Went car shopping

[Nc211]

Kicked some tires yesterday to waste some time. Not interested in replacing the Bronco, but wife’s car is getting up there in mileage (MB GLS). Nothing wrong with it, just curious what the market looked like today. Two conclusions….

First: I’d be really pissed if I had to buy a new car these days! Not only are they insanely expensive, but the interiors all seem to be getting too cramped and sparse, especially in the center console area. Looked at Mazda, VW, Jeep (Grand Cherokee), Volvo. Didn’t make it to Ford, but already know what the Explorer is like. Not interested in the bigs anymore (Expedition, Yukon, etc).

Second: My Bronco. I can’t stress enough how liberating, relaxing, and enjoyable it is to have a vehicle that is meant to have as much dust and pollen in it, as there is on it! This car has ruined me for other cars.

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[23OBX2.7]

New MDX Type S brought the dash & console buttons back.....not. GLS but it's got buttons and seats look nice.

 

[wjtinfwb]

New MDX Type S brought the dash & console buttons back.....not. GLS but it's got buttons and seats look nice.

We have an MDX. It followed a Grand Cherokee and ML500. The MDX is not an exciting car to drive. What it is however is absolutely painless to own. No problems outside of a flat tire. 5 years in it’s on the original battery and has only required routine maintenance. It’s like a major appliance, sitting quietly until needed, then doing its job and going back to rest. After the Jeep and Mercedes, that’s pretty comforting and nice to have. I’d love to have a reason to replace it but I can’t think of anything valid. It shares garage space with my Bronco which has also been great. I highly recommend the MDX if you’re in the market.

 

[23OBX2.7]

We have an MDX. It followed a Grand Cherokee and ML500. The MDX is not an exciting car to drive. What it is however is absolutely painless to own. No problems outside of a flat tire. 5 years in it’s on the original battery and has only required routine maintenance. It’s like a major appliance, sitting quietly until needed, then doing its job and going back to rest. After the Jeep and Mercedes, that’s pretty comforting and nice to have. I’d love to have a reason to replace it but I can’t think of anything valid. It shares garage space with my Bronco which has also been great. I highly recommend the MDX if you’re in the market.

Is its the same as 2026 MDX S? Everything on the market is boring outside of Bronco....

 

[Bud_D]

We looked at Acura MDX's last week (non "S" package). Really like it, but not the price tag. We have a 2016 Ford Edge Sport with the 2.7L twin turbo. (The reason we ordered the 2.7L in our 2024 Bronco.)

On the highway, I am used to the sudden power surge when needed. The MDX does not have that with the 3.5L. I imagine the 3.0L turbo'ed motor does.

We considered many others, but I am hoping for a non-4 cylinder power plant. Hard to find.

Doug

 

[tock13]

Looking to replace my ‘22 Mazda CX5. Test drive the new‘26 cx5 an it was a hard pass. Gone is soft touch dash. No buttons, everything on stupidly oversized lcd you have to dig through a bunch of menu levels to get at anything.

Plus is they still have the 6spd trans and didn’t go CVT but they definitely went a lot cheaper in this one than any of the last 4 I’ve owned.

Bought 5 new Mazdas since ‘07 but I’m done. They are going the wrong direction for me. Thinking hybrid Rav.

 

[Sparkie]

….
First: I’d be really pissed if I had to buy a new car these days! Not only are they insanely expensive, but ...

Yup. Like you, I don't need a new car either. I'm very happy with my Bronco. I keep my vehicles for many years, but I plan to never let go of this Bronco.

And yes, cars are insanely expensive. I also noticed this during the pandemic.
Then I learned the most profitable division of Stellantis, Ford, and GM does NOT come from truck, car, SUV, or fleet sales.

It is their Finance Division.

As prices go up, more of the purchase gets financed - leading to more profits. They can justify higher prices by putting expected features into expensively overloaded packages. Pickup trucks are the best example. They used to be fairly modest vehicles and I've owned many from Mazda, GM, Dodge, and Ford. When I received my Bronco, I looked inside the cab of an F-150. I did not recognize the interior as a truck. It resembled a fully loaded European luxury limo.

Years ago, I didn't think this could be a sustainable business model, but it seems to be working for them. And that explains why I'm an engineer, not an economist.

 

[wjtinfwb]

We looked at Acura MDX's last week (non "S" package). Really like it, but not the price tag. We have a 2016 Ford Edge Sport with the 2.7L twin turbo. (The reason we ordered the 2.7L in our 2024 Bronco.)

On the highway, I am used to the sudden power surge when needed. The MDX does not have that with the 3.5L. I imagine the 3.0L turbo'ed motor does.

We considered many others, but I am hoping for a non-4 cylinder power plant. Hard to find.

Doug

The 3.5 in the MDX is a pretty sedate engine, the same as is in a Honda Odyssey minivan. It's quiet, smooth, reliable and and exciting as watching paint dry. I do miss the Hemi that was in the Jeep but not the 14 mpg it delivered. The MDX will move, but you've gotta explore the upper range of the tachometer to feel any rush. Certainly not the torque that the 2.7L in the Bronco offers. I'd imagine the Type-S is much better but not sure if even it can match the 2.7 EcoBoost with the 10-speed.

 

[Snacktime]

Whole car industry is missing the mark. Offroad vehicles chasing luxury, luxury vehicles chasing fuel economy, economy cars chasing vehicle size...

I use to enjoy going and test driving cars, it was one of my favorite pass times. Last car buying experience was bad, took 6-7 dealerships to find one that would do an internet sale. It just seems like they rather sit on the vehicles and let inflation drive the profits.

 

[DBX2]

Kicked some tires yesterday to waste some time. Not interested in replacing the Bronco, but wife’s car is getting up there in mileage (MB GLS). Nothing wrong with it, just curious what the market looked like today. Two conclusions….

First: I’d be really pissed if I had to buy a new car these days! Not only are they insanely expensive, but the interiors all seem to be getting too cramped and sparse, especially in the center console area. Looked at Mazda, VW, Jeep (Grand Cherokee), Volvo. Didn’t make it to Ford, but already know what the Explorer is like. Not interested in the bigs anymore (Expedition, Yukon, etc).

Second: My Bronco. I can’t stress enough how liberating, relaxing, and enjoyable it is to have a vehicle that is meant to have as much dust and pollen in it, as there is on it! This car has ruined me for other cars.

We too love our Bronco and don’t anticipate buying a car. However, weighing in - rental of a VW Atlas. Horrible car. 2.0 “turbo” was a tired old dog (only 1500 miles on it); the techno sh** was far from intuitive and controlled the entire driving experience with unnecessary dings, Bella and , alerts that took navigating 5-6 screens to reset with EVERY stop/start. And the auto stop/start was the only powerful function of the vehicle. Delayed 3-5 seconds and finally jolted the vehicle forward. Miserable.

 

[FM922]

Did you check out the new Honda Passport? V6 - Trailsport version looks good.

 

[battering ram]

Wife drives a Honda crt. They are $30k new. It’s a car to be a car. Nothing to brag about. Perfect for driving to work and groceries. Seats are crappy for a long trip. 30mpg. The awd I find does better than our expedition did

for a reliably small/mid size suv you won’t find better at $30k

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