[gusanmaz]

Guys/Gals;

I went to the local Acura dealer yesterday; I was pleasantly surprised to see that they were not pushy at all. I was told that there was approximately 3 months wait on the car. When I asked the question about the upcoming changes for 2003 model, they pleaded ignorance besides "some increase in horsepower". I will go to test drive today.

My questions are:

- Does anybody know about the chnages for 2003 ?
- Should I be paying above MSRP for the base model?
- Is it worth waiting more?

Thanks in advance,

Gokhan

I apologize if this topic was discussed to the n-th degree already!

 

[DaleB]

It's your money and your patience that make the final decision as to how long to wait.
I am on a long (6 month) waiting list as of 3 weeks ago, and my dealer tells me I am more likely to end up with a 2003.
I could start calling around and try to shorten that wait.
First of all, I am not in a big hurry, and do have some curiosity about the 2003 models.
Likely the changes will be subtle, although there is a rumor of a larger engine. Maybe that will be an optional engine, no one seems to know yet.
Another factor is the availability of a 2002 of a specific color seems to be coming down to fewer choices as the 'auto year' moves to the end.

 

[DaleB]

I forgot to mention, yes, MSRP seems to be the rule. There are enough dealers offering MSRP that is foolish to put more money down on over priced vehicles or options.
Of course, that is an individual choice, and it's possible someone has your dream manchine, you don't want to wait any longer, and it's worth a premium to you.

 

[gusanmaz]

Dale,

Thanks for the quick reply.
It seems the exact details of 2003 is mystery. I am more leaning towards placing an order now...

G

 

[MDXtrous]

I don't think the bigger engine would be good for fuel economy. I think new releases are always a dissapointment, because so much is expected.

 

[JLee]

maybe one of the Type S engines !!!

i think the hp is good, but could always use more

jeff

 

[tarheelrx]

wait versus buy

I am also debating waiting for the 2003 -- am not in that much of a hurry so waiting is not a problem (the local dealership has 4 MDXs on the lot). However, since I am not in a hurry, I think pricing will decrease some as the new Volvo SUVs come out (the two dealerships are right next to each other). Just my 0.02....

thanks

 

[gusanmaz]

Well, end of this debate for me. I placed the order for a black/ebony MDX last Sunday. I was told that It will be delivered sometime in July; so after all, I may be getting a 2003, who knows. The extra horsepower was important at first, but after test driving the 2002 model, I thought the car had the right balance of power and economics for me as I presume that the mileage will suffer to some degree. My wife and I, we read through the Volvo info available over the web, and it sounds like a comparable car will cost about 6-7K more than the MDX - purely my guess - . I also have problems with buying "a first-year production" car. I think the car to wait for could be 2004 Benz but that's just too far down the road...

Thanks for all of your answers...

Gokhan

 

[wmquan]

Probably too late to chime in, but if it was possible to wait, I'd say wait for the 2003. The worst case one ends up with is that the changes are not much more than a horsepower increase for an unknown incraese in MSRP. That's still not so bad, and one doesn't have to spend their money right away.

The best case is that Acura differentiates the MDX more, away from the Pilot, and adds more power, plus some highly desirable features in the 2003 -- perhaps OEM xenon headlamps, perhaps some type of head protection, etc. If Acura does make the 2003's a significant upgrade (and no one knows right now), one wouldn't be regretting not waiting for it.

If one takes a 2002 in the summer, it's automatically diminished somewhat in value unless one can get a discount on it, vs. a 2003. That's less important if one hangs on to their vehicle for a long time.

Thus, for those who can wait (and not everyone can), I'd go for the alternative with more upside.

 

[DaleB]

I would agree, depending on your personal level of patience, June is probably a could time to say good bye to any offers of a 2002, and wait for a 2003.
You will likely have a good 4 months to wait for them to arrive at dealers at that point, but I am sure you won't be disappointed. After all, it has to be at least as good as a 2002!

I doubt it would be a significant power increase because that could spell disaster at the gas pump.(And hey, what's up with the Honda having the same engine with 3 less ft. lbs. of torque and it's made to run on regular!!)
But it may be a similar option like the S option of the TL which bumps the 3.2 liter from 225 hp to 260 hp.
They could probably pick up some nice horses with some exhaust work and help keep the mileagle in tow.
I would have to believe there will be some nice detail changes maybe cleaning up some of those irritants like the details needed for a real luxury car.
Everything should come together in 2003 for the MDX making it ripe for some some real departures in 2004.
Of course this is all conjecture, but what the hay!!!

 

[msu79gt82]

RE: Type S

I'm not sure what to think of an MDX with a Type-S option. The TL/CL has the Sequential SportShift transmission. I can not imagine putting the Type-S package on a vehicle w/o the SportShift transmission and I do not see a large SUV with that option.

MDX Type-S? Maybe, but I'm not sure I see the point.

 

[DaleB]

Only added power, I doubt they would use the SprortShift for an SUV.

 

[msu79gt82]

I agree that added power ...

... would be nice. But rumors are rampant about a future increase in HP. I do not doubt for a minute that that more HP is coming ('03 or '04).

What I question is if Acura will make two HP levels available for an SUV; particularly in light of a second option being the Type-S treatment.