[mball19]

I just spent 6 days with a loaner 2017 MDX while my 2012 was having work done. These are a few pros and cons that I noticed.

Pros:
- Averaged 25mpg over 400 miles, uses regular gas
- LED headlights are awesome
- Quieter than 2012

Cons:
- FWD, I had to accelerate from a stop a couple of times and it audibly spun the front tires
- No spare tire, just fix a flat and an inflator
- Need to go into sub menus to adjust fan and turn on AC
- Radarcruise control is annoying, can be turned off
- The grille is a little gaudy

 

[mrgold35]

I've driven a few fwd 14-15 MDX tech fwd as loaners. Sounds like the same dislikes I have with them are the same with +17 MDX. I did like the more user friendly and flexible 2nd and 3rd row seats were and improved 360 degree visibility in the +14 MDX. My 11 MDX won't last forever. Might have to change my expectations and go for a +17 down the road (unless the all new +2020 MDX knocks it out of the park).

 

[skinny2]

I put a 100+ miles on a '17 a week or so back and was actually much more pleased with it than the '14-'15 models I've driven. Namely the transmission shifts exceptionally well compared to the crappy 6-speed. I think they look a lot better for '17 as well...less minivan-ish. The adaptive cruise was a bit too conservative for my taste if there's much traffic but it works fine out on the open road. Lane keep worked well. I'd definitely take a '17 over a '14-'16 but not sure there's enough for me to plop down $50k for the tech model. That's about $9k more than I paid for my '12 when new and besides the transmission I really don't have any other complaints about it.

 

[litespd]

I had a new '16 loaner when I had my '10 MDX in for some service work. To be honest, I didn't even know I was in an MDX...they had given me a new RDX the previous time I had some service work done, and I never really paid any attention to what they gave me until I got home, and noticed the MDX emblem on the rear of it. It was a nice vehicle, and it was quieter than mine...of course, that's probably because it was new, and mine has over 100,000 miles on it. Still, I liked my '10 better. I am not a fan of the push button shifter, and the transmission was strange...it almost seemed like it was slipping when pulling away from a stop sign, etc. I only had it a couple of days, but I was more than ready to get back into my own vehicle after the work was done. There were a few things I wish I had on my '10, but they were mostly electronic readouts, etc.

 

[delirium330]

Adaptive cruise on the 2010-2012 Advance models equally as annoying as the new ones. The closest following distance is just too far away as you end up getting cut off over and over if there is a lot of traffic. Then the adaptive cruise keeps slowing down over and over to lengthen the distance behind the car that just cut you off.

 

[Alpine003]

Adaptive cruise on the 2010-2012 Advance models equally as annoying as the new ones. The closest following distance is just too far away as you end up getting cut off over and over if there is a lot of traffic. Then the adaptive cruise keeps slowing down over and over to lengthen the distance behind the car that just cut you off.

Interesting. Never thought about it since I don't have Advance model but in my '08 BMW, you can adjust the following distance via a dial on one of the stalks.

Is the Advance model fixed distance all the time?

 

[skinny2]

Is the Advance model fixed distance all the time?

No, but the shortest distance is too far for traffic situations. I would guess it's a solid three car lengths, maybe a little more. It's pretty dramatic about how it slows down when someone fills in that void as well.

The system on my Yukon Denali is much more reasonable and actually the closest setting is a little scary at speeds (about 1 second follow distance). The farthest setting is about similar to the closest on the Acura.

 

[mrgold35]

That is the problem I have with ACC in med-heavy traffic. Vehicles keep squeezing into the ACC 1-bar space causing the MDX so slow down to re-establish the interval and another and another car moves into the space. It causes you to be always braking and you become the slowest car in the lane. Driving too slow on the hwy can cause more problems than driving too fast.

The ACC works best on open hwy, long straight stretches, med to low traffic, clear days, and min amount of overhead road signs or bridges crossing the road. So it works perfectly for me in the always bright and sunny southwest with 2-6 hour drives at 80 mph. Once you get into the city limits with heavy traffic, twisty roads, snow/slush that blocks front sensor, and stop/go traffic, ACC can be more of a pain than benefit. I just use it on the hwy once I leave the city limits. Once I had to pull over on the hwy to clean the frozen black slush off the grill mounted sensor.

The good thing about all the new safety tech is you can turn one, some, or all of it off if it doesn't fit the driving situation. I might have to take a +17 on a test drive to see if the latest gen safety tech is an improvement over the 10-13 MDX Adv 1st Gen Adv tech.

 

[delirium330]

That is the problem I have with ACC in med-heavy traffic. Vehicles keep squeezing into the ACC 1-bar space causing the MDX so slow down to re-establish the interval and another and another car moves into the space. It causes you to be always braking and you become the slowest car in the lane. Driving too slow on the hwy can cause more problems than driving too fast.

The ACC works best on open hwy, long straight stretches, med to low traffic, clear days, and min amount of overhead road signs or bridges crossing the road. So it works perfectly for me in the always bright and sunny southwest with 2-6 hour drives at 80 mph. Once you get into the city limits with heavy traffic, twisty roads, snow/slush that blocks front sensor, and stop/go traffic, ACC can be more of a pain than benefit. I just use it on the hwy once I leave the city limits. Once I had to pull over on the hwy to clean the frozen black slush off the grill mounted sensor.

The good thing about all the new safety tech is you can turn one, some, or all of it off if it doesn't fit the driving situation. I might have to take a +17 on a test drive to see if the latest gen safety tech is an improvement over the 10-13 MDX Adv 1st Gen Adv tech.

Agreed this is the proper use.