In all cases such as this the past has to come into play. Intelligent people do not rush to decisions without finding out about the character involved. Every survey has shown that the Lexus has the best quality as witnessed by previous owners. The Acura and Mercedes do not rate nearly as highly, but they are not poor citizens either. With this in mind I stand behind my verdict for Lexus.
Young working man's view: We have three essentially useless SUVs here that do not do anything better than a more efficient mini-van or station wagon could accomplish even when equipped with all wheel drive. These three weigh a lot, have four wheel drive capabilities that practically no one ever uses or needs, and devour petroleum. The point here is that for $40,000 there must be something more appropriate for those willing to think for themselves. I have a relative who bought a Kia SUV and drives it six miles to work and back. That's it. She gets 14 mpg, pays high insurance premiums, and just wants to sit high and look trendy. Of course, there is always the safety crowd and all of these SUVs had above average scores in crash tests in most areas, but none of them can ignore physics and vehicles with a high center of gravity roll over easier. SUVs are only safer if they run into a smaller vehicle. Can you say lawsuit.
Anyway, back to the case. These three near luxury, if there is such a term, are not easy to love. They have large blind spots to the rear, have very large turning radius making parking difficult at best, and except for the Lexus, offer poor radio reception, inferior standard stereo play, and have overly complicated controls. Anyway, the point is that if you are going to buy one of these two toners you need to look to your needs. Nothing goes off-road better than the Mercedes. Of the three, the Lexus is the most civilized, bordering on boring. So my choice is the Acura with its responsive engine and great GPS. If I could abstain I would.
Verdict: The Lexus RX 330 remains the class of this market segment for those who enjoy cruising rather than driving. It is very well done. The Acura clearly is the driver's vehicle in this test with its more responsive cornering. The Mercedes is the technical champion and the one most worthy of heavy-duty use. Resale wise, the Lexus wins easily. We would prefer a combination of the Lexus interior, the Acura suspension, and the Mercedes all wheel drive unit. If you live in an area where all wheel drive is necessary, the Mercedes terrific.
Sidebar: If we tested the Honda Pilot it would have done better than the MDX, but it is not considered a near luxury SUV. However, it is the best SUV we have tested in its market segment as is Honda's CRX. Lexus is bringing out a hybrid RX this fall. It is a knockout. For a list of all manufacture websites go to http://www.reacheverychild.com/business/auto/index.html
