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SUVs Acura MDX Acura MDX vs Mazda CX-9
21 messages, Last post on Nov 07, 2009 at 9:57 PM
You are in the Acura MDX Forum. Your Hosts are steve_ & tidester
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Hello I have been plagued for the past few weeks as to which one to buy/lease. FYI, I currently drive a 06 TL with Nav & well conversant with the Acura badge & quality. I love the way my car drives; takes corners; the 'manual' mode; the feel & the luxury of the car. However I have to give up the sedan to a CUV/SUV due to health reasons (bad back!!!). I have looked  the following: Ford Edge/Lincoln MK, Toyota Highlander, Acadia/Enclave, RDX, MDX, CX9, X5, ML350 & tribeca. As can be seen the range is wide; but at the end of the first cycle we decided that we must have the following: a) Power passenger seat b) Power liftgate c) Memory seating d) Bluetooth Based on the above, the only ones that remained were MDX, CX9, X5, ML350. The others missed something or another (example: Highlander had everything except the memory seating!!!! RDX did not have a power passenger seat!!! - and they both cost close to $37K.). X5 & MB got rejected due to price - over the $49.9K threshold that we were willing to accept. (We would have ponied that up as well; but did not see any fantastic value add for the extra $10K compared to the MDX imo.) So we are left with CX9 & MDX. Feature to feature they both rank pretty much the same. MDX has the moonroof + heated seats for the 2nd row; while the CX9 has blind spot system & keyless go. True the SH-AWD is slightly (imho) better than the GTAWD (i drove both the vehicles one after another thru' some very twisty turns 45mph & decidely the MDX stuck like glue to the road with almost negligible roll; while the GT took the same but there was a more pronounced roll). Road noise/wind noise, again imo, were similar. But the CX9 had more cargo room than the MDX. (However the wife hated the safety belt that comes across the view for the middle 2nd row passenger in the CX9). Performance wise they line up close. I'm not doing NASCAR now nor plan to in the near future. All I need is torque for passing power & both vehicles give me that - even though the MDX was a bit slower. Also the $ to $ figure: the CX9 is significantly cheaper. I'm planning to lease the CX9 & the wife wants to buy the MDX. I want to use it & dispose it off; while the wife wants to see if we'll keep it. CX9 lease rates are much lesser than the MDX. (I still can't find a trusted site to help me find the invoice on the MDX and I have always relied on Edmunds.) So at the end of it; I'm not sure if my comparision of MDX vs CX9 is even right - meaning comparing to apples to apples? The base attributes are the same as I stated before. The wife loves the MDX; I'm not too thrilled. The design/shape is blunt imo. But I love the interior cockpit better than the CX9. (I loved Tribeca even more.) Plus the Acura badge - you cant bring that close to the CX9. Hence for the folks who bought the MDX - did you compare it to the CX9? If so, why did you choose MDX even though it cost more? What's so special about the MDX? Looks? Cost? Oomph factor? Resale? Etc .. Any input will always be highly appreciated. Thanks in advance. M |
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Replying to: magesh (Dec 03, 2007 12:42 pm) For me, the MDX has a bit more "prestige" than the CX-9, longer warranty, "free" roadside assistance, much better stereo and navigation and you get a loaner car when you bring it to the dealer for service. Good luck with your decision. |
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Replying to: magesh (Dec 03, 2007 12:42 pm) If you are not using the middle seat in the second row, there's a small slot in the seatbelt latch. You can use a key or anything that will fit in the slot to unlatch it, then the seatbelt rolls up into a slot in the roof and is no longer in your view. Have fun shopping! |
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Replying to: magesh (Dec 03, 2007 12:42 pm) |
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I went through this and had 2 Mazda MPVs -- both reliable. Made mistake of thinking about MDX and let wife test drive it and when she compared to CX-9 she said it was night and day. MDX heavier, more solid ride, etc. Don't not go with CX-9 because it's a Mazda and you have quality concerns. Do it for some other reason. CX-9 I think allows reg. gas -- not sure about grand touring but definitely other models. I know it's not that much but it all adds up. I really liked CX-9 but wife wanted MDX and I have mercedes convertible so it was hard to convince her that for her and kids they get Mazda. Acura is simply higher end. Compared to minivan, MDX gave up a lot of space and my mileage per gallon for all local is like 12.5 -- not good but only 750 miles to date.
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Replying to: bill124 (Dec 06, 2007 12:30 pm) As pei4life & bill124 indicated, my 'decision' (  ) was made by my wife. My wife, a conservative lady, did not want anything to do with Mazda & as previous owners of Acuras & Mazdas, she knows first hand that Acuras are more reliable. And better resale value. Hence the MDX. We are getting the black/blacl with roof rails & Xbars and running boards. So atleast for the next 2 years, the MDX is 'it'. Thanks again to edmunds.com forum members. Always helpful. |
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Replying to: magesh (Dec 06, 2007 1:02 pm) We are looking for an SUV for our second home in Colorado to replace our Subaru impreza WRX. ( waaaaaay too small and the stick shift is annoying for me and impossible for our sons. Younger son has not yet learned to drive stick shift. Older son, who learned under duress, reckoned he would rather sit at home and starve to death than have to drive the stick shift out to get sustenance.) We purchased 2007 MDX with navigation for our primary residence about 6 months ago. I am pretty happy with it. Overall I like it, but there are minor things that annoy me. The car in Colorado, while not being used every day, needs to fulfill a lot of different needs and functions. It will be doing a lot of highway driving between Denver and the mountains. It needs to handle well in snow. It needs to be cool enough to fit the image of my son, the CU college student. It needs to be big enough to haul disparate groups of people and baggage, boxes, furniture etc as well as all his college possessions when moving. I had not originally wanted to spend over $40 000 on a car which is used only occasionally so had not included the MDX in my research. Looked at Hyundai Veracruz, Subaru Tribeca, Toyota highlander and settled on Mazda Grand Touring CX9. Liked the looks, interior volume, legroom, ease of accessing 3rd row of seats, blue tooth. I LOVED the keyless start and power liftgate trunk. ( That was one of the things I had compromised on when buying the Acura.) My husband wanted to revisit our decision regarding the Acura and rightly pointed out that if we forego the nav package ( which I don't want anyway) it brings the cost down to about $37 000, which is still about $5000 more than what we would pay for the GT with the features we want. Admittedly, I have only briefly test driven the mazda so I don't know if there will be minor things that annoy me about it. I want to buy something this weekend as I can't take another week of having my knees up to my chin while my son's knees poke me in the back in the Subaru. Any input will be appreciated. |
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Replying to: waverley (Dec 19, 2007 7:41 am) The base model Acura MDX, which does not include NAV, starts at $40k. How do you get to $37k--are you talking about invoice price? The CX-9 is nice and sporty, and is one of my top choices. You might want to take a look at the GMC Acadia if you want something that is slightly bigger, and is probably a bit more easier to get into the third row if you get captains chairs. The CX-9 feels more nimble than the Acadia, though.
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Replying to: nxs138 (Dec 19, 2007 10:27 am) Yes, did look at Acadia also before settling on Mazda. Thanks |
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Replying to: waverley (Dec 19, 2007 7:41 am) My needs were very specific. We looked at a wide range & ended up with the MDX. Plus it was the wife's decision ...  After driving the MDX for a week, I like it. I still think about the CX9 in relation to the keyless entry & the blind spot monitoring system. I do miss those two things. CX9 is a good car; but I doubt if it has the same road handling skills/ability has the MDX. Since you have the MDX, try the CX9. You'll notice that the build quality is not in the same league as the MDX. Plus the CX9 is based on the Ford Edge/Lincoln MK platform. On the CX9 the dashboard will look 'cheap' compared to the MDX. ANother thing: you cannot enter destination address in the nav system while driving on the CX9. In the MDX you can. Another suggestion: See if there is a rental place that will allow you to rent the CX9 for a week. Compare it. Good luck. |
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