[Joey21]

We have a 2014 Tech AWD with ~115K miles. No issues. I've put brakes on it, a battery, fluids and I'm doing front struts this week. Car has been flawless. It is comfortable, quiet, great a/c and stereo, and gets better than average MPG at the speed limit than most of the other vehicles this size. I really like the AWD when I've needed it. We just drive it. Not worried about drag race specs or its ability to do track days. I did however want something that handles as I've driven many large vehicles over the years that just leaned and wallowed on the mountain roads which we frequently drive.

Thank goodness for the wisdom of forums like this one and OEM parts available on the web because dealer service department prices are insane.

I prefer the later front end. The beak is not my favorite. However, I also highly value not replacing my vehicles often with all the transaction costs that come with that. If I bought a newer MDX I'd need to add the trailer hitch and brake controller again. Probably would need tires soon again. And catching up all the fluid changes again. Nah, I'll keep it another 100K at least. Our daily driver (wife and I carpool) is a 22 year old CRV with 310K miles. We save the MDX for the weekend and trips. By then perhaps there will be a good electric big family car like the MDX available with a battery that successfully mimics a gas tank (fast refills). An EV for commuter duty would be fine since it can recharge overnight and one charge would last us all week. An electric travel car is a different situation.

Wouldn't mind having a plug-in hybrid MDX that gave me 75 miles of battery range with a small engine to keep the battery charged on long trips. I recently made a day trip in a BMW i3. Excellent idea and execution.

I have mixed feelings about the two screen dash. I think I would have been just as satisfied with the upper screen and knobs for the lower screen controls but I understand touchscreens are trendy. I think both screens should have been configured to show more information than they do. At least scroll long song names? Show some album art?

We use the stereo alot. XM/AM/FM/HDD and bluetooth. I really like having NAV when I'm traveling alone. Otherwise being able to mirror the screen on my phone would be fine - but I'm not willing to spend $500 for an aftermarket adapter.

Love the engine and like the transmission. Actually the transmission has been great but I would be happier with a 6MT-SH-AWD combo but I realize I'm one of about 5 people in the whole country that would say that.

 

[Bullwinkle007]

We have a 2014 Tech AWD with ~115K miles. No issues. I've put brakes on it, a battery, fluids and I'm doing front struts this week. Car has been flawless. It is comfortable, quiet, great a/c and stereo, and gets better than average MPG at the speed limit than most of the other vehicles this size. I really like the AWD when I've needed it. We just drive it. Not worried about drag race specs or its ability to do track days. I did however want something that handles as I've driven many large vehicles over the years that just leaned and wallowed on the mountain roads which we frequently drive.

Thank goodness for the wisdom of forums like this one and OEM parts available on the web because dealer service department prices are insane.

I prefer the later front end. The beak is not my favorite. However, I also highly value not replacing my vehicles often with all the transaction costs that come with that. If I bought a newer MDX I'd need to add the trailer hitch and brake controller again. Probably would need tires soon again. And catching up all the fluid changes again. Nah, I'll keep it another 100K at least. Our daily driver (wife and I carpool) is a 22 year old CRV with 310K miles. We save the MDX for the weekend and trips. By then perhaps there will be a good electric big family car like the MDX available with a battery that successfully mimics a gas tank (fast refills). An EV for commuter duty would be fine since it can recharge overnight and one charge would last us all week. An electric travel car is a different situation.

Wouldn't mind having a plug-in hybrid MDX that gave me 75 miles of battery range with a small engine to keep the battery charged on long trips. I recently made a day trip in a BMW i3. Excellent idea and execution.

I have mixed feelings about the two screen dash. I think I would have been just as satisfied with the upper screen and knobs for the lower screen controls but I understand touchscreens are trendy. I think both screens should have been configured to show more information than they do. At least scroll long song names? Show some album art?

We use the stereo alot. XM/AM/FM/HDD and bluetooth. I really like having NAV when I'm traveling alone. Otherwise being able to mirror the screen on my phone would be fine - but I'm not willing to spend $500 for an aftermarket adapter.

Love the engine and like the transmission. Actually the transmission has been great but I would be happier with a 6MT-SH-AWD combo but I realize I'm one of about 5 people in the whole country that would say that.

I would prefer a 6-speed manual myself my other vehicle a 2012 Honda Accord has a 5-speed manual 247,000 on the original clutch. But then again I'm 45 and I've been driving manual since I was 15 years old I think I know how to drive a stick

 

[mrgold35]

I would prefer a 6-speed manual myself my other vehicle a 2012 Honda Accord has a 5-speed manual 247,000 on the original clutch. But then again I'm 45 and I've been driving manual since I was 15 years old I think I know how to drive a stick

I'm an old fart also and grew up when Automatics were 2/3/4 speeds and were complete crap most of the time. Everyone either had/have or knew how to drive a manual. It really hasn't been until recently when automatics (especially DCT) equalled and surpassed manual trans in performance and longevity. The wife and I gave up on manual trans back in the early 90s when stuck in Seattle traffic taking 2 1/2 hours one-way to go 40 miles in our MT Honda Accord.

Out of all the transmission I've had driven with Honda/Acura since 1978, the 7DCT is my favorite. You don't hear it, feel it, think about it, and it always seems to be in the right gear with plenty of power on tap.

 

[Macallan1]

2014 MDX AWD Tech 108000. No problems just routine maintenance. Changed belt at 106000. Probably doing S and S next. Been great. Too many pushbuttons on 2022 and no shift lever. More cervices for junk and debris and need to take eyes off surroundings to change gears. No to my liking.

 

[MCRacer]

Best third Gen, ANY year MDX hybrid hands down. (2017?-20) 7 speed DCT is an Outstanding transmission, more power than the non hybrid, way better city fuel economy, way better start stop technology, twin rear motors do a much better job of torque vectoring for cornering. Now that said, the big downside if it is important to you is NO towing ALLOWED.

 

[Bullwinkle007]

Best third Gen, ANY year MDX hybrid hands down. (2017?-20) 7 speed DCT is an Outstanding transmission, more power than the non hybrid, way better city fuel economy, way better start stop technology, twin rear motors do a much better job of torque vectoring for cornering. Now that said, the big downside if it is important to you is NO towing ALLOWED.

I am absolutely no fan of start stop technology. Wait till you get miles on it, and here comes extra bills to fix vs if you didn't have it.

 

[MCRacer]

I am absolutely no fan of start stop technology. Wait till you get miles on it, and here comes extra bills to fix vs if you didn't have it.

Non hybrid start stop has it's drawbacks and some mfg are better than others, but I agree, the vast majority of non hybrid start stop technology leaves something to be desired not from an implementation or reliabilty standpoint but from the interaction standpoint.

But have you ever driven the MDX hybrid? the start stop technology uses the electric motors to cycle the engine when you are moving. Unless you stomp on the throttle from a stop the only way you know the engine has started is by seeing the tach above 0, same as when it goes between gas and electric when driving.. And since all the accessories have electric drive even the AC keeps working at a stop with the engine off and the HV battery keeps the 12V battery charged up.

But if you REALLY don't want to use the start stop on the hybrid that's also an option, it's easier to turn off than with the non hybrid.

Also I have many friends in europe for decades and decades have practiced "manual" start stop, pull up to a red light, shot off the engine. when the light flashes red (meaning it will soon go green) start the engine .They've but 100K+ miles on those cars with nary a problem.

 

[Bullwinkle007]

The stupid thing about start stop is it doesn't save you any money it cost you money in the end it cost you more gas to shut it off and start it back up again then it does to let idle for the 3 minutes so you stopped at the stoplight. And leaves me with a big repair bill with the starter fails. And in the winter time when I'm doing snow removal, all eye to my car for 30 minutes for it to get warm, melt everything off the car. Working 12hrs in snow for your shift, the last thing I want to is get into a cold ass car

 

[mrgold35]

The stupid thing about start stop is it doesn't save you any money it cost you money in the end it cost you more gas to shut it off and start it back up again then it does to let idle for the 3 minutes so you stopped at the stoplight. And leaves me with a big repair bill with the starter fails. And in the winter time when I'm doing snow removal, all eye to my car for 30 minutes for it to get warm, melt everything off the car. Working 12hrs in snow for your shift, the last thing I want to is get into a cold ass car

You would love the MDX hybrid system EV to gas transition. It cycles the engine on/off as needed for constant heat and A/C climate control when you idle or use the remote start. If you are smooth with the gas pedal, you won't feel the EV to ICE transition from a stop. You have to look at the rpms when city driving to see if the engine is on when it cycles between EV, ICE, and uses both. Sometimes the engine will turn off on declines at hwy speeds at +65 mph improving mpgs. EV to gas is 100% disabled in Sport+ (beast) mode. Sh-awd tq vectoring+regen braking+electronic dampers work w/ and w/o the ICE engine all the time accelerating, cruising, turns, and braking for a more stable ride and you end up using the brake pedal less.

My 19 MDX hybrid feel like the best handling Acura I've owned compared to my 06 TSX ASpec (Aspec suspension+Progress RSB+fastlink endlinks+Heel-Toe camber kit), 08 RDX (Eibach lowering springs+Progress RSB), or 11 MDX Adv with Active Damper System and 20" Conti DWS 06 tires.

 

[MCRacer]

You would love the MDX hybrid system EV to gas transition. It cycles the engine on/off as needed for constant heat and A/C climate control when you idle or use the remote start. If you are smooth with the gas pedal, you won't feel the EV to ICE transition from a stop. You have to look at the rpms when city driving to see if the engine is on when it cycles between EV, ICE, and uses both. Sometimes the engine will turn off on declines at hwy speeds at +65 mph improving mpgs. EV to gas is 100% disabled in Sport+ (beast) mode. Sh-awd tq vectoring+regen braking+electronic dampers work w/ and w/o the ICE engine all the time accelerating, cruising, turns, and braking for a more stable ride and you end up using the brake pedal less.

My 19 MDX hybrid feel like the best handling Acura I've owned compared to my 06 TSX ASpec (Aspec suspension+Progress RSB+fastlink endlinks+Heel-Toe camber kit), 08 RDX (Eibach lowering springs+Progress RSB), or 11 MDX Adv with Active Damper System and 20" Conti DWS 06 tires.

as mentioned, the ICE will turn off at highway speeds especially on downhill grades. My best MPG was 126 MPG for a distance of 20 miles on a slight downgrade, around a 1% grade, tthe frirst 15 miles were downhill and then it leveled off, I was reading 199+mpg for about 15 miles till we hit the more level ground. EV was used for 16 of the 21 miles. And on the downhill the ICE would occasionally start up for engine braking once the battery pack got fully charged, then shut off when the EV engaged on more level sections. BTW I found the MPG gauge won't go above 199mpg even when the average is above that.

 

[mrgold35]

as mentioned, the ICE will turn off at highway speeds especially on downhill grades. My best MPG was 126 MPG for a distance of 20 miles on a slight downgrade, around a 1% grade, tthe frirst 15 miles were downhill and then it leveled off, I was reading 199+mpg for about 15 miles till we hit the more level ground. EV was used for 16 of the 21 miles. And on the downhill the ICE would occasionally start up for engine braking once the battery pack got fully charged, then shut off when the EV engaged on more level sections. BTW I found the MPG gauge won't go above 199mpg even when the average is above that.

My worse MDX hybrid mpgs was 21.6 mpg for 175 miles at 70 mph. It was below freezing and I had a stiff headwind on +25 mph with gusts +35 mph. The worse day in my 19 MDX hybrid equals my best day in my 11 MDX Adv.

 

[412MDX]

I have personally heard that the 2015 is the most reliable of the third gens. Not sure how credible this is or what that assertion is grounded it, but I have heard it from multiple sources. My guess is that the 6-speed transmission is the reason. It is also a bit harder to gauge the reliability of newer-model third gens (2019, 2020, 2021) since not enough time has passed to assess longevity.

 

[Krauthawk]

”cost you more gas to shut it off and start it back up again then it does to let idle for the 3 minutes“

This is incorrect.
A study by the Society of Auto Engineers (SAE) indicates that start stop can increase your fuel economy by over 8% in heavy traffic.
Publications by Road n Track, Edmunds, Consumer Report and others also indicate savings of at least 3%.
Todays starting systems are unlike those of years ago where it took more fuel to start your vehicle.
Now, I’m not a fan of start stop technology and think it could lead to premature starting system issues, but there are also studies out there indicating this thinking is incorrect.
I don’t do a lot of stop n go driving, so it doesn’t impact me much.

 

[MCRacer]

This is incorrect.
A study by the Society of Auto Engineers (SAE) indicates that start stop can increase your fuel economy by over 8% in heavy traffic.
Publications by Road n Track, Edmunds, Consumer Report and others also indicate savings of at least 3%.
Todays starting systems are unlike those of years ago where it took more fuel to start your vehicle.
Now, I’m not a fan of start stop technology and think it could lead to premature starting system issues, but there are also studies out there indicating this thinking is incorrect.
I don’t do a lot of stop n go driving, so it doesn’t impact me much.

As I mentioned earlier, I have multiple friends who live in various european countries and they've been doing "manual" start stop for decades and decades on many different cars and when asked about it, they haven't had starter problems or other problems possibly related to start stop. In many european countries, the red light flashes just before it turns green, so when they pull up to a red light, engine off, light flashes, start engine, ready for green. I even got used to doing that while in europe. Course when they do this AC, ventilation, radio also went out, unlike on current US start sop that keep many things running, which may have an issue with battery life, but most cars with start/stop require an AGM battery which current designs are more like a deep discharge than a typical flooded cell starting battery.

 

[Bullwinkle007]

This is incorrect.
A study by the Society of Auto Engineers (SAE) indicates that start stop can increase your fuel economy by over 8% in heavy traffic.
Publications by Road n Track, Edmunds, Consumer Report and others also indicate savings of at least 3%.
Todays starting systems are unlike those of years ago where it took more fuel to start your vehicle.
Now, I’m not a fan of start stop technology and think it could lead to premature starting system issues, but there are also studies out there indicating this thinking is incorrect.
I don’t do a lot of stop n go driving, so it doesn’t impact me much.

Regardless I'm not a fan of it, you may see a mpg in an entire fleet, but you and I wouldn't see any difference at the pump.

This is incorrect.
A study by the Society of Auto Engineers (SAE) indicates that start stop can increase your fuel economy by over 8% in heavy traffic.
Publications by Road n Track, Edmunds, Consumer Report and others also indicate savings of at least 3%.
Todays starting systems are unlike those of years ago where it took more fuel to start your vehicle.
Now, I’m not a fan of start stop technology and think it could lead to premature starting system issues, but there are also studies out there indicating this thinking is incorrect.
I don’t do a lot of stop n go driving, so it doesn’t impact me much.

You may see a mpg across an entire fleet, but you and I wouldn't see any difference at the pump. Regardless, I believe their will be maintenance issues with it and longevity

 

[Krauthawk]

[QUOTE="Bullwinkle007, post: 1564133, member: 218234"

You may see a mpg across an entire fleet, but you and I wouldn't see any difference at the pump.
[/QUOTE]

Not sure I follow your rationale……..
Why would a fleet ‘see a mpg‘, but not you and I?
Yeah, I don’t do a lot of stop n go city driving, but I still do some …… and a bunch of people do a lot of stop n go driving.
If studies (by engineers) indicate a savings of 3-8% (or more), why wouldn’t those people get to realize those savings at the pump?

 

[Bullwinkle007]

[QUOTE="Bullwinkle007, post: 1564133, member: 218234"

You may see a mpg across an entire fleet, but you and I wouldn't see any difference at the pump.

Not sure I follow your rationale……..
Why would a fleet ‘see a mpg‘, but not you and I?
Yeah, I don’t do a lot of stop n go city driving, but I still do some …… and a bunch of people do a lot of stop n go driving.
If studies (by engineers) indicate a savings of 3-8% (or more), why wouldn’t those people get to realize those savings at the pump?
[/QUOTE]
I'm saying a fleet bc like ups runs so many pieces of equipment, a 1% improvement would be seen on their budget sheets. You and I wouldn't see that 1% savings.

 

[datechboss101]

Not sure I follow your rationale……..
Why would a fleet ‘see a mpg‘, but not you and I?
Yeah, I don’t do a lot of stop n go city driving, but I still do some …… and a bunch of people do a lot of stop n go driving.
If studies (by engineers) indicate a savings of 3-8% (or more), why wouldn’t those people get to realize those savings at the pump?

I'm saying a fleet bc like ups runs so many pieces of equipment, a 1% improvement would be seen on their budget sheets. You and I wouldn't see that 1% savings.[/QUOTE]

Actually you will see. Your household (every household to speak of) technically has a fleet of vehicles (one for you, one for your SO, couple weekend toys, and one per each kiddo who has a DL). Now just add each fill up and mileage into a spreadsheet and boom, you get yourself that 1% or so negligible fuel economy savings.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

[Krauthawk]

[/QUOTE]
I'm saying a fleet bc like ups runs so many pieces of equipment, a 1% improvement would be seen on their budget sheets. You and I wouldn't see that 1% savings.
[/QUOTE]

So your rationale is really just your opinion ……
Whether a % is based off one vehicle, two vehicles or 200 vehicles, it’s still the same %.
The overall $$ savings would be smaller for the individual who owns one or two vehicles, as compared to a company with a fleet of 200 vehicles, but he would still see a savings.
And as the engineer studies indicated …. 3-8% based off how much stop n go driving they do.
I‘ll go with an engineered study vs your opinion.