A funny thing about our 2006 Chrysler Pacifica: Neither Kristen nor I can recall why we chose to get it. You’ve already read my recollection of events, where I claim it was her idea, but she has just real recollections about it being my idea. Regardless, while the Pacifica certainly wasn’t a bad car, we didn’t love it either.
As you will recall from my previous COAL, by 2008 I was riding high working for JC Whitey as an IT Director. When it came time to get rid of the Pacifica, I wanted the best 3-row crossover money could buy, and in my mind that was the Acura MDX.
I’d been an admirer of the second generation MDX styling since it came out in 2007, and still am today. Where the Pacifica was rounded and lumpy, the angular MDX was muscular, pressed and creased. Picture a pro athlete in a well-fitted designer suit. The only downside was the Acura beak grille, but still it worked better in this application than on their cars.
The MDX is really the vehicle that cemented Acura’s transition from sporty luxury carmaker to luxury SUV maker, a transition the brand is still struggling to reverse to this day. The MDX also had the advantage of a relatively uncompetitive segment, so let’s take a quick look at the three-row luxury crossover segment circa 2009: Lexus, Lincoln, and Infiniti at the time didn’t offer a three-row crossover (Lexus still doesn’t). Mercedes had their exceptionally oddball R-Class. The GM Lambda quadruplets all looked alike and were too commonplace. The Audi Q7 was enormous (about the size of a Tahoe, believe it or not), and the first-generation Cadillac SRXÂ was just plain strange-looking.
The MDX was (and remains to this day) the segment benchmark.
The MDX felt like a perfected version of the Pacifica. It was more space-efficient: While it was smaller outside than the Pacifica in almost every dimension, Interiorwise you couldn’t really tell (except for from the third row). I could touch the base of the windshield while standing in front of the car, something you can’t do in many other cars. It had an honest-to-gosh bench seat in the second row, which could comfortably seat three across, and seat five without the hassle of having to engage the third-row seat. It also increased the maximum passenger capacity to seven, addressing our biggest complaint with the Pacifica.
The 300hp 3.7L V6 was magical. To this day it is still the most powerful engine of all the cars I’ve owned. It effortlessly moved the MDX, and was, of course, Honda smooth. It didn’t have that trademark Honda cammy sound I’d come to appreciate in my previous Hondas, however. It had more of a coarse bass note from the massive airbox, which tends to dull out the mechanical sounds coming from the engine. This is a common affliction on most modern cars, so it is easy to see why some now employ fake engine sounds played through the audio system.
Older son Josh photobombing my new car shoot.
The MDX got slightly better gas mileage than the Pacifica, despite having all-wheel drive vs. our Pacifica’s front-wheel drive, and the more powerful engine. Credit for this can partly be attributed to the 5-speed automatic in the Acura, vs. the 4-speed in our Pacifica, and partly to the reduced weight.
Look at all them lights!
If you will indulge me for a minute of nerding out, one of the things I found interesting was the number of bulbs on the front end. While most cars combine multiple functions into a single bulb (side marker and turn signal, or low and high beam for example), the MDX employed a separate bulb each for DRL, low beam, high beam, turn signal, fog light, parking light, and side marker, for a total of fourteen bulbs on the front of the car. I can’t think of another vehicle offhand that had bulbs dedicated to DRL, although I’m sure the readers will happily provide examples. Amazingly, none of this myriad of bulbs burned out while the MDX was with me.
Trying to hide my ugly beak!
The 18″ wheels provided the perfect balance between style and ride quality, unlike some of my later rides with large wheels and overly firm ride. Indeed, much like our 2003 Accord, it is hard to find anything to fault. Honda just makes good cars.
Never having seen one in person I’m having a hard time judging the size. Looks like it would have similar proportions to an Audi Q5? In fact the Q5 designers took a long hard look at this MDX if you ask me..
It’s more of a Q7 competitor in terms of size and capacity, although the Q7 isn’t really competitive with an Acura MDX going by sales or quality. The Q5 is a much stronger contender in the segment below than the Q7 is with three-row CUVs.
VW Touareg is similar size but only 2 rows. BMW X5 is pretty close too. The Acura is a bit better packaged with a much more usable 3rd row than the X5. It’s bigger than the Q5 but not as long as the Q7.
FYI, Lincoln does in fact have a three row crossover and its been available since mid-2009, but I’m not surprised you didn’t know about the MKT as its never been a popular vehicle.
They are all over the streets of Chicago, but I don’t think a single one is a personal car- they’re all livery vehicles.
I’ve been in the back seat of quite a few and for that purpose they’re perfectly fine vehicles. Wouldn’t want to actually drive one though.
Honda makes a vast array of three row cars under a variety of names Acura isnt one we see here but we do get large numbers of the JDM models far too many names to remember.
I would have thought, from the ones I’ve seen on the road, that these were a 2 row vehicle, they just don’t look that big. I’m not and never expect to be in the market for a vehicle like this, at most I might someday see myself in an RDX.
As far as the looks of the MDX, I agree this is the best looking of the bunch, well, maybe I’d consider the Lincoln. This type of vehicle looks like a large potato, no matter who sells it, I’d buy as much for the “mechanical bits” and the reputation of the brand, as much or more than I would for how it looked.
BTW, yet another vehicle where it seems as though 99.9% of the ones you see on the road are silver.
“I can’t think of another vehicle offhand that had bulbs dedicated to DRL.”
I can’t offhand think of another vehicle like that either. I keep the DRLs turned off on my Highlander most of the time because it is an “all purpose” bulb with DRL/low beam/high beam combined in one bulb. What’s worse is that the DRL is just the filament for the low beam with less power going through it. If the DRL burns out – no low beam.
Very irritating. I am very conscientious about turning on my headlights when my wipers on on regardless of the time of the day, however.
I’m pretty sure some early 2000’s GM pickups had them.
Yes. That’s why you used to frequently see them with only one, although in inspection states that tends to be temporary since it won’t pass “one-eyed” but will with no DRL, leading to the disconnection/removal of the bulb on the other side.
The bulbs weren’t sized right so yea they kept burning out. Texas at least doesn’t inspect DRL. They also don’t care about cracked windshields which shows you how much they know.
The Buick Enclave has had small DRL bulbs in the fog lamp housings from inception until the 2015 restyle that brought about LED banks for DRL purposes.
It made sense from an engineering perspective, as the only Lambda to have the option of a single HID bulb for both low and high beams through the same large projector, making the usual GM “high-beam at 35% power” DRL arrangement impractical.
The 2007-2008 Acura TL has dedicated DRL bulbs in the headlight cluster where the fog lights were in the 2004-2006 (the actual fogs moved to the bumper). I believe some Pilots, CR-V, Odyssey, 2009-2014 TL, and contemporary TSX have a similar setup.
Every car with an LED DRL “strip” has dedicated DRL bulbs.
Most VW products introduced after 2010.
My V50 does, as do probably all P1 Volvos. It was housed with the high beam, but it is a separate bulb that protrudes at an angle within the same compartment. Here it’s labelled the “city light” but it’s really a DRL as it comes on whenever the car is running.
the DRL on my 04 Buick Rendezvous is through the high beams on lower power, and after 13 years and 140,000 miles its still working on the original bulbs.
I still hate them and wish I could turn them off, actually I wish I could disable the automatic lights on it anyway as the teal on silver gauges flat out vanish at dusk and dawn. all you see are the ends of the needles.
I was looking to recommend an MDX to my parents, who are thinking of replacing their Equinox. I’ll consider this a real world review. A positive review.
It’s nice to see another fan of Hondas and Acuras. I’m a huge fan of their V6s, almost a raving fan.
I see alot of hate toward the Acura beak. I’m not a raving fan, but I’m ok with it. I might be in the minority. Regardless, it’s distinctively Acura.
Great choice Tom!
I’ve always been a fan of the MDX since the original. My uncle traded in his Mercedes ML for one of the first MDXs, Deep Mahogany Pearl over Saddle Leather. If I recall, it was one of the first vehicles I experienced with an in-dash navigation system, LCD flip-down rear entertainment system, and a 3rd row in a non-minivan /large SUV.
The second generation was a huge leap forward in terms of design and prestige. I actually prefer the facelifted version’s styling enhancements and several upgrades, but I was seriously considering getting one, both when I ended up getting my TSX back in 2012, and then again in early 2016 when I paid it off. Both times, price was the ultimate turn-off.
The third gen is equally appealing, and I honestly consider it the best vehicle in Acura’s lineup. They really are a luxury CUV maker now before anything else. I have nothing but positive things to say about my Acura. It was a very enjoyable ownership experience, and sounds like your’s has been too. I’d probably still be with Acura (or at least my family would) if I didn’t work for BMW 🙂
MATTHEW with 2 Ts:
In the latest advertising for the 2018 Equinox Chevy compares it to the RAV4 and Escape. The biggest, newest selling point, compared to those 2 cars? The Equinox is now (summer of 2017) available with a turbo-diesel engine. GM’s estimated COMBINED mpg for the 1.6 turbo-diesel is 40 mpg.
Yeah, but higher displacement gas…
Honda V6…
I joke. Somewhat.
New CUVs tend to get up in price quickly; a 5-year-old MDX could have a $5-$10k price advantage over a new Equinox (in Manitoba, at least). A used MDX does the job an new Equinox can, just nicer, even in spite of its age.
They’re not entirely happy with their current Equinox (2010 with the 2.4) which is why they were looking to switch. Granted it’s older, but once a poor reputation for a brand or product is established…
And as a near-raving fan of the Honda V6, I’d still recommend any vehicle with one over many other vehicles. Bias, am I right?
The MDX is really the vehicle that cemented Acura’s transition from sporty luxury car maker to luxury SUV maker, a transition the brand is still struggling to reverse to this day
I’m a bit confused by this line. The first part is of course true, and has been become the key to Acura’s survival and prosperity. But why do think they are struggling to reverse that? In this day of the SUV, it’s to their great advantage. I see Acura selling sedans because they feel they can’t totally abandon them (yet), but they’re clearly not making a very big effort. And reversing it and going back to selling just sedans would of course be utter suicide.
I totally agree with your praise of the MDX. I’ve always thought it was the best-conceived and packaged in its class. It has been a hit for Acura, and has a strong loyal following. And of course much the same can be said for the Honda Pilot, which is closely related.These vehicles have become a crucial part of Honda’s continued success in the NA market.
I guess one could debate how much effort they are putting into their car lineup (although the TLX is their best effort there in many years). Maybe if they put more effort into it their cars would be “struggling” less.
My point is why put huge investments in a shrinking segment of the market? Embrace being a premium SUV brand. Nothing wrong with that.
Acura doesn’t exactly have much to work with, sedan-wise. They’re perpetually stuck with using Honda sedan platforms, which they can gussy up some. There’s no way a massive investment in a unique platform is going to help. Ask Toyota what their ROI is on their IS and GS lines.
Realistically, Acura is just kind of stuck doing what their doing, and fortunately their SUV lineup has been doing quite well.
They should offer something that isn’t just a fancier Honda with the same form factor, instead of the ILX previous-gen Civic clone maybe the European market Civic hatch instead of sedan to recapture some of that Integra/RSX premium hatch market. (Now with the US Civic having a hatch again that becomes tougher but the last one was very distinctive but not offered here). Then maybe a wagon or make it a pseudo off-road wagon (a la Allroad, Outback, xc60) – the old wagon didn’t sell well but neither do the current sedans so….
And then perhaps something sporting but that’d be expensive to develop. NSX is a good halo car but unattainable for most, it may have been better to spend money on something more mid-range if at all.
At this point Acura is just kind of the premium trim level of Honda with direct and obvious parallels for most of its platforms.
At this point Acura is just kind of the premium trim level of Honda with direct and obvious parallels for most of its platforms.
As is Lexus, to a large extent.
I get your point, and i agree some of their sedans have lacked in certain ways. But in terms of investment required, I think Acura doesn’t have a whole lot of choice anymore.
Keep in mind that Honda is petering out in Europe, so whatever they do, it’s mostly for the NA market. And their SUV/van platforms are essentially designed for and exclusive to the NA market. And they can make them profitable.
But the sedan market is a bitch, and if I were running Acura/Honda, I wouldn’t spend any more money on it either. You can’t really go mano-a-mano against the Europeans, for obvious reasons. So they’re kind of stuck. But yes, maybe some clever variants might be helpful, if they didn’t cost much. But where else can Honda/Acura sell a sedan variant except in the NA market? So that really limits them. They’re essentially an American company now. Who’s building unique sedans for America?
Having never been much of an CUV/SUV fan, I love these. My Dad traded his first CUV, a Lexus RX-350 in on one of these. His was a post face-lift second gen MDX in a pearly-silver color (not sure of Honda’s name for it). 2012 I think. This was the one he wanted back in 2009 when he bought his Lexus, as he traded an RL in on that, but Mom thought it was too big. He too has become a huge fan of the “Honda-Smooth” engine.
One day my wife and I went over to visit, walked right past his CUV, right past his 2014 Mustang, and into the house without a second glance. He asked, “So what do you think of the new car?” Puzzled, I asked, “What new car?”….
He decided to ‘down-size’ and bought a 2015 Acura RDX (pre-facelift second-gen) in the exact same color with the same 18” wheels. I didn’t even notice. In showing it off however, although I kept it to myself, I liked the MDX better, even though styling wise, they were about the same with the “power-prong” or whatever that can-opener grill thing is called. Don’t get me wrong, I don’t hate it, but I like the newer design language a little better.
But after driving the RDX, I felt (for me at least) it was a more manageable size. I think my Mom likes the RDX better for that same reason. Both of these (MDX & RDX) are a real pleasure to drive, however, and both nicer than his Lexus RX-350.
Tom, I believe it’s actually a 3.7l not a 3.5l. Don’t be leaving 200cc’s on the table like that! 🙂
Mercedes also had the GL series and Land Rover had the Discovery as 7seaters at the time Pricier, yes but definitely “luxury” SUVs if you are counting the Q7 and really not that much more than that one. People seem to think the GL is huge but it’s really just a stretched ML with bigger engines. Width is the same.
The MDX was (and is) a nice ride. I think we’ve looked at every generation of them at one time or another. It’s the vehicle that’s been keeping Acura afloat for some time now.
The MDX really is a nicely done vehicle, and I’m glad you enjoyed yours. We test drove one a few years back and definitely liked it, but in the end the cargo capacity of a minivan proved more useful. Acura did get the MDX about perfect for its segment, though.
That relatively short hood *is* one of the great features of these, I think. We recently sat in a new Volvo XC 90, and I – at about 5’11 – could barely see over the hood. I understand the new pedestrian-safety requirements, but it would also be nice to avoid kissing the parking garage wall. That’s probably what the parking-sensor package is for, however. 😉
I will be “that guy” and say that I preferred the looks of the Pacifica to these, at least with the right trim level and wheel choice.
These have always fit into a no-man’s-land for me. Perhaps I have been spoiled by vans (both mini and otherwise) but I have always wondered about a 3 row vehicle that is so small. When I have needed 3 rows, I have needed to accommodate real people (not just small kids) and/or reasonable amounts of luggage and cargo to go with them.
I could seem them for the family with 2 kids who takes occasional friends along, but I never had one of those families. That 3rd kid makes a third row mandatory, and a genuinely usable one at that.
All that said, I could understand why this would be an attractive package. They have certainly sold well enough.
You have a beautiful home!
First off, what a nice house!! And one of my favorite vehicles in the driveway to boot, a second gen MDX!
Sure, I am partial as an Acura salesperson, but what other vehicle can you put on your front line with 197k miles on it and sell it within a few weeks? We had a 2009 MDX with said mileage and it went faster than I ever anticipated. It still rode, drove and handled great. I personally sold another one, a 2008, with 218,000 miles on it and the owner loves it. Never an issue and they have over 260k on it now. Honestly, for my customers that have owned these they have loved them and have had no hesitation replacing them with another in a heartbeat.
Now, that is not to say these are perfect by any means. Every vehicle has their good and bad points. Repairs, when they do occur, can be very expensive. And they are horrible on gas in comparison to the current model. The timing belt needs replacing every 105k miles, unlike a lot of vehicles that have gone to a chain. (Most owners trade before that milestone so it is a moot point to most anyway) And the third row is quite small and not nearly as user-friendly in comparison to the 3rd generation too.
Overall, these are very reliable, well-made, for the most part very roomy, look nice and handle like a dream. Honda/Acura really did hit a home run with the MDX. The first gen put it on the map as the first luxury 3-row SUV available. The 2nd gen MDX only made it even that much stronger, a benchmark for all others to compare themselves to. And now the latest generation has improved on all the areas where its predecessors missed the mark. And things are getting even better – the latest hybrid version is an absolutely amazing vehicle!
Down here you have to pay cash for cars(No Car Payments Plans)as of results you don’t see too many New High End Cars&HONDA(ACURA)is not very popular but i have to say that is great looking suv.better looking than TOYOTA PRADO&NISSAN QASHQAI.
Having paid literally zero attention to crossovers over the last decade, I didn’t realize the second generation existed in 2009, let alone started in 07, these don’t look at all like 10 year old designs. I can see why Acura is strong in this segment from that reason alone, and I agree the beak is pretty inoffensive on the SUV lines, the TL is the model that really went downhill with that design motif.
I despise the first gens BTW, really bad mix of round and edgy styling, and they seemed to be the tailgater’s vehicle of choice in the Chicago area.
I have a friend who’s on his third MDX. They pushed, and keep pushing his buttons.
Two years ago when we were on market to find newer vehicle, I tested drive a 2013 certified MDX with mid trim level, the mileage was 30k the asking price was 29k. I have to say I expected it was better, and end up disappointed. It felt like a front wheel drive vehicle with a decent power engine, it did not feel as solid as my aging 2003 Mercedes ML350. Its interior was very complex feel, but for some reason its fake wood plastic trims felt very cheap for a luxury, my old ML350 has real wood trim and comfortable snd commanding chair while that MDX had soft and low seat. I read s lot of good things abput the MDX, my short driving experience is otherwise. We ended up getting a 2015 Honda odyssey with EX -L for $31k. It is a good vehicle with working third row. Once a while the van reminds that 2013 MDX
I had the misfortune of owning a new 2004 Chrysler Pacifica that had a failed reverse gear at 6,000 miles. Dealer replaced transmission, and that one had reverse failure 30,000 miles later. I’ve heard that Chrysler has had a long standing, poor reputation, of their transmissions in later years. I’m really lucky that Chrysler didn’t equip the Pacifica with the horrible 2.7 V6 sludge motor. I’ve read horror stories about that engine. The 3.5 was just so so. I eventually traded the Pacifica on a new Ford Expedition which has been a pretty good vehicle and actually gets comparable fuel mileage of my Pacifica. Needless to say I’ll never purchase another Chrysler product again.
I’ve owned many vehicles over my 50 years of driving and my 2011 MDX has been the best. Absolutely flawless over 6 years and 80K miles. Great in snow, powerful, luxurious, with great packaging and returns over 20 mpg. Styling is always quite objective and I’m no fan of the beak, but it has aged well and continues to look modern. Only items replaced were a battery and the original Michelins, which lasted until 75K.
Now, if they only did something with the TL, which has been on the ropes since the awful 2009 restyle.
If my car’s stereo started playing motor sounds, I’d hit the first stereo place I saw to get that pos ripped out. Who does this? We need a list so I know who/which models to avoid next time.
I think all cars sold in Europe have designated DRL bulbs. My 1989 Escort certainly did. They are those little w5w usually. Here in the states, automakers created DOT specific housings and no place to have the DRL bulbs. Even on the exact same cars