Interior
Inside, Acura has made just about everything you need standard. The stereo not only has inputs for personal entertainment devices. Bluetooth and HandsFree Link are standard as is tri-zone climate control. Two packages add to or upgrade existing features. The Technology package adds Milano leather, an upgraded stereo system with a 15 gig hard drive and a DVD based entertainment system with a 9 inch screen.
If you step up to the Elite level, the hard disc jumps to 60 gig and a DVD based satellite navigation system is installed. One very useful item, the blind spot Information warning is included as well. Headlamps become self leveling and the suspension is upgraded to computer controlled active dampening.
The one item that I wasn’t fond of that is part of this package is the Adaptive Cruise Control system. All it takes is a good swarm of grasshoppers to cover the sensor (it has happened and will again) and the brain thinks you are too close to another vehicle and puts the brakes on. You either have to pull over and clean the sensor off or shut the cruise off.
If that is the only flaw I can find, I suppose the comfort of the sculpted front buckets and the relaxed nature of the second row as well as the available third row can make up for it. We don’t have to go into the rear seat entertainment system with wireless headphones or the 410 watt stereo with Dolby Pro Logic 11 and 10 speakers that puts out an incredible sound for such a large vehicle.
Ride Quality
Ride quality is typical Acura in that every bump, thump or pothole I found in the city didn’t disturb its poise. Sometimes I could hear the hole as it hit, but it had to be pretty large to get the 19 inch wheels to fall in. In addition, the Magna Ride suspension could react in milliseconds so when I dodged the hole instead of driving through, the MDX never seemed to have its balance disturbed and better yet, never upset the balance of “she who must be obeyed” (thank you John Mortimer for such that descriptor).
Highway driving was as simple as being in town. You sit back, relax and enjoy the comfort. The 3.7 litre V6 makes getting to highway speeds seem effortless. Driving around an entrance ramp or clover leaf is so easy that most drivers will have to pay close attention to the speedometer or they will be going double the posted limit.
If you happen to be one of us that use gravel roads regularly, the MDX is decently quiet and the SH-AWD makes just about every grid easy to drive on. Correction line curves have the same problems as their paved relatives, you tend to go too fast because the MDX is so good at what it does.
In the Luxury name plates, Acura often takes a back seat to better known products. The MDX can change that one test drive at a time. Make sure you take one!
Inside, Acura has made just about everything you need standard. The stereo not only has inputs for personal entertainment devices. Bluetooth and HandsFree Link are standard as is tri-zone climate control. Two packages add to or upgrade existing features. The Technology package adds Milano leather, an upgraded stereo system with a 15 gig hard drive and a DVD based entertainment system with a 9 inch screen.
If you step up to the Elite level, the hard disc jumps to 60 gig and a DVD based satellite navigation system is installed. One very useful item, the blind spot Information warning is included as well. Headlamps become self leveling and the suspension is upgraded to computer controlled active dampening.
The one item that I wasn’t fond of that is part of this package is the Adaptive Cruise Control system. All it takes is a good swarm of grasshoppers to cover the sensor (it has happened and will again) and the brain thinks you are too close to another vehicle and puts the brakes on. You either have to pull over and clean the sensor off or shut the cruise off.
If that is the only flaw I can find, I suppose the comfort of the sculpted front buckets and the relaxed nature of the second row as well as the available third row can make up for it. We don’t have to go into the rear seat entertainment system with wireless headphones or the 410 watt stereo with Dolby Pro Logic 11 and 10 speakers that puts out an incredible sound for such a large vehicle.
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| Inside, Acura has made just about everything you need standard. (Photo: Charles Renny/Auto123.com) |
Ride Quality
Ride quality is typical Acura in that every bump, thump or pothole I found in the city didn’t disturb its poise. Sometimes I could hear the hole as it hit, but it had to be pretty large to get the 19 inch wheels to fall in. In addition, the Magna Ride suspension could react in milliseconds so when I dodged the hole instead of driving through, the MDX never seemed to have its balance disturbed and better yet, never upset the balance of “she who must be obeyed” (thank you John Mortimer for such that descriptor).
Highway driving was as simple as being in town. You sit back, relax and enjoy the comfort. The 3.7 litre V6 makes getting to highway speeds seem effortless. Driving around an entrance ramp or clover leaf is so easy that most drivers will have to pay close attention to the speedometer or they will be going double the posted limit.
If you happen to be one of us that use gravel roads regularly, the MDX is decently quiet and the SH-AWD makes just about every grid easy to drive on. Correction line curves have the same problems as their paved relatives, you tend to go too fast because the MDX is so good at what it does.
In the Luxury name plates, Acura often takes a back seat to better known products. The MDX can change that one test drive at a time. Make sure you take one!
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