^ That was the other reason we went with Acura was that they have the best "hands down" Navi offered IMO. There is no one that compares to there system even if you cant use it while driving.

 

I bought my mother a used MDX after a long used SUV search / fact finding mission

the earlier models 01-03's have a weak tranny design (fails every 100-125k) but the overall build quality is good. The MDXs have a noticeably better driving feel vs the Pilot, not sure why; I think it is a different suspension setup

The 04-06's get a modest power bump and slight facelift but a better tranny. These vehicles hold up really well and are legit for cold weather driving. The new design 07+ are just too ugly for me...

GL

 

I'm confused... the Acura has a "lock out" on its nav systems for when the car is in motion? I thought they didn't....

 

If you go for the Honda Pilot, be prepared to be disappointed. We have an 05 that we got in 12/04, too many warranty issues and now that it is out-of-warranty, some of the previous problems are back. And the most irritating part of owning a Pilot is the ROAD NOISE. It's actually my wife's car, good thing she works less than 5 miles away.

I hate driving it and now with our second child, we need a vehicle that we can tolerate on long drives with enough room for a double stroller . So we tried to sell the Pilot, its resale value is so dismal that you might as well just give it away. Since it has less than 25k miles, we decided to just keep it for grocery runs, sell my Q45 and buy an SUV of better quality.

In my opinion, the Pilot is perfect for those with hearing problems or those who don't mind ROAD NOISE and has the time, or maybe don't mind wasting time, going to the dealer for warranty repairs.

 

No it doesnt... I was saying even if it did lock out like the others they still have a much better Navi then any other car MFG. Acura wins this department IMO...But NO it doesnt lock out

 

True, but auto manufacturers have little or no control over what people do with hand-held aftermarket stuff....even hand-held NAV/GPS units. And as for radio controls, I always comment, in my auto reviews, on how well they are designed and how easy or difficult they are to operate.

 

Road noise is significant with a number of Honda-designed vehicles, but in general, they are extremely well-built. It is unusual (but, of course, not unheard of) for a Pilot such as yours to have a lot of warranty issues, although some older Acura TLs and Accords were built with defective automatic transmissions. Consumer Reports, perhaps the best source available, gives the Pilot, like most Hondas, an above-average reliability rating.

 

The human behind the wheel is a critically important factor.

The annoying "I agree" lawyer crap in my Lexus nav adds no value and is not included in Mercedes nav systems for example. Agreed, car makers need to make user friendly electronics to minimize distractions.

 

what do you want out of this "SUV"?
It's hard to recommend anything w/o knowing the purpose for it.

 

Intended to be the primary family/people hauler. Most driving to be done in town/city but occasional road trips planned. Want third row b/c my kids play sports and wife is often pooling friends and teammates around. Do not expect to ever use it off-road, but do have to contend with Midwest winter weather (so prefer AWD). Will look to option it out fully (power package, NAV, rear entertainment, etc.), so it matters to me how each manufacturer integrates those options.

Overall, looking for the same things most buyers seek: quality, value, style, ergonomics, livability, etc. I like the BMW X5 and Audi Q7, but I am keeping my budget <$40,000. I am willing to look at 1-2 yr old used SUVs since I will be buying (not leasing) this car and plan on having it for >4 years.

If I left anything out that will help you opine, let me know .

 

Are your middle initials CR? Can we stop using CR as a car bible for heaven's sake? CR editors are not car enthusiasts and their views about cars are one dimensional.

The OP should go and test drive all the SUVs in questions to narrow his choice down. In my opinion the Mazda is the most fun to drive, the Toyota has the best ride and the Honda offers the best bang for the buck.

Other SUVs to consider are the CMC Acadia and the Mitsubishi Outlander.

 

at this point, I'm going to suggest Toyota Sienna XLE AWD

 

It wasn't just "some" select models. This was a mass problem across the product lines, affecting hundreds of thousands of vehicles. It affected the 98-03 Accord, the 99-03 TL, the 04-05 TL, the 01-04 MDX, the 01-04 Pilot, and the Odyssey.

My 02 EX V6 has been through a transmission already and it's slipping on it's second. It hasn't even hit 90K and I have babied the car to no end (including $400 "transmission fluid" change, what a waste), Honda NEVER did address the core problem even in the replacement transmissions. They are still sticking the same design back on these cars, knowing full well they will fail again. My good friend has been to hell and back on his 03 TL. 3 transmissions, yes three. One at 35K, another at 80K, and is now on the last. I'd steer clear of these years in question, because the transmission design is defective and has never been corrected. Go read any Honda forum, or type "honda/acura transmissions" in Google to read up if you have any doubts. When it came time to park another Honda on the driveway, I went with a 5MT - couldn't be happier.


Zeus69, if you are attracted to those German SUVs, I'd look at the Volkswagen Touraeg, which is the sister to the Audi Q7 and Porsche Cayenne. I searched for a Touraeg 2 (08+) in my local listings and the prices are absurd. $33K for a fully loaded V8 FSI.

Build quality is unsurpassed by much anything else in this segment. Trust me, go drive a Honda Pilot and then a Touareg. I'm not pulling stuff from my *** here. The way the Touareg is built clearly higher than that of it's similarly-sized (and cheaper) Japanese competition. It's on par with X5, Range Rover, and is built better in my opinion than the much more costly Cayenne. It gets a bad rap for it's badge but it's an amazing SUV.

 

In my extended family, we have a 2001 x5, 2002 MDX, 2003 Pilot. As the youngest male with a toolbox, I get to work on all these vehicles. I own the x5 and would not own one if I lived in the midwest. The issue is that there is a design flaw (oil separator) with cold weather. It is a problem with midwest climates. Plus, the electrical components on German cars are pretty crap compared to Japanese counterparts. I can't tell you how many times I've replaced / cleaned sensors on the BMW--it is sometimes like the highmaintanence arm candy girlfriend I always/never wanted. It's sexy but demanding

I imagine the VW is not much different from the BMW and Mercedes I've had to work on.

If you're not gonna offroad the car, then don't buy a vehicle designed to cross the rubicon trail (land crusier, RRover, Lexus LX/GX, VW/Cayenne). You're lugging around a lot of weight for components you may never use (low range, locking diff, etc)

At the end of the day, a lot of SUV sales are emotional sales rather than rational sales. (eg 4runner over Highlander for most people) We buy horsepower and features we don't really use. Your budget looks to be pushing you to a near-luxury sort of situation. If you can stomach it, a minivan with AWD might be a good choice (lighter, more functional space)

The one piece of advice I've been given that is really useful is this--never own more than one problematic/tempermental/nonreliable car at a time. It's ok but annoying to have one car you need to work on but two is a completely different story.

 

Oh no not another 3rd person account of the engines blowing up and electrical blah blah blah on German cars..


Comedy....