After a few weeks of research and test drives, I think I've decided on the MDX. I've got a few dealer options for a black/black MDX SH-AWD Advance/Entertainment for about $54K (haven't done any haggling yet) plus dealer installed options.
Overall, I found the MDX superior to everything else I've driven (including a $90K+ GL) That said, I do have a few pet peeves - some of which I hope to resolve.
Resolvable (hopefully)
My biggest, albeit somewhat silly aesthetic complaint is I HATE the grill. I'm trying to find a "lesser" option to ditch the chrome beak. I honestly don't know what Honda is thinking . To my eye, it totally ruins the look of the front end of the car.
The rim options are just OK. I might try to do 20" something aftermarket if it can be done with minimal ride impact.
The Center stack, Nav and Acuralink need some refining. I'm hoping they can be improved through software updates including the addition of remote start to Acuralink.
A few items I'll live with/without...
I miss the larger/dual sunroofs available in the other models
I wish power folding mirrors and wood trim were available on the US version.
I prefer the rear seat DVD displays in the headrests so as to not block the rear view of the driver
Could they make the remote key fob any LARGER...Jeesh, the thing is HUGE.
I'm waiting to confirm there are no changes coming in the 2015, if not - I'll pull the trigger (and keep looking for a less FUGLY grill option.)
My last vehicle was a GL 320 CDI which I had for almost 7 years. Horrible reliability. Was in the shop again and again (and again). Said goodbye just before the extended warranty ran out.
Just bought a 2014 Tech/Entertainment equipped MDX (wife's car). We also looked at the Explorer Sport and Arcadia Denali prior to purchasing.
Thoughts on the Explorer Sport:
Feels and drives much bigger than the MDX. Didn't bother me but my wife is much smaller and she definitely felt it was less comfortable to navigate in tight areas. The Sport uses the Ecoboost 6 which is definitely quicker than the MDX but suspect it also gets worse mileage in real world driving. Interior and exterior quality felt a step down from the MDX and you still have to deal with the touch screen/voice commands for many functions. IMO the exterior design is a little nicer overall than the MDX but the interior is worse. They also wanted 45k for the loaded Sport which was getting a little hard justify for an Explorer.
Thoughts on the Arcadia:
Exterior styling is ok overall but overall it looks too much like the old Saturn it's based off of. I liked it the least of anything we looked at, and looks the most like a mom-mobile. Interior is a mess. Small nav screen, buttons and switches look very dated (and typical GM). Felt slower than the MDX or Explorer but still peppy. Drives like a smaller SUV and more like an MDX then the Explorer. But for the 50+k is was listed at, way overpriced.
Thoughts on the MDX, which is what we bought:
Exterior styling is nice from certain angles, just ok from others (looks best from the rear). I installed the roof rack and Advance running boards which helped "man it up" a bit. I think the Advance model has the nicest rims but couldn't bring myself to justify another 6k over what we spent just to get them. Strangely our car (tech w/Entertainment) had the Michelin tires when every other tech had the Continentals. Haven't seen aftermarket rims on an MDX that don't look, aftermarket. Touch screen is annoying for certain functions like changing fan speed, but overall I like the interior design. IMO, the Dodge Durango probably had the nicest execution of any interior I personally sat in. The motor is quick enough to be entertaining and apparently is just a quick as the new TL, which I verify personally
Also looked at a Jeep Grand Cherokee but it's way to small inside for our needs.
My biggest, albeit somewhat silly aesthetic complaint is I HATE the grill. I'm trying to find a "lesser" option to ditch the chrome beak. I honestly don't know what Honda is thinking . To my eye, it totally ruins the look of the front end of the car.
This is an easy fix. Go to a car wrap shop or sign shop and have them wrap the chrome beak in something else. There are all kinds of colored, textured, and patterned wrap vinyls available. You could even wrap it in a color that matched you MDX's color.
How about textured Black Mamba vinyl...
Or Carbon Fiber...
All kinds of colored camo wraps...
You could even wrap it in flocked velvet material...
I realize some people don't like the front end appearance of the Acura vehicles but I think the 14 MDX actually looks nice. It's a clean look without an overwhelming feature - perhaps because the 'beak' has been toned down from previous versions. I like it much better than some vehicles that are going overboard to have a gargantuan 'mouth opening' on the front end like Audi, some Lexus', pickups, and the like. They're trying to connote 'power' I guess but it doesn't come across that way to me - just a failed fake attempt.
I agree with mdxstang. I've never been a huge fan of the mdx beak but I love how it looks on the 2014.
We were deciding between the mdx and jx35/qx60. The qx60 had a better interior (love the 360 camera) and a slightly smoother ride but it didn't drive as well overall. We're happy with our mdx so far!
I found some nice renders on a possible group buy (according to the creator, not for a while at the least) for the following Grill. I will be in for a set once one opens up.
We looked at a Durango in the showroom but didn't test drive one. Was trying to find an R/T in stock somewhere but never did. Would like to have driven both the 6 and 8 cyl with the new 8 speed. Wife didn't like the styling (non R/T) and thought it looked too big. I would disagree but in fairness it is a 5,200lb vehicle and the base version does look a little plain. I have a Dodge Ram with the Hemi motor and while it does sound great, gas mileage isn't its strong suit. So doubt the Durango would come close to the 22mpg or so I'm seeing in mixed driving with the MDX. And per the reviews the MDX is just as quick.
^^ Obviously, I ended up with the MDX as well after considering all the contenders. So far (17K miles) I'm quite happy with my decision and it was great on a recent 7K mile road trip.
7K miles on my "X" and I'm happy with the decision. I did have the beak wrapped, 3M filmed and opti-coated to match the rest of the front...
My only real complaint is the remote door lock/starter. The range is terrible with it often failing to work as close as 50'. Acura service says they are aware of the problem, but no resolution is yet available. I'm hoping they simply add remote start to AcuraLink.
I decided against larger rims, although I am considering having the OEM rims PVD'd. As for the modding bug - I recently picked up a Trilogy Marauder that provides a perfect platform to satisfy my need to "mod"