The MDX is the model of simplicity with
many features but only two options.
Standard are leather seating surfaces
(first and second row seats) with leather
door inserts; wood-patterned trim; keyless
remote entry; power windows, door locks
and mirrors, power tilt and sliding
moonroof; cruise control, seven-speaker
AM-FM/cassette stereo with in-dash CD
player; power adjustable front seats;
alloy wheels and a multi-function digital
trip computer.
The engine (a 3.5-liter VTEC) generates
240 horsepower and 245 lb-ft of torque
happily available from 3000 to 5000 rpm.
The gearbox is an all-new five-speed
automatic with gear ratios spaced to match
the requirements unique to an SUV.
Though the full-featured line-up in the
MDX is one that generally appeals to women
buyers, Acura expects 70 percent of the
buyers to be male. (We think the safety
elements and the environmental
friendliness of the MDX will prove to be
extremely attractive to women.)
The optional Touring package adds a
keyless remote entry linked to the
two-position driver's seat and mirror
memory system; eight-way adjustable
passenger seat; roof rack; an outside
mirror that tilts to track progress while
backing up; different alloy wheels and -
this is the central core of the upgrade -
a killer 200-watt, eight-speaker
Acura/Bose music system with in-dash
six-disc CD changer.
The optional Acura Navigation System
with DVD needs only one disc to cover the
entire continental US. Always our favorite
among nav systems for its intuitive
simplicity in use, the Acura system holds
some 3.7 million points of interest
ranging from ATM machines to restaurants
and hospitals. If you want to pick up some
cash, make a stop at the nearest Chinese
take out and then locate an emergency room
for your over-indulgence it is all at your
beck. A novel addition to the nav system,
uniquely appropriate for a vehicle
equipped to seek out the uncharted
outbacks, is a feature that leaves
"electronic bread crumbs" on screen. No
road visible under the little wedge-shaped
marker that represents your vehicle? Not
to worry. This nav system leaves a line
that you can easily retrace back to where
there be no more dragons.
The MDX is produced at Honda of Canada
Manufacturing in Ontario, Canada, and
Acura expects to sell 35,000 to 40,000 of
them in the first year of production. A
problem not unknown to Acura and Honda has
been production restraints. Demand often
outpaces availability. A new plant is in
preparation but will not be ready for 14
months. This may help put the MDX in
strong demand.
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