Acura MDX Owner Considering LR4 - '11 LR4 Test Drive

[danrhiggins]

Hey, there. I am currently a new (2014) Acura MDX owner. It is an impressive vehicle for the money but it has some things that are frustrating - primarily the foolish move to Voice Command and a touch screen in lieu of hard buttons even for some commonly used operations. (This seems to be a sad trend with vehicle manufacturers.) And of course the requisite software bugs/issues associated with a model makeover.

I have joined this forum because I am rethinking my decision. A major reason for moving away from my prior vehicle (Lexus RX350) was because I was afraid it was not the best vehicle for exploring the back roads of Colorado. I had used it on a couple and feared I would break it. That got me looking around. The MDX siren song of new tech and awesome driving experience on pavement won me over before I took the time to really think it through. It is a great on-pavement vehicle. But it is not a truck. If anything they "softened" this version including making it an inch or more lower. I can live with it if necessary but some of this regret has me looking around and researching more off road capable vehicles. I would never go ********* but I need to do a lot more than the typical soccer mom who is afraid of snow (which I am not.) I just want to be able to go on some back roads that have plenty of washboarding, *** holes, large rocks and the occasional deep rut without fear of breaking something.

I drove a 2011 LR4 yesterday. One thing I noticed is that the ride felt a bit like the truck was "floating" over the road. Almost like an old Oldsmobile with somewhat weak shocks. It felt more "loose" than my RX350 had and Lexus isn't known for a stiff ride. Could this have been an issue with the vehicle or some setting? It just felt really soft. I don't want BMW-like road feel. Maybe I need to give it more time? (BTW, the sales person took me to a dirt road with a rut that would have swallowed my Acura and had me drive right into it and out again. And that was in "normal" terrain mode. Crazy!)

The other thing I noticed was wind noise - noticeably more than with my Acura. Are there different packages that are better at noise reduction/dampening than others? I don't know which model the '11 was. But the steering wheel positioning was manual, not electric, if that is an indicator of the model. It also had a 3rd seat.

Is that softer, "floating" ride something I should expect with the LR4? By comparison, the Lexus LX570 felt "heavier", more "solid", when I drove it a couple weeks ago.

Finally, any thoughts on how the supercharged 6 cylinder w/ 8-speed transmission in the 2014 LR4 will do in the Colorado mountains and if pulling a (3-5K lbs) trailer in those mountains?

 

[bash535i]

Dan,

The manual wheel adjustment at least indicates that it was a Lux edition because that was a standard option in my 2012 Lux.

I've driven the a couple of LX570 and feel that their ride more floaty than the LR4. To me, the LR4 is moderately soft sprung, but tight as far as steering, etc... I believe the air ride gives it that quality. In comparison, the Lx570 and the LandCruiser both seam to glide over the rough stuff with a smooth ride, but the wheels/suspension feel and sound like they are really taking a beating.

For a ride somewhere in between, you might try a 2013 or 2014 Mercedes GL. We just picked one up for my wife and I have to say that I'm very impressed with the ride and even more so with the power of the twin turbo V8. Unless you plan on mudding it or rock crawling, the Mercedes would do just fine for moderate off road use and is the king of road trip as it eats up the miles in great comfort.

 

[danrhiggins]

Thanks. I do plan to do some heavier off road stuff here in Colorado which is why I have not gone with the MB. I looked at it when I chose the MDX last June. This time around looking for something geared more for off-road though I realize I'll give up a bit of ride and drive dynamics on pavement.

 

[Finlayforprez]

Thanks. I do plan to do some heavier off road stuff here in Colorado which is why I have not gone with the MB. I looked at it when I chose the MDX last June. This time around looking for something geared more for off-road though I realize I'll give up a bit of ride and drive dynamics on pavement.

If you want to do heavier off road driving in CO, then the LR4 is a great choice. I like the GL, but it's better on the road. There are various SUVs that are better on the road, but the overall package of the LR4 is hard to beat.

Best of luck in your decision.