I'm looking for a dd after my rav4 got written off. I'm cheap and only want to spend about 5k. My girlfriend and I have 4 kids between (none in car seats) but its pretty rare for us all to be in one vehicle. I'm considering an 02-06 Acura mdx or a pilot. Any advice? Do all years have transmission issues or is it more popular in some years? Any help is appreciated.
Other options I'm considering are xterra, pathfinder, 97x, v6 vue, 3.4 4runner.
A buddy of mine has had an early MDX for yrs and yrs,think he's around 400k on it.
Was thinking recently about selling,decided to keep it and simply add a mini.Shows his trust in it if nothing else.
This thread is relevant to my interests. I've been looking at the same lineup of medium SUVs.
its hard to beat a 3.4 4runner, will run forever and get you anywhere you need to go
maybe consider what you will use it for most? MDX and pilot are 'upsized' cars, while the rest of your list is mostly 'downsized' trucks.
They will drive accordingly. They will tow accordingly.
I'm going to tow, but any of them will do what I need. The option of third row seat is nice though.
Somewhere I have a photo of my step mom's MDX with one of the back wheels 2 feet off the ground traversing a wash in the southern California Mountains. Pretty good for an 'up sized car'.
That was probably 8 years ago, and the it's still going strong.
I love my family's MDX. Years ago I bought an 02 MDX with 150K on it. The transmission was just done by the dealer (under warranty) at 125K, so that was already updated. Performed flawlessly until it was t-boned at 197K by an idiot driver. All five passengers walked away. Also towed my race car for about 1100 miles at 19.5 MPG.
Replaced it with an 04 with 70K miles after we got our settlement money because it checks all the boxes. I believe the transmission issue was solved by 04. Either way it's at 115K miles with no issues...yet.
My mom has an 05 or so Pilot that she's had since new, probably has 120k or so on it now. Its super boring to drive, but I guess that's the point. Also, leg room is somewhat lacking for me in the driver's seat (6'3 34" inseam) but I've only found that to be an annoyance after several hours behind the wheel.
Aside from those minor complaints it has been a fantastic vehicle for my parents. I think its taken brakes and tires over 10+ years and that's it, like literally not a single problem ever.
EDIT: On second thought, I think its an 07, so only 8 years old.
Iv drive a 03 Pilot we bought new with 170+ miles on it now.It will bore you to death. Make sure the trans and rear end fluids have been changed regularly. Drive it with everything off and listen for unusual noises around 25-30, also make sharp turns forwards and reverse. The rear end will growl if the fluid has not been changed regularly. I would not tow much with one.
weren't the first gen Pilots made by Isuzu ?
wbjones wrote: weren't the first gen Pilots made by Isuzu ?
Nope. Those were the Passports from the early 90s.
In reply to wbjones: Your thinking of the Passport
scottdownsouth wrote: Iv drive a 03 Pilot we bought new with 170+ miles on it now.It will bore you to death. Make sure the trans and rear end fluids have been changed regularly. Drive it with everything off and listen for unusual noises around 25-30, also make sharp turns forwards and reverse. The rear end will growl if the fluid has not been changed regularly. I would not tow much with one.
This is the best advice you're going to get. IF they have been maintained, they'll last forever. If not, they'll be a big ass headache forever. Wouldn't use one to tow on a regular basis with all the TC and trans issues they've had over the years.
Also, expexct P/S noise. It's quite common. Install a cooler (along with a new pump) and it should last a long while.
Why no Sequoia or Tahoe on your list? Those would tow better and don't have the transmission issues that the Honda products from that era suffer from. The mileage difference is not huge between a 4 runner / path finder and the bigger SUV's.
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