivan.
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