Hi all,
I have been posting here gathering information about the MDX (that's what this forum is called, isn't it? ). So I am finally ready to pull the plug and I drove the Acura MDX 2015, Infiniti QX60 2014 and GMC Arcadia 2015.
Here are my findings:
Inifiniti
Currently I am driving a FX35 but with 2 young children I need a 7 seater. The Infiniti dealership was very friendly, professional and treated me well. Not pushy and took their time explaining the vehicle.
Personally I am not a big fan of the QX60 looks but my wife likes it. The car is very nice on the inside with high quality materials and the controls work well. I do not like the CVT and the ride itself was smooth but nothing special. They gave me the highest trade-in by far, and the lowest lease price of all 3.
GMC
Wow, what a difference. I felt that I walked into a Walmart. Pushy, sleazy sales people all fighting to get my attention. They did not have a Denali ready for a test drive. The sales rep was nice but I felt she was a bit clueless.
The GMC Arcadia looks nice on the outside, but this was the first time I actually have been inside of the Arcadia. What a disappointment. Not only does the car look and feel totally dated, but the materials are definitely one or two steps below the Infiniti and Acura. The car badly needs a redesign.
Acura
Where to start? I made an appointment for a test drive a few days ago and I had to ask for Jay, the manager upon arrival. When I arrived I was told Jay wasn't in today. Okay, no problem. So I got hooked up with an Asian gentleman who asked me 'how can I help you?'. I told him we have an Acura MDX test drive appointment. I was hoping he would explain some highlights of the vehicle before the test drive, but he brought me straight to the lot for a 10 minute test drive.
Highlights of the test drive: "Put the car in reverse, so I can show you the rear view camera" and "It is a touch screen!". When we got back, we were kind of standing in the showroom waiting for him to ask us what's next. Awkward. So I asked him if he could give us a ballpark quote for a lease and he answered "okay". We are still standing in the showroom. I had to ask if I could sit somewhere, so he guided us to a generic area with coffee and bagels. He said he would 'work on the numbers' and get us (finally!) at his desk. 15 Minutes later he came over and basically gave us a quote based on MSRP (no discount) telling us the MDX sells well. I asked for a printout of the quote, and what did he do? Handed me a piece of paper and his pen to write it down. Kid you not. Hey, it's not we are not ready to purchase a $50,000 car?
Anyway, we walked out of the dealership highly disappointed.
The car itself: I love the look of the car, it drives very nice and it has high quality materials. The car is smaller than the other two, and I found the dual screen a bit confusing. I don't know who designed the rear of the car, but the rear reflectors instead of exhausts are just simply ugly.
Anyway, hope this helps someone. We probably end up with a 3 year lease on the Infiniti, so in 3 years we can re-evaluate. By then the MDX will be up for a redesign, and the QX and Acura will most likely also be redesigned. The MDX is a great car but the dealership (Acura Roslyn, NY) really blew any chance they had. I was ready to convince the wife to go get an Acura.
I have been posting here gathering information about the MDX (that's what this forum is called, isn't it? ). So I am finally ready to pull the plug and I drove the Acura MDX 2015, Infiniti QX60 2014 and GMC Arcadia 2015.
Here are my findings:
Inifiniti
Currently I am driving a FX35 but with 2 young children I need a 7 seater. The Infiniti dealership was very friendly, professional and treated me well. Not pushy and took their time explaining the vehicle.
Personally I am not a big fan of the QX60 looks but my wife likes it. The car is very nice on the inside with high quality materials and the controls work well. I do not like the CVT and the ride itself was smooth but nothing special. They gave me the highest trade-in by far, and the lowest lease price of all 3.
GMC
Wow, what a difference. I felt that I walked into a Walmart. Pushy, sleazy sales people all fighting to get my attention. They did not have a Denali ready for a test drive. The sales rep was nice but I felt she was a bit clueless.
The GMC Arcadia looks nice on the outside, but this was the first time I actually have been inside of the Arcadia. What a disappointment. Not only does the car look and feel totally dated, but the materials are definitely one or two steps below the Infiniti and Acura. The car badly needs a redesign.
Acura
Where to start? I made an appointment for a test drive a few days ago and I had to ask for Jay, the manager upon arrival. When I arrived I was told Jay wasn't in today. Okay, no problem. So I got hooked up with an Asian gentleman who asked me 'how can I help you?'. I told him we have an Acura MDX test drive appointment. I was hoping he would explain some highlights of the vehicle before the test drive, but he brought me straight to the lot for a 10 minute test drive.
Highlights of the test drive: "Put the car in reverse, so I can show you the rear view camera" and "It is a touch screen!". When we got back, we were kind of standing in the showroom waiting for him to ask us what's next. Awkward. So I asked him if he could give us a ballpark quote for a lease and he answered "okay". We are still standing in the showroom. I had to ask if I could sit somewhere, so he guided us to a generic area with coffee and bagels. He said he would 'work on the numbers' and get us (finally!) at his desk. 15 Minutes later he came over and basically gave us a quote based on MSRP (no discount) telling us the MDX sells well. I asked for a printout of the quote, and what did he do? Handed me a piece of paper and his pen to write it down. Kid you not. Hey, it's not we are not ready to purchase a $50,000 car?
Anyway, we walked out of the dealership highly disappointed.
The car itself: I love the look of the car, it drives very nice and it has high quality materials. The car is smaller than the other two, and I found the dual screen a bit confusing. I don't know who designed the rear of the car, but the rear reflectors instead of exhausts are just simply ugly.
Anyway, hope this helps someone. We probably end up with a 3 year lease on the Infiniti, so in 3 years we can re-evaluate. By then the MDX will be up for a redesign, and the QX and Acura will most likely also be redesigned. The MDX is a great car but the dealership (Acura Roslyn, NY) really blew any chance they had. I was ready to convince the wife to go get an Acura.