In 2023, I made a mistake. I bought one of the least reliable cars in the world. No, it wasn’t the Acura. Rather, it’s why I have an MDX now. The error proved so statistically cliché that I wrote about my Range Rover Evoque in 2024. Thousands of dollars in timing chain repair costs later, and it seemed best for the family to move on.

We talked about what would work best for us and our two kids. We have a lot of family and friends in town, too. The Evoque was hands-down one of the most fun SUVs we’ve ever driven. But the back seat was more cramped than our Fiat 500L. And every time that “check engine” light lit up or a leak popped, we groaned.

Don’t get me wrong: I’ve had project cars. Lots of them. But I am decidedly not in project car season.

Pretty quickly, it became clear that the Evoque wasn’t for us. So, we came up with a few non-negotiables:

• 4WD
• Seats seven
• Reliable
• Elements of style, performance, and luxury

For a family hauler, you might wonder why I added that last point. Well, I’ve driven my fair share of basic A to Bs. What’s more, my extended family is big into Honda and Acura models. Why not just get a Honda Pilot?

When it came down to it, I wasn’t totally opposed.

But, at this age and stage, with 20+ years in the car world, I feel strongly that:

Honda SUVs are really, really boring

There. I said it.

Let me explain. Growing up, my dad always had several cars in the driveway. He owned a shop, and loved buying, tinkering, and selling everything under the sun.

Over time, though, business grew. His free time all but disappeared. So did his patience for fixing broken household cars. Enter Honda!

There’s no denying it: Honda cars are really reliable and very user-friendly

Civics. Accords. CR-Vs. Pilots. Ridgelines.

Our family had them all. Still does. They’re just easy.

But I’m sorta, kinda…okay, very sick of them.

Fine, then. Let’s go with Acura

Despite my lust for a boxy overlander, the Acura MDX pretty much checked all the boxes. After all, it’s Honda’s luxury performance wing. And when one lands right in your lap at a good price, it just made the most sense for us.

In 2017, the model got a facelift, which we missed by a hair. After weeks of searching (including considering a Honda Pilot), a family friend and industry partner offered us a 2016 with 90,000 miles and black leather interior. It has the same look and specs as the 2014 and 2015 model years.

Ultimately, we brought it home.

My only real qualm, and this is every bit a relative one, was its shape and color. It’s white. And oval. I’m steering a giant egg! Ask me how I feel about it? “Blerg.”

Anyway, it landed in our driveway in February.

We’ve had the Acura MDX for 8 months. Here’s how it’s going

The local shop inspected the MDX for us before we agreed on a price.

The MDX uses Honda’s trusty 3.5L V6 VTEC engine, so we were mighty familiar with it. I should add that my parents and one of my sisters also have an MDX. And both have Ridgelines, too. See…Honda fam.

In any case, at 90,000 miles on the odometer, turns out it was due for the timing belt service.

This far in, I grabbed the parts list. Here’s what’s been done:

• Timing belt and water pump kit
• Oil dipstick (big question mark on where the original one went)
• Cabin air filter
• Oil change service
• Front and rear wiper blades
• Windshield chip repair
• Driver’s side windshield molding

That’s it.

Calm waters so far, with possible drama ahead

While it seems like smooth sailing in a very Honda-eqsue manner, there’s something not-so-smooth on my radar: the transmission. It’s been harsh shifting and “floating” after you put in it park.

I read about this when I first experienced it. The MDX’s 9-speed transmission does have known software glitches. There’s an update, so I’ll probably start there. With two kiddos and a full-time job, it’s been tough to make the time to drive it over to the dealership.

In terms of user experience, the MDX is perfect for the kids

They have plenty of space in the middle row. The center-fold seat back comes in handy often. They can reach their map lights. And while they’re still in child seats, the leather interior in their row is heated. The kids also have their own HVAC controls housed at the back of the center console, but they’re still a bit young to toggle them.

For the driver and passenger, we’d call it “good.”

Drew, my husband, hates that the HVAC and seat heat controls are integrated into the infotainment screen. I agree. That’s most modern cars anyway, although many automakers are returning to analog buttons, Praise Be!

Performance-wise, the suspension’s a bit stiff and rattly for my liking, but the ride is quite nice. Seats are buttery soft (and, as mentioned, heated). The steering wheel is power-adjustable. Sunroof is nice to have, too.

All in all, we’ll happily keep the MDX until I find my next non-negotiable, because I’m just not vibing with the whole “egg on wheels” thing.

I still just want a boxy overlander

Next on my radar? A Lexus GX.