I'm wondering if the acura mdx around the years 2016 to 2020 are good vehicles to buy. We need a 7 seater suv with lots of room that's also good for towing and for snow. I've heard from lots of places that these acura's/Honda's especially the mdx have very weak transmissions and especially for towing that would be an issue. Is this something I should worry about or is it just people know knowing what they are saying?
Clarification: How much do you need to tow?
Also, how long do you want to keep it?
I have a fiberglass boat that i currently tow in my 2009 dodge grand caravan with a 3.6L v6 and that's just enough todo it. Anything with a v6 would be good to tow the boat anywhere especially with awd. I am keeping this suv until it dies so I'm trying to find the most reliable one that still has features like navigation and leather seats that seats 7. It needs to have as much space in it as it can aswell as good on gas so probably no v8. Any help would be appreciated👍
The Acura AWD systems tend to have problems. Though Honda mostly fixed their transmission problems on their cars, Acura gets the transmissions earlier on and the 9 and 10 speed automatics are problematic, especially in the years you listed. The cylinder deactivation is some more complexity that can just ruin ownership experience with oil burning and engine problems...
For the type of guy who wants a V6, AWD, and a vehicle that they would keep until the wheels fall off, I'd recommend a used Toyota Highlander. Both can tow around 5000 pounds but you would want to get the specs online. All I said above is from in depth research on cars, and lines up with what Scotty says.
The only reason you wouldn't be getting a Highlander from what I've heard is that the third row is a bit cramped, other than that the Highlander is a better SUV, 2016-2019 years should be fine.
Awesome that's what I'll look for, they are pretty good used and there's lots of options here. Thanks for your input!
Scotty has already mentioned in the past not to get the AWD Acura’s if you plan to keep for a long time and put as much mileage on it as possible. AWD is not their strong suit; the best, most durable ones are from Subaru and even Toyota’s AWD is better than Honda/Acura’s from a longevity point of view. The other knock against the MDX is the 3.5L V6 has cylinder deactivation (or what Honda/Acura calls VCM - variable cylinder management) and over the long haul there is potential for engine wear/damage. It’s another layer of complexity that may become a liability over time. Then the engine is direct injection-only and over time is susceptible to carbon buildup on the back of the intake valves; you can mitigate by installing a catch can (and will have to empty it of oil from time to time as well as remove it for states that require smog/state inspections - another maintenance item) and even then may still have to clean the back of the intake valves periodically (on the order of every 60,000-100,000 miles) - again just more maintenance. It’s not a dealbreaker as most engines are direct-injection only but something to be mindful of. Toyota’s, by contrast, have none of these shortcomings just mentioned. Then the jury is still out on the ZF 9-speed automatic transmission for longevity; ZF makes good transmissions but we don’t have long term data on the 9-speeds (which is very complex). Currently with the exception of the Lexus LS and LC lineup, no Toyota product uses more than 8-speeds for their automatic transmission. Given all this, I would also look at a Toyota Highlander.
