[Fireblade6]

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>

Infinity made a GRAVE mistake rebadging the Nissan Pathfinder. What an awful piece of crap that truck is. You think for a "luxury" automobile mark...You think Infinity would just take the frame of the pathfinder and rebuild the truck from the ground up. At least Acura took the Odyssey frame and build an SUV from the ground up. Sure the QX4 has HIDs sure the QX4 has luxurious interior...but...the last time I took a Qx4 for a spin...December 2001...I for some reason felt like I was driving an aftermarket Pathfinder. Seriously if you want HID you can get them for your Acura MDX. I bought mine from Hella and it works BETTER than the HIDs on the QX4. the Qx4 is based on a ten year old Pathfinder design...Time for Infinity to wake up smell the coffee and go back to the drawing board for a REAL infinity SUV. And like you said.."THE BOTTOM LINE" is the MDX is a much better SUV. For its first year out...The MDX makes a DAMN excellent attempt. Did the Qx4 have the same reaction and sales on its debut? NOPE. why? Because it is a Pathfinder.

 

[Victor]

I don't think Infiniti made a grave mistake, I just think they let it go too long without divorcing themselves from the design and coming up with something better. The Pathfinder is actually considered a good all around truck, check the Edmunds SUV Comparison where it comes out on top.

Also, given the QX4's long list of luxury items which HID's is only one of them, such as in dash CD changer, leather/wood wheel, 17" alloys, Bose system, laser cruise control, and all-around better interior styling for less than the base model MDX. This makes a compelling argument for the QX4 when it comes to value for your money. You'd have the get the touring MDX and aftermarket parts which would put you over 40K for a QX4 at 36K to get an equivalent auto.

 

[Fireblade6]

I don't think Infiniti made a grave mistake, I just think they let it go too long without divorcing themselves from the design and coming up with something better. The Pathfinder is actually considered a good all around truck, check the Edmunds SUV Comparison where it comes out on top.

Also, given the QX4's long list of luxury items which HID's is only one of them, such as in dash CD changer, leather/wood wheel, 17" alloys, Bose system, laser cruise control, and all-around better interior styling for less than the base model MDX. This makes a compelling argument for the QX4 when it comes to value for your money. You'd have the get the touring MDX and aftermarket parts which would put you over 40K for a QX4 at 36K to get an equivalent auto.

Okay...So after carefully reading your post...I want to make sure I understand your reason(s) thinking that the QX4 is a better deal. I decided to post TWO web-site link on the comparison between the QX4 and the Acura MDX. I decided to choose the Infiniti Qx4 4X4 Premium package against the MDX Touring: Below are the URL link to the sites.
http://www.acura.com/comparison/comp_frame.asp?model=MDX
http://compare.infiniti.com/sidebyside.asp?benchmark=545131&comp1=509491&comp2=

They are NECK in NECK..HOWEVER...what Infinity failed to disclose on its comparison is gas consumption and mileage MPG for its vehicle...So when you say that you want to get BEST "Value for your money..." take a calculator and compute once you purchase an Infinity versus once you purchase an MDX compare the insurance and also compare five, ten, fifteen years out on the amount of gasoline you will spend and the insurance you will spend...I guarantee you ...the Infinity is NOT a better value. Often times when I converse with folks who are in midst of looking for a new vehicle...they tend to lose sight of exactly their definition of value, features, benefits..etc etc of what they want in a vehicle. Maybe perhaps am approaching this issue from a more technical side..however...seems as though if am not correct here... You may choosing the QX4 over the MDX not from a "VALUE" standpoint but from an emotional standpoint? Hey its okay to say that...I think the MDX is not appealing to me as the QX4. I like the QX4 because it makes me feel good when am driving it...I do that to my other vehicle I buy ALL the time. But from a more technical and scientific view on the comparison as to why one should choose an MDX over the Qx4 from the perspective of safety, economy, performance, feature sets, luxury, VALUE...from the figures..I think a lot of people will agree with me that the MDX is a better investment from the "value" perspective.

 

[vicpai]

Quick Question??

Okay...So after carefully reading your post...I want to make sure I understand your reason(s) thinking that the QX4 is a better deal. I decided to post TWO web-site link on the comparison between the QX4 and the Acura MDX. I decided to choose the Infiniti Qx4 4X4 Premium package against the MDX Touring: Below are the URL link to the sites.
http://www.acura.com/comparison/comp_frame.asp?model=MDX
http://compare.infiniti.com/sidebyside.asp?benchmark=545131&comp1=509491&comp2=

They are NECK in NECK..HOWEVER...what Infinity failed to disclose on its comparison is gas consumption and mileage MPG for its vehicle...So when you say that you want to get BEST "Value for your money..." take a calculator and compute once you purchase an Infinity versus once you purchase an MDX compare the insurance and also compare five, ten, fifteen years out on the amount of gasoline you will spend and the insurance you will spend...I guarantee you ...the Infinity is NOT a better value. Often times when I converse with folks who are in midst of looking for a new vehicle...they tend to lose sight of exactly their definition of value, features, benefits..etc etc of what they want in a vehicle. Maybe perhaps am approaching this issue from a more technical side..however...seems as though if am not correct here... You may choosing the QX4 over the MDX not from a "VALUE" standpoint but from an emotional standpoint? Hey its okay to say that...I think the MDX is not appealing to me as the QX4. I like the QX4 because it makes me feel good when am driving it...I do that to my other vehicle I buy ALL the time. But from a more technical and scientific view on the comparison as to why one should choose an MDX over the Qx4 from the perspective of safety, economy, performance, feature sets, luxury, VALUE...from the figures..I think a lot of people will agree with me that the MDX is a better investment from the "value" perspective.

In that comparsion link you posted the MDX's width is listed as 76.3 inches. I've seen this exact same thing in some other places as well. However, Acura's website and some other magazines say it's 77 inches. Do any of you know which one is correct??. Could it be possible that Acura just rounded it off to the nearest whole figure to make it 77 inches.

 

[Victor]

But do you ACTUALLY PAY MSRP?

Fireblade, there are many factors that effect value, I agree. Can you really put a pricetag on the safety of your family? Not really, how about just your own pain and suffering when the cabin intrudes upon your driving space in an offset crash. Not cheap huh? This I don't disagree with you.

But I will say that you can purchase a Qx4 at or near invoice compared to an MDX which is at or above MSRP. They are not neck in neck. I almost bought a premium Qx4 which had many features that MDX does not have for only $34K. That is the true market value. Still features alone are not enough. For this matter I could have purchased an Envoy which again is feature rich compared to the MDX. Would I buy an Envoy? No, but it offers more features for the money and in that regard it beats the MDX.

Full disclosure: This weekend I just got my build date for my SS MDX with Nav: Feb. 09.

 

[proskunetes]

Vicpai,
Consumer Reports states the width of the MDX to be 76", (the same as the Landcruiser, I might add.)

I guess the width of the MDX fluctuates depending on the number of coats of zaino...

 

[soapydad]

I just traded my 2001 QX4 for a 2002 MDX. Being over 6 foot I always found the qx4 small. My 10 and 12 year old kids barely fit in the back seats. The worst thing about the Qx4 was that when I put myself, my wife and 2 kids in it it completly lost its ride. It constantly bottomed out over bumps and railroad tracks and would jar everyones teeth. The dealer said this was normal and I could find no after market shocks or springs to help the situation. After the last visit to the dealer I was driving by an acura dealer and they had a new MDX on the lot exactly how I would have ordered it. The people who ordered it could not get fianancing on it and it was for sale. I bought it on the spot even though I took a huge loss on the QX4. The Acura dealer gave me just as much as the Infinity dealer was going to. I love the room the mdx has compared to the Qx4. My wife was the one who wanted the QX4 in the first place but after driving the new Mdx she wonders why we haven't had it all along. The kids also thank me for the extra room and not treating them as sub-humans any longer. If you ever test drive a QX4 be sure to do it with 4 people inside.

 

[VA Tech Hokie]

soapydad...

I find the more people and more cargo I have in the MDX, the better it rides... Enjoy your new ride!