2004 Acura MDX Update

Secondly, the MDX did not impart the kind of vibe that a luxury vehicle (it does cost $50,000 to start) should be giving out. I felt that on the media launch and during my prolonged exposure to it recently. That's a subjective appraisal, I know, but it's nonetheless genuine. You might feel differently, and more power to you.

The MDX is also not wired up for any serious off-roading. That won't make any difference to about 99 percent of the people considering buying one, but it's worth noting.

What my recent long exposure to the MDX did do was give me a strong sense of the seven-seat vehicle's competence and versatility. It would be easy to argue that the MDX does as many things well as any vehicle on the market, for a comparatively reasonable price and with evidence of extreme quality.

This may not be an exciting way to describe a vehicle, but then the MDX is not about excitement, it's about a lack of angst. MDX is about getting a sensible and reliable vehicle for a wide variety of uses in a wide variety of conditions. Nothing that Acura did in the facelift for 2004 takes away from that.

On top of that, if you spend another $5,000 for a Tech Package it comes with virtually every worthwhile automotive toy you can imagine, including a GPS navigation system and rear cameras that allow you to see what's behind you on a screen in the dash.

MDX even does a good job on city streets and the highway, thanks to its solid and reliable 3.5-litre, 24-valve V6 (the hp goes to 250 in 2004) and the five-speed automatic transmission that sends power to all four wheels.

The changes for 2004 simply push the Acura MDX farther up the road to competence and reliability, and while it may strike some people as boring it will strike a great many other people as a welcome respite from anxiety.