2001 Acura MDX

Clever folks, those Honda people. Like a talent scout at spring training, Honda stands on the sidelines while all the other carmakers scurry after the latest trends, rushing to introduce their versions of the vehicle-du-jour, trying to make their game. Honda enters the fray only by adopting one of these other manufacturer’s vehicles as their own, all the while evaluating, designing and figuring out how to do it better.
Then a few years down the road, Honda finally shows up with a brand new kid of its own, designed from the ground up, an extraordinary player. And everybody takes note. Honda did it a few years back with the Odyssey minivan and now they’ve done it again with the new Acura MDX. After years of rebadging an Isuzu Trooper as an Acura sport utility, parent Honda introduces its very own ritzy off-roader. Some in the automotive press are saying it’s the best all-around sport utility in the mid-luxury class, outshining Lexus RX300, BMW X5 3.0i, Land Rover Discovery and Mercedes ML320. I’m not sure I would rank it at the top of this capable company, but it is pretty darn impressive.

The Good News
Designing the perfect sport utility based on what people want in these beasts is an exercise in contradictions. For example, we want it to handle, park, accelerate and ride like a car, which is why we love the Lexus RX300. But we also want it to have the interior room of a Winnebago-cum-flatbed, which is why many wouldn’t even consider the Lexus RX300.

The Acura comes closest yet in its class to satisfying these fickle fancies. For starters, its interior room swallows the competition. That means not only extraordinary comfort for front and rear passengers (we’re talking back seat, not its pop-up third bench which seats the kids as usual.), it also affords great, flexible cargo space. Of course, carrying six passengers leaves little room for only a duffle or two, which is par for this class. But fold flat the passenger seats, and you have a whopping 82 cubic feet to pack. The MDX’s wide track creates four uninterrupted feet of floor space between the wheel wells for plywood, paintings, flea market finds. Try that in your average sport ute.

But for all its interior accommodations, the MDX doesn’t drive big. It behaves like a Japanese sedan: quiet, unruffled, self-assured. Its 3.5 liter V-6 with 240-horse/245 lb-ft torque contributes handily to this impression, accelerating as effortlessly as any sport ute I’ve driven. Its steering responds nicely, firm but never heavy. The ride, cushioned by four-wheel independent suspension, exhibits none of the roll and sway plaguing some portly SUVs. In fact, nothing about this Acura feels ponderous, which should come as no surprise. Honda is the master at building cars that feel tight and right. This MDX is no exception.

As for its off-road riggings (oh, that), its full-time four-wheel drive shifts engine torque from front to rear when conditions warrant. According to Acura, what makes this system a cut above is the fact that it “proactively distributes engine torque during acceleration before wheel slip occurs.” A button transfers maximum torque to the rear wheels for more challenging terrain. But you have to remain in a low gear at a crawl. It’s not really engineered for the rough stuff, but few will likely notice.

The Bad News
Honda is also a master at building cars that shy away from bold design statements, the notable Acura NSX excepted. This MDX also follows suit here. It’s not ugly; in fact, there are shades of the lovely Lexus RX300 in its slanted rear pillar. But, overall, its looks bore me.

Inside, there are other glitches. I’m not sure what this master of efficiency was thinking with the mid-dash design. First, the in-dash navigation screen/information center sprawls over much of the area. That turns out to be much ado about nothing when the sunlight filters in, since the light renders the screen’s graphics invisible. Adding to this silliness is the compacting of heat/air controls into what looks like a space for the average clock. I don’t get it.

Gas Mileage
EPA rated at 17 mpg city/23 highway. Far better than average for its size.

Price
Price as tested for the MDX Touring model, $37,450

Is it worth it?
I find this Acura MDX to be hugely competent, very satisfying as far as the life of an SUV goes. Honda has obviously done its homework and paid careful attention to those things that matter most to the sport utility customer, namely luxury, daily performance, snow-day fortitude and utility in the sense of how much it can carry from Home Depot.

I do not adore it, because I find little in terms of style and personality. But that is Honda’s way: Satisfy, but no need to excite.

Certainly this MDX has raised the bar for all luxury sport utilities, because it does manage to do so many things well at a more reasonable price. As Honda proves once again, good things come to those who wait.