wwest

X5, absolute best of the lot, but in short supply and relatively expensive.

ML320, my current choice, only thing lacking is engine torque predominantly to the rear, but 50/50 split is close enough to get it a second.

RX300 or HL, shouldn't even be mentioned in this (AWD) venue, "flaccid" viscous clutch never "rises" to the occassion. Trac is used as substitute for LSD, left to right or right to left only, VSC is not unique to AWD.

As I have said before, have the dealer elevate the front wheels of the RX or HL and show you that ANY level of torque is delivered to the rear wheels before you buy either of these.

If you truly need AWD, and I don't mean off-road or everyday rain slicked streets, then the Chrysler T&C AWD would give you betetr service.

I currently own a 2001 AWD RX300, traded up from the 2000 RX to get HID, VSC, and Trac.

willard west

Give me a good, excellent, design to start with and a good quality control department and I will build you a reliable product anywhere in the south of your choice.

It's the company's attitude toward its employees that makes the difference.

willard west

Number of posts on this thread: 19

Number of views: 368

Of those 368 just how many do you think learned something from our 19 posts?

But,

I had a MY2000 AWD RX300.

The MY2001 came out with HID, VSC, and TRAC, all very desireable aspects in my opinion. I didn't go looking for a Nav system, I have a portable Garmin. I found out that I couldn't get HID with ordering a "package" that included the Nav.

Of course I resented that.

Is there anyone out there that isn't unhappy with the need to "agree" each and every time you start the vehicle?

The A/C status icons disappear and some action must be taken to discover its current status or even the OAT. Personanly I run my system with the A/C compressor turned off much of the time rather than encounter the "surprise! your windshield just fogged over" flaw. At first I found the easiest way to "bring up" the A/C status icons was to "touch" the "auto" mode control. And yes that does bring up the icons but it also turns on the A/C. So I resort to twisting the temperature setpoint control slightly adn then returning it to the previous setpoint after I view the icons.

Take a look sometime as to how readily and easily the clock display can be read, just a glance, right? My MY2000 had an LCD for indicating these functions, the contrast aand character/icon size was such that it was tremendously more definitive. And it was always UP, I didn't have to make some otherwise needless ancillary action just to view the display.

Then there is the Nav functionality itself.

1. While following its guidance religiously, it will "jump" you to a parallel roadbed.

2. It will seemingly compute a route to your destination successfully even when there are obvious gaps in its map resolution, but at least it will tell you about those gaps once you get into that area, "Sorry, you're on you own now!".

3. It will compute a "shortest time" which is sometimes over an hour longer than a "shortest distance" computed route.

I find it extremely irritating to have it ask me to agree to not look at the display while driving and then bring up the moving map display without my bidding. I avoid both of these most of the time by just moving the DVD access door control to the unload position.

It doesn't help that it is so easy to come up with a much better, more satisfactory, overall way to do all these things.

1. Leave all of the information I might need to read just at a glance up all of the time, with green print and a dark background, a replication of the non-nav LCD format would probably be ideal. Just becuase you can present the format in color doesn't mean you should and in fact it is not the best way to make the format the most easily read and comprehendable at a glance.

2. Never bring up the moving map display except at my bidding.

Except:

3. Give me an option to automatically bring up the map display(or use use voice guidance only) when I am arriving at a "true" decision point, not an advisory notice, one to just tell me to remain on the current path.

I find the RX300 so desireable overall that I would readily buy an aftermarket upgrade kit for the transfer case. The RX300 could readily have a "true" AWD setup with very little additional expense. All it needs is a much stiffer viscous coupling rather than the current "flaccid" one that NEVER rises to the occassion.

Take a look at the Chrysler T&C AWD setup, I'm very certain that Chrysler didn't go to the additional expense of putting a more usefull AWD setup in their minivan with some serious thought about cost vs functionality. A little marketing truthfullness may have entered in their thought process also.

willard west

All products improvements are made via knowledge of product shortcomings.

vicpai

....If I were you, I would completely eliminate the BMW X5 and Mercedes as choices because these vehicles are ARE NOT BUILT TO THE SAME QUALITY AND RELIABILITY STANDARDS AS THEIR JAPANESE COUNTERPARTS. Even though the first year Acura MDX has had reliability problems galore, I'm sure given Acura's reputation it should be much much better than the first year model (and certainly better than it's German competion by LEAPS AND BOUNDS)........but it will not attain that typical "BULLETPROOF HONDA STATUS" until the 3rd year (2003 model)....so the Acura MDX might be a consideration (if you're willing to put up with the horiffic and extremely bad customer service that words cannot describe)......another very reliable alternative might be the QX4, but this vehicle depreciates very heavily. So, AT THIS PARTICULAR POINT IN TIME, I think the RX 300 is the best overall choice!!

satxrx

I just got back from the San Antonio Auto Show and got to check out the MD-X, Highlander, etc.

My impressions:

The Acura MD-X is definitely good competition for the RX300. Now that I had a chance to check out the interior more thoroughly, I'd say the MD-X is not THAT far off the mark for a luxo-SUV. I like the aspect of the controllable temp and fan of the rear vents. I didn't care for the high step-in height of the MD-X plus the side bars will just dirty up your pants when getting out. The third seats are fine for a child and flat folding seats for cargo is good, too.

The Highlander I saw was a non-Limited V6 model and it looked CHEAP. The fabric looked and felt inferior and the console is not nearly as nice as the RX300. As I've stated in the past, the lines of the Highlander are, ahem, more pedestrian and do not exude real auto-architectural "beauty". I hope the next gen RX doesn't go this way... As for the engine - of course - it's the same powerplant. This show model did have the extended console from the center stack and looked good. Lexus should offer some sort of option like this to the RX. The console still had an opening underneath but featured a couple more areas for storage.

I didn't look at the Infiniti QX4 and BMW wussed out of the show. Would have been nice to check out the X5 more closely.

And finally I saw the M-class. Besides the updated face and chin transplants, nothing else really looked different. High step-in was a problem for many. I did like how the rear quarter panel glass popped out for ventilation (great for the dog when I take him to obedience class).

HTH.

salimshah

I checked out my friends new pride and joy MDX. I wear size 10 shoes and while sitting on the last seats, I could not put my foot on the floor without twisting the foot at an angle.

It took me a while to figure how to climb in the back. I think the third seat is for todlers, where you pick them up and place them.

Salim

willard west

Third row?

If so what would you expect?