|
(Enlarge photo)
Aside from the gray "skid-guard" cladding attached to the front of the MDX and the truck's high-mounted "face," this is a clean, attractive SUV incorporating traditional Acura styling cues.
(Photo by Scott Jacobs)
|
|
|
|
(Enlarge photo)
Aesthetically and ergonomically, the MDX's control layout is simple to understand and use. Our primary complaint is with the hard-to-reach climate controls, stashed toward the top of the dash between the vents to make space for the optional navigation system.
(Photo by Scott Jacobs)
|
|
|
|
(Enlarge photo)
This is the best angle from which to view the MDX. Notice how the exhaust system dangles away from the underside of the body. This is great for reducing noise and vibration, but underscores that this vehicle is for use primarily on paved roads.
(Photo by Scott Jacobs)
|
|
|
See All Photos
|
|
|
|
Road Test: Full Test
|
|
Full Test: 2001 Acura MDX
Tomato Soup or Art?
By
Christian Wardlaw
Date posted: 06-10-2001
Honda's Acura division pioneered the notion of a Japanese luxury brand in 1986
and in 1991 was the first (and still the only) maker of a true Japanese exotic
sports car. Acura has also been at the forefront of the modern hot-rodding movement
with the Integra sport coupe. So how could this forward-thinking company so clearly
misread the trend toward luxurious sport-utility vehicles, which began in earnest
during the mid-1990s?
In short, there wasn't an in-house platform that could support that kind of vehicle.
This forced Honda into an unfortunate relationship with Japanese truck-maker Isuzu
that continues to this day. To get SUVs quickly into Honda and Acura showrooms,
Honda offered rebadged versions of the old Odyssey minivan and a home-market Civic
five-door hatchback to Isuzu in exchange for facelifted Rodeos and Troopers. The
Rodeo became the Honda Passport, and the Trooper was morphed into the Acura SLX.
You might recall that Isuzu sold a minivan here called the Oasis before it wisely
decided to concentrate on SUVs a couple of years ago.
At first, people were fooled. Passport buyers thought they were getting a Honda
until they popped the hood and saw "Isuzu" stamped all over the engine bay. Acura's
SLX wore an even thinner disguise limited to different wheels and Acura badges
front and rear. By the time the SLX was retired in 2000, it had sold just 6,788
units over the course of four years. Pretty unremarkable, eh?
Unremarkable is not how people will likely remember the all-new MDX, which takes
the stage front and center as Acura's fresh entry into the decade-old luxury SUV
marketplace. With the MDX, Acura's goal was to build an SUV with class-leading
handling and performance, packaging efficiency and environmental consciousness.
For months, engineers studied the way people used their SUVs and concluded that
few used their vehicles to venture very far off road. Providing maximum off-road
capability, they surmised, would unreasonably compromise the mission in terms
of extra weight, more difficult ingress/egress, poorer fuel economy and inferior
dry-pavement performance. Thus, the MDX is to be considered a light- to medium-duty
SUV.
We decided to give the MDX a thorough workout, using it as its designers intended
to see if Acura nailed the luxury SUV recipe bull's-eye. We commuted in it. We
shopped in it. We drove curvy roads in it. We drove dirt roads in it. We blasted
through mud puddles in it. We strapped kids into it. And after hundreds of miles
of this sort of brutal testing, we decided we like it. Sort of.
Wait, whoa, stop. We know what you're thinking. The MDX got two significant
"truck of the year" awards and has gotten glowing reviews from every single publication
on the planet. Dealers can't keep them on the lots. And you Edmunds guys like
it, sort of? What's up with that? Let's take this step-by-step, seeing first
how the MDX looks on paper and then examining the finer points of actually driving
and living with the vehicle.
Four models of the MDX are available. Folks willing to wait in line at a local
dealer to buy one of the 40,000 units planned for the 2001 model year can select
a Base or Touring model with or without a navigation system. Starting at $34,850
(including destination charges), the MDX comes standard with lots of goodies like
leather upholstery, automatic climate control, a premium sound system with CD
player, heated front seats and side mirrors, a power moonroof, remote keyless
entry, a trip computer, privacy glass and a HomeLink universal transmitter. Essentially,
these are the luxury basics.
Order up the Touring model for $2,600 extra, and you get special 17-inch alloy
wheels, a two-position memory system for the driver seat and mirror, an Acura/Bose
audio system with in-dash six-disc CD changer and a power passenger seat. A $2,000
DVD-based navigation system is available on either model. It includes mapping
to 3.7 million restaurants, gas stations, ATMs and hotels. It also has a "bread
crumbs" feature that marks the vehicle's traveled path on the LCD screen. This
way, if you get lost in uncharted territory, you can follow the path on the screen
to civilization. A full-blown MDX like our test vehicle runs a shade under $40,000.
The MDX's cabin is trimmed with tastefully grained and muted plastic, wood tone
accents that look real enough, matte-finish charcoal-colored controls and leather
upholstery on all but the third-row seats (they're covered in matching vinyl).
The 50/50 split third-row seat folds flat into the floor, raising cargo space
from 14.8 cubic feet to a very respectable 49.6 cubes of volume. We suspect most
MDX owners will leave this seat folded, used only when it's time to shuttle Gram
and Gramps to Bill Knapps for an early Sunday dinner. Fold the 60/40-split second-row
seats for the weekend jaunt to Home Depot, and you're blessed with 81.5 cubic
feet of cargo, on par with the seven-passenger 2002 Ford Explorer.
Acura says all of the MDX's suspension, steering and braking components were designed
to reduce unsprung weight for better on-road handling, yet remain rugged enough
for medium-duty off-roading. A four-wheel independent suspension underpins the
MDX, utilizing common struts in front and a multilink with trailing arms arrangement
in the back. A wide track, extra stout antiroll bars front and rear and gas-charged
shocks are intended to keep excessive body motion in check.
Keeping excessive noise quelled are front and rear chassis subframes designed
to isolate road noise and driveline vibration from the cabin.
The MDX is equipped with four-wheel disc brakes with ABS and electronic brake
force distribution (EBD). Variable-effort power rack-and-pinion steering puts
the sport-ute where the driver wants it. Neither traction nor stability control
is offered on the MDX, the latter a significant miscue now that Toyota is offering
its Vehicle Skid Control (VSC) system on the 4Runner and Highlander, and Ford
is due to apply AdvanceTrac stability control to the redesigned Explorer and Mercury
Mountaineer this fall.
Under the MDX's crisply creased hood is an all-aluminum SOHC 24-valve V6 engine
displacing 3.5 liters. Equipped with Honda's variable valve timing and electronic
lift control (called VTEC), this six produces 240 horsepower at 5,300 rpm and
245 foot-pounds of torque between 3,000 and 5,000 rpm. It's mated to an electronically
controlled five-speed automatic transmission. At the test track, we managed to
speed the MDX from rest to 60 mph in just 8.1 seconds and clear the quarter-mile
in 16.2 seconds. Both of these numbers are quite good. The MDX is faster than
the Lexus RX 300 and on par with the 240-hp Infiniti QX4.
Acura also claims this motor allows the MDX to become the first 50-state ultra-low
emission (ULEV) SUV, thanks to a special low-thermal mass exhaust system and a
three-way catalytic converter that quickly heats up to full effectiveness after
a cold start. Not only is the engine green, it's frugal. The EPA rates the MDX
at 17 mpg city and 23 mpg highway, but we were only able to coax 16 mpg from our
sample vehicle in combined city/highway testing. Owners have reported as high
as 24 mpg when cruising at 70 mph on the highway. Premium fuel is required, something
to keep in mind if gas prices continue to rise.
The five-speed automatic transmission is equipped with grade logic control, which
holds a lower gear to maximize power and engine braking on uphill and downhill
stretches of road. It also manages the distribution of power to the MDX's standard
Variable Torque Management four-wheel-drive system (VTM-4). Unique to the Acura
but similar to what Honda installs in the CR-V, VTM-4 distributes power to just
the front or all four wheels.
When driving at a steady rate of speed on the highway, the MDX functions like
a front-wheel-drive vehicle to conserve fuel. During stop-and-go driving, VTM-4
doesn't wait for front-wheel slippage to redirect engine power. Rather, it operates
automatically and seamlessly, sending engine torque to computer-controlled wet
clutches in the rear axle to power the rear wheels before the front tires have
a chance to slip. Every time the MDX accelerates, a percentage of torque proportional
to the degree of acceleration is transferred rearward. This means the MDX suffers
less torque steer than other SUVs driven primarily by their front wheels and gains
more front-tire adhesion for cornering. It also provides a better launch on a
slippery surface.
Speaking of which, in mud, snow and ice, VTM-4 ships power to the rear wheels
both in response to detection of slippage and proportion of the rate of slippage.
When you're stuck, pressing the VTM-4 Lock button on the dash will continually
send a maximum of 53 percent of engine torque to the rear wheels to gain traction.
It can be used at speeds under 18 mph, but for maximum effect, speed needs to
remain less than 6 mph. Low gear must be selected to engage VTM-4 Lock.
What all this means, in English, is that the MDX can perform better than a Volkswagen
Passat GLX 4Motion when the going gets tough, but a Jeep Grand Cherokee could
eat it for lunch when truly taxing conditions are present.
Another of Acura's goals was to give the MDX the ability to "defeat winter." To
this end, engineers included a number of standard features designed to lessen
the impact of cold, snowy months on the MDX owner. In addition to the slick VTM-4
system, standard equipment includes a timed window defogging system, heated front
seats and side mirrors, mudguards and extra door sealing to prevent the build-up
of mud and slush, and two independent climate control systems for front and rear
seat occupants to provide optimum heating (and cooling in the summer).
Acura shoes the MDX with silica-compounded tires that enhance traction in snow
and ice, while the front suspension's low scrub radius keeps the truck from tugging
side to side when braking on a split surface, such as when the left tires are
on ice and the right tires are on dry pavement. Windshield moldings and side mirrors
are designed to guide moisture away from the side glass to ensure superior visibility.
A large-capacity washer fluid reservoir feeds the front and rear washers.
While this is all well and good, in our opinion, there are a few items missing
from the "defeat winter" package. Anyone who has driven through a heavy, wet Midwestern
snowfall knows how useful headlight wipers can be to clear the lenses of light-extinguishing
muck. A heated steering wheel rim is certain to be missed by residents of Minneapolis
on those numerous sub-zero commutes. And we've already mentioned the lack of stability
control. But Acura had a price point to meet, and this kind of equipment would
have easily pushed our as-tested price over the $40,000 barrier.
For less than that, Acura provides a healthy package of safety equipment. Both
front airbags are of the dual threshold variety, which means that if a front-seat
occupant is not using the seatbelt, the airbag will deploy at a lower crash speed
than it would if the passenger were buckled up. Additionally, the front passenger
airbag offers dual-stage deployment, which allows the bag to inflate at two different
speeds depending on crash severity. Standard side airbags are tucked into the
sides of the front seatbacks and protect front-seat passengers in the event that
someone or something T-bones the side of the MDX. An occupant presence detection
system can tell if the front passenger is improperly positioned for maximum protection
and will deactivate when it is determined that the airbag would do more harm than
good.
Beyond the sophisticated airbags, each of the cabin's seven seating positions
get three-point seatbelts with pre-tensioners and load limiters, along with head
restraints. Furthermore, those seatbelts offer automatic locking retraction, which
makes snugging down a child's car seat easy and simple. Of course, child-seat
anchors are available for both the second- and third-row seats.
Crash protection was a priority for Acura engineers, who fearlessly predict that
their new SUV will get five-star ratings all around (the MDX had not been crash-tested
by the National Highway and Traffic Safety Administration or the Insurance Institute
of Highway Safety as of this writing). And though the third-row seat places occupants
just inches away from the rear window and tailgate, Acura says the MDX is able
to withstand a 35-mph rear collision without intrusion into the third-row passenger
compartment. Bumper heights have been designed for compatibility with those of
passenger cars, and MDX's wide track and relatively low center of gravity mean
that it's probably more stable than many sport-utilities (the NHTSA had also not
calculated a rollover rating for the MDX as of this writing).
Built in Ontario, Canada, the MDX gets a 4-year/50,000-mile bumper-to-bumper and
powertrain warranty, with rust perforation covered for five years and an unlimited
number of miles. An Acura Total Luxury Care package is standard and includes roadside
assistance for the duration of the standard warranty. Tune-ups are required only
every 100,000 miles.
Looks great on paper, doesn't it? You get the impression that Acura really did
its homework and is now prepared to school all luxury-laden comers in the midsize
SUV class. We thought so, too, and really looked forward to driving the MDX to
see just how wonderful it was.
Immediately, the MDX struck us as a vehicle intended for pavement, able to do
battle with mud, dirt and snow as required. It is not a serious rock-hopper. To
this end, we drove local fire and powerline maintenance roads in Southern California
to examine the Acura's prowess in this arena. It dispatched the occasionally maintained
dirt roads easily, crossing erosion and runoff cracks on the landscape without
problem, and even plowed effortlessly through standing water and mud. It could
have tackled more difficult terrain, possibly even a Class I two-track, had something
like that been at our disposal. But some suspension components appear to be vulnerably
close to the ground, there is no low-range transfer case, and the MDX's noisy
underpinnings didn't inspire confidence when crossing the rougher sections of
dirt road that we drove. So we left well enough alone.
Not surprisingly, on pavement is where this Acura shines brightest, even if it
isn't brightest of all. Acceleration is deceptively quick when you really put
your foot in it, as evidenced by our 8.1-second 0-to-60 acceleration time, but
otherwise the 4,387-pound MDX leisurely gathers speed. Editors characterized the
3.5-liter V6 as offering "ample power" accompanied by an "unrefined groan." "I
wish this V6 felt more like a V8," lamented one driver. But if it had a V8, the
EPA never would have given it a 23 mpg highway rating, right? Acura says the MDX
can tow 3,500 pounds. For comparison, a V6-powered '02 Explorer is rated for 5,500
pounds.
When cruising the freeway, slight grades tax the engine, and the MDX loses forward
momentum until you apply additional pressure on the gas pedal. On steeper hills,
the grade-logic control transmission helps hold a gear, allowing the MDX to blaze
past slower-moving traffic. On downhill grades, grade-logic control software kicks
in when you brake lightly, dropping a gear to apply engine braking in an effort
to help erase speed. Sometimes this transition takes the driver by surprise, with
the added engine braking causing an unexpected lurch.
Compared to many minivans or two of its primary competitors, the smaller Lexus
RX 300 and Toyota Highlander, the MDX feels heavy and somewhat ponderous. Still,
steering is reasonably direct and perfectly assisted, brakes work with authority
(our test truck needed just 135 feet to stop from 60 mph but displayed fade after
repeated hard use), and though the body leans in curves, the deeply treaded Michelins
keep hold of the road. You get used to it after a while, even the way the suspension
struggles to manage weight transfer over imperfectly perpendicular bridge transitions.
Cross a diagonal dip, and the weight wallows from side to side as the MDX tries
to regain composure. It's unsettling at first, making the vehicle feel unstable,
but like all things, you get used to it.
Most of our drivers felt that wind, engine and road noise were decently quelled,
supporting Acura's assertion that the MDX is endowed with the slipperiest coefficient
of drag in the class. But with the sunroof open, we felt the howl as wind rushes
over the roof rack's cross bars was excessive. At least the open roof doesn't
scoop in a bunch of air, ruffling passengers' feathers. Our vehicle exhibited
some odd clunking from the rear under the cargo area. Loose spare? Suspension?
Exhaust system? Hard to tell, but by crawling under, we were able to ascertain
that the spare tire was solidly affixed to the undercarriage. Also, when loaded
with seven adults, an obnoxious grinding and scraping noise accompanied moderate
speed in left turns.
Overall, our test-driving left us with a middle-of-the-road impression of the
Acura MDX. Smaller and equally lavish sport-utes, such as the Toyota Highlander
Limited, feel quicker, more nimble and offer a better ride at the expense of any
real ability to scoot between rocks and trees. Larger sport-utes, such as the
Dodge Durango or Mitsubishi Montero, are slower, harder to maneuver, and ride
more like a truck, but are more capable when the going gets rough and tough. "[The
MDX] isn't at all rewarding to drive, but neither is it troublesome," offered
one editor. Call the MDX a compromise that is sure to satisfy most but inspire
none — which is why Acura labels it as "medium-duty."
Inside, the same is true. We found the front seats to be comfortable enough, but
over time, the cushion began to feel hard. "Perhaps on a long trip, it would numb
my glutes," predicted one driver. Also, the seatback angle wouldn't adjust to
a position that was satisfyingly erect for half our testers. There's plenty of
room for large adults up front, thanks to 41.5 inches of legroom and 38.7 inches
of headroom, with enough seat adjustment to find a decent driving position. We
wish a dead pedal had been provided for the driver, which would help the comfort
factor.
Acura says the cabin was designed to provide excellent visibility. They succeeded,
as long as you're driving on the highway during the day. MDX's long, pointed nose
is virtually invisible to the driver, making it somewhat hard to judge when parking
and creeping along in traffic. Also, the headlamps, which look impressive at first
glance, didn't do a good job of illuminating the road at night, throwing a splotchy,
shadowy pattern onto the ground that does little to inspire confidence at speeds
higher than 60 mph.
All controls are easy to find, understand and, for the most part, use. Thankfully,
the stereo, with its six-disc in-dash CD changer, is a separate unit from the
navigation system. The automatic climate control does not offer dual-zone operation
for front occupants (though it does provide separate heating and cooling for rear
seat passengers), and the switchgear is tightly clustered way up high on the dash
between the center vents. This compromise to make space for the navigation system
didn't come without a penalty, because the buttons for temperature and other functions
are small and hard to reach. Making matters worse, manual adjustments to fan speed
and other settings must be made through the navigation system's touchscreen.
Generally, the navigation system is easy to use and incorporates neat features
like a trip computer that can automatically reset each time the tank is filled;
exterior temperature display; automatic route recalculation mode; and mapping
with on-screen icons for gas stations and ATMs, even your favorite kind of restaurant.
The screen is smudge-free as advertised, and the system works quickly to filter
through the database and get your destination calculated.
Acura navigation systems are a hit with our staff for their simplicity and ease
of operation. "Though I'm not a fan of bundling navigation systems with other
controls," wrote one driver, "and I don't like that the outside temperature display
is integrated with this one, it offers a simple enough menu and large enough 'buttons'
that these things don't bother me as much as in other, more complicated vehicles."
Only a couple of software glitches were uncovered as we roamed the Los Angeles
area in our maroon MDX: "The navigation system said I was on 405 North when I
was traveling south to work this morning. That ain't right." Our technology editor,
Scott Memmer, also found certain voice prompts to be poorly spoken and hard to
understand.
Shifting the MDX can be difficult. The driver must navigate the shift lever through
a maze to select gears. This isn't so much a problem when choosing reverse or
drive as it is when trying to select park. The shifter can get hung up in the
neutral position too easily, and over time, this breeds frustration. Front cupholders,
located just behind the shifter, won't accommodate the large water bottles many
people tote around with them these days. Oddly, Acura provides bottle holders
in the rear doors, but not up front.
Secondary switchgear is standard-issue Honda — the turn signal stalk is identical
to what you'd find in an Accord or Odyssey. But everything works with a fluid,
positive feel and seems to be of high tactile quality. The seat memory system
is easy to program and use, and it is keyed to the remote entry, simplifying life
when there are two drivers in the house.
Though generally pleasing, some controls could use improvement. For example, the
seat heater controls fail to offer any idea whether they have two different heat
settings or just one that can be activated by depressing the rocker switch on
either side. The power windows offer only one-touch down for the driver. The lack
of one-touch open/close for the sunroof, whose button is located down low on the
dash, is curious. Also located there is the cruise activation button, while the
controls for cruise settings are mounted to the steering wheel. They, and the
satellite audio controls, don't light up at night, making them hard to find and
use.
The dash is constructed of low-gloss, deeply grained hard plastic, the latter
a rather unpleasant surprise when you're paying $39K for a luxury-brand SUV. The
glovebox door on our test vehicle was misaligned, and our test truck emitted a
fair share of rattles and squeaks, but otherwise appeared to be constructed with
care and attention to detail.
There's decent room in the back seat (legroom measures 37.8 inches complemented
by 39 inches of head room), but the bottom cushion is mounted low and doesn't
provide much thigh support. The third row is hard to climb into and out of, but
two adults can stomach the splay-legged seating position for a short ride to the
movies or a restaurant. Otherwise, kids only, since there's only 29.3 inches of
legroom and 36.3 inches of headroom back there.
With that third-row seat erect, luggage space is nearly non-existent. Fold it,
and you've got lots of room to play with. The cargo area has storage bins and
a 12-volt outlet. The plastic pull-handle to close the heavy hatch is unpleasant
to touch and rather small for those with large hands. There is no remote opening
for the rear hatch, nor can the rear glass be flipped open independently of the
hatch.
Storage space abounds, from the large glovebox to the big door bins to the dual-tiered
center console with 12-volt outlet and adjustable armrest to the rubberized dash
slot. A center fold-down armrest in the second-row seat contains a storage bin
and two cupholders. In the cargo area, there's a lidded box that holds the third-row
headrests or items you don't wish prying eyes to see, and covered bins are molded
into the side trim. Toyota's Highlander can't come close to matching the MDX's
sheer storage capability.
Styling is always a subjective matter, and one we like to comment upon. Acura
says the MDX's wide stance and crisp lines lend the appearance of broad-shouldered
strength and muscularity. Here's what one of our more verbose editors said:
"I never did warm up to the front styling. It's not because of the
application of the corporate Acura look, but because the headlamps and grille
are located too high on the vehicle's face, leaving a giant featureless 'chin'
equipped with a gaping maw of an air inlet below. Acura tried to reduce this
largess with gingerbread plastic 'skid plating' and foglights, but the overall
countenance is 'grinning' with its 'eyebrows' raised. It looks slightly loony,
like Jack Nicholson after he chopped through the bathroom door in The Shining.
Otherwise, I'm quite pleased with the MDX's sheet metal, which some might characterize
as dull, but I prefer to think of as clean. It should be noted that I saw a
brand-new MDX the other day with giant 18- or 19-inch aftermarket wheels, and
it looked great. It also had three door dings in the right side and didn't
even have plates on it yet. Acura might want to find an elegant way to provide
some moldings on the sides of the MDX."
No, we weren't bowled over by the 2001 Acura MDX. Like most other Acuras, and
Hondas, for that matter, it is meticulously engineered to serve a specific purpose,
much like a good set of Craftsman tools. There is no doubt that this attribute
is attractive, as evidenced by Honda's sales successes over the years. But the
MDX is not given to whimsy, exhibiting as much flair as a bowl of Campbell's tomato
soup. Andy Warhol, according to some critics, turned the image of a mundane can
of Campbell's tomato soup into an artistic statement asserting that everyday things
are worthy of reverence. Is it possible that American consumers will find the
same perspective with regard to the utterly capable, perfectly useful but ultimately
milquetoast MDX?
|
|
|
Your Account | Help | Directory
