SW17LS

Acceleration has nothing to do with how the vehicles drive or feel. Have you ever driven these cars?

The X5 is more expensive, but it feels more expensive. It has a much better interior, it has better road manners, better finishes and trims. How quickly either car accelerates to 60 MPH is meaningless.

As for the X5 being more expensive to maintain...all maintenance is included for the first 50k miles on the X5. If you're going to keep it a long time the MDX is the better buy from a reliability perspective, but for somebody who is going to lease or trade within the warranty, the X5 will be cheaper to maintain.

Saying an MDX is like an X5 is like saying a Lexus ES is like a BMW 5 Series. It's not. Even if the MDX has SH-AWD it's still a FWD layout vehicle with a longitudinal engine and a front heavy weight distribution. The X5 is a proper RWD based layout which is far superior for handling, and it is apparent when you drive the two vehicles.

gyrase321

Not only have I driven both vehicles, i have owned an X5 and know the cost of maintenance. The MDX I have test driven. The MDX and the X5 are not the exact same vehicle, but who says they should be? They only need be similar enough in structure and function to be fair game for comparison. Shoppers cross shop these vehicles all the time. The way you talk, you sound like an x5 can only be compared to an x5, and since the MDX is not exactly an X5, they can't be compared. That's silly talk bordering on trollishness.

Again i am talking about the 35i (base engine) x5, not the 50i. The 35i X5 is $15k more expensive than the MDX, but the price premium over the MDX is not justified given how close they are in performance. The x5 price premium over the MDX is attributable to the badge itself rather than actual content. And yes acceleration, braking, cornering, turning radius, etc all add up to driving dynamics. I'm not the only one who noticed the similarities between the two vehicles in terms of dynamics. Several car reviewers have noticed the same thing. Google is your friend if you really want to know.

Your post is deviating from the OPs thread. I have already responded to the OP's question. If you insist on trolling the difference between the X5 and the MDX instead of sticking to the topic, I supppose that's why we have moderators who swat trolls.

coolsaber

I have been in a similar boat recently.

Space:
MDX wins hands down.

Engine:
MDX wins again in power #s. Straightline accel is just sad for the NX 8 secs for a smaller lighter car vs 6.4 for the heavier MDX. TM really can improve the power #s with a better tune but again thats probably a Lci Thing. The Toyota is fun to ring out as that's the only way to get a turbo and be in the power band. However one thing to note the reliability is probs better with the Toyota as it uses Port and Di rather than just DI (carbon buildup is increase with DI only.

Transmission:
NX. The mdx is the dreaded ZF 9 speed which is trending near the bottom in reliability (Cherokee and tlx). The NX has 6 gears so not a lot of thinking. Plus the paddles feel more solid.

Infotainment:
They both are on par which is bad. Acura has two touchscreens that are from circa 08 for graphics. Lexus is better but again same thing with the graphics weird interface that tries to hard to copy the Germans and falls flat. Still no car play support from Lexus, while Honda state they intend to release it. Both offer live services but again don't buy them for their excellent infotainment system. You get wireless charging on the NX but u can plug an old fashioned USB cable on either and Ull have charging. Apps support ok for both vehicles.

Tech safety:
Acura hands down. With the acurawatch package your experiencing true semi
Autonomous driving. Lane drift detection and keep assist, full speed stop and go acc, bsm, rear traffic alert etc. Lexus does offer auto hold regardless of trim but Acura only offers it on the advanced package weirdly. The only thing that really bugs me is the uniformity decision amongst Lexus and Toyota to neuter the camera systems on both be vehicles.BMW offers surround view (360 camera). Acura and Lexus both have similar systems
Available on both models. However everywhere besides the us are they able to offer it. WTF

Driving dynamics:
It's a toss up. I have personally driven the f sport vs base and liked the f sport. However when benchmarked against its main handling competitors the x3 and a macan(price $$$$$) and the f sport handles ok. It's not as stiff as the non-dhp x3 but fairs well to the tastes of the majority of buyers. The MDX is the same as the NX as it handles well for a FWD. You won't gain or loose
From adding either to your stable. Now when u push the MDX it's feels much better then the NX thanks to the SH-AWD and torque vectoring. This feeling is one you get when ur in an X5 with its rwd bias. However if ur not demanding the MDX it's gonna feel like a normal FWD cuv.

Availability:
MDX is always available (they pop em up out in mass droves). NX at least with a custom configuration is an order at least a month away

Price
A decent NX f sport costs Msrp 46k while the MDX tech with Acura watch stickers at $50. Discounts vary as I personally have seen 2-3K on the NX vs 4-5k on the MDX. Plus if you go back one year for the 15s mdx u can go lower.

SW17LS

Yet in another thread you said the comparison of an X5 to a Lexus GX is silly, and you blasted Car & Driver for making it. The MDX and X5 are more similar than the X5 and the GX, but I simply do not agree that they are similar cars. Like I said, the current MDX is more similar to the Toyota Highlander than the X5. Its a minivan chassis, FWD layout crossover that emphasizes room and ride over driving dynamics. Just like the Highlander.

The one thing we can agree on is that this is off topic for the thread, I guess we'll have to agree to disagree.

viperdoc

I own a 2014 Acura MDX and 2013 Lexus RX F sport. I haven't driven an NX, but sat in it at the dealer recently. My take is that the NX is basically an IS with more cargo room (from an interior space perspective) and a taller ride height. It is MUCH smaller than an MDX is, and I think less comfortable. And while I will say the MDX build quality isn't quite up to what Lexus' is, the MDX will be a much more comfortable car in both the short term for your dogs, and the long term for any kids that come along (I have three kids, 10, 7 and 4).

My 2014 MDX has the 6 speed tranny, which I believe is also the case for the 2015s, and it drives great....the gear hunting that plagues by RX isn't there in the Acura (this is my main gripe about the 8 speed tranny in the RX F sport). Because of this, I am glad I got the 2014 with the 6 speed, and would caution against getting a 2016 MDX with the 9 speed. You will probably be able to fine a VERY lightly used 2015 MDX (CPO) or a new 2015 at a discount since they are trying to make room for the 2016s.

The MDX is cushier, with a softer riding suspension than my RX F sport, but the road vibrations and harshness enter into the cabin more in the acura. Fit and finish is noticeably better in the Lexus too, as is reliability. If the interior space and utility of the current MDX is appealing to you, I would strongly recommend waiting for the 2016 RX before pulling the trigger on the NX you ordered. If it is anywhere close to the quality of the NX, it will outsell the MDX by a large margin.

Pangoo

the MDX is a good car for the money. If my wife actually liked the new MDX we would have bought that in lieu of shopping for a GX or X5. It is a nice value but like others said, based on a minivan and FWD lay out. You cannot deny that, and you cannot compare that driving dynamic to an X5.

I spent 5+ yrs in an X5, 4 yrs in a Cayenne S, and driving the MDX made the handling shortcomings very apparent. I also test drove a FWD NX, that was a bit disappointing but only because they didn't have an AWD available to test.

alfaromeo3

iTrader: (4)

it depends on how u would use it as ur daily.

i love the handing of the NX. My wife drives the new 2015 Highlander and she said she likes how the NX drives.
space wise is different. i bought the NX for fun! when we travel we use the highlander as it is roomier.

coolsaber

Off topic but this generation of mdx and x5 are more similar then others. The f15 x5 without dhp and their eps makes the overall car softer and comfy if your shopping for a x5 without dhp I would sit in the mdx ur not missing much. Plus better residuals and overall cost.

sick21

I think it was the last gen MDX that people found to be comparable to the X5. Sure the X5 is by far sportier regardless of generation but the MDX had a pretty good balance of comfort and sport. The new (current) MDX is more like a couch. I think it competes better with the Highlander.

OP, quite frankly if it's just you and your dogs I don't know why you'd want such a people hauler. Albeit the MDX gets pretty decent MPG but I wouldn't want to drive that unless I had a bunch of kids that play soccer... I'd think the NX would be better fitting or a different two row crossover if you must have an SUV.

Pangoo

not missing much vs the X5 except that its still a FWD and the AWD system that is FWD biased. Additionally, it shares platforms with the Honda Odyssey which is a really nice Minivan but nontheless a minivan. Everyone knows the MDX is a fantastic value. My buddy that works at Acura always talks about how good the residuals are but I don't care about that since I don't lease.

The NX is similarly a FWD biased AWD system (if thats what you are shopping). The size of the NX is fantastic but if you have 2 kids + dogs I would not consider the NX. You would have to upgrade very quickly especially if you take road trips where you need cargo space.

Pangoo

I would say the MDX is a closer comparison to the Highlander also since that is also mini van based with similar FWD set up.

coolsaber

The last gen mdx advanced with active dampers was solid (not too much strong competition from anyone else), but the e70 was a tank. Add the active roll bars OMG. The thing was second fiddle to only a cayenne. The damn efficiency engineers and the move to eps and making handling optional just makes me

If your playing the long game op, get the mdx you won't need a to think of a minivan in a couple years for your kids. If you prefer to live in the now get an NX f sport or a BMW x3 28i (its n20 engine ). If its sport your looking go to BMW you'll never look back

GSteg

iTrader: (15)

The 9-speed is clunky and confused at times, but it may just require a firmware update if they ever release one. Perhaps it just needs to adapt to your routes.

Swacer

Borrowed an NX from my dealer for a quick drive, and to see if it would fit in our garage. Didn't take long to remind me why i loved the car. I will be seeing the acura dealer on Wednesday. Then we will make the final choice.

So far, NX still wins. But I feel either way, I had to explore all options.

Swacer

And we can leave the BMW out of the discussion becuase I would sooner walk than own one. I prefer to not live in my dealership lol