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Can you believe the MDX came out 15 years ago?!

3K views 21 replies 7 participants last post by  drive// 
#1 ·
As my 2003 Acura MDX is inching rapidly towards the 300,000 km mark (188,000 miles for those Imperial people :p), the likelihood of having to replace the vehicle soon is getting greater and greater. That got me thinking about the 1st gen MDX and how I still see quite a few of them on the road.

I see perhaps just slightly more 2004-2006s than 2001-2003s but it just struck me that there are still so many 10-15 year old MDXes on the road! The majority of them look to be in pretty good shape too. The main issue I notice from observation is rust forming around the rear wheel well, which seems to affect about 1/3 to 1/2 of the 1st gens I see. I have this issue too and is probably my biggest incentive to replace the vehicle.

Our MDX was originally my wife's choice but I've since taken to driving it as my primary car...and I love it. It's comfortable, it looks inconspicuous, it's mechanically sound, its design is subtle and classy, it's very roomy and it's been extremely reliable. I had a 2016 MDX loaner recently, and while that model year was leaps and bounds better and more improved, I was actually quite happy to get back into my old 2003!

So all that said, it just dawned on me that this car first came out 15 years ago. I think back when I was 15 years younger and picture this vehicle being introduced. Wow. It makes me appreciate my Acura MDX that much more. :cool:
 
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#2 ·
I have been pretty impressed with the longevity of the vehicle. The conservative styling has held up as well. The kids drive the 03 now but it is still a very reliable vehicle. We have the rust on the wheel wells, too. On the white it seems more pronounced.
 
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#8 ·
I actually just had a 2016 MDX as a loaner on Monday. No doubt, it's super nice and has a ton of tech compared to my 2006 base model, but I was not disappointed at all to get back into my "old" version. The 2016 felt too much like a nice station wagon instead of an SUV. I was pretty sure that the 2016 would be the replacement for my 2006 in a few years, but now I'm not so sure about that. It really felt like it sat a lot lower than the older versions.
 
#9 ·
It's funny because when my friends saw me in the new 2016 MDX, they thought I naturally upgraded my old one. I essentially told them that it is an amazing car with some really nice technological features...but at the end of the day, I couldn't justify spending this much money on a car, no matter how nice it is. Maybe I'm just too frugal. :eek:
 
#10 ·
1½ year old thread bump alert.

Well, I just broke 200,000 miles (320,000 km) and my MDX is still running strong. Then it dawned on me that the newest 1st gen MDX on the road is 10 years old and I continue to see quite a few of them around.

So a question to other 1st gen MDX owners, how long do you anticipate or intend on keeping the vehicle for? Are you planning on just running it to the ground? Is there a target number of years or mileage that you have in mind before you will replace the vehicle? How many more years/miles do you all expect to get out of your MDX?
 
#15 ·
I'm probably going to keep the car for a couple of years, I'm starting to drive my car more and the gas mileage stinks, I only have 88,000 miles, but if I get to over a 100,000 I'll definitely look into a newer car.
That's really low mileage for more than 10 years on the road! As I mentioned last year in my original post, I did get some driving time behind a 3rd gen MDX and while it was clearly a much improved vehicle, I don't feel like spending that much on a car. I've considered the 2nd gen MDX but I actually think the 1st gen body looks better. :surprise: I do have to admit I like the interior of the 2nd gen more though!

I'm wondering how many more miles my MDX will endure. By the looks of it and from what my mechanic tells me, it'll probably go for many more.
 
#13 ·
My '04 has 196k miles, and not a spec of rust anywhere (even that inevitable rust on the hardware under the hood that vehicles in most of the US get), because it's been an Arizona vehicle since new. I bought it with 160k miles, and run the wheels off it on long road trips. It's been a very reliable vehicle, with only a few relatively minor problems - the last (a bad high-pressure p,ower steering hose) was the worst - cheap part, six hours of contortionist wrench-twisting to replace). I also think the styling has held up well, though I think a set of black (NOT tinted!) headlights might update it a bit. I've been really happy with the vehicle other than the automatic transmission which is downshift happy. I'll probably keep the vehicle for at least another year or two, since I need seven seats (and the MDX is about as small a vehicle as you can get that seats seven).
 
#16 ·
It definitely has been very reliable for me as well. Interesting about the styling holding up. When you break it down and compare individual styling cues to newer SUV styling cues, you notice how much designs have changed in 10+ years, however when you see an actual clean 1st gen MDX on the road, it really does hold up quite well. My wife actually picked the MDX and initially I found the styling to be somewhat 'boring'. Over the years, the subtle design has grown on me and I now appreciate the inconspicuous, simple styling of the 1st gen.
 
#21 ·
I actually ordered some LEDs that looked pretty promising, im pretty impressed, instant on, and they even have a fan built in (I'm not sure why though, I thought that the LEDs were going to be less hot than the OEM bulbs. They look pretty good to me except they could be brighter and bluer, but I also don't want to blind people
 
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