| ace_leroy |
I am hoping to me a MDX owner within the next couple of months and wanted to get a little honest information. After driving many cars, I have finally settled on replacing my wife's '99 4runner with an '03-'04 MDX. I have read several posts on some of the major challenges with the '01-'02 as it related to the transmission, but I wanted to find out, if there are specific things I should be looking for in the '03-'04 models? TSB's, recalls, etc. I am comfortable buying a used car, and know the inherent risks in doing so, but this will be my first Acura and I want to go into it armed with as much information as possible. You may see my handle post other threads like this (if I can't find it via search), and with all the great feedback I receive on my Toyota Tundra forum, I am hoping this one will be just as good.
Thanks in advance,
Ace |
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| gumbie |
| I would stay away from the 03 and look at the 04-05's there are alot of posts about transmission issues prior to 04. Good Luck! I just bought an 05 MDX a couple of months ago and love it! |
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| aruca |
1. Looks like the transmission problem still exists in 03. Look under the transmission link in this forum. I would buy a certified one just in case.
2. My 03 does not play mp3, which I knew before buying it, but was disappointed that the RES/DVD did not play mp3 either. The DVD player only plays DVD-R or DVD+R discs if you are lucky. My home viedos on +RW does not play. Do a search and you will know what I am talking about. I believe you will have the same issues in a 04.
3. The 3rd row seats is for small kids only. Although I can sit in it (5' 4") I won't try it on long trips.
4. Acura has cut corners when it comes to quality. My muffler has rust patch/stains. The camry, which I totally ignored, owned for 6 years had better mufflers. Again do a seach on it here and you'll see I'm not the only one with this issue.
5. See if you can get accesories with your MDX. All season mats, cargo net, liner/tray, cargo cover are worth it.
6. Verify mpg on the trip computer. I get 15 in city and 19 hway. not a speed demon but a cautious driver. Others have the same issue but then there are people who get more than the sticker mileage. something to look for. BTW, my MDX needs new tires. Also my gf's hubby owns a toyota sequoia and gives better mileage.
You are probably aware of all this. You are doing the right thing by doing your research first. I love this forum. Learning a lot about my MDX.
good luck on your search. |
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| phins2rt |
quote:
Originally posted by gumbie
I would stay away from the 03 and look at the 04-05's there are alot of posts about transmission issues prior to 04. Good Luck! I just bought an 05 MDX a couple of months ago and love it!
What changed on the 04 trannies vs the 03 trannies? AFAIK they are the same! I wouldn't be too worried about the 03 transmission. There are a few that have gone south but nothing that approaches the verified issues with the 01-02. There are some anomalies out there as there will be with any mechanical device. |
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| timbrwolf9 |
You get some nice advantages with the 04
over an 03 ---
1) side curtain airbags
2) dual exhaust
3) little more power
4) sunroof controls are in ceiling as opposed to by the steering wheel |
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| phins2rt |
quote:
Originally posted by timbrwolf9
You get some nice advantages with the 04
over an 03 ---
1) side curtain airbags
2) dual exhaust
3) little more power
4) sunroof controls are in ceiling as opposed to by the steering wheel
Not to mention the styling changes (front facia, projection headlights, tail lights, etc) |
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| deejay |
| yea, go with the 04, thay are sexy hott compared to the 03-01's! |
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| BLEXV6 |
quote:
Originally posted by aruca
1. Looks like the transmission problem still exists in 03. Look under the transmission link in this forum. I would buy a certified one just in case.
2. My 03 does not play mp3, which I knew before buying it, but was disappointed that the RES/DVD did not play mp3 either. The DVD player only plays DVD-R or DVD+R discs if you are lucky. My home viedos on +RW does not play. Do a search and you will know what I am talking about. I believe you will have the same issues in a 04.
3. The 3rd row seats is for small kids only. Although I can sit in it (5' 4") I won't try it on long trips.
4. Acura has cut corners when it comes to quality. My muffler has rust patch/stains. The camry, which I totally ignored, owned for 6 years had better mufflers. Again do a seach on it here and you'll see I'm not the only one with this issue.
5. See if you can get accesories with your MDX. All season mats, cargo net, liner/tray, cargo cover are worth it.
6. Verify mpg on the trip computer. I get 15 in city and 19 hway. not a speed demon but a cautious driver. Others have the same issue but then there are people who get more than the sticker mileage. something to look for. BTW, my MDX needs new tires. Also my gf's hubby owns a toyota sequoia and gives better mileage.
You are probably aware of all this. You are doing the right thing by doing your research first. I love this forum. Learning a lot about my MDX.
good luck on your search.
I find it extremely hard to believe that a V8 Sequoia has better gas mileage than the MDX. |
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| phins2rt |
quote:
Originally posted by BLEXV6
I find it extremely hard to believe that a V8 Sequoia has better gas mileage than the MDX.
It could be the V6 but that is one of the reasons the Sequoia was not on my short list in 03 - EPA estimated mpg was not as good as the MDX. |
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| JL_SS |
quote:
Originally posted by BLEXV6
I find it extremely hard to believe that a V8 Sequoia has better gas mileage than the MDX.
Not hard to believe at all. The MDX epa estimate is 17/22 mpg while the Sequoia is 15/18 mpg. My Chevy Silverado 5.3L V8 Crew Cab, which weighs quite a bit more and has higher hp/torque, is also listed with an EPA of 15/18. In real life equivalent driving conditions, I get the same mpg out of both - 14/19. The Silverado is closer to EPA estimates than the MDX - the Sequoia could be also. Then all it would take is different driving conditions for the Sequoia to appear to be higher than the MDX (more hwy vs city miles/etc). |
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| aruca |
The listed 15/18 for Sequoia is for 4WD. Setting it to 2WD (which MDX doesn't have being an AWD) you can easily get higher mileage. Don't know about city but I have personally seen it gave like 22-24 on the highway. mpg was one of the reasons I picked MDX over Sequoia although not the main one. I liked the looks, nav, RES and other toys.
My advice to ace_leroy is to pick the right MDX, some of them don't give the desired mpg. of course, once I figure out how to get better mpg on my MDX (I need to do a search on that) I'll be singing a different tune :D |
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| fendesj |
| I have an 03 MDX with 65,000 miles. I believe the transmission problems were fixed starting in 03 so you shouldn't worry about that. My trip computer shows 21MPG right now and it hasn't been reset in months. I just replaced the tires and had a break job. I have done all scheduled fluid changes. The only major problem I have had is a leaky power steering rack that was replaced under warranty. The main reason for getting an 04 over an 03 is probably the rear side curtain air bags. |
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| ace_leroy |
Thanks for all the responses and advice.
A comment to aruca: You mentioned pick the right MDX for mileage??? Don't they all come with the same engine and drive train? They all weigh the same and I believe the only major component that could alter mpg would be 2wd vs awd. Is that what you were referring to? |
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| JL_SS |
quote:
Originally posted by ace_leroy
Thanks for all the responses and advice.
A comment to aruca: You mentioned pick the right MDX for mileage??? Don't they all come with the same engine and drive train? They all weigh the same and I believe the only major component that could alter mpg would be 2wd vs awd. Is that what you were referring to?
I think aruca is refering to the fact that some people post very good mpg while others seem to get lousy mpg no matter what they do. It seems very inconsistent, so aruca is joking that you need to make sure you get one of the "good" ones. There are things above and beyond driving style that do affect mpg greatly - like living in a hilly area/gas formulation/etc. |
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| aruca |
Ace_leroy, I was under the same notion when I purchased my POC MDX 3 months back. I just assumed I would get the listed 17/22 mpg. Ideally all MDXs should give the same mpg but I bet if the same driver drives different MDXs you will see different results. In other words, I feel the vehicle does matter. Tires, tire pressure, wheel allignment and etc. [Thats the recommended list from the dealer when I brought up the issue of low mpg. For my MDX I'll start with that list to see any improvement and then research into the etc.]
Since you are shopping for a pre-owned MDX you have no idea how well it was taken care of. If the mpg is important then pay closer attention to the trip computer. Look at the history on it if available. Reset the current mpg average and then keep an eye on it during the test drive. If I see a 17+ for city driving I would safely assume its a "good" car (if you are mpg concious). Thats my 2 cents worth :) |
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| fendesj |
| MPG will vary greatly from driver to driver on the same vehicle. Our 03 MDX is normally driven by my wife. When I drive it I usually get 2-4 MPG better than her. I do stay on top of the tire pressure and I allways shut off the AC if its not needed. I find the key to improving MPG with the MDX is to drive so you use the brakes less. This means planning ahead a little more and coasting prior to braking. |
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