|
|
|
|
Easy to Recommend Copley News Service There can be an advantage to coming late to the party. If any proof of this is needed, just check out Acura's new MDX sport-utility vehicle.
Then, their designers were able to shape their objectives accordingly. Acura's goal? Meet or exceed the bench marks established by everything else that's already in the marketplace. How well did they do? Well, getting auto writers to agree on anything is about as difficult as teaching synchronized swimming to cats. But for some reason -- actually many reasons -- this is one mall-terrain vehicle the critics generally rave about. Media people at this year's North American International Auto Show in Detroit picked the MDX as "Truck of the Year." (Yes -- we know it's not really a truck. But, the writers' "Car of the Year" choice was the PT Cruiser, which by federal definition is a truck.) Most buying guides rate the MDX a Best Buy. And recently, Car and Driver magazine selected the MDX as the winner of what it called a "Designer Sport Ute Smackdown" -- a head-to-head comparo against seven competitive models (manufacturers of an additional three possible models failed to send a candidate for evaluation). The MDX was rated Best Overall in four of 11 evaluation criteria (i.e., engine, ride, fit and finish, and value), and tied or near the top in six others. In fact, the only area in which it was found to be wanting was off-road capability. And Acura plainly states it aimed to build only medium-duty off-highway prowess into the MDX. More than adequate, it is, for the Soccer Mom Decathlon, the mall parking agility test, the shopping cart torture test, the parking structure autocross, the school zone speed bump enduro and the Campfire Girl/Cub Scout interior volume cram. Acura built the MDX on a firm, albeit car-based, foundation, using a highly modified Honda Odyssey minivan platform as its starting point (the MDX is also built in the same busy Ontario, Canada plant as the hot-selling Odyssey). From there, engineers bolted on very proficient independent front and rear suspensions and something called Variable Torque Management, a four-wheel-drive system that is compact, lightweight and efficient.
Acura says the MDX was designed more to defeat winter than to defeat Baja; a reasonably practical objective, considering its likely uses. Power comes from Acura's 24-valve 3.5-liter SOHC V-6 with variable valve timing (another component shared with the Odyssey). In MDX trim, this 240-horsepower engine churns out 245 foot-pounds of torque, starting at 3000 rpm. Fuel economy ratings are 17/23, although we did not average that well in our week-long test. And, while it needs premium unleaded to perform, it does meet ultra-low vehicle emissions standards in all 50 states -- rare indeed, for any SUV. A 2,000-pound towing capacity is listed as standard, but Acura claims the MDX can pull a 3,500-pound trailer or a 4,500-pound boat. Unladen, expect 0-60 times near 8.4 seconds - significantly better than anything comparable in its class; the V-6 BMW X5 is next at 8.7. Braking from 70-0 is a relatively mid-pack 205 feet (compared to the BMW's 177 feet), but the four-channel, four-wheel disc ABS system resists fade, even under heavy loads. Ergonomically, the MDX shines with three-row, seven-passenger seating, which only the Mitsubishi Montero Limited or Mercury Mountaineer can match in this class. The value quotient of the $34,370 base-priced MDX is pumped up with such standard equipment as air conditioning, leather-trimmed power (and heated) seats and a power moon roof. Even fully loaded at $39,450 (with a Touring Package and a Navigation System), the MDX is two grand less than a comparably equipped Lexus RX 300, four-thousand less than a Mercedes-Benz ML320, and $8K under a BMW X5 3.0i. And the MDX is arguably more vehicle for less money - longer, wider and bigger inside. In fact, with its five rear seats folded flush into the floor (which they do quite nicely), the MDX offers an unbeatable 82 cubic feet of cargo room - gobbling up such essentials as a 4-by-8 sheet of plywood, a 130-inch section of pipe and 34 cases of beer. (Don't ask why auto writers measure such things, but they do.) We drove the MDX first, then read what everyone else had to say about it. Generally, other writers seemed more impressed than we were. Hmm. How could this be? Did we miss something? So, we went back and drove it again. This time, armed with others' comments to evaluate, we had to agree with most of their assessments. The MDX is a winner, even if its virtues sort of sneak up on you. That said, we still have some nit-picks. It didn't get the advertised fuel mileage, which, combined with its need for premium fuel, pushed operating costs relatively high, in our view. The gorgeous seats in our test vehicle were leather-trimmed, which meant they had leather surfaces, for the most part. And they were hard and uncomfortable, despite all kinds of power yin and yang and lumbar tweaks. All three of our test drivers (ranging from 5-foot-2 to 6 feet) felt they sat up too high, and couldn't scrunch down into the seat cushion enough to enjoy the seemingly adequate thigh bolsters. It had a wimpy dead pedal, mis-placed for our left feet. We kept wondering why it had 10 cup holders for seven seats, until someone suggested upscale occupants want room for their Evian bottles and a latte travel mug. We also found the optional $2,000 nav system entertaining, but probably for unintended reasons. The interface was fun and invited use more than some others we've seen, but the routes the computer picked were all too often nowhere near the shortest. It easily got its circuits in an uproar when we went "off-route" - even in parking lots, driveways and alleys. It refused to recognize a surprising number of major roads as existing at all. And if we ignored its directions, and went the way we knew was best, the system's voice (an annoying, high-pitched one) kept arguing with us that we were going the wrong way. Other than that, however, the MDX didn't leave us with much to do, except enjoy it. Unlike Acura's earlier, ill-advised venture into the SUV ranks, the SLX, which was essentially a re-badged Izusu Trooper, the MDX is worthy of the Acura name. Given the company's otherwise well-deserved and hard-earned reputation for reliability, quality and value retention, the MDX is easy to recommend. Jerry Garrett is a San Diego-based auto writer and Car and Driver editor at large.
Safety equipment -- Safety features include anti-lock brakes, front air bags with SRS, side air bags with height and position sensors, three-point belts (all seats), front seat belt pretensioners and load-limiters, side-impact door beams, collapsible steering wheel, child seat tether anchors, remote keyless entry with panic alarm and ignition immobilizer system. Standard equipment -- Standard features include moon roof, seven-passenger seating, leather trimmed front seats, full-power and heated front seats, air conditioning, AM-FM-CD stereo and power windows, doors and mirrors..
Base MSRP -- $34,370 plus $480 destination charge; price as tested, $39,450. Options on test truck -- $2,600 Touring Package with upgraded stereo, driver seat and mirror position memory, roof rack and special alloy wheels; $2,000 Navigation System. Competition -- BMW X5 3.0i, Infiniti QX4, Land Rover Discovery, Lexus RX 300, Mercedes-Benz ML320, Mitsubishi Montero Limited, Oldsmobile Bravada, Isuzu Trooper, Jeep Grand Cherokee, Mercury Mountaineer. Where assembled -- Alliston, Ontario.
PLUSES -- Class-leading power, capacity, size and value. MINUSES -- Operational costs; third row seats are for size-challenged humanoids only; Geisha who argues with driver from the problematic navigation system; lift gate should have a "lift glass" for simpler access to the back; road noise at highway speeds; less than dynamic-sounding "premium" audio system. News Index | Features Index |
|
|
AutoWord Copyright© 2001 Copley News Service |
By being the latest -- and hopefully one of the last -- to arrive in the now-crowded upscale SUV segment, Acura was first able to see what everyone else was offering.
In normal conditions, the VTM-4 system operates in front-wheel-drive configuration; torque distribution to the rear wheels occurs only when slippage is detected.