| alexmish |
Hi guys,
Dropping in to decide what to get next. Currently own 2005 Honda Odyssey (Touring with NAVI and RES and those PAX run flat tires :). The PAX tires give me LOTS of headache - frequent changes, wheel alighments every 1000-3000 miles (and I am avoiding potholes !), etc.
In any case, for those of you who switched from minivan to the MDX, any comments / stories to tell ? I am hesitating between 08 X5 4.8 and the MDX (fully loaded). Yes, $-difference is huge, and I know the value-wise MDX is better. But for me the most important factor is how the car drives. I did some road tests, and will do more, and quite honestly did not detect much difference between standard and sports package...What should I be looking for in the sports package ? |
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| dj-mdx2 |
Just saw your other post, so I guess you are seriously considering getting an MDX. I've got a Sport MDX and I really can only compare Sport versus Comfort mode. It takes a lot of cornering and twisty roads to bring out the advantages of the Sport mode. Normal driving probably will not make a difference to most, except for the rougher ride. I feel the Comfort mode to be too wallowy over bumps but my wife prefers this isolated road feel. If you have any twisty back roads where you can take the Sport X to its limits, that's when you will see the difference.
You're right, the MDX in its current iteration represents the best value among midsize given its performance, safety and technology features. I don't know if BMW has improved reliability of its X5 but I'm not too optimistic. It may not matter if you don't plan on keeping it beyond the warranty period, though. Good luck! |
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| alexmish |
Looking back, I have not kept my cars more than 3-4 years (at most). So with the X5, I will consider a 3-year lease only, which will keep me within the warranty window time-wise and miles-wise. You see, I can get a fully-loaded X5 4.8, which MSRPs around $73K, for just $400/mo - because I will give my Ody as a huge down-payment. Obviously, in 3 years I will have "nothing" and, if want to have another X5, it would run me approx $1000/mo on a 3-year lease.
On the other side, if I buy MDX, I will end financing around $25K, which is around $500/mo (roughly) for 5-year loan. And after 5 years I will have $20K worth of the car. And if I lease MDX, I can probably pay nothing in montly payments for the 3 years if I use the Ody as downpayment :), but then I will have, again, nothing left in 3 years.... |
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