| mpulsv6 |
We sold our 07 Escallade so wife is now driving the 07 MDX while I am now driving an 06 RX400h (BMW M6 gone...waiting for Alpina B7)
Anyway, the MDX is by FAR a much better drive. The RX, while sorta luxurious (Acura really should have put real wood in the X - cheap bast@rds) the handling is horrible, car squats and nose dives so easily, the power of the hybrid is overrated, the X feels more potent. The X is noticeably roomier yet drives much much smaller and more accurate. I am a big fan of Lexus as we owned 2 LX470s and others, and sure will buy more LXs in the future, I don't think I willl ever buy a RX again, never realized how bad it was til I "inherited" one. Make matters worse, wife won't drive it and inisists that she needs the X for the DVD while she hauls the kids and just will not drive the RX. Upside, RX gets great gas mileage as long as you drive like my 67 year old father. I think I'm truly averaging 22mpg mixed city/highway. 32/30 seems very optimistic. |
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| diamondg |
| Also the 400h/350 from lexus has one of the worst ratings from the iihs for 'rear crash protection.' The acura recieved a 'marginal' rating so did not fare well, but the mdx did do better than the lexus. |
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| mpulsv6 |
quote:
Originally posted by diamondg
Also the 400h/350 from lexus has one of the worst ratings from the iihs for 'rear crash protection.' The acura recieved a 'marginal' rating so did not fare well, but the mdx did do better than the lexus.
Don't doubt it. My father in law totalled his RX400h as he got T-Boned by a Mustang. Mustang $6800 in damage, RX400h $41000 in damage. Granted the RX got hit in the front fender thus causing engine damage. The hybrid battery (I guess that's what it's called) costs over $8K |
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| Blackura |
I traded my 03 MDX-Touring for an 06 RX400h and have been quite pleased over all. Main reason for the trade was that I got crappy gas mileage in the X even when I drove like a 67 year old grandfather. The RX is rated 31/27 city/highway and I get 24 to 26 in short drives (the absolute worst case scenario for a hybrid) and 35 to 40 on longer drives that are not at freeway speeds (probably the best case scenario for a hybrid). If I drive it like I stole it, the worst I've done is 20 mpg... and that's on regular gas, not the recommended premium that I used in my MDX. In some areas, premium is 40 cents a gallon more than regular, others 25 to 30 cents difference... it adds up quickly.
I don't know about the RX mentioned in the first post here, but my RX is considerably faster than my MDX, but I do agree it's more a luxury vehicle than a sports car driving through the twisties.
The MDX and the RX are two very different vehicles, and the RX will not suit some people who chose the MDX for its room or its sporting character. The X wins both categories hands down. But if you never use the 3rd row (I never did) and you'd rather drive a 911 when the sports car mood strikes you (not an SUV) the RX will please many people. The RX is the best selling Lexus for a reason, and the hybrid is top of the line in the RX class.
I must say that I was very surprised that the RX did so poorly in the rear crash test though, and also surprised the MDX did not do better than it did either. I wonder what would happen to occupants (kids, most likely) in the 3rd row of an MDX if the 2nd row passengers only did marginally. Scary.
I'll be sitting up front in the driver's seat, thank you. |
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| wmquan |
quote:
Originally posted by Blackura
... I wonder what would happen to occupants (kids, most likely) in the 3rd row of an MDX if the 2nd row passengers only did marginally. Scary. ...
FWIW, the "rear crash test" doesn't actually crash anything into the rear of the vehicle. It only tests the driver's seat by mounting it on a short slide with a dummy designed to measure spine injuries.
Thus there is zero testing of what happens to a vehicle's structure if it's rear-ended. One can't tell from the test whether an MDX's third row would collapse, or if an RX's second row would have intrusion.
The test cannot predict neck injuries for 2nd/3rd row occupants either, since the seats and head restraints are usually different than the front row. E.g. some vehicles only have active head restraints for the front occupants (not that children in the second row would really benefit from them because of the way they sit).
http://www.iihs.org/ratings/head_re...raint_info.html
The test is still useful since whiplash injuries are very real and very painful. Acura and Lexus need to do some more catch-up here, they're behind some of the European brands which originated many whiplash-reduction designs.
But the test shouldn't be taken for anything more than what it actually represents.
Glad to hear you're happy with your RX400h. Do the batteries cut into cargo room at all? |
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| Blackura |
quote:
Originally posted by wmquan
Glad to hear you're happy with your RX400h. Do the batteries cut into cargo room at all?
Not a bit that I can tell. I've driven a non-hybrid RX330 (as a dealer loaner during oil changes) and it seems the same. I'm sure there's a spec sheet somewhere that shows the batteries taking up a half inch here or there, but it's not noticeable to me or my three passengers. Plenty of room back there, and everybody says how incredibly comfortable they are.
As to your point about 3rd row passengers, I've brought up before in these forums how close they sit to the back of the car (I know... well, duh!) but the passengers' heads are awfully close to the back window. It just never looked like a safe place to travel to me... on any SUV or minivan, not just the MDX. |
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| Dr. Ken |
quote:
Originally posted by Blackura
"even when I drove like a 67 year old grandfather. "
Now here's what's scary: I'm a grandfather and 66 years old. So in another year I will be in the over-the-hill category? |
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| mpulsv6 |
quote:
Originally posted by Dr. Ken
Now here's what's scary: I'm a grandfather and 66 years old. So in another year I will be in the over-the-hill category?
I don't think I'd go as far as saying over the hill, maybe at the top of the hill getting ready to jump over....just kidding.
My dad is 67 years young, he too has a RX400h I bought him because he was killing me on gas when I bought him the RX330. Both my dad and father in law got the same cars...that way no b!tching from anyone...funny enought they both had RX330s and I got rid of both for RX400h for the same reason...gas was brutal on the RX330 - I have no idea how both of these 67 year old dudes were driving but I know it was putting a good hurt on my Credit Card bill monthly from Exxon, Sunoco, Exxon, Mobil, Texaco...you get the idea.
I got my father in law a Camry Hybrid cuz he was costing me too much on insurance (he totalled his first RX400h), heck the RX cost 30% more than the BMW M6. I ended up keeping the RX thinking I would just drive around and save gas, be nice to the environment, etc....but I really really don't like it and neither does my wife so we're deciding on what to do with it. May keep it as a family "community car" for us, my brother, sister, cousin, when they need to haul stuff or something. |
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| JohnBoy |
quote:
Originally posted by mpulsv6
I don't think I'd go as far as saying over the hill, maybe at the top of the hill getting ready to jump over....just kidding.
My dad is 67 years young, he too has a RX400h I bought him because he was killing me on gas when I bought him the RX330. Both my dad and father in law got the same cars...that way no b!tching from anyone...funny enought they both had RX330s and I got rid of both for RX400h for the same reason...gas was brutal on the RX330 - I have no idea how both of these 67 year old dudes were driving but I know it was putting a good hurt on my Credit Card bill monthly from Exxon, Sunoco, Exxon, Mobil, Texaco...you get the idea.
I got my father in law a Camry Hybrid cuz he was costing me too much on insurance (he totalled his first RX400h), heck the RX cost 30% more than the BMW M6. I ended up keeping the RX thinking I would just drive around and save gas, be nice to the environment, etc....but I really really don't like it and neither does my wife so we're deciding on what to do with it. May keep it as a family "community car" for us, my brother, sister, cousin, when they need to haul stuff or something.
Want to adopt lol You are a dam good son/son in law hooking everyone up with such nice vehicles. I hope I make enough dough to help my elders out like that some day. :29: |
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