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Volvo XC90 vs MB M Class vs Acura MDX vs Lexus RX 350 vs BMW X5 vs Cadillac SRX

1068 messages,  Last post on May 08, 2009 at 5:44 PM

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What is this discussion about? Mercedes-Benz M-Class, Acura MDX, Lexus RX 330, BMW X5, Cadillac SRX, Toyota Highlander, Volvo XC90, SUV

#8 of 1068 Patricia by cotmc Oct 26, 2000 (1:29 am)
My wife had a similar sciatic nerve problem that sometimes made our '95 Honda del Sol VERY uncomfortable after 30 minutes of driving. This was the reason we sold it after owning it less than 1.5 years. Since then we have had upscale automobiles with well-designed, comfortable front seats. A key issue for her was making sure that the seating position was upright and well above the floor; not a seat that caused her legs to be nearly horizontal, such as in our del Sol or some other sports coupes. We have had our MDX for almost 2 weeks, and she has had no problems with the front seats whatsoever. She finds them quite comfortable. I can't really comment as to how orthopedically correct the MDX seats are compared to the M-Class or the RX300. In your case, I would definitely recommend staying with an SUV model that is known for luxurious, or near-luxurious, accommodations; such as the M-Class, RX300, or MDX. It sounds like you can affort either one of these, from reading your post. On the other hand, I would be suspicious of the long-term comfort and support provided by the seats in a Tribute or RAV4. (You may know differently about the RAV4, since you own the 1996 model!) BTW, don't even consider a Grand Cherokee! If you narrow your decision down to 2 or 3 models, ask to take an extended test drive, and then see if you can remain seated after the test drive as you ask some questions about interior features and controls. If you can remain in the same seat for 30 minutes with no discomfort, that should be a good sign. As a final thought, I would tend to side with Drew regarding the M-Class seats. Although we bought an MDX, I am biased toward European interior design. I think the European manufacturers (MB, Volvo, Audi, BMW, etc) generally do a better design of their front seats than domestic or Japanese manufacturers. However, I would be surprised if the MDX or RX300 seats present a problem to you, and they both ride a little smoother (RX300 the smoothest) than the M-Class. That is why you should do an extended test drive.
#9 of 1068 Great post in #6 by rxcure Oct 26, 2000 (1:53 am)
As a frequent reader but rare poster, a large fraction of my posts have ended up being directed against what I've seen as overly Rah-Rah comments by Drew on the ML. Thus I feel compelled to weigh in with praise on the very helpful and balanced points Drew made in #6 -- thanks for sharing your knowledge in a way that makes the world a better place
#10 of 1068 sciatica by patriciab1 Oct 26, 2000 (2:53 am)
Would like to thank all of you for your comments regarding seating/extended test drives. Sounds like a good idea and will do so this week as my leg right now is aching!
#11 of 1068 tskyplayer by bmw888 Oct 26, 2000 (3:54 pm)
Sounds like you and your friends are just a bunch of elitist ! Call me a hypocrite if you want but I traded in my LS400 for a RX300. I really don't care what people think, I drive what I want, not what others think about what I should drive. You should read "The Millionaire Next Door", there's a reason why these people have a lot of money. They're not interested in impressing their friends.
#12 of 1068 LX vs RX by cotmc Oct 26, 2000 (7:38 pm)
Regarding post #4: Yeah, buying the RX300 is just like pinching pennies. In fact, I couldn't help but feel like I was on food stamps when I bought our MDX. It's not an LX470 or a Range Rover, but somehow, we'll still find a way to make do. We'll do our best to hide it from our friends so that we don't get too embarrassed. Sorry, couldn't help myself! Sarcasm aside, if the RX300 meets all your functional needs, then WHY consider spending so much more money on the LX? (...or the same amount on an older LX that has little warranty remaining? Older trucks tend to rattle more than new ones!) If you don't plan to use the 3rd row seats, if you don't need the extra ground clearance, if you aren't needing the trail riding capabilities, etc.; the RX300 seems to be a very luxurious vehicle that will provide better on-road driving characteristics, better acceleration, much better fuel economy, and lower emissions than the LX. Also, I don't consider ANY Sport Utility Vehicle or Truck to be "glamorous", no matter how big it is, or how much leather, wood, and chrome is included. The LX admittedly has some look of class to it, but it is nevertheless a big, boxy truck-based vehicle. I might consider a Jaguar XK8 or MB CLK430 convertible to be glamorous, or maybe an Audi TT, but certainly not any SUV. If image and "looks" are the biggest concern in an SUV purchase decision, many would consider the X5 to be a better choice. It would also be much more fun to drive.
#13 of 1068 lease comparison by ellenlsc Nov 08, 2000 (1:29 am)
Has anyone researched leases for the new Acura MDX or the Lexus RX300? Replies to this message: dhamilton (Oct 18, 2004 8:15 pm)
#14 of 1068 Glendale Infiniti by sphan1 Nov 08, 2000 (1:34 am)
On Saturday, September 16, 2000 I purchased an Infiniti QX4 4WD from Glendale Infiniti. I’m happy with the car; however, I’m extremely disappointed with the dealership with regards to two aspects: (1) lack of honesty and integrity of the sales manager and (2) poor quality of service. Tim Benton was the sales manager handling this transaction. He initially quoted me a price of $650 over invoice. However, after about half an hour of negotiation, we agreed on a price of $400 over invoice. Despite this verbal agreement, he still charged me $650 over invoice. Given the excitement of buying a new luxury car I overlooked the price and signed on the dotted line. I did not realize this discrepancy until I came home that evening and had a chance to review the sales contract in detail. Subsequently, I phoned Tim to discuss the possibility of creating a new contract. However, his defense was that I signed the contract so therefore I’m stuck with the price. He was neither apologetic for the key entry error (if you can even call it that) nor was he willing to change the contract. I was disgusted to hear such a response and even more disappointed in myself for trusting him. I felt betrayed. Knowing how upset I was, he finally agreed to contact the general manager to inquire of the possibility of changing the contract. At this point, I decided that I could no longer trust him and needed to take matters into my own hands. After numerous phone calls and messages left, I finally got a hold of the general manager who indicated that he knew nothing of the issue (i.e. Tim did not contact him) but assured me that it was a simple mistake to correct. Thus, a new contract was created with the correct price. When I arrived at the dealership to sign the new contract, Tim walked out the other door without even acknowledging me. This validates my perception of his business ethics, or lack of thereof, by not admitting his mistake. The second issue I had with Glendale Infiniti related to the poor quality of service of the Service Manager, Roy, and the Customer Service Representative, Cheri. When I took possession of my car, there was a scratch on the side mirror and some markings on the bumper. Tim granted me a Due Bill to come back and have the scratch buffed away and the markings removed. In addition, I needed wheel locks to be installed. Hence, I called Roy to schedule a time to bring in the car for service and indicated that I needed a loaner car to get home. He assured me that it was not a problem. However, when I did come in, he did not have a loaner available. In addition, he claimed that he knew nothing about the Due Bill (sales department did not forward the Due Bill to the service department). The lack of internal communication at Glendale should not be my problem. Yet, I ended up paying for the poor communication such that I had to wait for over an hour before they got me a loaner car. To top this off, the loaner was an ‘89 Thunderbird!! So essentially, I drove in with a 2001 brand new Infiniti and drove out with a clunker! It was pathetic! In addition, when I picked up my Infiniti, it was filthy because the dust from the buffing landed on the dash board and no one cared to clean the car before returning it to me. As if the aforementioned was not enough drama, I later spoke to a Customer Service Representative who essentially doubted everything that happened. Apparently, she spoke to Tim and Roy and received their version of the stories. As a Customer Service Representative, she should not have even doubted my complaints. She should have been apologetic and offer to do whatever it takes to win back my trust. Instead, she reacted the exact opposite – she said that there was nothing she could do and that it was my prerogative if I wanted to notify other consumers of my bad buying experience. I thought Infiniti differentiated itself from Nissan by the quality of services it provided, but I was proven wrong. I hope this message will allow other consumers to learn from my mistakes. If you have further question, feel free to write me at S_l_phanhotmail.com Sincerely disappointed.
#15 of 1068 new Car & Driver SUV comparison by cotmc Nov 08, 2000 (1:38 am)
Wow! Looks like this discussion group is nearly on its deathbed! Time to see if "Dr. cotmc" can revive it. Any comments pro or con about the new Car & Driver SUV Review. Someone reported in the MDX discussion group that the new issue rates 7 mid-sized upscale SUVs against each other. I have not yet had a chance to read this article. The reported top 3 finishers? 1) MDX 2) X5 3.0 3) RX300 SUVs 4-7 included the ML320, Montero, QX4, and Discovery. I don't know the finishing order for these 4 models. Since I personally chose an MDX after testing it against the RX300 and ML320, I am not surprised it won. It's not unnatural for the new kid on the block to win, especially when it offers great value. However, I AM surprised that the ML320 was not among the top three finishers. With the X5 finishing #2, it makes me wonder how much importance road handling figured into the equation versus utility and cargo capacity? I find Car and Driver to be one of the more respectable automotive magazines (as compared to Motor Trend), and so I am looking forward to reading this article very soon.
#16 of 1068 oops. by cotmc Nov 08, 2000 (1:44 am)
Looks like I spoke too soon about having to apply CPR to this discussion! Two other posts while I was typing mine; that after more than 1 week had passed with no new posts!
#17 of 1068 sphan1 by kiiwii Nov 08, 2000 (6:52 am)
well, same here, most of the sales people i know are natural born AXXholes!!

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