| sg1717 |
These are the cars I am comparing at the moment since I am unable to locate a Black/Ebony Sport/Ent.
Looks Comparison Interior + Exterior, also same order for fun drive factor for me
1.MDX
2.CX-9
3.Highlander
+s for CX-9
1.Rain Sensing Wipers
2.Keyless Entry and engine start
3.Better sounding audio
4.Stock 20" wheels
+s for Highlander
1.Uses regular-grade gas (best mpg)
2.Keyless entry and engine start
3.Stock 19" wheels
+s for MDX
1.Best sport suspension
2.Best NAV
3.Feels more luxurious
any input would be appreciated. |
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| Quill |
I compared the same three before buying the MDX. Problem is, the real comparison should be with the Honda Pilot, since it competes more closely with the Toyota and Mazda on price (at least here in Canada).
A couple of comments on your points:
Sound system: Are you comparing the ELS system with DVD-A? It's pretty darn good....
CX-9 plus - better third row room
CX-9 minus - goofy "piano black" interior, underpowered
Highlander minus - third row doesn't split, and steering brought to you by Nerf
To be honest, I really dislike the look of the highlander, so I dropped from the list very quickly.
If price is no issue, then the MDX is a no-brainer, in my opinion. Clincher for me was the Honda reliability that I experienced with a CRX and Integra.
I was worried that I should have waited for the new Pilot...after seeing it, I'm glad I didn't. |
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| JeffK |
Just my $.02:
You posted:
+s for CX-9
1.Rain Sensing Wipers
2.Keyless Entry and engine start
3.Better sounding audio
4.Stock 20" wheels
I really do not know if 20" wheels are an advantage: they have a lower profile which means a harsher ride, more noise transmission, usually lower tread wear and less sidewall which in pot holes, etc. may damage the rims.
Also in snow and rain, a 19" tire, with a narrower tread (contact patch) will outperform a wider tire - 20".
I have found that pressing a button to enter my MDX (and my other cars) not that difficult and except for the very coldest of mornings when I ski in Vermont, remote engine start not to be necessary.
+s for Highlander
1.Uses regular-grade gas (best mpg)
2.Keyless entry and engine start
3.Stock 19" wheels
The regular gas and mileage is a definite plus. But have you driven the Highlander? Most road tests I have read find that it drives like a Toyota - soft and not particularly responsive. Honda/Acura definitely drive differently than Toyota/Lexus.
Only you can decide which ride your prefer.
+s for MDX
1.Best sport suspension
2.Best NAV
3.Feels more luxurious
Luxurious it should be as you are paying a premium for that interior and luxury.
JeffK |
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| dory |
I don't see towing on your list. The MDX and Highlander are 5000 pounds, the CX9 is 3500 I believe. We excluded the CX9 because of that.
As for the Highlander Limited (which is the model we were looking at) vs MDX, in addition to what you've noted already:
- 3rd row seat in Highlander is not split. The split makes it easier to carry more passengers but still have cargo room. Although the Highlander does have a nice system for getting the 2nd row down, just lift 2 levers and the seats drop down, very cool
- 3rd row of the Highlander does not have LATCH or even tether anchors, so if you ever need to use a child restraint in the 3rd row, you basically can't. The MDX has full LATCH in ALL 5 rear seating positions.
- no heated seats in the 2nd row of the Highlander
- no driver's memory seat in the Highlander
- the steering wheel doesn't move out of your way when you shut off the vehicle in the Highlander
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| sg1717 |
All excellent points, I knew I could count on this forum.
I have test driven them and I concur with your findings. Toyota is very ho hum. |
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| sg1717 |
Unfortunately, I have found a huge plus with the Toyota Highlander.
Is is the 3rd row acess, I had no idea that for the mdx, you can only fold down and slide the passenger rear side seat to allow access to the 3rd row.
The Highlander has a removable center console, making it a bit more minivan-ish. The only reason I give this a huge plus is that I hate taking out carseats for kids once they are in..... |
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| dory |
quote:
Originally posted by sg1717
Unfortunately, I have found a huge plus with the Toyota Highlander.
Is is the 3rd row acess, I had no idea that for the mdx, you can only fold down and slide the passenger rear side seat to allow access to the 3rd row.
The Highlander has a removable center console, making it a bit more minivan-ish. The only reason I give this a huge plus is that I hate taking out carseats for kids once they are in.....
Did you actually try the access via the centre console? It SUCKS and in my and my co-owner's opinion is useless.
If you have the seat stowed and the centre console in place, someone would have to step OVER the console to get to the 3rd row. And that's one mighty big step, especially for kids. Not to mention that your console is going to get all dirty from shoes dragging across the top.
Your next option is to remove the console, which you now have nowhere to put (since the seat is stowed in the place where the console goes), so likely you leave either the centre seat or console at home, and store the other item in the stow compartment. This means you now are missing out on using one of those items (not a huge deal, but they promote how you can so easily swap between these 2 items, which isn't true if you want 3rd row access).
With the centre console removed, you now have the plastic attachment parts on the floor which someone has to walk on to get to the back, and a couple attachment point on the sides which you can catch your leg on. Also, the centre area is VERY narrow, our skinny, 10 year old found it difficult to get through and hard to take a large enough step to get across the plastic piece on the floor.
So, ya, at first, I thought it would be the feature that tipped my to the Highlander, but in actual use, it really isn't practical. It would be easier to lift a child over the rear seat and plop them in, than it would be to remove consoles and have them step through and dirty everything up. |
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| sg1717 |
awesome, thanks for the input, I will let the wife know and have her go try it out first hand....
Acura still maintains the lead! |
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| dory |
quote:
Originally posted by sg1717
awesome, thanks for the input, I will let the wife know and have her go try it out first hand....
Acura still maintains the lead!
If she can try it with herself and if she can take a child as well with her to try, it will give her a good idea of the usability.
Any child she takes though should be out of harnessed car seat stage since you can't use a forward-facing harnessed child restraint in the 3rd row since there is no tether anchor (okay, I think in the U.S. you technically could use it without tethering, but I never would. In Canada, tethering is the law). |
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| HAJ |
When it came time to replace my 12 year old car, we test drove the 2008 Highlander and 2008 Pilot.
The head rest on the Highlander was very annoying... felt like my head was being pushed forward. The 3rd row easy-access was not all it was cracked up to be... awkward removal and uncomfortable when left in place. Biggest draw-back was the road noise whenever we got the car above 50 mph... we kept looking for an open window or semi-closed sunroof.
Pilot was nice but pretty basic on fit/finish. Decent ride, nice options. For grins, we test drove a 2005 MDX (seeing how it's a luxury Honda) and were so impressed that we bought it! Night and day between the the MDX and the aforementioned cars. And the car we bought doesnt have all the features and sleek body style of the 2008.
I love my X and look forward to climbing into the driver's seat. Only one regret... we should have forked out the extra $1500 for the rear-view camera and navigation. One dissapointment... lousy sound system -- and we have the upgraded sub-woofer (but there's a separate thread out here on this topic). My husband LOVES the driver's seat 2 memory feature... he can move the seat from "dwarf mode" (I'm only 5" tall) to "normal person mode" at the touch of a button -- no more having to adjust mirrors and seat position.
Good luck and I hope this helps. |
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| sg1717 |
| it does! my wife is 5ft tall as well, I'm sure she will appreciate dwarf mode...hehe |
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| KES |
In 5.5 years of owning my MDX I have never used the third row because I have 2 car seats. In my opinion, if you really need 3 rows of seats you would probably be better off with a minivan.
Premium gas - I am not sure why this is an issue when you are spending 40+K on a vehicle. Say you drive 20,000 per year and get 18mpg you would use 1,100 gallons of gas at a 35-40 cent premium for an annual cost of say $400. That works out to $35 a month.
In the end all three vehicles will work for you therefore you should buy the car you feel passion for and won't have any regrets when a CX9, MDX or Highlander drives buy. If you drive a vehicle you love you will probably hold on to it longer making it cheaper in the long run.
Good luck with your decision. I would choose the MDX but this a MDX board and I have one so I am obviously bias. |
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| dory |
Here's my thread over at a Toyota forum, when I was trying to decide between the MDX and the Highlander http://www.toyotanation.com/forum/s...ad.php?t=228635 It covers a bunch of stuff we've already listed here, but a few other things as well. The one thing I noticed, people tended to choose the Highlander over the MDX due to cost or perceived functionality (one thought it was more family friendly), but nobody there actually seemed passionate about their Highlander like people feel about their MDX.
Also, check out http://www.informedforlife.org/ It takes into account the NHTSA, IIS, and other factors. Based on the safety algorithm used on this site, the MDX scores higher than the Highlander. If safety is uber important to you (it was a pro for the MDX in our decision). |
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| dj-mdx2 |
quote:
Originally posted by dory
Here's my thread over at a Toyota forum, when I was trying to decide between the MDX and the Highlander http://www.toyotanation.com/forum/s...ad.php?t=228635 It covers a bunch of stuff we've already listed here, but a few other things as well. The one thing I noticed, people tended to choose the Highlander over the MDX due to cost or perceived functionality (one thought it was more family friendly), but nobody there actually seemed passionate about their Highlander like people feel about their MDX.
The needs/wants you were describing in the other forum perfectly describe a minivan! I have all those features in my 07 Touring R/N Odyssey - movable second row (laterally and rearward/forward), removable middle console, usable access to third row from middle or side, split folding third row, tons of space in the cargo even with the third row up, conversation mirror, backup camera with the NAV option, power liftgate, tilting side mirrors with the 08 Touring, rear climate control, but no keyless start though. If AWD is a necessity and the minivan stigma does not bother you, what about the Toyota Sienna, with similar features? |
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| dory |
quote:
Originally posted by dj-mdx2
The needs/wants you were describing in the other forum perfectly describe a minivan! I have all those features in my 07 Touring R/N Odyssey - movable second row (laterally and rearward/forward), removable middle console, usable access to third row from middle or side, split folding third row, tons of space in the cargo even with the third row up, conversation mirror, backup camera with the NAV option, power liftgate, tilting side mirrors with the 08 Touring, rear climate control, but no keyless start though. If AWD is a necessity and the minivan stigma does not bother you, what about the Toyota Sienna, with similar features?
Did you confuse with me "apaone" on that thread, who listed all of those needs? I was the original poster (username Dory, same as I am here). I don't think I actually posted any needs on that thread.
Anyhoo, we bought an MDX a month ago and love it. A minivan wouldn't have worked for us because we all dislike sliding doors, including our older child! |
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| dj-mdx2 |
quote:
Originally posted by dory
Did you confuse with me "apaone" on that thread, who listed all of those needs? I was the original poster (username Dory, same as I am here). I don't think I actually posted any needs on that thread.
Anyhoo, we bought an MDX a month ago and love it. A minivan wouldn't have worked for us because we all dislike sliding doors, including our older child!
Well, you mentioned preferences, advantages and actual experiences accessing the third row, plus using strollers and cargo/camping, moving child seats around, etc. throughout that thread, maybe not needs explicitly.
That's funny about the sliding doors. My 2 older daughters love them and the Odyssey. Whenever I ask them which car to take they always (against my wishes) pick the Ody :( But I drive the X every time I can, especially if I'm by myself or I only need to transport one of the kids. |
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| dory |
quote:
Originally posted by dj-mdx2
Well, you mentioned preferences, advantages and actual experiences accessing the third row, plus using strollers and cargo/camping, moving child seats around, etc. throughout that thread, maybe not needs explicitly.
That's funny about the sliding doors. My 2 older daughters love them and the Odyssey. Whenever I ask them which car to take they always (against my wishes) pick the Ody :( But I drive the X every time I can, especially if I'm by myself or I only need to transport one of the kids.
Heh, I guess I didn't realize I'd babbled that much in that thread. :D
Ya, my 10 year old hates sliding doors. She is actually one of the reasons we went with the MDX, she LOVED it over everything else we drove. The 2nd row is so comfortable for her with those great seats, and her own heating controls, own music controls, she said she'd be very mad if we ended up with the Highlander (which was the top choice along with the MDX after we'd ruled out various others). She also hated the BMW X5. |
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| zubinh |
| you havent mentioned costs yet. I would think the CX-9 represents the best overall Value. I've seen ALOT of them around town, no doubt cutting into Acura's sales. I think the same will happen with the RDX now that the new Murano is here. |
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| BillHeart |
I'd also consider resale value.
MDXs have excellent resale value, time will tell on the CX9 (But they seem to be holding up OK from the handful that I have seen at auction). |
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| LionSpeed |
| If I were Acura, I would be worried about the FX50 & RX460 taking it's potential customers right about now. |
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