I’m trying to keep these short, but check out the full report on the 2007 Acura MDX and Infiniti G35x on KickingTires. I enjoyed both but think too many medium sized SUVs are giving up a lot of room for (now) standard 3rd row seats like the MDX. The G35x is terrific for the money and all-wheel drive and if we didn't have a dog I'd seriously consider buying one.
Acura MDX
- Parallel Parking: Pretty good for something this large, but the steering is tight at low speeds. Grade: B-
- Winter Driving: SH-AWD is terrific and standard on the MDX. Grade: A
- Features: There was tons of stuff inside and out that were good like the automated rear liftgate (which didn’t work from the key fob every time). Grade: A
- Mileage: 19/23 city/hwy mpg. Premium is needed and at fill-up my editor said it got 15 mpg in a decent mix of city and highway driving. Grade: B-
- Price: $39,995 for this size of SUV and near luxury. Grade: A-
Infiniti G35x
- Parallel Parking: As good as you would expect from a sedan this size with AWD. Grade: B
- Winter Driving: AWD was surprisingly good in heavy winter driving. Paired to the 306 hp engine it’s a nice mix of stability and power but not as fun as the RWD. Of course you couldn’t’ pay me not to get the AWD in Chicago. Grade: A
- Features: The interior is top notch with a crazy sound system. A single disc up front, 6-disc changer in the trunk and it can rip CDs straight to a harddrive for later playback. Pretty nifty. Grade: A
- Mileage: 19/25 city/hwy mpg. Again you need premium but it could be worse. Grade: B-
- Price: $33,950. Probably one of the best luxury values out there when you consider the engine and the AWD. Plus, the interior is top notch. No longer a poor man’s BMW. Grade: A+
