Infiniti QX4

yoitsme,

I was in the same boat as yourself up until about 4 hours ago. I just got back from the LA auto show and was able to sit in all the SUVs we were comparing. They included the QX4 (Pathfinder), Highlander, and of course the MDX. Before going to the show my wife and I were very biased towards the QX4.

When we got there we were very suprised at how identical the QX4 and Pathfinder are. The leg room in the back of the QX4 was much less than that of the MDX (a full 6"), the interrior just didn't feel as nice as the MDX, and I am not sure but I don't think the QX4 has independent rear suspension.

We thought the Highlander was a nice vehicle, but it doesn't have a 3rd row or GPS. If you are not interested in these features, this is proabably the car for you. We thought the approx. $5K was worth the 3rd row, GPS, and the Acura nameplate.

After our visit my wife and I plan on placing our order in the next month. The only issue we have now is what color....

By the way, I believe Kiplinger gave the MDX best projected resale value. Has anyone else seen this, or am I just thinking of something else?

If considering QX4, Pathfinder is a much better value

Originally, Pathfinder (same as QX4) was our first choice SUV. I researched and test drove most of the SUVs on the market (including QX4) and the Pathfinder certainly offered a lot of "bang for the buck". 2001 Pathfinder was praised by the automotive press, and was selected by Edmunds as the winner of the comparison test among the 8 mid-sized SUVs. Pathfinder is virtually identical to the QX4 (with the only additional QX4 features being: slightly revised sheetmetal, available HID headlights, heated rear seats, and an analog clock). In my opinion, Pathfinder is a much better value than the QX4.

As far as QX4 vs. MDX comparison, while these two luxury SUV are similar on paper, in real life, the Acura is a clear winner. After test driving the MDX there was no question in my mind that the MDX is a much better vehicle as well as a much better value than the QX4.

The primary advantages that the MDX has over the QX4 are:

- better ride and handling
- more interior space
- more rear legroom
- more cargo space
- 7 passenger capacity
- better gas mileage
- much better looks

In my opinion, Acura MDX is the only SUV currently for sale in the United States that offers so much utility, capability, refinement, and style for such a reasonable price.

First things first -- lots of praise goes to this chat board. You folks prove the value of the internet. within hours of a question I get useful info I can use to help guide my purchase of a $35K+ vehicle.

On to the topic at hand....

I guess you are confirming what I already have heard about the various vehicles. After lots of thinking, the choices have come down to either the MDX, the RX300 or the QX4. My wife and I will go out this weekend and try them all (for me, the third time...) and put our $$ down. Looks like anything we get will be a compromise, since the MDX is a little bigger (and noisier) than we are comfortable with, the RX300/Highlander is smaller than we want and doesn't have real 4WD, and the QX4 has too-small back seats. Funny, but the Jeep Grand Cherokee we now have (on lease) is the perfect combo of size and functionality, I just don't trust this brand to last (after 3 years and only 36K miles it is already falling apart in small, annoying ways), and I value reliability above all.

Any last minute advice from you mavens before I spend my dough?

AND THE WINNER IS.....!!

Tired of dithering around, I went and tested a few vehicles side-by-side, determined to finally make a decision. At a friend's urging I included the Land Cruiser (or, as my wife calls it, the "Land Bruiser") in my trials. Results....

Land Cruiser: Damn, is that thing big. It drives nicely, and I like the real 4wd it provides, but what's left of my environmental sensibilities wouldn't let me go for something like that. I could even handle the extra $$, but it just wasn't for me.

QX4: Didn't even take it out for a ride. That back seat is just unusable, as far as I can tell. My 8 yr. old son is not getting any smaller, and he already kicks the back of our seats when driving. I sat back there for a few minutes and walked out of the showroom.

RX300: The more I looked at it the less I liked it. Sure is comfy inside, and drives nicely but the lack of real 4wd in any mode, combined with an egg shape and not much room for those times you want to haul stuff from pt. A to pt. B made it too much of a compromise.

MDX: As compromises go, this was starting to look better and better. We went for a ride, and I really liked the handling and smooth power delivery (note: the salesman kept trying to convince me that it handled as well as the BMW X5. Nice try buddy, but I've borrowed my inlaw's X5 for a weekend, and nothing compares to that machine -- as long as you don't care about actually carrying stuff with you, as I do. So he didn't have to make that particular sale, and he was getting annoying trying to convince me of it...). The lockable differential at low speeds should satisfy my 4wd needs in Tahoe and, though it may be a little bigger than I need, I intend to keep this for many years and I figure my space needs will only get larger, not smaller.

So, and this will come as no surprise to this board, I decided to go with the MDX! The dealer said it would take 4-6 months for delivery, but when I told him that I didn't care about color (we'll see if the wife agrees... ) he said he could get me one in a few weeks. Hopefully it will get here in time for our next Tahoe trip!

Many, many thanks to all on this board who provided invaluable advice as I went through this process.

Yo, I think you made a wise choice. It's over a year old now, but C&D's "Designer-Ute Smackdown" is still an informative read. The QX4 finished in a tie for fifth place with the ML320. You can probably guess which vehicle came in first, but look at the pic below for a little hint Here's the link to the smackdown comparo:

( http://www.caranddriver.com/xp/Cara...cember/200012_comparisontest_designerutes.xml )

One last thought, the Qx4 offers many more features than the MDX and as far as interior luxury is concerned, IMHO the MDX doesn't come close to the Q. If your looking for more luxury on a budget you can't beat the Qx4.

I test drove the Qx4 and the MDX and while I was very pro MDX before the test, I came away a little disappointed afterwards. My wife who has never read this board went into the test drive with a open mind and came away unimpressed with the MDX too. Compared the Qx4, the Acura felt more like a Honda and the ride didn't sway us as much as I thought it would. Hey maybe we're just not as refined as some folks.

Still the MDX wins big in safety and the bottom line is that I'd rather have two functioning lower limbs after a crash more than HID's and other fun but ultimately ancillary amenities.

The bottom line is we like the MDX and may end up owning own(unless of course the wait becomes too much to bear, 6 mo.s so far!), but we're sure annoyed that Infiniti offers a more luxurious vehicle at a lower price that is ultimately plagued by bad safety design. <sigh>