Well, you must not have looked at very good pictures. The difference is quite significant IMHO.
Between the black Acura steps and the black Maniks, there may not seem as much difference, only because neither one is very noticeable due to the color.
That's not a value judgement, because it's strictly personal taste.
I too have been waiting for the Maniks and strongly advise against Gogrilles dot com because they charged my card, over a month ago and I finally got a refund check today. They charged my card even without shipping product.
Anyway, Manik is a major after-market manufcaturer in S. California.
You can also order through Truckstuff USA.com, BestDarnParts.com, DriverFX.com, coolwheels.com, or Nordleth.
They all claim the same problem, backorders up the kazoo. I still have an order with TruckStuff they have not charged my card, so I am just holding on for now. My order status keeps showing 'Shipping in 2-3weeks'.
I really like the looks of the Maniks better than the Acura.
I might settle for the Acura steps and having them powder-coated chrome as a few others have done. But that is more dinero, but you could probably get your steps sooner that way. You either have them powder coated locally, or ship them to the firm that is recommended on the forum, that is in South. Calif.
There are few metal specialists here in the Bay Area, I may start some inquiries next week.
It is very unfortunate that Manik's competitors have not yet picked up the slack. Paul and I have sent emails to autoseattle.com , Tal & Hadas, GoRhino,
etc. telling them they are missing a golden opportunity as the MDX demand for more accessories is increasing. T&H is the only one that seemed to respond with interest and hopes to have some MDX parts available by mid-summer ahead of their original Fall schedule.
We shall see!