Thinking of purchasing a 2013 MDX with Tech...

[Cronus]

Hey All,

I've been browsing these forums on and off for several years now. Thanks for the info and entertainment!

I've had my eye on an MDX for a while now, and decided I was going to give it some serious consideration when I felt it was time to upgrade from my current Subaru Forester. I'm now pondering grabbing a new 2013 with Technology package. I've been pinging dealers for quotes, and my current best offer is $41,895 plus TTL. Does this seem like a good deal to you guys? According to Edmunds.com it's $2,455 below invoice!

I really like the features and looks of the upcoming 2014 model, but I'm thinking there is no way I'll be able to get one of those at or below invoice for a couple years to come. What do you guys think?

Thanks!

[MilesMDX]

I believe that dealer invoice on a 2013 with Tech is $44,650.

Current dealer incentives are $2,500 and dealer holdbacks are $939.

Bottom line is $41,211.

$41,895 is a decent but not great price.

[skinny2]

It's not a bad deal in my book. As mentioned, you might be able to work harder for a little better deal but there's not a ton of room. I'd start by finding the dealer you want to do business with from a service standpoint and gladly pay them a little more if necessary. You can always bargain for a steeper discount on the accessories which is something they'll usually bite on.

You're right..there's not likely to be discounts on the 2014's anywhere near where the '12-'13 models have been selling. Many dealers are practically giving away the current units to get allocation on the new models. I wouldn't be surprised if the values rebound a little on used models once these heavy discounts end. At least we can hope that will be the case!

[Cronus]

Thanks for the info! I'm really close to pulling the trigger. I've been interested in the MDX for several years now.

The other vehicle that I've been eyeing is the new 2013 Nissan Pathfinder. Features and looks wise, I think it's pretty decent. The tech seems a bit more modern than in the MDX and I really like how easy it is to access the third row. It's also nifty that childseats don't need to be removed to make the seat slide forward. But.. 260HP with a CVT? Has anyone test driven one and can speak about how it drives in comparison to an MDX?

Thanks again for all of the help!

[skinny2]

Originally Posted by Cronus

Thanks for the info! I'm really close to pulling the trigger. I've been interested in the MDX for several years now.

The other vehicle that I've been eyeing is the new 2013 Nissan Pathfinder. Features and looks wise, I think it's pretty decent. The tech seems a bit more modern than in the MDX and I really like how easy it is to access the third row. It's also nifty that childseats don't need to be removed to make the seat slide forward. But.. 260HP with a CVT? Has anyone test driven one and can speak about how it drives in comparison to an MDX?

Thanks again for all of the help!

I'm slighty more of a Nissan fan than Honda....we looked at the JX when shopping because the PF wasn't readily available at that time. It's slower than the MDX although the more I drive the MDX the less I'm impressed with the performance. The 6-speed is geared for economy and at times really disappoints. You pretty much have to be in sport mode or use the paddles to get the thing to move out with any authority. But flat-out 0-60, no doubt the MDX is quicker.

The MDX is a bit behind the times on tech but I don't think you'll find it to be substantial differences. The PF is more roomy particularly when talking 3rd row. The 3rd row in the MDX is kids only in my book and access isn't the easiest, nor do the 2nd row seats slide forward. We came out of a minivan so it's been a HUGE downsize but we decided we could deal without the space and have managed. If I really needed the 3rd row space on a regular basis (along with cargo capacity) the MDX would not be on my shopping list.

EPA sticker is substantially higher on the PF as well and does not require premium. I'm not sure what they're getting real world but our MDX does hit the advertised numbers. Many people here report much lower numbers though.

I would certainly recommend a good test drive in both. We also shopped the Pilot which seemed ok on paper but my wife absolutely hated everything about the way it drove. So do that before getting too stuck on anything!

[Cronus]

Thanks for all the great info skinny! I'll definitely test drive them both. You say you're less impressed with the performance than you used to be? Does it still feel like it's got some good get up and go power? All of this time, I was under the impression that this was the hotrod of midsize SUVS! Oddly enough, I have seen 0-60 times ranging from 6 seconds to 8.5 seconds. Not sure if that's due to people being in different elevations or what.

I'm torn about the third row seating in the MDX. My wife and I have a second child on the way, and then we're done. We won't need the third row for our immediate family, and thus probably will not use it very often at all. There are two times when I could see it coming in handy:

1) Carpooling around our kid's friends, in which case the small space is probably okay.

2) We live away from all of our relatives, so when we have visits probably 2-3 times a year, it would be nice to fit 6-7 people in one vehicle. Do you think that back space is doable for adults ranging in height from 5'3-6' for short periods of time? Say 15-20 minute drives? Is it complete misery? Or will they just feel cramped as you might on an airplane in coach?

Thanks again!

[dj5]

Sound like there is quite a bit more room in the deal, but it depends on your location as well. About 2 weeks ago we purchased a new 2013 MDX with Technology in the Chicago area for $40.3k including destination but exculding TTL. They threw in all season mats and wheel locks. I'm Honda and Toyota fan, Nissan would be a distant third choice for me.

[skinny2]

Originally Posted by Cronus

Thanks for all the great info skinny! I'll definitely test drive them both. You say you're less impressed with the performance than you used to be? Does it still feel like it's got some good get up and go power? All of this time, I was under the impression that this was the hotrod of midsize SUVS! Oddly enough, I have seen 0-60 times ranging from 6 seconds to 8.5 seconds. Not sure if that's due to people being in different elevations or what.

The performance CAN be impressive if you keep your foot into the pedal and use the sport mode/paddles to keep it focused. The more i've driven it (it's my wifes DD) the more situations I've encountered where the performance didn't impress me and it's mainly because the transmission is interfering. For example, this weekend I did a slight roll through a stop sign after exiting the highway and the MDX was very sluggish accelerating with normal pedal...it apparently was still holding a much higher gear...I had to mash the pedal to get the thing to move out because there was traffic coming....and then the downshift was sluggish. What should have been an easy pull-out suddenly looked like I pulled out in front of a guy. Wife asked wtf I was doing....granted my DD (a nissan) performs far better in those situations so I'm just not used to hammering on the go-pedal all the time.

2) We live away from all of our relatives, so when we have visits probably 2-3 times a year, it would be nice to fit 6-7 people in one vehicle. Do you think that back space is doable for adults ranging in height from 5'3-6' for short periods of time? Say 15-20 minute drives? Is it complete misery? Or will they just feel cramped as you might on an airplane in coach?

Two problems I see with this scenario....

1. yes an adult could fit back there for a very short trip. it will be worse than a coach seat. The problem is there's almost no leg/foot room...and honestly I don't know where my foot would even go...there's no room for a foot the size of a typical man.

2. where will you put their luggage? The space behind the 3rd row is pretty tight...and not much more than carry-on luggage will fit. So if you're ok with a roof-top setup (i'm not) then it might work. I don't think the PF will get you much further either though. I currently DD a previous gen Pathfinder and it has more space in 3rd row and cargo but it's still not something you could haul 6-7. I use a suburban or minivan if I really need to haul that many people and luggage.

[Cronus]

dj5,

Thanks for the info! I'll definitely try to get the price lower, or at the very least see if they can throw a few extras into the mix. A free remote starter and install would be a good one.


Skinny,

Thanks again for the info! I'm going to go try and test drive one now. I'll see for myself how I feel about the acceleration and the third row leg room. It certainly would be nice to have a little acceleration capabilities w/out always having to use manual mode or jam the pedal to the floor.

Thankfully, during the times when I'd be hauling 6-7 people around I wouldn't be carrying luggage as well. They'd fly or drive out, and then we'd just go o short trips around town (w/out their luggage). If I need to pick them up from the airport I'd leave the rest of the family at home.

Good points though! Thanks again for the info!

[Truth]

I was looking at the JX, Audi Q7, and Pathfinder and chose the MDX. The JX is very boring to drive and the outside is too feminine looking. So we passed. The Pathfinder, has Halogens reflectors. Halogens! It's easily over 40K yet it has Halogen reflectors? This was unacceptable to me. Also it doesn't look that great in person either much like the JX. Both the JX and Pathfinder are a little more roomy however. The Audi was just too expensive, pushing 70K once it was all said and done and I don't trust German maintenance. MDX was the best balance of Looks/Luxary, Room and Price for us so we went with a 2011. I was able to fit 7 with no problem in there. Small women & kids can fit in the 3rd row no problem.

[Cronus]

Okay, so I just got back from test driving the MDX. Of course, everything is relative, and I have not test driven any other vehicles yet, but, I see what skinny is saying about the acceleration. It is a bit underwhelming. I think my expectations weren't realistic though.

I'm 6' and I sat in the backseat, and yeah, it sure is cramped. I looked a bit ridiculous, it wasn't comfortable, bit it would do in a pinch. And I think y'all are right, in that smaller people and children would probably be perfectly fine back there.

While I was there, I checked out the latest RDX and the newly released RLX - they really do make the MDX tech feel a bit dated. The worst thing for me though, and perhaps this is sad, but...those front center cup holders... Shame on them... My wife's 2003 Honda Accord had cup holders that were 10x nicer than these. What's the deal? The sound system was wonderful. It was extremely comfortable. Those seats were so soft, supple yet supportive. Very nice car... but... those cup holders?!?!

Thanks again for all of the info!

[skinny2]

Originally Posted by Cronus

While I was there, I checked out the latest RDX and the newly released RLX - they really do make the MDX tech feel a bit dated. The worst thing for me though, and perhaps this is sad, but...those front center cup holders... Shame on them... My wife's 2003 Honda Accord had cup holders that were 10x nicer than these. What's the deal? The sound system was wonderful. It was extremely comfortable. Those seats were so soft, supple yet supportive. Very nice car... but... those cup holders?!?!

Thanks again for all of the info!

Are you talking about the cupholders in the RDX or MDX? I've not noticed anything out of place in that regard with the MDX, although the one is so deep it swallows smaller cups and you can't get them out.

Have you crawled around or driven a PF yet? We parked next to a new one last week and my wife commented that she liked it. I have a previous gen PF that I really like but I use it as a real SUV and the new one has really been given the crossover treatment. So I'm a bit offended that they took a capable SUV and turned it into a road vehicle...but left the "Pathfinder" name! They're not fooling anyone!

[Cronus]

I think the cupholders in the new RDX and RLX are perfect. They remind me of the ones in my wife's old Honda Accord. Two nicely spaced holes, rather deep(of equal depth), and they have 3-4 retractable spring loaded pieces of plastic that keep the cups nice and snug.

On the MDX, they seem rather close to one another, one of the holes appears to be half the depth of they other, and they each have 4 cheap looking(to me) pieces of plastic/rubber that squish against the cups. It just seems odd that they seemingly took a step back from the 2003 Honda Accord's design, only to bring them back in the new RDX and RLX. I think my friend's TL has the nicer design as well.

I haven't test driven the PF yet. I plan on doing that soon. I think it is nice looking, although a bit feminine. :-P I appreciated the MDX's more masculine lines.

[harry1]

Our 2013 is great, and a noticeable bump in quality and features over our 2007.

I agree with skinny on the Pathfinder, except IMO they completely neutered a worthy trail rig so much so that it is now a minivan both in function and form. YMMV.

[trimdx]

best price i have seen in my area (advertised IIRC) is 39990 before TTL.