Is is a Luxury Vehicle? Well it has fake wood, vinyl seats w/leather accents, shares the majority of its components with the Accord/Odyssey/and Civic. Shifter and dashboard look like it came from my 1987 Accord. No stability control, no teleassist. No unique gadgets, toys. I don't think so.
Just go and compare the quality of the materials. features and available comforts of the MDX with the ML. I test drove a MDX and ML on the same day. No comparison, ML was much better.
Is it (MDX) a SUV? Can't take it off road as there is no low range, no 4ETS. (unless you count dirt roads as several MDX owners do). As delivered, can't tow anything, it will overheat. Needs addon coolers. Built on a mini-Van chassis as a result does not have much payload, is not durable. Engine and transmission are from passenger vehicles. Requires much more maintenance. With ML you get 4 years maintenance included, free loaner car.
Is it safe? It is built on a mini-van chassis. Its unitized body will not hold up well in rear enders, and if it rolls over the roof will cave in as does the majority of SUVs built on car chassis. (Don't worry, the Mercedes has proven the ML can survive this type of abuse.) Cheap Honda seats will break in rear enders. No rear airbags, no curtain airbags. Front side airbags are built into the seat. If you are not setting perfectly straight a sensor (hard to do in an accident) will turn them off. Otherwise they will blow you into the dash. Does not sound safe to me. My brother in law owns a salvage company. He sees wreaked vehicles ever day. The only vehicles he will get into are built by Mercedes and Volvo. Says Hondas are some of the worst for holding up in an accident.
Even the name Acura is fake. This is a brand of snake oil that Honda cooked up so that people would not balk at paying $40K for a Honda. An Acura is an expensive Honda, nothing more. There are no Acura plants and the brand does not exist outside NA. The MDX is built in a Honda mini-van factory. In Honda's home market of Japan, Mercedes-Benz is a highly coveted vehicle. (I've been there) Hondas are looked at (as they are) as a vehicle for the masses.
On the other hand, the ML shares components with much more expensive vehicles. It is also built in a factory that was designed exclusively for this series vehicle. In addition, Mercedes-Benz is one of the largest truck makers in the world. Honda doe not have truck technology. Which one would do you think will sell you a real luxury truck, and which is building the poser.
Just go and compare the quality of the materials. features and available comforts of the MDX with the ML. I test drove a MDX and ML on the same day. No comparison, ML was much better.
Is it (MDX) a SUV? Can't take it off road as there is no low range, no 4ETS. (unless you count dirt roads as several MDX owners do). As delivered, can't tow anything, it will overheat. Needs addon coolers. Built on a mini-Van chassis as a result does not have much payload, is not durable. Engine and transmission are from passenger vehicles. Requires much more maintenance. With ML you get 4 years maintenance included, free loaner car.
Is it safe? It is built on a mini-van chassis. Its unitized body will not hold up well in rear enders, and if it rolls over the roof will cave in as does the majority of SUVs built on car chassis. (Don't worry, the Mercedes has proven the ML can survive this type of abuse.) Cheap Honda seats will break in rear enders. No rear airbags, no curtain airbags. Front side airbags are built into the seat. If you are not setting perfectly straight a sensor (hard to do in an accident) will turn them off. Otherwise they will blow you into the dash. Does not sound safe to me. My brother in law owns a salvage company. He sees wreaked vehicles ever day. The only vehicles he will get into are built by Mercedes and Volvo. Says Hondas are some of the worst for holding up in an accident.
Even the name Acura is fake. This is a brand of snake oil that Honda cooked up so that people would not balk at paying $40K for a Honda. An Acura is an expensive Honda, nothing more. There are no Acura plants and the brand does not exist outside NA. The MDX is built in a Honda mini-van factory. In Honda's home market of Japan, Mercedes-Benz is a highly coveted vehicle. (I've been there) Hondas are looked at (as they are) as a vehicle for the masses.
On the other hand, the ML shares components with much more expensive vehicles. It is also built in a factory that was designed exclusively for this series vehicle. In addition, Mercedes-Benz is one of the largest truck makers in the world. Honda doe not have truck technology. Which one would do you think will sell you a real luxury truck, and which is building the poser.