Last year we bought my wife a new Honda CR-V as her Honda Accord wasn’t going to cut it when our son was born. I stared driving her car a bit and really enjoyed driving it. I started looking the Acura RDX as it was a step up in terms of options from the CR-V and drooled. While I wasn’t looking for a new car, I could dream. After driving my wife’s car for awhile, we soon realized that it was a bit small once you pile in the baby stuff and that our next car might have to be bigger. My Toyota Highlander is a little bigger, so it will work fine when we need to pack in more stuff like Aiden’s wagon.
However, I still look at new cars online and have been convinced that the Acura RDX’s big brother (last year was the RDX’s first model year), the MDX would be the car for me if I was in the market for a new car. Two years ago, I wrote about the ideal car. The car has all the options I want, the room I’d want, and almost meets my requirements for my ideal car. Last year’s MDX model disappointed me with respect to its gas mileage, so I was hoping that the 2009 would do better. The EPA estimates for it are 15/20 with 17 combined. Ouch! The Acura web site indicates that the EPA changed the calculations in 2008 and you shouldn’t compare it with older estimates. The RDX does slightly better with 17/22 and 19 combined, but those figures are just awful. Why are they so bad? My guess is that they put an engine in the vehicles is far too large for what is actually needed. Do I need a car with a turbocharger or 300 HP engine? Of course not. So when can I get the car I want with mileage ratings at least in the mid 20 MPG? It doesn’t seem like it should be that hard.
Maybe next year.
Also take a look at cars by GM, specifically GMC. They have OnStar which is great for families, saved my fathers life back when a speeding truck ran the light and flipped his suv. Airbags deployed which triggered Onstar who got an ambulance out. I’ve had my Yukon for a few years now and have never been happier with a car. Quality built, lots of room, nice set of technology (side airbags, XM radio, Nav, DVD in the back) Onstar is also great for when you lock your keys in the car (which I’ve had to use twice, prob payed for itself than having a locksmith come out), plus it emails me monthly health reports and system checks (it tests things like airbags, transmission, brakes, tire pressure). I don’t use the hands free calling very often but it is a life saver when I don’t have cell coverage, it usually does.
We like Hondas and Toyotas, so we’ll stick with them. I know that quality has gotten better in US cars, but our Japanese cars have never given us problems. My wife’s Accord was 10 years old and going strong when we got rid of it.