| TriumphDriver |
I seriously considering both the '05 Acura MDX Touring with NAV and the towing accessory and the '05 Toyota 4Runner Limited V6 with NAV and equal options and accessories. The Acura has a nicer interior but the style may become quickly dated if Acura restyles the MDX in '06 (as reported in at least one magazine). The 4Runner is less expensive, easier to fix and maintain, and has a higher towing rating. I find the styling of the 4Runner conservative (bland) but this is true of my current Chevrolet Tahoe (by the way, my Tahoe has over 85,000 trouble free miles on it, a very well made truck). I find the conservative style of many trucks is not as appealing at first but because more appealing after three to five years of ownership.
This sounds weird but having lived with a Tahoe over the past three years (and two Expeditions before that), I don't worry about scratches and parking lot dings on a truck (it adds to the character) but I find that a little scratch on my wife Mercedes ruins my whole day. I think I would probably feel that way about the MDX. A scratch on the MDX would piss me off; a scratch on a 4Runner would be "HO HUM".
It is definitely easier to find a good deal on a 4Runner than a good deal on an MDX because of the sheer number of Toyota dealers doing internet deals versus the small number of Acura dealers. |
|
|
| eurohazard |
You sound like you have a thought about all the pros and cons. In your situation, the 4-runner may be the best vehicle choice. You may regret converting to a medium-duty (not a truck) design like the MDX. I personally love my MDX because it doesn't have the "trucky" features or appearance.
Many people here have cross-shopped these vehicles. I like the "pro" of the MDX being more rare, and the better warranty. But like you stated, I could more easily live with a ding on a Toyota vs. an Acura. It makes sense to me! Good luck with your final decision......there isn't a right or wrong, and there isn't a bad choice between the two. |
|
|
| TriumphDriver |
euro:
You make several good points. Actually for all of my back and forth comparison set forth above (which may have sounded bias in favor of the 4Runner, if nothing more than to convince myself) I'm leaning toward the Acura MDX over the 4Runner because it is a very nice package with a lot of value. Frankly, it is more fun to drive the MDX than the 4Runner and I think the small of amount of "offroading" and towing I do could be handled by the MDX.
My wife previously had a Lexus RX300 which was really a fantastic little SUV, more car than SUV. Like the RX300, the MDX handles like a sports car compared to the truck based SUVs. My wife traded in the RX300 for a Mercedes sedan. I love her Mercedes, the style and the driving of the Mercedes sedan is fantastic, but, believe it or not, my wife still says she wished she kept the RX300. Go figure!
I did not seriously consider the RX330 for myself because it is too "girly" for my taste. The MDX has a masculine style very appealing to me. I'll be curious to see what changes are made in 2006 by Acura. |
|
|
| socalJD |
I went thru a similar mental exercise last year b/w the MDX & 4Runner and here's some random thoughts:
MDX has heated front seats
MDX has memory for driver's seat & o/s mirrors
MDX Navi has r/v camera
'05 MDX has bluetooth, OnStar & XM sat radio
MDX has 4yr/50k warranty & roadside assistance
4Runner has power hatch release
4Runner has power rear hatch window
4Runner has 3yr/36k warranty & no roadside assist
I'm sure there's others I'm forgetting, but these came to mind.
Good Luck with your decision . . . |
|
|
| TriumphDriver |
Well, after researching all of mags, Intellichoice, Consumer Reports, and everything on the internet (both the Toyota forums and this wonderful forum), driving the MDX several times, several versions of V6 and V8 Toyota Limited 4Runners and even the Lexus GX and the Lexus RX, the winner is . . .the Acura MDX!
The MDX was consistently equal to or better than these competing vehicles in all of the areas important to me: reliability, quality, safety, fun-to-drive, mileage, value, and overall package. The Acura dealers are willing to negotiate a good price on MDX's and the ability to order accessories and parts online from a contributor to the Acura.MDX.org forum is a real plus.
Thanks to this forum, I'm planning to add the towing package, the body side molding and the fender flares myself and will save a grand. |
|
|
| hammermdx |
| Congrats and welcome to the family!!!!!:7: |
|
|
| vicpai |
quote:
Originally posted by socalJD
[B]
.........
MDX has heated front seats
MDX has memory for driver's seat & o/s mirrors
MDX Navi has r/v camera
'05 MDX has bluetooth, OnStar & XM sat radio
MDX has 4yr/50k warranty & roadside assistance...........[B]
......heated seats (in Limited trim), and it also has rear view camera (again with the Navi option)....not sure about XM, but I thought I read somewhere that they added it this year. |
|
|
| vicpai |
quote:
Originally posted by TriumphDriver
euro:
You make several good points. Actually for all of my back and forth comparison set forth above (which may have sounded bias in favor of the 4Runner, if nothing more than to convince myself) I'm leaning toward the Acura MDX over the 4Runner because it is a very nice package with a lot of value. Frankly, it is more fun to drive the MDX than the 4Runner and I think the small of amount of "offroading" and towing I do could be handled by the MDX.
My wife previously had a Lexus RX300 which was really a fantastic little SUV, more car than SUV. Like the RX300, the MDX handles like a sports car compared to the truck based SUVs. My wife traded in the RX300 for a Mercedes sedan. I love her Mercedes, the style and the driving of the Mercedes sedan is fantastic, but, believe it or not, my wife still says she wished she kept the RX300. Go figure!
I did not seriously consider the RX330 for myself because it is too "girly" for my taste. The MDX has a masculine style very appealing to me. I'll be curious to see what changes are made in 2006 by Acura.
......when I was deciding. MDX vs. 4-Runner vs. GX 470. GX470 got eliminated early on because I didn't think it was much value over the 4-Runner Limited and the Runner (with X-REAS and Air Suspension) handled better than the GX-470 and felt a tad bit "peppier" (never actually considered the V6 4 Runner, which I felt was noisy and unrefined)...Here are my opinions FWIW:
4 Runner (with X-REAS and Air susp) handled better than the MDX and was more fun-to-drive as you mentioned earlier. The torquey V8 also felt nicer. However, the seats did not feel as comfortable as the MDX (too low to the floor). The final "nail in the coffin" that made me go with the MDX was the ULTRA-UNBELIEVABLY GOOD Navigation system (no comparison with the 4 Runner whatsoever)
...and yes, handling of the Mercedes is unbelievable. That car seems to read your mind when you drive it, hugs the road like a DREAM :eek: ....but reliabliltiy is another story altogether :rolleyes:
....in any case, Congrats on the MDX, it's one heck of a fantastic SUV!! :29: .......I do miss mine very dearly, especially the NAV SYSTEM. ......but I'm waiting for the 2nd generation MDX (imagine how good that's gonna be)....it will most certainly have all of the features introduced in the new RL!!! :eek: :eek: |
|
|
| TriumphDriver |
vicpai:
I agree with your assessment of the Lexus GX 470 vs. Toyota 4Runner. The value in the 4Runner Limited with everything on it is so much better than the Lexus it's not even a close call. Having owned several Lexus vehicles and enjoying them, I went over to the local Lexus to look at GX 470 and even the RX 330 before deciding. The GX looked large, drove large and drank fuel (actually worse than my Tahoe) like my Big Daddy Tahoe. The RX330 is very nice, refined, good fuel mileage, but I could not get over the feeling I had when I used to drive my wife's RX300, a slight feeling of embarrassment. The RX330 is a fine vehicle but I could no more drive one on a consistent basis than I could a VW Bug controvertible or a half of dozen other "chick" cars.
I like the 4Runner, both in V6 and V8 configurations. Finding a Limited 4Runner configured with Nav, XREAS suspension, and side airbags in the color I wanted (white) was next to impossible. Very few 4Runners are ordered with navigation because most buyers would rather have a sunroof and a spoiler than a naviation system, so very few are even ordered that way. Forget air suspension and navigation on 4Runner. Also no XM on 4Runners at all.
I could wait for the revised '06 to come out in September but I think the '05 MDX has been "polished" by Acura and has everything I need (particularly if the MDX is made larger which I do not want). I also think purchasers will get good buys on the '05's from now until the last "05 is built. |
|
|
|
