[William F. Stew]

Gripes, with my new MDX:

1... Doors do not lock/unlock when driving. E.G. going from Park to drive..
2... Headlight system doesn't have a provision (option) for automatic turn-on.

3... Power outlet in console is turn off when ignition is off, (cell phone charging or keep alive mode).

May sound petty but nice to have for 40k..

 

[Fireblade6]

Gripes, with my new MDX:

1... Doors do not lock/unlock when driving. E.G. going from Park to drive..
2... Headlight system doesn't have a provision (option) for automatic turn-on.

3... Power outlet in console is turn off when ignition is off, (cell phone charging or keep alive mode).

May sound petty but nice to have for 40k..

1) Mine lock/unlock when driving going from park to drive.
2)Acura MDX does have automatice turn on and off.. i,e- if you leave your lights on when you park turn off the motor, lock the door and walk away it turns itself off automatically and when you unlock door its turns back on.
3)you may want to use the power outlet in the CD storage comparnment that is actually better for the CELL phone.

 

[William F. Stew]

I know about the automode switch for lights to be on/off with the keyswitch. I should have stated Dusk/dawn sensor for the lights to turn on and off.

I called Acura service about the doorlocks and they say that the MDX do not lock when going to drive gear or forward, etc.

And last, the power outlet in the center console is not powered up when the keyswitch is off.. Must be some liability reasons.

 

[Victor]

I think those are reasonable requests William. My last car had all three of those that you mentioned and it was about 10K less than the MDX. Also, even my low 20's Camry has Dusk/Dawn headlights at least. I just assumed that the MDX had that as I haven't had to think about turning my headlights on in quite a while. That's a shame really.

 

[Pierre]

Re: Re: Three minor Gripes!

1) Mine lock/unlock when driving going from park to drive.

You must have installed an after-market accessory, 'cause this sure ain't a stock feature.

2)Acura MDX does have automatice turn on and off.. i,e- if you leave your lights on when you park turn off the motor, lock the door and walk away it turns itself off automatically and when you unlock door its turns back on.

I think he's looking for the automatic "on" at dusk.


3)you may want to use the power outlet in the CD storage comparnment that is actually better for the CELL phone.

Won't solve his problem. There's no "hot" accessory outlet.

 

[A2MDXer]

Please keep in mind that items 1 and 3 may have been omitted for reasons. No autolock b/c many find it annoying (I think I am in this category). No always-on power to prevent battery run-down (I understand this isn't really an issue with a cell phone and would have preferred that it is always on).

 

[William F. Stew]

Yes, the autolock can be a nuisance but the TL's can be programmed either way. And when I bought my MDX there wasn't any to be driven for a test drive. I thought I had done a lot of research (about 2 months worth) the most I have ever done on a new car purchase. I have had a lot of SUV's trucks, and cars in the past. Went from a Navigator to the MDX. The MDX is a GREAT vehicle and my wife the 95% driver of the MDX loves it. I wanted to find a perfect vehicle for her and a family that sometimes ride together. I look at and test drove about every type of allwheel vehicle out there. Including the x-series Jag. I LOVED the looks of the JAG., my wife said she wouldn't feel right in it. Read about the problems with quality. The Sequoias (S.P.) were nice but with weight and size came the dreaded gas mileage. The X5 and ML's were good also but lacked interior room for the price. The 4.4 X5 screamed, got a grin on my face but not my wifes. The ML's still look bubbled/domed and maintenance was a worry. As, for the MDX the final closure, was Lexus, Jag, Volvo and Volkswagon were all 190 mile round trip to be serviced. BMW, the service at the dealer here is horrible. Many of my friends drive the 190 round trip to another dealer. Mercedes, has a great dealer/service here but I was trouble by all the negative response to the ML's. I can't say this first hand on the ML's but what I have been told by owners and what I have read.
Like I said just minor gripes but with so much interface with ECM, computers you would think that these could be programmed to meet various needs.

 

[Victor]

I totally agree with you William. I know there are people out there who don't care for the automatic door locks but I think the majority do enjoy that feature. So the best way to solve it would be to allow it to be user selectable.

As far as the headlights go, I can't imagine anyone who wouldn't want their lights to automatically go on when it gets dark or go off when it's light out. It's simply a nice convenience. Again, most cars that offer this allow the driver to override it if they want to. Personally, there are times when it's dark out and I see someone has their headlights off for "God only knows what reason" and I wish their car forced them to use them.

Anyway, a minor gripe but still I believe a bad oversight on the part of Acura as they are features that befit a car in this class. I really hate to say that this is the most expensive car that I've had and it doesn't have some features in my previous cars.

 

[dakster]

Funny how someone's gripes is what I like about the car. The main one being the headlights. I like to have control over my headlights. Sometimes I have to wait for someone at night in a parking lot and would like to "sleep" or "hide". Hard to do that in the wifes volvo that won't let you turn the lights out. Car is on, Headlights on. (either DRL or regular)

The autolock feature is iritating and if user selectable would be turned off. Again, like to have control and if you need to get out of the car in a hurry it is just one more step to do so. May feel different when my son is older....

The cigarette lighter not being on when car is off does bother me. At least one of them should be on when the car is off. If it bothers you THAT much, go to Discount Auto Parts, Pep Boys, Autozone, whatever and get an extra outlet and wire it up yourself. I'm sure I could figure out a way to rewire one of them in the car, but would not want to risk warranty problems.

 

[TheWorm]

I'm with Dakster on this one.

Recently had a Ford Taurus as a rental (what a turd!). Notwithstanding the anemic engine, horrible brakes, and lousy headlights, the thing I absolutely hated the most were the autolocking doors. What a nuisance! I still just can't figure out why folks like them This one in particular reminds me of a sub-par American heap with spurious "features" that the driver can't override.

I've never used the auto headlights in any car I've owned that's had them; I guess I prefer to be the one to decide when my lights should be on or off.

Always-on outlet -- that one makes sense to me!

That said, I wouldn't begrudge anyone who wanted these features, but I'd certainly want the ability to disable the door locks. They have zero value to me.

 

[RedMdxMemphis]

My other little bit gripes!

>> [1... Doors do not lock/unlock when driving. E.G. going from Park to drive..

Personally, I don't like the auto lock feature.


>> 2... Headlight system doesn't have a provision (option) for automatic turn-on.

I can use the dusk light but I don't miss it if it's not there.

>> 3... Power outlet in console is turn off when ignition is off, (cell phone charging or keep alive mode).

On my toyota the plug is on all the time but I must say the battery went dead when I had my gadget on without knowing it. So I feel okay if the plug is not hot.

On one thing I found I really miss... I WANT A TIME CLOCK SOMEWHERE WHEN THE ENGINE IS NOT ON.. This may sound silly but I want a clock so I can tell time any time..

 

[Stargazer]

Locking the doors after you drive is simply a safety feature. I would never drive around with unlocked doors. That being said, it would be kind of annoying to have to push a button everytime you drive away.

Sure I could push the button every time but many (non-luxury) cars already have this feature--so how can you pretend to be a luxury vehicle without the luxury conveniences?

Auto-unlocking is a bit more controversial, but it's one of the features I like about my car now (doors unlock when key is removed from ignition). It's really nice not having to push another button just before I get out and it helps with getting the kids in the back.

Of course, these features should be user programable. These are minor things, yes, but the fact that they have been left out just shows the cheapness of Acura--just like the fake wood and the non-leather 3rd row--hardly befitting of a "luxury" vehicle .

As for the dusk/dawn headlights, maybe that's not such a bad thing judging by the number of people I see who drive in the evening without their headlights on :sheesh:! It must be because most people on the road are not true "drivers"--they're simply "commuters" more concerned with what's on TV that night or what they're going to have for dinner when they get home rather than paying attention the road and road conditions around them. It's unfortunate but it's sometime safer to build to the lowest common denomenator.

And an always "on" plug? My car is like that now and I'm too paranoid to use it--I always unplug my accessories when I leave the vehicle.

 

[KAC]

Gripes, with my new MDX:

1... Doors do not lock/unlock when driving. E.G. going from Park to drive..
2... Headlight system doesn't have a provision (option) for automatic turn-on.

3... Power outlet in console is turn off when ignition is off, (cell phone charging or keep alive mode).

May sound petty but nice to have for 40k..

1. I consider this to be a serious safety issue. I've driven cars for 12 years that automatically lock when I started driving - I'm never going to remember to lock the doors. I'll be car-jacked, lose my MDX, lose my kids. Is there any way to fix this without voiding a warranty?

I'm less fond of auto-unlocking. It can be a pain if you're just turning off the car to wait for someone and not getting out. You do at least have the VERY (in my suburban) audible unlocking sound to remind you to relock the doors which is much less of a problem than trying to remember to lock the doors at start up with no reminder.

2. I've never had this so don't know to miss it - this won't bother me at all. I can definitely understand why you would miss it if you'd had it before though.

3. This is going to be a major pain. My husband's TT is like this and I hate it. I often charge my phone in the car and don't have a long commute (12 minutes which certainly isn't enough to charge the phone). Something else that needs to be fixed - I'm certainly adult enough to accept the blame if I leave something plugged in that causes a dead battery - should be my decision to make not Acura's.

Kim, less enthusiastically waiting now

 

[MDXtrous]

Isn't it actually advised that locking the front doors could cause it to be unopenable in case of an accident? For myself, when I feel that I'm in an area that I could very possibly be carjacked, I hit the lock button 3 times faster than anything!! I did that yesterday when I drove through Newark, NJ.

 

[TheWorm]

If
autolocking = "more safe"
then
autounlocking = "less safe".

MDXtrous is correct -- emergency people (police, fire, ambulance) have indicated repeatedly that locked doors make it difficult to get people out of wrecks.

Sure, the doors should be locked when you're driving through the 'hood. Who's gonna carjack you @ 65 on the freeway, though?

 

[Stargazer]

Originally posted by TheWorm
emergency people (police, fire, ambulance) have indicated repeatedly that locked doors make it difficult to get people out of wrecks.

What's the difference if you lock the doors yourself or the car locks it for you ? Anyway, as I said before, these features need to be user programmable so that people can choose what they want to do.

It's unfortunate that more automobile manufacturers don't take the initiative in safety issues and use a little bit of common sense and logic. The doors shouldn't unlock as soon as the engine is stopped--only when the key is removed from the ignition. That way, you yourself can determine whether or not it is safe to unlock and leave the vehicle. Also, if the Passat (a regular family car) is in an accident and the air bags deploy, the doors automatically unlock to assist emergency workers. If VW can do it, why can't others?

And regarding locking your doors when you get into a bad area--crime doesn't only happen in the slums . I, too, would like the ability to know a few minutes before I'm going to be carjacked .

Who's gonna carjack you @ 65 on the freeway, though?

I thought I heard that having the doors locked reduced the chance of them flying open when you're in a rollover accident. Perhaps that's wrong?

 

[KAC]

Sure, the doors should be locked when you're driving through the 'hood. Who's gonna carjack you @ 65 on the freeway, though?

But if you're someone that spends 90% of their time driving in town, it's an issue. The vast majority of my time is spent in town, at slower speeds on roads with many stoplights and stop signs.

Kim

 

[davegood]

Take it to a stereo store

#3 on the list was my number 1 pet peeve. My phone will turn off if I leave it charged in and the outlet turns off. Anyway, I took it to a local car stereo shop, and for $30 and about a half hour they wired a new dedicated always on circuit to the center console. Best thing I've done.

I wouldn't leave a TV or something that draws a lot of current plugged in, but a cell phone draws next to nothing.

 

[Bravo466]

In the MB we have, the doors lcok when a speed of 10mph or highwr is obtained (can turn off though), and the dorrs unlock when either of the front foors are opened, (just pulling the handle)

dusk-dawn auto head lamps, (and wipers too)

 

[Stargazer]

dusk-dawn auto head lamps, (and wipers too)

Wow, dusk-dawn wipers! What if it's not raining ?