| mdxdriver |
Hi All,
I have been reading messages on this board for some time, gaining as much insight on this vehicle as possible. Looking at the direct competition, not much comes close even at the MDX's loaded price of $39,450. Yesterday was a rather stressful day, but joyous too! I ended up ordering a 2002 silver MDX touring/navi with much confusion... Which darn color???
Well, I debated between black, granite green, and silver. After nearly an hour standing outside in the southwest's heat, I figured I'd go with the silver. The primary use for this vehicle will be for professional/sales reasons and I want to make sure that I choose a color that is appropriate for all occasions. Did I do Okay? I can not take delivery of the vehicle until december and that fits perfectly for the dealer. Also, I am moving to Missouri in December and will need that 4 wheel drive, as I have never driven in snow.. Just a warning!! :)
Anyway, since I had purchased another vehicle with this particular automotive group, I received $500 off MSRP with no forced options. I assume this is a relatively good deal...
Well, that's all for now... and that dead pedal is quite uncomfortable...
-J.J. |
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| wmquan |
Silver is a low-maintenance color and will look good in all types of weather. Black also fits all occasions well but is a pain to keep clean.
The ebony interior will heat up somewhat but not too bad.
Congratulations on the deposit and hope your MDX comes soon! $500 off of MSRP is the best folks can get now, so congratulations again! |
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| msu79gt82 |
| ... and if you've been reading for "some time" then you know you got a good deal. Hope everything turns out well. Keep us posted. |
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| mdxdriver |
I forgot to mention that my deposit was only $500 dollars... Isn't $1,000 the norm? Also, my other dilema was whether to purchase the vehicle in Arizona and ship it to Missouri, or just wait until December and hope that I find one waiting on the lot... Or I could just order one there, but who knows about getting a discount. Lastly, I had the option to get an '01... Am I better off with the 02? All these questions... My biggest difficulty was debating on whether to get the touring with navi package.
Thanks everyone...
P.S. I want to get side steps, a rear spoiler and rear mud flaps. Should I get these accessories from the dealer or elsewhere?
-J.J. |
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| wmquan |
You probably won't be able to find a 2002 in Missouri by the time you move, there'll still be a wait for the vehicle.
The 2002 changes are minor, but definitive word isn't out yet. There are two new immediate colors (red and white) and a silver-blue-green coming out in the spring. Probably some improvements for noise-vibration-harshness.
Most of us have purchased our accessories from Tim at Hondacuraworld.com. Side steps can be self-installed with some effort, and there are photos and experiences with sidesteps (both Acura's and Manik) here too -- look in the accessories and gallery forums. Mud flaps are easy to self-install though it's easier to take off the rear wheels first. There are also pictures of self-installation of the tailgate deflector. |
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| mdxdriver |
Thanks for everyone's ideas...
Keep 'em coming.
Any idea when a build date will be available?
Also, this is kind of a strange question, but I know that the vehicle is built in Canada. Is the quality of the car going to be of issue, because I hate rattles..
Thanks,
J.J. |
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| wmquan |
A car being built in North America vs. Japan doesn't have to be an issue. Camry's and Accord's built in North America are terrific quality. However, it takes some time to establish new plants, train workers, and implement new designs, and the Odyssey and MDX built in North America aren't as high-quality as other Honda/Acura models. E.g. the Odyssey is currently "average" reliability/quality according to Consumer Reports. One also has to remember that these are much more complex vehicles than a Civic or Accord.
The MDX has had some glitches, most notably "the thud" and "weeping mirrors" well documented here (though I don't have either, and many other owners don't have one or both).
Nevertheless, even average or above average quality matches or beats much of the competition, with the notable exception of the RX300.
For what it's worth, Lexus will make the next-generation RX300 in Canada. |
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| ghost |
quote:
Originally posted by mdxdriver
Hi All,
I have been reading messages on this board for some time, gaining as much insight on this vehicle as possible. Looking at the direct competition, not much comes close even at the MDX's loaded price of $39,450. Yesterday was a rather stressful day, but joyous too! I ended up ordering a 2002 silver MDX touring/navi with much confusion... Which darn color???
Well, I debated between black, granite green, and silver. After nearly an hour standing outside in the southwest's heat, I figured I'd go with the silver. The primary use for this vehicle will be for professional/sales reasons and I want to make sure that I choose a color that is appropriate for all occasions. Did I do Okay? I can not take delivery of the vehicle until december and that fits perfectly for the dealer. Also, I am moving to Missouri in December and will need that 4 wheel drive, as I have never driven in snow.. Just a warning!! :)
Anyway, since I had purchased another vehicle with this particular automotive group, I received $500 off MSRP with no forced options. I assume this is a relatively good deal...
Well, that's all for now... and that dead pedal is quite uncomfortable...
-J.J.
Hey MDXDriver - you couldn't have done better with the color! :D:D
My deposit way back when was $500.
Missouri has snow?
Congratulations! One way to help with wait is to start picking up your accessories (from Tim) now. A piece of glass across the side steps makes a great coffee table! :D:D |
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| AtlantaMDX |
You said you got $500 off because of the buying group. Do you mean you bought at that dealership before, or are you actually going through a buying group? If so, can you tell us about the Buying Group.
Wow, sounds like you had quite the day. While I'm partial to the Black, the Silver seems to be a popular choice. And as someone said previously, they both go with all occassions. I don't think you'll regret getting the Nav or Touring. Especially since the heated seats will come in handy in Missouri snow and the Nav can help you learn your way around when you first get there.
As for accessories, you'll often see specials on this site, and sometimes group buys. Additionally many people go to www.hondacuraworld.com as they have very good prices. Very occasionally you'll see items for sale on e-bay. One of the nice things about Tim's site is it has instructions for each accessory that you can print and follow.
And don't think you need to wait for your MDX to be delivered. Several people have jumped on monthly specials and group buys before they ever toook delivery of their 'DX.
I look forward to hearing about your experiences after you take delivery.... |
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| Yoda |
Depending on the year and the location. Usually it might snow 2-3 times a year in Kansas City. The snow is usually light and melts the next day. St. Louis is pretty much the same. However, last year it snowed several times and it stuck around longer. We had about 8 inches at one time and nobody knew what to do. I grew up in Iowa so I was used to the snow. My wife got rear-ended twice in her car within 3 weeks.
So the main thing you'll have to learn is how to avoid the other drivers!! Oh, and give yourself plenty of room to stop. The MDX will do no better stopping in snow than a Festiva. ;) ;) |
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| mdxdriver |
Atlanta,
My brother had previously purchased an integra from the delaer, so any immediate family member automatically qualifies for the repeat customer discount. I find this to be a very way of doing business. Ironically, when I came to check out a silver MDX, it was in for service like three or four times in one month, and the owner was standing there complaining, knowing I was interested in purchasing the vehicle. I hope mine is OK upon delivery!
:(
J.J. |
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| AtlantaMDX |
The owner with the MDX in for service for 4 times in one month, his name wasn't Teck was it? Surely not......
J.J. (aka AtlantaMDX) |
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| msu79gt82 |
| We had to put down a $500 fully refundable deposit. In fact John Eagle never cashed the check. They gave it back to us at time of purchase, just as they said they would. |
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| wmquan |
| Always good to see some dealerships trying to reward repeat business. Don't know why dealerships don't do more of it. Lexus has that loyalty program but sometimes they have suspended it, particularly when the vehicle is hot-selling. But nice to see individual dealerships taking the initiative. |
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| msu79gt82 |
| ... on our 2002 TL-S at John Eagle Acura. Supply at the moment is low, particularly for our selection. In fact they had to do an out-of-town dealer trade to get what we wanted (so they did not have to deal from a supply and demand standpoint). Yet we got a better than average deal simply because we were a repeat customer. |
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| wmquan |
Ah, another dealer that encourages repeat business. It really makes sense in order to build both brand loyalty (which the manufacturer should encourage through loyalty discounts) and dealer loyalty (which the dealer needs to encourage with discounts, good service, etc.).
A bit off-topic, but I read something peculiar on the Edmunds Townhall Altima forum. It claimed that the Acura dealer in their area was back to not discounting their TL's much because of Toyota's 2002 Camry pricing. Since the loaded-up Camry stickers at about $31k they figured they'd get some buyers disappointed in it, the new ES300, and the new Altima 3.5 SE. |
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| AcurazOnly4me |
I've ordered a 2002 "Premium" MDX, but wasn't sure about the color until today. I finally committed to a Redrock Pearl. I'm the first on the list for a Redrock 2002, so most likely I'll be a proud MDX owner in November.
Not sold on the Touring Package but am trying to talk my husband into the Nav. He, like many others, feel that you can buy alot of maps for $2,000+. I enjoy reading all of your posts and look forward to becoming a proud MDX owner. |
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| wmquan |
AcurazOnly4me,
While we didn't get the nav either, I can safely say that I've never seen regret on the part of an owner who bought their MDX with the navigation system. Whereas I have seen definite regret on the part of some folks who have bought an MDX without the navigation system.
We don't regret not getting the nav, but our range to strange places is somewhat limited (we had a baby last year and our travels are restricted). There have been a few times where it would have been nice-to-have though not required.
If my wife and the baby had to go regularly to strange places (which they don't) I would want them to have the nav. |
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