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2011 Acura MDX Suspension and Ride Experience

23 messages,  Last post on Aug 03, 2011 at 7:34 PM

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Messages Page 3 of 4

#12 of 23 Re: 2011 MDX Tech vs Advanced-suspension [ed168] by cloviskid

Aug 01, 2011 (9:33 pm)

Replying to: ed168 (Aug 01, 2011 8:32 pm)
I have the 2010 MDX Advance which is identical to the 2011. Everyone, young and old, tell me how smooth the ride is. Doesn't matter whether I have it on the Comfort or Sport setting, most times I can barely feel the bumps even on a bad road. Much smoother ride than my 2003 Infiniti I-35 with the standard (not sports) suspension.
 
Acura re-calibrated the Comfort and Sport settings for 2010 (applies also to 2011) to make the ride more compliant in both Comfort and Sport settings.
 
A couple weeks ago I got in a very bad situation on the freeway in Southern California. I was in lane #3 on a 5-lane freeway when the vehicle in front of me went into lane #4. Immediately the Collision Mitigation Braking System went into the Alert 1 stage warning me of a possible collision. I was going around 70MPH. The car directly ahead of me was going at most 10 MPH - it had a tire blowout. All I could do is swerve into lane #2 to get around it. This is where the adaptive suspension shines. On an emergency swerve into another lane, the suspension tightens nicely. I had no problem at all. The blind spot light was not on so I didn't have to worry about a car being in the other lane. Regardless, I would have had to swerve into that lane to avoid hitting the nearly stopped vehicle while going nearly 70MPH.
 
With the adaptive suspension, you get the benefit of a comfort suspension without sacrificing handling when you need it. Even if you have it in the Comfort setting, the owners manual says if necessary it will automatically go into the Sport setting and then automatically return back to the Comfort setting, or vice versa, in extreme cases.
 
The Collision Mitigation Braking System stage 1 warning has gone off 4 times during my first year of ownership. Each time I could see a good reason why it went off. But each time I was attentive and had the situation under control. Stage 1 warning is a beep beep beep and the word BRAKES flashing in red on and off in big letters on the dashboard. Could be a life saver if you happen to turn your head to the side at the same time the vehicle in front of you puts on his brakes.
 
Just over a year, and no problems with my MDX. Best vehicle, by far, that I have ever owned.

#13 of 23 Re: 2011 MDX Tech vs Advanced-suspension [ed168] by acmdx

Aug 02, 2011 (9:45 am)

Replying to: ed168 (Aug 01, 2011 8:32 pm)
It is obvious that you have a suspension problem. The MDX is well known to have a smooth ride, and the Advanced is way smoother. I owned brand new Mercedes SUV's for the last 10 years, and they had a terrible ride (wobbling) unless you installed Bilsteans or some other good shocks.
 
I am in the mdxers forum, and we all love the ride of our MDX. The only people that complain are the ones that have some serious issue, like you. Bad shocks, suspension component, etc.
 
It seems like it is a second hand vehicle. If you have extended warranty, you can go to the dealer for a checkup.. They will tell you right away what is wrong with your suspension.

#14 of 23 Re: 2011 MDX Tech vs Advanced-suspension [cha2] by acmdx

Aug 02, 2011 (9:54 am)

Replying to: cha2 (Dec 20, 2010 10:08 am)
The 2011 Advance has stiffer stability bars, which provides a nice improvement on curves. The ADS is an incredible system that works smoothly and keeps the vehicle very leveled on all kinds of roads.
 
If your suspension is too soft, just add more pressure to your tires. The higher pressure will add more feedback to the shock control/valve system and will provide a stiffer ride. You can put 36 PSI cold, and you will notice the difference. This works even on the 2011 MDX Advance Damper System vehicles, which will make the comfort mode stiffer and the sport mode, even stiffer...

#15 of 23 Re: 2011 MDX Tech vs Advanced-suspension [acmdx] by cloviskid

Aug 02, 2011 (12:30 pm)

Replying to: acmdx (Aug 02, 2011 9:54 am)
I could be wrong, but I don't believe adding air to the tires will stiffen the suspension. I believe all it does it make you feel the road more, and feel the roughness of the road more, and feel the bumps more. It should have nothing to do with the suspension itself. You don't want to over-inflate the tires. My Owner's Manual says: "Overinflated tires can make your vehicle ride more harshly, are more prone to damage from road hazards, and wear unevenly."
 
Driving on under-inflated tires is dangerous, yet will give a softer ride. Driving on over-inflated tires can actually DECREASE handling as less tread may be touching the road even though you "feel" the road more which can give a false sense of better handling.

#16 of 23 Re: 2011 MDX Tech vs Advanced-suspension [cloviskid] by acmdx

Aug 02, 2011 (12:06 pm)

Replying to: cloviskid (Aug 02, 2011 12:30 pm)
We are not talking 40+ psi, but just 4 psi of additional tire pressure. You are right in that you should never overinflate your tires.
 
32 Is the normal tire psi, 34 or 36 psi is the recommended pressure when you have any kind of load in your MDX. You definitely don't want to tow any load with your tires at 32 psi...
 
When I first got my 2011 MDX, all the bushings/suspension were tight and I could feel all the road feedback, now at 14,000, it is very quiet and smooth at 32 or 36 psi of pressure in my tires.
 
I have a 2011 MDX ADV, and when you put more pressure in your tires, it provides more feedback to the shock control mechanism (in the case of the ADV MDX), or to the valving system (normal MDX), and makes your ride definitely more firm. This is what you do, too, when your shocks are old and begin to lose firmness, on older vehicles.
 
This is a well known old procedure, and it is easy to feel the difference on the ADV MDX, since the comfort is very soft, but once you add the pressure, it stiffens the ride. I used to do this on my old Mercedes SUV's because they use cheaply design/built shocks that lasted just a couple of years.
 
When they say overinflate tires, they are talking 40+ psi, and you should never exceed or even come close to the maximum psi stamped on the tire. Normally 50 psi or so...

#17 of 23 Re: 2011 MDX Tech vs Advanced-suspension [acmdx] by cloviskid

Aug 02, 2011 (1:03 pm)

Replying to: acmdx (Aug 02, 2011 12:06 pm)
I have just spoken to an Acura technician who told me that adding a few pounds of air pressure does NOT stiffen the suspension, but rather makes you "think" it has because it will ride a little rougher. Riding rougher will actually make the suspension work harder as it will have more vibrations to filter out.
 
That "well-known old procedure" is a myth.
 
Check with Acura yourself.

#18 of 23 Re: 2011 MDX Tech vs Advanced-suspension [cloviskid] by acmdx

Aug 02, 2011 (1:36 pm)

Replying to: cloviskid (Aug 02, 2011 1:03 pm)
Don't know why a knowleable mechanic will say the latter, if it is well known that when you provide more feedback to the shock's valve system, it will act as if you are going faster, and which shocks are tuned to become stiffer as the vehicle speed increases.. The more road feedback the stiffer the shocks become.. Again we are not talking about large psi increases, so you are not really increasing vibrations but lower frequency feedback to the shocks valving system, or in the case of the ADS, increase feedback to the sensors that gives input to the ADS system.
 
Shocks don't have a constant damp by design. If you are familiar with shocks, you will find that weak shocks or shocks with weak damping capabilities will make the car wobble, which is the usual problem with worned shocks or shocks with variable settings.
 
When you increase your damping factor, you will reduce your wobbling on uneven roads..
 
Even for towing purposes, you increase your psi to avoid overheating your tires (flexing issue) and to increase the damping capabilities of your shocks and to have more control during towing..
 
I am not telling this only from past experience. I am mentioning this because I like my MDX firmer when I am in the highway at around 70 mph, and it becomes very obvious how the handling changes when you put 36 psi vs. 32 psi. Just a couple of psi in your tires make a big difference..
 
It is not my intention to contradict anybody, I am just posting what I, and many people, do to improve handling or to improve driving conditions..
 
Regards,
 
AC

#19 of 23 Re: 2011 MDX Tech vs Advanced-suspension [acmdx] by cloviskid

Aug 02, 2011 (6:56 pm)

Replying to: acmdx (Aug 02, 2011 1:36 pm)
Thanks for the info. I am going to check into this a little more as this is very interesting information. Today I checked the tire pressure info on the dashboard and it read 35 lbs. for each tire. I just had service done at the dealer a couple weeks ago and that is what they put in.
 
We have to remember, though, that as we increase speed, the heat from the tire increases the air pressure. How much I don't know as I've never checked the pressure at different speeds. Might be interesting.
 
On most roads, I can't tell the difference between the Sport and Comfort settings, or at most a very small difference. But my MDX only has about 7600 miles on it. As time goes on, I suspect that I will eventually notice more of a difference.

#20 of 23 Re: 2011 MDX Tech/Adv great handling/ride improvement [acmdx] by jensad

Aug 03, 2011 (10:57 am)

Replying to: acmdx (Feb 05, 2011 11:33 am)
I also own a 08 RL & 11 MDX. Both are excellent riding and no problems as of today. The mdx has more bells and whistles but both vehicles are better than my former 2007 Lexus RL. Espcially with the rear and side visibility. We have own nothing but toyotas or Acuras. In today's world I'll again buy an acura if I live another 7 years.
 
Good luck to all and stay safe.
 
jensad

#21 of 23 Re: 2011 MDX Tech vs Advanced-suspension [cloviskid] by jensad

Aug 03, 2011 (11:06 am)

Replying to: cloviskid (May 21, 2011 8:34 am)
Hi Cloviskid. I agree with you as I also purchased the Advance system and my wife and I drove 7500 miles from Ca, across country, through Zion, and over the badlands and the Acura did a wonderful job making our trip pleasurable. My wife retired this year, (Im 69) and we are driving again across the country and visit wit our son and his family in Rockford Illinois and then tour up north coming home. This is the best Acura I have owned and I intend to keep both of our vehicles for a long time.
 
Good luck to all and stay safe.
 
jensad

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