2005 4Runner or 03 AcuraMDX?

S

ssingh

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Howdy

My first post but I do own a 2000 Tacoma Prerunner:). Anyway, I've a Honda Accord on lease which is gonna expire in September this year so we are thinking of buying our first SUV (now that we've got a baby). Our budget is around $35 and so after doing a lot of research, we;ve narrowed it down to the above and hopefully the 05 4runner would be almost out by then.

I've test drove both (Sports Ed for the 4runner) and the ride are comfy though MDX's is little smoother, I think. MDX's interior is more appealing (even though its fake wood trim) but I suppose I can still buy after-market wood trims for the 4Runner. I prefer the masculine 4Runner look but wife likes the MDX better (her sis-in-law drives one, so go figure!)

Anyway, I've read the MDX engines been having some kinda probs with the transmission after 30K and in some cases, had to be replaced. Also the MDX doesn't seem to have high ground clearance and the underbody looks quite unprotected.

What would u guys go for if u have the choice between the above?

Sorry for the long post and thanks in advance!
 
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MDX vs 4Runner

Depending on where that MDX has been (in the Sierras or just in town), you may also have problems with surface rust. A friend of mine has an '02 MDX and with all of the salt in New England, his MDX is showing a lot of surface rust around the bottom of all the doors. Dealer says "too bad", rust through is covered under warranty, not surface rust.

Also, remember you are getting a used vehicle. Someone traded that for a reason (usually they didn't like it or couldn't afford it, so they may have abused it). '03 would be an EOL vehicle, so it would not be a normal return vehicle.
 
You say this is your first suv and it is because of the baby why would you care about underbody protection?

Even though both seem to fit your needs I would say the 4Runner wins on price alone. I don't know the specofics but the 4runner has got to be at least a few thousand less.
 
Okay I'm gonna go off tangent on this one. If this vehicle will be solely used for transporting your baby and some for cargo, I'd recommend a minivan. Why? the safety feature in those vehicles are way better than a suv! No questions about it.

If you plan to do any small fire trails, you can still use your mini-van to go places too btw. Although it doesn't look "cool" I'd say it's probably the best vehicle to drive for a family.

But if you're set on a suv, then I'd say either one will suffice. Since you won't be doing any offroading, both are quality vehicles that can't go wrong. For the price, both are great vehicles. I see nothing wrong with either one. The other thing you might also look into are the new pathfinders that will be due 2005 as well. This should be an interesting mix of suv's too.

Good luck
 
I also had the same two choices when I bought my 4Runner. The main factor for choosing the 4Runner was price. I could afford the MDX, but I am more practical and thought to myself "Do I really want to spend that much more for a Honda?" Since both my met my needs, I could not justify almost a 10k difference in price. If you want to consider the Nissan, check with the Better Business Bureau. My wife used to work the auto line department in the BBB handling the Nissan complaints, and one thing she learned is do you research if you plan on buying a Nissan.
 
ok, here's my input...

My baby is 6 month old. I bought this car because of the baby, the truck can fit everything. I felt that a minivan was not my style and wanted a SUV. Just like you, I compared a 4runner against a Honda Pilot. In case you didn't know, the MDX, Pilot and Odyssey are all basically the same car except the that the minivan doesnt have have 4x4. After doing some research, I found out that some of the Honda's (all three mentioned above) have an ignition problem. Well my choice was made.

http://www.honda-pilot.org/forums/showthread.php?threadid=669

Hope this helps.
 
Re: MDX vs 4Runner

boston_kevin said:
Depending on where that MDX has been (in the Sierras or just in town), you may also have problems with surface rust. A friend of mine has an '02 MDX and with all of the salt in New England, his MDX is showing a lot of surface rust around the bottom of all the doors. Dealer says "too bad", rust through is covered under warranty, not surface rust.

Also, remember you are getting a used vehicle. Someone traded that for a reason (usually they didn't like it or couldn't afford it, so they may have abused it). '03 would be an EOL vehicle, so it would not be a normal return vehicle.
Click to expand...

The main reason why I would go for the 4Runner is because it is brand new. You do not know what the previous owner did to it. The Acura is an 03 so the owner had to be unhappy with something to give up a car that is a year to less than a year old. The only other thing is this car could have been a dealer demo. Those get abused like crazy!

I would also go with the 4Runner for the price and reliability. You get a lot for your money and it is a great truck. The 4Runner is a REAL SUV. Toyota's are also very reliable. I have heard bad things about Acura too. My friends dad has an MDX and he had a rust problem too.
 
Avoid the MDX

Here's my 2 cents...

I own a '02 MDX and I've been using this site to research the 4Runner. I believe the 4Runner is superior mechanically.

Why make a switch? Here's a brief list. The MDX has 22500 miles on it and so far I've experienced difficult starting, the brake rotors are exhibiting signs of warping, the rear A/C blower went out, and last but not least, there is currently a transmission recall for 01-02 models.

The A/C blower I can deal with, but hard starting, brakes and transmission? It just shouldn't happen on a 2 year old vehicle.

Anyway, you would give up the rather functional third row seat as well as some cargo space, but I think the 4Runner would last longer if you were planning on keeping the vehicle a while. Besides, you can get a V8 in the 4Runner. :D
 
Hi guys- I have both of them....the MDX drives more like a minivan and is very luxurious compared to my basic SR5 4runner..it has leather seats, woodgrain,etc. My wife drives the 2003 MDX, which we paid just under $35,000. for (I am a shopper). I drive the 2004 4runner which is more high tech compared to the MDX and lots more fun to drive (the MDX is boring like a minivan). I paid a little over $27,000 for the 4runner with a sunroof, bigger tires, daytime running lights and a few other options. Bottom line...the 4runner drives more like the Jeeps I've had in the past and I personally prefer that.
 
I agree with Good Times...

I have never riden in a Honda Pilot or Acura MDX, so I would biased, thus I am not replying on my opinion. But, I have owned American cars and I would go for an import any day......

What does the crew on the MDX or Pilot board say about the 4Runner???
 
Since I am grad from college it seems like everyone I know has purchased a new car and I very satisifed with my investment in a 4Runner compared with any other SUV compared with the other trucks, SUV, and cars which I have riden in. I have never drove the Pilot, but I have sat in one and I went on over to the Yota dealer, then purchased the 'Runner.
 
Both SUV's are nice rides but I would go with the 4Runner, no problem with the Acura but just to many issues with the MDX, sure the guys over on acuramdx.org love their trucks but with the Toyota you just change the oil, the MDX is more of a girls car, falls into the X5 3.0 and RX330 category so I can see where the wife is coming from.

The Minivan is only good if you have to haul tons of stuff and people but other then that the price and fuel economy are pretty much the same as midsize SUV's over on the odyessy board owners complain of getting 8-12mpg, ain't that vtec great:)

Toyota cause it's new, the MDX is an 03 and I have been down at the Acura dealer and I don't know what it is about those cars but the retired crowd trades their Acuras in every year or 2, I've seen old guys trading in TL's for identical TL's only cause the car was new or had a new feature or 5 more hp;): and then Acura turns around and sells the car that was traded with 10k on it for the price of a new 1:confused:

I don't have a problem with Acura I just think they should stop using Hondas as their base for high end models
 
Go with the 4R

When I purchased my current vehicle last September, the '03 4R, my other choice was the the 03MDX...had test driven it, talked to dealers, was ready to go with it...but I kept having nagging questions plus an uncooperative Acura dealer, and went with the 4Runner.

I have never regretted that decision even once: I think the 4Runner is higher quality (built in Japan, not Canada or Alabama), obviously a better bang for the buck, and just a lot more fun to drive!
 
I do not recommend going with the Acura, but when my parents were pricing an acura, they jack up the price of the options heavily. The reason that they gave for this is they have to make their money somewhere. Out of the two Acura dealers, both seemed to jack up the price of the options. On an average, they were overcharging us by $5,000.
 
My wife needed to get OUT of her Jeep Grand Cherokee (for many reasons I won't bore you with). We both love SUVs so it was just a matter of determining which one. We drove almost every mid & full-size on the market (excluding Acura, Lexus, BMW, Land Rover etc. because were not interested in throwing money away on trim) and boiled it down to the Toyota Highlander, 4Runner, Nissan Pathfinder or the Honda Pilot (which is, as someone noted, the mechanical equivalent to the MDX).

The Highlander and Pilot are nice, but despite being built on the Camry & Oddessy frames we were unimpressed with the ride quality as compared to the truck-based 4Runner and Pathfinder. Similar price range (28-32K), yet severely limited in areas of towing, off-roading, etc. We don't currently have kids, otherwise we would have considered the Highlander or the Pilot a lot more heavily. They have more kid-friendly features like hard plastic seat-backs for little-kicking feet. They are also more "box" like, and therefore feel roomier (closer to a mini-van) but without the humiliation! :p

Anyway, after owning the Jeep, we decided that we still wanted a true SUV with light towing and awesome off-road capeabilities (just without the mechanical headaches). We camp, fish, hunt, and enjoy taking a trail now and again, so it's more than justified. Finally, for its powerful V8 and unmatched good looks we decided the SR5 was the clear winner over the Pathfinder. I've never felt better about a vehicle purchase in my life!!
 
ssingh...

Go with the 4runner, man. I don't have any kids, nor have I drove the MDX, but I do know that you can't go wrong with a 4Runner. It looks better, performs better, and probably will have a better resale value. The guys on this forum know their SUV stuff, so I would take their advice in high regard.

You live in Sac-town. I lived in Folsom for 13 years before I move to Bakersfield last year....how 'bout them Kings!!!!
 
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