2007 Acura MDX user reviews

Pros Great combination of performance and comfort

Cons Front grill styling may be too bold for some

Summary We shopped extensively and compared the MDX closely to Volvo, Mercedes, BMW, Lexus, among others. While the MDX may not have beat any of its competitors across the board, it did beat every one of them overall.

It has a great ride, terrific handling, and very good performance (if you want to go faster, get something other than an SUV).

Its technology is top notch. I strongly disagree with the CNET reviewer, who complained about the technolgy being old. The MDX's tech is as good or better than the other cars in its class (voice recognition is second to none), and is well tested technology from the RL and RDX. If the reviewer is right, how can the RL and RDX get recent high reviews from CNET for the same technology?

Comparing this model to the Lexus RX350 and the Infiniti FX35 is a waste of time if one of your requirements is third row seating, since neither of those cars have a third row.

Every car has its shortcomings, and every owner has his or her pet peeves that can cause a car to be disfavored, but the MDX should stack up well to any mid-sized luxury SUV with a third row of seating.

Pros Tons of tech for a great price, great handling, lots of space.

Cons Backup camera take time to come on, pretty big blind spot in the back, extra gear would have been nice.

Summary First off, how can the MDX receive a 6.9 from CNET when the RDX which actually has less tech (No available DVD entertainment, no heated back seats, no memory settings, no passenger power seat, power left back hatch, etc) get a higher rating at 9.0? It is beyond me. I could only think of the price difference being a reason, but for $8,000 more, you're getting a larger car with way more options. Not only that, but cars like the X5 which is over $20,000 more got a better rating!!! CNET got it wrong big time!

We test drove the X5, RDX, MDX, Mazda CX9, and others. For your money, you only need to find the nearest Acura dealer (especially with the 2.9% financing they have going on for a limited time). Only the CX9 seemed to have better room for third row occupants compared to the MDX. In the CNET review, they said that the storage in back of third row was almost non existent. Well, go look at the fully-equipped, $70,000 X5 and you'll see it actually has half the cargo space in back of it's third row when compared to the MDX! Let me give you the comparisons between the MDX and X5 for cargo space:

Third row up (X5 - 7.1 Cubic Feet, MDX 15.0 Cubic Feet)

Third row down (X5 - 21.9, MDX 42.9)

Second row down (X5 - 61.8, MDX 83.5)

Driving it is awesome. We really hit the speed bumps and corners on our test drive and were really impressed. Comfort wise, I'd give the nod to the MDX, driving wise, I'd give the nod to the X5. Both are great in either situation. I do love the brakes in the MDX though, they are the best I've ever experienced in a car, especially for an SUV.

Second row passengers get spoiled. You have theater seating so that they see higher than the front passenger and driver. Also, the dvd screen is up on the ceiling instead of the floor as in the X5. When driving with the dvd screen down, I can still easily see through the back window with the review mirror (the dvd screen gives only a slight obstruction). On the other hand, with the dvd screen on the center console as in the X5, third row occupants will have to lean and look over the the second row to see the screen. Not only that, but you better watch your knees or you'll smash that screen right off!

Also, the second row seats are as comfortable as the front row driver/passenger seats. They are huge and give you tons of leg/shoulder room. Get the entertainment package and you even get heated seats back there. They really do get spoiled.

Other tech like GPS navigation, bluetooth hands free calling, XM radio and traffic, and tons of voice commands just add to such a good buy. I heard cons about the GPS screen not being touch screen. Let me help clear this point. The GPS navigation screen is out of hands reach anyways. The screen is put up on the dash for very easy viewing. Look at the review for the 2008 Subaru Tribeca on CNET and you'll see why a touch screen in this case would be unusable anyways. Not only that, most touch screen models limit your use of the touch screen when driving.

Just use the voice commands though and you will be more than happy about not having a touch screen - and yes, you can use all commands even when driving. Instead of plotting a course to go home, I just say "Go Home" and the damn thing will route me home. Need to find a restaurant, just say "Find Restaurant". Let's say it gives you 5 choices, just look at the number next to the restaurant you want and say the number. It is really that easy. Keep your fingers on the wheel and off of the screen!

So to finish this mini-review off, you get so much for your money compared to other vehicles while still attaining that luxury feel. Go test this baby out and see for yourself. Oh, and CNET, go work on your scaling when it comes to reviewing cars. You're all over the map!!!

Pros DVD Navigation, Voice Recognition, Usable third Row!

Cons Should have rain sensing wipers

Summary Wife and I were in the market for luxury crossover and narrowed our choices to the Lexus 350, BMW X5, Volvo XC90, and the LR3. Test drove all and researched all these vehicles to exhaustion (about 5 months). In my opinion, this is the class leader. While the BMW X5 is a great vehicle, the 3rd row is really a joke and to get the same features that my MDX has I would have to spend an additional $20K!! We ruled out Land Rover due to their poor reliability. The Lexus was a great vehicle but does not have 3rd row seating (only seats 5) so is not in same class IMHO. We are very happy with this vehicle. Acura reliability, not an expensive vehicle to own (my previous BMW had high cost of ownership), great use of technology, unsurpassed audio quality for a crossover suv, great handling, I could go on and on......SUV OF THE YEAR!

Pros Tech features, Sportiness, Exterior

Cons Fuel Economy

Summary I have the feeling whether you like the MDX or not will have a lot to do with how you like the front exterior. I personally like it. I traded in a '05 Lexus RX 330 and the Acura MDX has been a pleasant surprise. It feel much sportier than the RX, but is still a nice ride. Not as soft, but more fun all around.

Pros:

Sound system is really nice! Tech features work better than the Lexus I owned previously. Loving the HandsFree Bluetooth. Navigation is the best I've used ... not having a touch screen is no big deal at I ... I was worried it would be. The interior room is just right ... I appreciate that it's noticeably wider than the RX, but not much longer. The cargo area is substantially larger. Nice to have the otherwise unnoticeable 3rd Row seat available just in case although I doubt I'll ever use it. Overall feels the perfect size. Overall I am really enjoying the car! It is the perfect match of plush, yet sporty imho. The Lexus just felt too "grocery getter"-like for me ... I am 31. I bought the black/black Sport model and love the looks of it all around. Keep in mind most of the pics you see aren't with available accessories ... more on that in a bit.

Cons:

Tough to step down a little in fuel economy vs the RX (17-22mpg vs 18-24mpg in the RX), plus the added fact that premium is required rather than "recommended". Not a huge deal though. The accessories -- the car looks plain w/o them, so they don't really feel like accessories. I guess on one hand it's nice that they allow you to pick and choose moreso, but it's also a ploy to make the car seem cheaper than it is ... these accessories are HUGE profit centers for the dealers. Even an auto-dim mirror is an option! Anyhow, I put on the body side moldings (trim along bottom 1/3 of the doors), sport running boards, day/night mirror, and front/rear garnishes (go along bottom of bumper and are a dull metallic color). I left off the roof rack b/c I liked the sleek look.

Conclusion:

The MDX and RX work out to cost about the same (MSRP wise), but I feel you get more car in the Acura (little larger, sportier, 3rd row). Lexus has really marketed the brand well though and people seem to think Acura is practically akin to Chevy. For my age the Acura really suits me with the aggressive look and more power (300hp) ... I like that they kept it as a V-6 too for fuel economy purposes. Overall I've been incredibly pleased with the 2007 Acura MDX.