Terrible Drive Train and Other Annoyances
We were initially very excited about this car. It ticked many of the boxes we needed for our family of five. I'll get right down to the issues. The drive train is jerky. The transmission doesn't release the gears quickly enough when you take your foot off the gas peddle. This feels like your car lurches forward or you are breaking when you release the gas. This isn't noticeable when on the highway so much as when driving in traffic. I had my car in service several times and the service department said this is due to the 10 speed transmission. I had one of their loaner MDX's for the day and that car drove the same way. It's awful. The air-conditioner can't cool the car on very hot days. I had the car in for testing and they said the air was blowing at the correct temp. I saw the gauges and it was the correct temp. The problem is, the cabin air wasn't cooling down. I've rented a suburban and expedition which are much larger than the MDX and they were able to cool the car down within a couple of blocks. My MDX doesn't cool down between locations 8 miles apart. Service said the air was blowing at the correct temp. I suspect the full sunroof lining wasn't able to insulate the car and the large black dashboard kept expelling heat from the summer sun. The breaks squeal. This is because of the metallic break pads. There is nothing they can do. Mercedes, BMW, Infiniti don't seem to have this issue. Service doesn't have a fix. The wireless charger will not work on the new iPhone 14. Acura is pointing the finger at Apple. Apple pointing the finger at Acura. The steering column groans when repositioning itself after the driver gets behind the wheel. Service said they are aware of this and it's the motor. Nothing they can do. Gas mileage is no where near where Acura said it should be. Over all, the car looks great. It's very roomy and comfortable. But all the other issues make it a terrible car to own. I'm trading mine in for an Infiniti. I'm tried of the issues with no resolution or compliancy because it's how it's designed.
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Horrible Experience with New 2023 MDX
I always wanted to purchase an Acura MDX. Finally, in September 2022, I purchased a 2023 brand new Acura MDX. Sadly within 3 months, the color on the passenger door started bubbling up. So took the car in and Acura repainted it. Then after 7 months of purchase, the backseat leather seat started peeling off. I do not even have passengers in the backseat that often - maybe 4 times since I bought it. So I took it back and am scheduled to replace the seat. My question is what happened to quality of these cars? I called Acura and Honda and asked for extension on my warranty because I plan to keep this car for a long time and that was denied. Acura offered me a $300 gift card!!!!!! The car was over $64,000 and all they offered is $300!! Basically, Acura does not stand behind their product. I asked to return the car but that period has passed. I consider this a joke and needles to say I do not recommend Honda or Acura at this point based on the response I am getting from them.
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Nice car
First Acura in 30 years. My, how things change! I've got about 8000 miles on mine. Nice on the road on an 8 hour drive to Florida. It's certainly not the Corvette's or Mustang Bullitt I've owned in the past, but it goes as fast as I want and I'm not too gentle on it. (85-90 mph) Heck of a lot more comfortable then the other sports cars I've owned. Looks like a "MOM VAN" and the cops seem to miss it. I don't know but I'm pretty careful on the road. A couple of things I've noticed, throttle response in Normal mode. Big turbo lag. Be careful pulling out on a busy road. Sport mode is almost too responsive. Someone else mentioned gas mileage. I agree. For a 6 banger its awfully thirsty. That Bullitt did as well with an 8 cylinder and 150 more HP. Rear windshield wiper could be reversed. Why not turn it around and tuck it under the spoiler. Out of the way. Out of sight and a cleaner look. Console pockets in the front seating area. Plenty of room there for it. Drink holders aren't just for drinks anymore. I like to use Wazes and the car's GPS at the same time. Also use hand wipes regularly. Thats both cup holders, guess the drink goes between your legs! I haven't noticed the whine or vibrations others have described. I think they would have popped up by now. I've found it to be a solid car. My first SUV and I'm happy with the storage room in the back. Plenty of room for golf clubs and push cart. If you've had to give up the serious sports car due to age, (my issue) or you've started a family, need the room and don't want to give up a sports car, I think this is a good vehicle to look at. UPDATE: 8/15/23 Just over 16000 miles. I added the spare tire the last oil change. $500 I wonder why I had to spend for a spare on a car priced at over $70,000.00! (Type S) Other than some turbo lag the car runs flawlessly. Another thing I noticed I think Acura should address on every one of their vehicles is XM Travel to be added to the radio. I have it in my 2015 Ford F-350 and use it when I travel. It's nice information to have when you are approaching a storm front and can see the weather on radar. Finding fuel and seeing the prices is nice too. Not sure why that wasn't added. $5 a year!
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Tough beginning!!!
We had to drive about 200 miles to get the MDX type S we were looking for. We knew the type S did not come with a spare tire, so we thought we had the extra cost spare tire kit coming when we picked it up. Unfortunately the kit was and is on back order. Well the stars on the way home were not aligned in our favor and of all things we had a blowout.. Acura care sent a flatbed and by 10 o’clock the next day, Saturday, we had a new tire! We love the car, it’s unbelievably comfortable, sporty, and fun to drive unlike the GLS that we replaced. I ordered a spare tire, the required hoist, and jack from three different dealers, hoping I never have to make use!!🥴. Most of the articles I read indicated mileage even below the EPA estimates. Our short sample to this point have shown at least two or 3 miles per gallon better than anticipated. Hopefully that first night is not a sign of things to come!
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Unimpressive
I have been owning the car only for a month/600 miles and really hope I'll get to like it more as time goes but so far I'm not impressed to say the least (I'll update my review as the time goes). Starting with the purchase experience: the communication with the sales person and the experience at the dealership was good but I waited for the car for 3 months. Ok, that was such time but Acura delayed the build date twice (it was supposed to be 2 months). This also could have been OK but during this extra month Acura bumped the MSRP by $500 that I had to absorb. $500 is not much comparing to the price of the vehicle but I think it's unfair. About the car... The good: 1. The car handles well. The steering is precise. The suspension is tight enough for the car to handle sharp turns effortlessly, yet it smooths the road imperfections well. 2. Up to 4 people can ride quite comfortably and have fair space for luggage. The passengers of the second row are enjoying the panoramic sunroof (I have not yet experienced the second row). The "so-so": 1. The acceleration leaves a lot to be desired. The car is new so I'm not stepping on the pedal hard (to let it break-in properly) but even with a lighter touch I would expect a better acceleration. 2. The leather on the seats and even on the steering wheel has some wrinkles. I hope it's just cosmetics (that I can live with) and would not affect the durability. In any case, I would expect a better interior build quality from a $60K car. The bad: 1. It's noisy inside. Sometimes very noisy. I would not expect such level of noise from a $60K car. Though I think it's mostly the tires and not so much the engine but still, it looks like the noise insulation is lacking or insufficient. 2. The milage. Is it supposed to be 21 mpg in combined city/highway driving? I'm getting 17 at best. In the city, where the milage is supposed to be 19 I'm getting 15. Again, the car is new and I hope the milage would improve over time but I don't see it be at the official specs ever. And yes, I'm using premium. 3. The back-up camera is a joke and also the radars are not very helpful - the starts beeping as crazy when there is still a foot from the wall. It's the "tech" package that I would expect to have a 360 camera. 4. Similarly, for a hands free tailgate access you need to upgrade to A-spec. Seriously? A $10K cheaper Mazda CX-9 has this feature. The ugly: The touch pad is unusable, especially with android auto. Either it's something wrong with my fingers or with this pad but it simply does not react on me properly. I'll ask somebody else to use it to see if it's only my problem before going to the dealer and ask to deal with it but at the moment this pad is not only the source of the major announce but also makes the driving dangerous when it has to be used while moving.
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