I just couldn't go in my garage everyday and look at the MDX - it is a decent car, nicer in every way than the Pilot, but just ugly no matter how you look at it. For me it is all about the driving dynamics - the X5 is just so fun to drive and the difference is night and day in my book. If you really can't tell the difference in how they drive or think the X5 is a rough ride, then it probably isn't worth the extra money - on paper it is over priced, but after driving the X5 it is worth the extra money in my book.

The MDX has been discontinued here due to lack of sales but when I drove one I remember it as being refined and quiet enough, but bland to drive and well short of the X5 in terms of steering feel, handling and general on-road dynamics.

I rode to lunch in a new MDX. Granted it was a base model but the interior was far far from my X5. It was flat gray with a hard plasticy surface covering a lot of the door and dash, with a big satin chrome plated plastic piece on the dash. My much berated '06 X3 had a nicer looking interior. It also sounded and performed like a 4 banger. I thought they all had a V6.

He probably paid much less and gets better MPG but I'd take the X5 any day.

EDIT: Oops, I just checked Acura.com. It was an RDX. They are a turbo 4 banger.

EDIT AGAIN!: Holy crap. A 4 cyl 240hp 3700 lb RDX is rated at 17/22. My X3 did better than that. My 5300 lb 400hp V8 X5 is rated at 14/19 and I have gotten 20 mpg. All that less vehicle for 2 mpg, and the 35d gets much better MPG!!!

I have an X5 and my wife has an MDX. I think the X5 has a slight edge in material quality, quietness, ride, and of course a bigger edge in handling, steering, acceleration, and braking. My wife, however, says she can't tell any difference in driving them. She is a pretty tame driver, so I can understand that.

The MDX was less than 50k loaded, and the X5 cost about 64k. I think the price difference was worth it.

We've had zero problems with either one, but the X5 only has about 6k miles.

After driving both back to back, I can see where your wife is coming from. If you're not someone who really enjoys driving and you see a car as simply a means to getting from A to B, the MDX is perfectly good.

What's the scheduled maintenance and oil change costs like on the MDX?

MDX schedule oil change @ the dealer is running around 35- 40,...... at my last service for our X5, I asked if they can rotate the tires....... she said it will cost $120 to rotate 4 wheels ..... I told her no thanks..... Pep Boys near my work did if for $10 w/o any scratches to the rim .... WTF .... can't explain some of the charges from the BMW dealers.... how do they justify some of their cost ....:banghead:

The explanation is simple.
The Pep Boys change was handled by a freckly kid making $5.50 per hour, and was told "Ever change a tire boy? You're hired, go try that X5 in the parking lot". You are lucky the rim wasn't scratched.

BMW pays probably $25-$40 (or more?) per hour to the mechanics and sends them to weeks of training on very expensive equipment before they touch a car. They then have a single priced hourly rate and fixed time estimates designed to cover the most complex job, not just simple tire changes.

I don't like the BMW rates but I understand it and just paid it to install my spare tire kit. Something I could have spent a Saturday afternoon on.

+1.

Well I agree the BMW tech. are most likely better trained, but at the time of my request to rotate the 4 wheels, they were actually in the middle of performing a brake job, therefore they already had my vehicle up on the lift, with all 4 wheels off the vehicle .. :loco:... really couldn't justified their logic of charging over $120 to put back the tires that were already off the vehicle ......