VTEC engine offers enough power and California Ultra Low Emission. The interia has versatile seating configuration and cargo space. Fold down seats are the best of its class. The stereo system from the touring package is as good as my E320 sedan. 2000 RPM cruising @70 mph.

Above 70 mph, the car has excessive wind noise. It feels light at high speed. There is no side molding to protect this vehicle from door dings. Some leather or plastic squeaks over road bumps. The value of the car is not as much as you hope, because you have to pay full MSRP price. You should be able to negotiate $3000 to $4000 off MSRP on RX300 or ML320. The braking distance is weak compare to MDX's competitors (data from Cars and Drivers and Motor Trend). During my normal commute, I feel pretty confident with MDX's braking. I was only able to get 19 mpg (calculation from trip meter) from my daily commute in Los Angeles. It is closer to 18 mpg, when I verified with my own calculation. The driver seat is comfortable for a 5'10 person. The rear of vehicle looks like a minivan.

I recommend this to families who need 7 seating and cargo space. If you don't need the extra 2 seats and cargo space, you should consider RX300 or any other sedan.

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My first SUV.

This SUV takes the best of the street and adds the strenght of an above average off-road warrior. It has great looks, good standard features, and a very clean look. Very well engineered!!!

I would like to see some body side-molding (like my 2000 3.2TL) and a more comfortable drivers seat.

I cannot say enough about the quality of ACURA. I purchased a 2000 3.2TL in July, my wife loves it. When the MDX came out in October, it was my turn. I have owned Toyota, Chevy, Ford, and Jeep off-road vehicles and I can honestly say that the Acura MDX is the best overall perfect mix of form and fuction.

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None

Acura's new MDX is a truly phenomenal vehicle; sports sedan handling, luxurious and CAVERNOUS interior, and state of the art four wheel drive system more than justify it's price. As far as refinement and on road prowress I only considered the MDX, X5, and RX300 - the MDX offered the perfect balance between the Lex and BMW. The MDX is much roomier than both and IMHO more reliable than the BMW (knock on fake wood). Exceptional build quality and great sounding smoooooothe powerful engine make for one extremely happy owner.

I only wish there were matching door guards to protect against dings (then again, the vehicle does look very clean and athletic as is!). My fuel economy thus far has been around 16mpg but my commute is more stop and less go. I'd also like bigger more powerful brakes to compete w/ the X5.

It's not often you can call a $40,000 SUV a bargain, in my book the MDX is a best buy . . . the only buy!

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91 and 99 Explorer. 91 Explorer is a beast compared to the MDX - inferior in quality, ride, handling, power, and mileage. The 99 Explorer is a great SUV- sohc V6 is powerful and build quality far exceeds Chevy, however the MDX costing 5-10k more is worth every extra penny.

Where do I begin. Handles great, excellent pickup, fit and finish great. Excellent stero system. Love the cockpit feel. Drives like a car, handles great in snow. Who cares about offroad. Feels alot lower to the ground than conventional SUV's. I seriously doubt this thing will roll like an explorer.

Dark interior marks easy (but wipes up ok) I have 4 kids third seat is passable getting in and out of. Strongly recomend running boards.

If you want to have fun, turn a few heads, and not have to worry something is going to break or fall off. Buy a Honda. It is so-oooo nmuch fun to drive.

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I had a '96 Jeep Gr cherokee LTD., blows it away. I also considered the new Volvo Cross Country. I found volvos expensive and since I needed the extra seat in the back some what unsafe. Not to mention the price difference there is way more value in this car.

Great engine!! Lot's of power. Even SOUNDS good! Transmission, steering, handling and brakes are impressive. Lot's of room. Clever interior - epecially the disappearing 3rd row! Put together VERY well. Smooth, controlled ride. Very car like. Even the HORN sounds good!!

Front drivers seat is VERY uncomfortable. I'm a big guy [6'3" tall and 240 lbs] Within ONE WEEK - I was seriously considering selling my MDX OR trading it in. The seats [something that is becoming FAR TOO common among new 'cars'] are TOO SMALL. The seat is too short to provide proper leg and thigh support and the seat back is made for much narrower backs then mine. Also - the lumbar support 'thing' [even at its lowest setting] jabs into my back. VERY ANNOYING. Now I'm using pieces of foam and tea-towels in an attempt to figure out what can be done to 'fix' the problem. By putting 1/2" foam on the upper 2/3rd's of the seat back AND by putting another piece under my legs - the seat feels MUCH better. It is my plan to have the seat altered by an professional upholstery shop. Hopefully that will resolve the problem. ALSO - the main gauges [tach, speedometer, etc.] are NOT inline with the seat OR the steering wheel. Very odd!! In fact - the entire seating position is a bit 'off'. ALSO - the location of some of the controls [a/c buttons, fog light switch, etc.] seem 'out of place'. Although the MDX handles very well - it is 'happier' BELOW 60 mph then it is above that speed. The faster you go the lighter the back-end feel. All of these things [other than the seat!] I'll get used to - no doubt!

I highly recommend the new MDX. I strongly suggest, however, that BEFORE you buy one [especially a big person] be sure to take note of the seat. I didn't notice the seat problem during my 20 minute test drive. Although the MDX is NOT a 'true' off-road SUV - it IS more than capable of dealing with anything found ON-road!! [which is where I plan on staying!!]

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1998 ML320. The MB felt heavier and gave me the impression that it really COULD go 'off-road'. I don't get that feeling in the MDX. [which is fine - my MDX will NEVER GO 'off-road'] Still - the ML320 felt more 'truck-like'. That can be a good thing OR a bad thing - depends on what you want. The MDX is CONSIDERABLY faster. It is also put together with more care. My particular ML320 [one of the first available in Canada] had a number of problems. Each of them were fixed - but it was annoying having to make one appointment after another. It was 'fine' when I traded it in - but the alarm system didn't work properly and the rear seats rattled.

Lots of room, power and comfort.

Size, I have to get a larger garage door. Most things look good but feel very cheap and "tacky" No body molding on side doors. It really is a made for the street 4X4 mini van. I had to laugh S-uper U-tility V-an of the Year. I think Acura relabeled it a SUV to double the price.

I would recommend this to the average well to family with 2.3 children living in suburbia. It is the most middle of the road SUV on the market, they simply had no reason to build it other than to try to cover all the bases with one vehicle.

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MB, BMW, Cadillac and Santa Fe. To the MB not as truck 4X4 like. To the BMW not as sporty or powerful or as good a fit and finish. To the Cadillac it feels like they most tried to copy. To the Santa Fe much better quality but it looks like the Santa Fe's fat brother.

Great engine, lots of power. Below 2k rpm @ 70 MPH. Great fuel efficiency. Very well equiped base model, excellent handling feels as maneuverable as smaller cars. Third row seat adds great versatility, fold down the second and third row seats and you get a HUGE cargo area, almost as much as a minivan without the seats and you have not lifted a pound to remove ANY seats. Enormous interior space for a car this size. Great driving position, cozy feeling on front seats, your elbows don't rub against the pasenger's. Excellent styling. Very smooth over bumpy roads or train tracks. Separate controls for front/rear a/c. Rear seats very confortable great view of the road. 3 point seat belts for all 7 passengers. This is the biggest meanest gadget ever made!

Braking distances could be a bit shorter (an abs tweak maybe?), could use a little bigger moonroof for a vehicle this size (ala montero 2001 now that's a moonroof). A/C controls imposible to figure out for someone from Palm Beach others will do better. Rear glass window doesn't open or roll down. Xenons a must for a car this versatile.

Highly recommended, great value for the money although not inexpensive. A little on the wide side (6 inches wider than the average) so you have to look for the right parking spot unless you are a fan of door dings, but convenience (and lots of it) comes at a price.

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Drove a Pathfinder 97, and a Pathfinder 2000 before this, no comparison in power, handling or convenience. Test drove pathfinder 2001 "240" horse power but felt like half the horses were asleep. Tried also an RX300, similar handling but did not find nearly as many conveniences on it to justify the price. Took a montero 2001 for a test drive and couldn't believe they wanted 37,000 for that piece of junk, as much as an acura!

Fit and finish is excellent; large interior; flexible seating and interior options; 2d row leg and headroom is very good; excellent acceleration, handling and ride; MDX is also very "nimble" for an SUV - it has a surprisingly tight turning radius; great gas mileage for an SUV (got 24 mpg on recent trip at 60 mph average speed)

One negative compared to automobiles is wind noise - very noticeable at highway speeds (but this may be just characteristic of SUVs in general); front seats could be a little wider; no protection on doors for parking lot dings and dents; accessories are too expensive right now - may change in future with more production or availability of aftermarket products for MDX;

Had the MDX for 6 weeks and 2400 miles; have taken one road trip of 10 hours, and 2 of 7 hours duration -- Overall, I'm very satisfied.
I think it's superior to all the other SUV's I looked at (Pathfinder, Infiniti QX-4, Explorer, RX300) in terms of interior space, seating options and comfort, utility, handling, and gas mileage. If reliability matches other Honda/Acura products -- it'll be a great buy.

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First SUV I've owned.

240-hp 3.5 liter SOHC 24-valve VTEC™ V-6
Seven seats with split-folding 2nd- and 3rd-row you can have up to 82.0 cu. Ft cargo room.
Best Fuel Econonmy
It handles and rides like a sedan not a truck.
Nav system is the best I seen.

This is the best SUV in it's price range. Interior is excellent with seven seats. I got the gold Touring package with Nav System. Motor Trend SUV of the year, Car and Driver rate it number one.

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Lexus RX300, Mercedes ML320

The fit and finish interior and exterior are as near perfect as can be. The interior looks and comfort are excellent. The exterior is great looking to me, but I own a Honda Odyssey and you can see ancestry. The nvigation system is awesome. I like the power offered by the high performance low emmission engine as well. The third row of seats will help with the grandchildren. The rear AC with an actual second cooling unit is unique to this vehicle.

I can't be certain as yet, but I think wind noise when driving at 60mph may be an opportunity for Acura. It could have been cross-winds rather than the car, but I just don't know at this point. You can't easily reach the back of the rear seats to put them down from the side door (must open up the rear).

Having selected the Acura MDX, clearly I felt it achieved what I was looking for more than the Lexus RX 300 or the ML-320. The Acura has Honda Engineering behind it which is a great advantage. Having good experience with our Honda Odyssey we were waiting for the MDX to be released. The Navigation system is an excellent feature. The touring package is somewhat costly for the features included, but I have always had roof racks on my SUVs and that is in the package. The in-dash 6 CD changer is unique in that their is no cartridge. I added the trailer hitch, the running boards, and the rear-mud guards to the Touring / Nav MDX. At this point the MDX is in somewhat high demand and low supply so my only negotiation was with the trade-in. Bottom-line we are very pleased with the 2001 Acura MDX. Our second and nearly equal choice would have been the Lexus RX 300. On that vehicle discounts are currently available even in smaller towns. Not so with the Acura MDX at this time.

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I had owned a Jeep Grand Cherokee Ltd. (94') prior to this. The technology in the MDX is far advanced at this point. This offers a much more car-like ride. I test drove the 2001 Lexus RX 300 as well and the MDX has a firmer ride. I think the RX 300 is a great car, but I just like the overall package of the MDX more for me. They both offer similar 'Value'. The M-Class ML320 is in the price range and I liked it, but frankly so many people don't like the looks or the ride, that I didn't consider it in the end.