Honda MDX SUV Review

Well, it is time to take a look at the Honda MDX. When I think of Honda, I think of small to medium sized cars like the Honda CRV and the Honda Accord. The full size Honda MDX is a new venture for them. It is supposed to be in a class with other luxury vehicles while having 4WD and great ground clearance-but does it have what it takes to have a decent chance against the competition? And is it really all its cracked up to be?

First and foremost, it is a nice looking vehicle when you are looking at the exterior. Open the door and take a seat in the leather heated power front seats and you will not be disappointed. The car has plenty of standard features that will impress you from the get go. Some of the features you will see are a sunroof, a fantastic seven speaker sound system, complete with a 6 disc CD player, and a climate control temperature system. It has been reported that the climate control system can be finicky and somewhat unreliable. It seems to have a mind of its own sometimes when you are attempting to set the temperature and can work on its own to adjust the in cabin temperature while not exactly responding to you when you tell it to get warmer or cooler in the vehicle. Not only are there standard features that you would want, but one of the standard features that you need is adequate airbag support, and this car has it. With four airbags, you and your passengers are covered. On a negative note, turning up the audio system too loudly will distort the music coming from your speakers quite badly, and there are problems with the sound quality even if you are not listening to the music at a high volume.

Lift the hood and you will be impressed by the 3.5 L VTEC V6 engine. From the horsepower and torque statistics, it should be a somewhat impressive vehicle to drive, but will it live up to it?

After you shut the door nice and easy behind you and crank up the car, you will continue to be happy. Unlike some engines, there is not much engine noise when you turn on the vehicle-it is pretty simple in the start up process, and even at idle you will not have a lot of unnecessary engine noise. The 5-speed automatic transmission is one of the more pleasant parts of driving this car-it is easy to drive and in control. Perhaps one of the most attractive features of this car is that it has outstanding fuel efficiency for a car of its type. You can expect an average of about 12.6 L/ 100 KM. That would be a great fuel efficiency for a road trip, and with the size of the car you just might be the one that is looked to when it comes time for one. The most adequate passenger space is in the front seat. There is plenty of room for your passenger, and the controls are within the reach of both of you. There is also quite a bit of space in the second seat, though it might take some time to get accustomed to riding in it. There is also a fold-down cup holder and a quite effective temperature control system in the back seat, which I think is nice. There is also a third row of seats that pops up that can provide you with seating space for small children or using it for storage. If the seats are not popped up there is a loading area for you to store things as well.

Unfortunately, the pleasant interior experience pretty much comes to a halt as soon as you get out of that pleasant idle position and into the driving part of the vehicle. This car's steering wheel, first off, does not leave you with a feeling that you are in control of the vehicle. It feels rather uneasy and not powerful. Adding to that, the car does not handle very well on straight stretches, much less tight corners. It is supposed to have a decent ground clearance, but going over even the smallest heaps of dirt can cause problems. The four-wheel drive system is pretty much a joke-it is too slow to react to do you much good. Going around corners is an even grimmer scenario. It has a terrible habit of under steering, which is surprising considering all of the components that this car has. What is so surprising about this car's handling is that it is extremely similar to that of an off road SUV type vehicle. You would expect these issues from that type of vehicle, but not from the MDX.

I think that Honda had some good ideas when planning for the MDX, but I just do not think that they completely came through with it. Though it may have its nice features in the interior or it may have a nice exterior, that does not cover up for the fact that there are just not many good things to say about it. There are more things to say about the car that are negative and that are reasons against purchasing this vehicle. For a price tag of $69,990, the interior is quite impressive. For a car of this price, it has a great number of features that are desirable. Unfortunately, the interior and the other components of the car are a little bit of a façade. It may look like a sweet ride, but if you get inside and push the pedal to the metal, you will be sorry. If you are in a sticky situation when you are driving, if you drive in bad inclement weather, who knows what the situation could be. Bottom line is, it is a little difficult to recommend this vehicle when there are many others out there in the market that are approximately the same price and are more reliable.