I'm thinking of trading in my 2008 MDX with 115k for a CPO 2014/2015 (around 25 to 35k). I have heard of issues with the 3.5 compared to 3.7, true or BS? Is the 3rd gen as reliable as the 2nd gen? Any other thoughts or comparisons?
thanks
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2nd Gen vs 3rd Gen - thinking of trading in
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I've been very happy with my 2014 MDX SHAWD Tech. It's been very reliable and is fun to drive due to its great handling, acceleration, etc.
We each have our own features we're interested in but I wanted shawd, mostly for the added performance in cornering and the non-existent torque steer, but also added traction in wet weather. I haven't had it in snow/ice but it'd help there as well.
I purposely did not get the Advance - the items added weren't worth the cost to me. The 'Entertainment' one I had no use for at all so I didn't buy that one.
If I was looking for a replacement for my last SUV (which was my position when I bought this), I'd happily buy this same vehicle over again.
As with buying any vehicle (used or new) check it over thoroughly and take it on a significant test drive and make sure you understand the features you're buying (such as infotainment). As 'neoshi' stated, pay extra attention to the fit of the body panels. Some MDXs (multiple years of 3rd gen) have had body panel alignment issues - i.e. poor factory installation. They don't all have issues though.
... And, consider selling your vehicle yourself versus trading it in. Trading a vehicle in always results in a hit since the dealer needs to make money on the vehicle when they resell it. They might make it sound like they're giving you a lot in 'the deal' but it's usually done by getting a worse deal on the new vehicle - they figure out where your sensitivities are regarding value on trade-in versus low price on the new vehicle and slide the bar one way or the other to try to make you content. Of course, there's some convenience to doing the trade-in.
We each have our own features we're interested in but I wanted shawd, mostly for the added performance in cornering and the non-existent torque steer, but also added traction in wet weather. I haven't had it in snow/ice but it'd help there as well.
I purposely did not get the Advance - the items added weren't worth the cost to me. The 'Entertainment' one I had no use for at all so I didn't buy that one.
If I was looking for a replacement for my last SUV (which was my position when I bought this), I'd happily buy this same vehicle over again.
As with buying any vehicle (used or new) check it over thoroughly and take it on a significant test drive and make sure you understand the features you're buying (such as infotainment). As 'neoshi' stated, pay extra attention to the fit of the body panels. Some MDXs (multiple years of 3rd gen) have had body panel alignment issues - i.e. poor factory installation. They don't all have issues though.
... And, consider selling your vehicle yourself versus trading it in. Trading a vehicle in always results in a hit since the dealer needs to make money on the vehicle when they resell it. They might make it sound like they're giving you a lot in 'the deal' but it's usually done by getting a worse deal on the new vehicle - they figure out where your sensitivities are regarding value on trade-in versus low price on the new vehicle and slide the bar one way or the other to try to make you content. Of course, there's some convenience to doing the trade-in.
@ neoshi - I should have elaborated on this comment I think...I have a mechanic friend that owns a shop (not specific to Honda/Acura) that was *****ing about the new 3.5L, I don't recall why. However, since my first post, I spoke to my regular mechanic for my families 3 cars, and they said that the current Honda / Acura engineering seems to be at its best. He said "in 10 to 15 years, all the mechanics here will be driving the current generation Honda / Acura"...and these guys specialize in luxury German and Japanese cars...I think I'll write off my friends comment.
We have a 2015 RDX and a 2014 MDX. I can't say they are similar. I'm not talking about the tech and features. The driving experience is not the same. The feel and how they handle. MDX is more composed and more premium. RDX you feel the road more and it's lighter. Both are very fine vehicles. We prefer the MDX on out of town trips, not just because of bigger space, it's the better and more comfortable drive. Although, the build quality on my wife's RDX is better than my MDX.
Probably because I'm driving both regularly, I can see the differences between the two.
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Pretty much the same thing I noticed with my 08 RDX being a very good city vehicle for work commutes and errands and my 11 MDX for leaving the city limits and hitting the open hwy. It always hard to answer forum question of "which vehicle should I buy" when can't factor in the OP personal info that make the final decision unique to them (location, budget, family size, weather, towing, pets, miles per year, etc...).
For me, I would keep the 08 MDX a little longer unless the vehicle is giving me issues. Since the 08 has +115,000 miles, I'm assuming the big 105K service has been done. It will be pretty much fluid changes and tire rotations for another +30,000 miles (compared to same maint+car payment for the +14 MDX).
I'm waiting for the next gen RDX and MDX to hit the road in the next few years. I can then have several pre/post MMC models of the 2nd/3rd Gen RDX and 3rd/4th Gen MDX to pick from as replacements.
I have a '17 Tech SH-AWD with 9300 miles on it since 2/4/17...so I've spent quite a bit of time behind the wheel. I love it. Came out of a highly optioned, well modified '13 F150 Platinum EcoBoost. Needed a better, more efficient, traveler. I crossed shopped the RDX with the MDX and felt the driving dynamics of the MDX to be more pleasurable. However, my mother just picked up a '17 RDX Tech AWD last month and it's a fabulous vehicle for what it is, but it doesn't feel as nimble even though it's smaller. I attribute that to the SH-AWD in the MDX. She came out of a '04 Lexus RX330 that my father kept and they ditched a '06 Pilot. I will say that the RDX feels quicker though, but it's likely just feel...both are quite quick.
Both are great vehicles in a crowded segment, but you have to drive both to appreciate them for what they are.
Both are great vehicles in a crowded segment, but you have to drive both to appreciate them for what they are.
Objective data (Nurburgring lap times) dispute that where the 3rd gen was seconds faster than the 2nd gen but this could be splitting hairs somewhat.
The most obvious benefit is that the 3rd gen is newer than the 2nd gen - i.e. the OP (and some others) have decided it's time to replace the vehicle and aren't looking to do that with vehicles that are now 5 years old or older and would have lots of miles on it.
There are other benefits as well including some of the safety tech and a much more usable 3rd row seat due to more room plus the sliding 2nd row seat. This actually makes a big difference to anyone who'll actually use the 3rd row seat every now and then.
People will need to get past the 2nd gen versus 3rd gen thing at some point because the 2nd gens are aging and will at some point need to be replaced by 'something' and the 3rd gen is a good option. This doesn't disparage the 2nd gen, it's just that its time has somewhat passed for many who are looking for new to fairly new and low miles vehicles.
Don't get me wrong though - if I had a 2nd gen, say a 2011, with 100K miles or so on it, I wouldn't necessarily be in a hurry to get rid of it for a new vehicle but I usually keep my vehicles a long time.
We have no idea about the 4th gen and whether it'll be better, worse, be more or less appealing in styling (look at what Lexus/Toyota have done to ruin the styling of their new vehicles with the gaping mouth design) and have no idea of the performance, features, cost, etc. We don't even know when it'll be available afaik.
But regarding waiting a bit longer for the 4th gen - I did that for the 3rd gen. It was getting to the point where I wanted to replace my SUV (Durango) but the one I narrowed it down to was the MDX but there were a few things I didn't like about the 2nd gen, including the 3rd row seat issues I mentioned above and the lower tech engine with no VCM and worse mileage, and less sporty on acceleration/handling than I expected it to be (but still pretty good) and somewhat clunky styling (IMO) so I hung on longer waiting to see what the 3rd gen was going to bring. It turns out the 3rd gen solved the issues I had with the 2nd gen so I bought an early 3rd gen (June 2013) and have been happy with it since then. My Durango by then was up to over 190K miles, which was longer than I planned to keep it, but ended up fine - still perfectly usable. A 2nd gen MDX with 100K/110K or so miles would probably be reasonably good for another 2-3 years at that burn rate of miles as long as the owner is comfortable with higher mileage vehicles (as I am).
The MDX and RDX are two quite different vehicles where one has a 3rd row seat and the other doesn't and there are many other tangible differences between the two and as soon as one has decided the 3rd row seat isn't something they care about, i.e. isn't necessary for them, a whole plethora of other 2 row SUVs from many other manufacturers come into the mix for consideration unless the person is stuck on Honda/Acura for some reason. I never even considered the RDX since I still wanted a 3rd row seat.
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Objectively the 3rd gen lap time at the Nurbg could be faster because of the better gearing with the 9 speed and far less weight not because the 3rd gen Turns Faster, Pickup after a turn is by far more important at the nurb and I can see the 2g struggling to get back to speed while the 9 speed would be superior in the 3rd gen... I will be surprised if the 3rd gen equipped with the 6 speed (ala 2014 model) was FASTER in the Nurb than the 2g MDX with the same 6 speed considering the 2g MDX suspension is by far sportier...
3rd row access has never been a problem with my 2G as that row is mainly used by kids which have no problem getting in.
I have not used the 3rd row for adults because its impossible to fit comfortably.. So that is the main win for the 3rd gen? I haven´t tried to fit in a 3rd gen 3rd row but I sincerely do not think its still fit for that duty, This is a medium sized SUV after all.. 3rd row was never intended for serious adult use, unless they are Kid sized..
As for tech well I would like Adaptive Cruise Control, Ventilated Seats and Jewel Eye Headlights but that´s about it, I don´t need the other Driving Nannies aids. But for me the main reason I cannot jump ship to the 3rd gen, For me at least is not worth getting a worse looking car in the outside and inside for that (IMO) the 2g Crushes the looks of the 3rd gen in all aspects in my opinion which is HIGHLY subjective..
I will wait and see what the 4G looks like before jumping off the 2g MDX, The only negative I can think off is bad City MPGs, If I could fix that in some way today I would not need to replace my MDX any time soon for the next +10 years..
3rd row access has never been a problem with my 2G as that row is mainly used by kids which have no problem getting in.
I have not used the 3rd row for adults because its impossible to fit comfortably.. So that is the main win for the 3rd gen? I haven´t tried to fit in a 3rd gen 3rd row but I sincerely do not think its still fit for that duty, This is a medium sized SUV after all.. 3rd row was never intended for serious adult use, unless they are Kid sized..
As for tech well I would like Adaptive Cruise Control, Ventilated Seats and Jewel Eye Headlights but that´s about it, I don´t need the other Driving Nannies aids. But for me the main reason I cannot jump ship to the 3rd gen, For me at least is not worth getting a worse looking car in the outside and inside for that (IMO) the 2g Crushes the looks of the 3rd gen in all aspects in my opinion which is HIGHLY subjective..
I will wait and see what the 4G looks like before jumping off the 2g MDX, The only negative I can think off is bad City MPGs, If I could fix that in some way today I would not need to replace my MDX any time soon for the next +10 years..
That 'would' be fun.
The laps I'm referring to were for the 2014 MDX - with the 6 speed tranny. I paid attention to it because at the time I was considering buying the 3rd gen (2014 model) and I wanted to have an idea if it went down in performance fro the 2nd gen, up, or was similar and I wanted to see some objective data. It's not a complete picture but it gives some rough comparison on points that include acceleration and handling. I won't know for certain until 'PTC Dawg' and I head over there with our MDXs and give it a go. You'll probably want to tag along.
Here's one of the references to it -
2014 Acura MDX: First Drive - The Washington Post
It's one of the differences and it's noticeable. Whether its relevant depends on one's usage. Some people will never haul passengers back there so it won't matter but I occasionally use it to carry normal sized adults on relatively short jaunts (up to about 30 minutes usually) to restaurants, etc. and it's convenient to be able to take one vehicle. Really, the adjustable fore/aft 2nd row seat really helps those in the way back and the 2nd gen I checked out had no adjustable 2nd row and it made a diff. I compared the two by getting in the back and sitting there myself and there's a noticeable diff.
I have the inverse opinion which is certainly just my own opinion fwiw. I don't dislike the 2nd gen and liked it better than any other option out there until the 3rd gen came along and I happen to like the 3rd gen styling better - I think it cleaned up some of the lines from the 2nd gen but again, at the time the 2nd gen was still available new prior to the 3rd gen it was at the top of my list - and I'm a new Honda/Acura owner so legacy had nothing to do with the choice. I'm not really disparaging the 2nd gen.
But regardless, the debate of 2nd vs 3rd is moot for many potential buyers at this point because many are looking for something new with almost no miles or something close to it, which can only be had in the 3rd gen or some totally different new vehicle. IMO if one already has a 2nd gen with reasonable life left on it and they like it then it makes financial sense to keep it longer until they feel they want or need something newer at which point the 2nd gen is no longer an option.
I have no plans to replace this 3rd gen until the 4th gen is out since this should easily last me until then unless it's totaled or stolen. I hope I'll like the 4th gen and that it'll be an improvement on a number of points but whenever it's time to get a replacement vehicle I'll check what other manufacturers have available at that time as well - I'm not married to Honda/Acura although I'm happy with what I have.
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Well seems that Weight reduction really helped to gain speed out of corners, I would have guessed the Power to weight ratio didn´t really affected that much for the 6 speed vs 6 speed.. BUT I still think the 2g MDX will corner better giving the same scenario, 3g suspension is really mushy and there is slightly more noticeable body roll at least from when I test drove one, Didn´t feel as planted or secured as the 2g... BUT it did felt faster off the line, So you will kill PTC DAWG in a drag race for sure.
What I dislike the most about the new way Acura is designing its cars is that, They look highly generic not only the MDX but all of them... I could easily mistake a new MDX for a Hyundai any day of the week.. In fact when I see one on the Road is like... Meh... I used to see the 2G before buying one and say DAMNNN that is a nice looking Audi Q7 (Because Acura blatantly stole the Rear Taillight design from Audi) but the new MDX is soooooooo bland? Compared to the older crazy Acura designs??.
I sincerely think the new Pilot is more under-stated in design and bucket loads better value where the 2g MDX beat the crap out of its brother Pilot in every aspect from the same years.. The new Pilot really puts into perspective the value of an MDX... The moment the Pilot gets SH-AWD (Real Torque vectoring not the crippled version it has now) I am jumping ship to the Pilot..
I am kinda married to the Brand because I had great success with them over the years soo Not planning on trying new brands until Honda lets me seriously down.
What I dislike the most about the new way Acura is designing its cars is that, They look highly generic not only the MDX but all of them... I could easily mistake a new MDX for a Hyundai any day of the week.. In fact when I see one on the Road is like... Meh... I used to see the 2G before buying one and say DAMNNN that is a nice looking Audi Q7 (Because Acura blatantly stole the Rear Taillight design from Audi) but the new MDX is soooooooo bland? Compared to the older crazy Acura designs??.
I sincerely think the new Pilot is more under-stated in design and bucket loads better value where the 2g MDX beat the crap out of its brother Pilot in every aspect from the same years.. The new Pilot really puts into perspective the value of an MDX... The moment the Pilot gets SH-AWD (Real Torque vectoring not the crippled version it has now) I am jumping ship to the Pilot..
I am kinda married to the Brand because I had great success with them over the years soo Not planning on trying new brands until Honda lets me seriously down.
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I read the article and they pretty much called the Pilot a minivan without sliding doors. They hated the weak brakes, herky-jerky ACC, and soft suspension. The only thing they really liked was Apple/Android carplay: 2017 Dodge Durango vs. 2017 GMC Acadia, 2017 Honda Pilot, 2017 Mazda CX-9, 2018 Volkswagen Atlas - Comparison Tests - Page 2
The sh-sh-awd +17 MDX in the tech or Adv version would be the model for me that has a closer overall performance characteristics to my current 11 MDX Adv.
I kind of replicate/share their sentiment on the Pilot. I've called a "minivan that's been to crossfit" a few times before. It's just not edgy enough for me, and I'm sure it's a great family hauler but it's just sooo bland.
Coming out of my truck, the SH-AWD Tech feels like a sporty rocket, but compared to say a 911 4S I'm sure it feels like a turd. It's all about perspective.
Coming out of my truck, the SH-AWD Tech feels like a sporty rocket, but compared to say a 911 4S I'm sure it feels like a turd. It's all about perspective.
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We have put adults in our '14 3rd row. They fit, especially with the second row rolled forward a bit. Teens and kids fit better because they are usually skinnier and thus fold better. 
This was the perfect vehicle for us b/c we didn't want a really big traditional SUV and most of our 3rd row needs are day trips or shorter. That third row is generally occupied by youngin's.
If I was regularly hauling adults in the third row I'd be shopping for a full-size van or mini-van.
3rd row seating in a midsize SUV are like jump seats in an extended cab p/u or a convertible. Better but for occasional use mostly.
This was the perfect vehicle for us b/c we didn't want a really big traditional SUV and most of our 3rd row needs are day trips or shorter. That third row is generally occupied by youngin's.
If I was regularly hauling adults in the third row I'd be shopping for a full-size van or mini-van.
3rd row seating in a midsize SUV are like jump seats in an extended cab p/u or a convertible. Better but for occasional use mostly.
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