2009 Acura MDX User Reviews

Pros

7 seater, navigation els surround sound,smooth ride

Cons

mileage around 19mpg combined

Purchased As New

Was really undecided which Suv to get but needed a 7 seater so my options narrowed down. test drove most other suvs nothing feels like the Acura MDX very smooth ride. have the vehicle for about 2 months now , just loving it.

Pros

smooth ride, great looks, bluetooth audio quality is fantastic

Cons

poor rear view when ceiling dvd is installed, poor mileage

Purchased As New

What I really hate is the ceiling DVD system. Once it is installed, it cuts off more than 50% of the rare view. Could be a huge safety issue. I wouldn't have bought this car if the model I drove had a DVD. Gas mileage is terrible. barely 16 though the specs say 23.
There are lots of other cool features and the ride is really comfortable....read morehide

Pros

Rides like a luxury sedan, handles like a sports car, and almost EVERYTHING is standard!

Cons

None that I can find

Purchased As New

I've had my MDX for almost a year now and love it more everytime I get into the drivers seat. It absolutely rides like a luxury sedan and is the most quiet SUV I've ever been in.

Almost everything is standard on the MDX.....6 CD changer, leather seats, tire pressure monitoring system, moon roof, air bags all the way around, fog lights, auto-dimming mirrors, tinted windows, etc. AND it is 5-star Safety Rated on everything. It came with a 4 year, 50,0000 mile warranty and has one of the best mechanical/reliability records in the industry.

I looked at and priced out the BMW, Volvo, Lexus, Infinity, and Porsche and nothing came close to the value, performance, and price of the MDX.

This SUV is a sure winner for anyone who buys it....read morehide

Pros

versatility, comfort, and performance

Cons

Objectively, none

Purchased As New

Have owned my MDX with Tech and Sport package for almost two years now. Meant to write a review sooner, but needed more basis for fair judgment.

Now over the initial new-vehicle "crush," I'm still very impressed with what this car is capable of. Lives up to the designation "luxury-performance SUV." I have subjected this vehicle to all kinds of conditions: towing a 4000 lb camper through 60-mile per hour high-desert gusts, plowing through white-outs on winding, snow-covered roads in the Sierras, carrying three full-length kayaks over dirt roads and sandy beaches. In all these adverse conditions, this vehicle kept its cool and did its job with grace, power, and control. It kept my family of five comfortable and safe through each turn and straight-away with its arsenal of super-handling AWD, adaptive suspension, 300 hp, powerful torque, and assisted downhill-braking. It really took all the situations I encountered for me to appreciate the performance and safety features of this SUV. For those who only drive this between soccer practices and the supermarket, you may never have to entrust your life to these features, but for those who buy SUVs for what they are meant for, you cannot get a better car.

Plain and simple--it is loaded with intelligent driving and tech features. It provides an incredibly comfortable ride, esp. with the plush leather in the Sport package. In addition, the 410-watt surround sound beats the acoustics in most concert halls. As for speed, a vehicle this large with a mere V-6 engine doing 0-60 in 7.5 seconds is good enough for me.

All of this, for a price a good $3000 below that of even its mediocre competitors with comparable features (Lexus RX350, BMW 5(V6), Volvo XC90, etc). You do the math....read morehide

Pros

luxury and technology

Cons

none

Purchased As Used

this is one of the best cars for the money
7 pass seating is standar not an extra option and run like a 8 cyl. smooth and fast but with better fuel mileage
after test drove every other suv like x5, mercedes ,lexus this mdx was a far better suv on technology, quality and price

Pros

great handlng and comfort

Cons

ipod could be integrated in the system to display songs

Purchased As New

Compared to the vehicles I test drove, thought this vehicle offered best pricing with the packages offered in the market.I experienced some vibrations at 60-70 mph.Rain sensor I would have liked instead of the intermitten wipers;I would have prefered a powered third row power option to put the seats up and a little more room on the legs.also could use a back up sensor as a standard equipment.over all, i think this vehicle is a good driving vehicle, handles well too, the few draw backs are nothing to complain about`happy with this vehicle.since and loves driving it....read morehide

Pros

Decent Handling

Cons

Sluggish, High Maint costs, Dealers / Service Network Horrible

Purchased As New

Save your money folks -- lot better stuff out there for the money. Have owned this for little over a year. Maintenance costs are VERY high. Differential fluid changes every 12,500 miles - not kidding. Its based on the service code. Dealers are all old school and in terrible condition. Have been to 3 different ones and they're all unprofessional -- and crooks to boot!

Today I took the MDX in and apparently the brakes went out at 25000 miles. Fog/DTL light cover had melted from heat and they told me the exhaust from someone backing up real close must have done it -- unbelievable!

Acura customer service is just as bad. I have a Lexus too -- the service experience and reliability is in a whole different league.

Honda tried to build a "luxury" brand -- they have failed miserably. Acuras are nothing but Hondas with the same poor dealership service but with higher maintenance cost!...read morehide

Pros

Great handling, lots of amenities, plenty of power

Cons

2rd row & 3rd row access

Purchased As New

Came from a toyota/lexus family & had driven Rx350 & Gx470 before ... also test drove X5, Fx35/50 .. MDX overall came out as the winner with great handling, lots of standard features, plenty of HP if you need them ... the only complaint I have is that you can't adjust the 2nd row seat (forward) and you can only access the 3rd row from the curb side .. now I'm wishing for a sliding door on both sides .. LOL ......read morehide

Pros

Nice handling for a large vehicle, tons of features

Cons

Finish, road noise

Purchased As New

I struggled between this and an Audi Q5. The Q5 was sportier, sexier and nicer IMO but about 5K more comparably loaded and 2 fewer seats. I have had it for about 500 miles now and am satisfied but not thrilled. The engine is smooth, powerful enough with about 17.5 mpg but you ain't going to get to 60 mph in any remarkable manner. Handling is superb for a vehicle of this size, crisp, confident in turns, grips the road. I have the active damping suspension and it handles body roll well, comfort setting on the highways gives a nice floaty ride with no road bumps but does make the vehicle feel a bit like a boat (earlier Town Cars).

The BT phone system works very nicely, crisp and clear. Voice recognition is a beauty. Center console would make a space shuttle pilot proud! I have not felt any engine braking that others have commented on but I have noticed if you are at a speed just above a downshift and you ease off the gas, it shifts down - this may cause the engine braking sensation experienced by others.

For a fully loaded 'luxury' vehicle to not have adaptive headlights, smart keyless ignition or unlocking or even rain sensing wipers is dumbfounded. I am not sure if this is just mine, but the finish in some places is not what I expected of Acura - gap between footstep and the door, slightly unaligned front vent with dash, wipers jerk across the windshield instead of smoothly wiping - I am going to have the dealer look at these.

The ELS sound system is very very nice but to me the subwoofer sounds a bit removed and underpowered - I am comparing it to the Integra receiver and Definitive Technology speakers/woofer I have at home.

It certainly does not make me feel like I am driving a truck, just a largish car with sportish handling....read morehide

Pros

Smooth ride on smooth roads

Cons

Rough ride on rough roads, bad voice recognition

Purchased As New

I am a first time owner of a vehicle in this class (after owning Ford F-150's and Explorers) and was hoping for the luxury and performance the 2008 Acura MDX presents. The interior is beautiful. I like the dark gray wood-grain accent to the natural wood color. This is my first vehicle with built-in navigation, bluetooth, XM radio and extended menu options. The ride is smooth and quiet on smooth roads. And, for the most part, I feel like I moved up from the Explorer, however . . .

The extended menu selections and the navigation system are very busy but I was determined to learn them. And, after spending many hours, I still find myself going through all the menu selections to find the one I'm looking for (I know it's there). The menu selection methodology is illogical. I couldn't begin to explain how one has to go back and forth between two buttons on the steering wheel to navigate through the menu. I suspect the navigation system's voice recognition would be great but I couldn't possibly remember what I'm sure are well over 100 voice commands to the navi system, I use the dials, buttons and other controls. The voice recognition for the bluetooth is worse. I spent a fair amount of time transferring my contacts into the phonebook but it doesn't have a clue what I'm saying when I want to call a contact. When I say, "Dial Joe Blow at Home" it says, "Two-Eight-Six, please say dial or continue adding numbers". There's an option to list the phonebook so I use it to stop at my selection. The gas gauge is hidden by the steering wheel but I can see the tachometer plainly. On the average of every three weeks I have to reset the personalized settings linked to my key because the key stops "remembering". I've yet to understand why that happens. I'm sure its nothing I'm doing wrong.

The only complaint I have about the vehicle's performance is its suspension (the Explorer I owned ran circles around the MDX suspension); the vehicle seems to "hit bottom" over minor road bumps or pot holes although, overall, it handles nicely and has a solid feel to it. My new MDX doesn't quite have 5,000 miles on it and it's been to the dealer once to repair the air conditioner (no cool air at all) and I'm returning it again today for the same reason.

Don't get me wrong, this is a nice vehicle and Explorer had its problems, too (so much so that I swore I wouldn't buy another Ford), but for the money I paid for the MDX, I expected a vehicle to which I'd be more satisfied....read morehide