When one typically thinks of a sports vehicle the mind takes you to a low riding car with a powerful V8 under the hood and limited room for a few passengers. That packaging works out great if you are either traveling without kids or have become an empty nester. But what about the rest of us who still require room for the car-seat, multiple family members, and the collection of travel items that come with a family? Well, Acura has our backs by blending the DNA of a sport sedan with the best must-have elements of an SUV with its 2011 MDX.
Honda was the first of the Japanese automotive manufacturers to create a luxury brand in the form of Acura. Over the years Acura has continued to create well appointed vehicles but somewhere lost its direction and slipped into the gray area between luxury and near-luxury. Their current offerings are hedging back up the luxury ladder, while focusing on delivering technologically advanced, upscale vehicles at reasonable prices. Evidence of this trend can be confirmed by examining and driving the 2011 Acura MDX.
The 2011 Acura MDX is a luxury SUV combining advanced technology, luxury touches throughout, dynamic styling with superior handling and a high performance power train. For 2011, the MDX is available in five trim levels: MDX ($42,580), MDX with Technology Package ($46,225), MDX with Technology and Entertainment Packages ($48,155), MDX with Advance Package ($52,205), and MDX with Advance and Entertainment Packages ($54,105).
What first catches your eye and is the most identifying exterior feature of the MDX – Acura’s signature front grille design, along with a bold front fascia and eye-popping headlamps. This second generation MDX was redesigned in 2007 and had significant changes for the 2010 model year. For 2011 it remains unchanged. The 2011 MDX features an edgy exterior with integrated polished stainless-steel exhaust tail pipes in the rear fascia as it sits tall on its 18-inch 5-spoke aluminum wheels. The Advance Package upgrades the wheels to 19-inch with 7-spokes and includes an Active Damper System that further improves the handling, comfort, and ride quality.
Acura’s engineers targeted the driving feel of luxury European SUV competitors when designing the chassis. The 2011 MDX rides on 4-wheel fully independent suspension and All-wheel drive. Not to get overly technical, the front suspension uses unique hydro-compliance bushings that provide an incredible ride isolation and chassis vibration control. The Active Damper System of the MDX uses algorithms providing two-driver selectable settings: Comfort and Sport – converting the ride from comfortable to a sport feel.
The 2011 MDX interior is detailed with luxury accoutrements including a generous use of Milano premium leather included on the Technology Package. Other MDX features include sport contoured 10-way power front driver seat (8-way power front passenger seat), second row outboard seats, under the rear cargo floor storage and a power operated rear tailgate. A third row seat increases the seating capacity to seven, but can also be folded flat along with the second row to produce a maximum useable cargo volume of 83.5 cubic feet.
A partial list of standard equipment items include: power moon roof, power windows, leather-wrapped multi-function steering wheel with racing-inspired paddle shifters, an integrated rear view camera, Bluetooth® HandsFreeLink® wireless telephone interface, a Multi-Information Display, LED backlit instrumentation and an 8-speaker, 253-watt Acura Premium Sound System featuring an AM/FM tuner, in-dash 6-disc CD changer, WMA player, MP3 capability, XM® Radio and an auxiliary jack for connectivity of personal audio devices.
The Technology Package highlights the Acura Navigation System with a Voice Recognition™ system that uses an 8-inch full VGA high-resolution color display positioned at the top of the center instrument panel. The display also works with a unique rearview camera system that offers three different rear view angles; normal rear view, wide angle rear view and a tow-friendly top view. The navigation system includes AcuraLink Real-Time Traffic with a new Traffic Re-routing™.
Available with only one engine type, Acura’s smooth 3.7-liter V6 delivers the power of a V8 with the fuel economy of a V6 earning an EPA-rating of 16/21 miles per gallon City/Highway. The 3.7-liter generates 300 horsepower and is coupled with a Sequential SportShift 6-speed automatic transmission that works with a special multi-clutch torque converter. The all-wheel drive system is what Acura titles SH-AWD® and delivers an advanced full-time AWD system that works in conjunction with the standard Vehicle Stability Assist™ with traction control on the MDX. The SH-AWD® provides enhanced power delivery and driver control whether it is on-road or off-road, on dry pavement, or in the rain, snow or ice.
Room for improvement:
- The third row seat is a little tight
Cool Features:
- Real-Time Traffic Re-routing
- Rear-view camera option
- Adaptive Cruise Control
The 2011 Acura MDX has numerous standard “active safety” features that help the driver reduce the risk of collision including Vehicle Stability Assist (VSA) along with an anti-lock braking system (ABS), Electronic Brake Distribution (EBD), and Brake Assist. The Advance Package also includes the Collision Mitigating Braking System™, which assists the driver in reducing the likelihood of a collision by alerting the driver to potential collision situations and activating the brakes if the system determines a collision is likely unavoidable. Additional standard safety features includes: the latest generation of dual-stage, multiple-threshold airbags for the driver and front passenger, knee bolsters, front seatbelts with an automatic tensioning system with integrated load limiters, side airbags for the driver and front passenger along with side curtain airbags (with a rollover sensor), and active front head restraints.
In Summary: The 2011 Acura MDX is distinctive, powerful, luxurious, packed with technology, and has plenty of room for your family and their accessories. The AWD system on the MDX improves the safety and handling in all types of road conditions making it a perfect choice for the winter ski trips. If you are in the market for a sophisticated, upscale SUV that is extremely capable, then place the 2011 MDX at the top of your shopping list!
For more information and a complete list of features and specifications go to www.autofastracks.com.
Specifications
2011 Acura MDX Advance Entertainment
Base price: $54,105 as driven: $54,965 (including destination)
Engine: 3.7-Liter 6-cylinder
Horsepower: 300 @ 6300
Torque: 270 foot pounds @ 4500 rpm
Transmission: 6-speed automatic transmission with Sportshift
Drive: All Wheel-Drive
Seating: 7-passenger
Turning circle: 37.6 feet
Cargo space: 83.5 cubic feet
Curb weight: 4627 pounds
Fuel capacity: 21 gallons
EPA mileage: 21 highway, 16 city
Wheel Base: 108.3 inches
Warranty: 4 years/50,000 miles
Also consider: BMW X5, Jeep Grand Cherokee, Lexus RX 350, Lincoln MKT, and Mercedes-Benz ML-Class
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