http://www.acura.com/content/MDX/Lea...MDX_eprint.pdf

Caddy placing second with the SRX, a design that, yes, has been refreshed in the last year or so, but is still basically designed back when GM, IMO was struggling to make a design that was really GREAT (to me this started with the new GMT-900 trucks and has continued with the new CTS, Malibu, and a couple of others).

Granted, it was a very distant second based on their rating scale, but regardless, beating out all of the rest, even if by a narrow margin, speaks well for a design that should be benefiting from a ground up redesign in the next couple of years anyway.

I wonder how the new Acadia would have ranked in that test? Off the top of my head, though, it was probably too big to be compared to those and would have likely ranked poorly since performance is high on C&D's list of attributes to score by, even in SUVs.

The MDX seems to be a great on road and poor weather SUV all around. Really killer in almost every respect. I've gotten some pretty significant seat time in two of them so far and do have one complaint:
It feels nothing like 300hp should in an SUV of this class. Maybe it's too heavy. Maybe it's too refined. Maybe its torque curve is too peaky. I don't know... hell, maybe it's all three. But hitting the pedal in the MDX was not at all an exciting experience. Sufficient and refined acceleration? Yes. "Sporty"? Not by any means. I've driven X5s and other similar SUVs with power claims in a similar range to the MDX and they all felt quite a bit more responsive and powerful...

 

Not bad. And to tell you the truth, I was not aware of any refresh. Looks like it'll be able to do very well when it gets a ground up redesign.

 

Yeah the SRX refresh added some improvements to the interior, including hand-stitched leather on the dash among a few other things that I can't recall off the top of my head...

 

Didn't Guy or Charlie say the SRX was on the way out?

 

Hadn't heard that, but if it is I have to assume something will replace it? Surely they aren't planning on having the Escalade be their only luxury branded SUV?

 

BRX will be on the low end but I do think the SRX is headed the way of the B-body.

 

The front nose also got a refresh.

old


new

 

The SRX is on it's 5th model year already, and is due to be redone or replaced before the 2010 model year (which would have given it a very long life by current automotive standards).

 

SRX had the best powertrain score

 

I spent about a week and a 1/2 in a 06 SRX with a 3.6 and no AWD . I can understand why it is still so appealing . I was expecting it to be ho-hum like almost every suv or crossover Ive ever driven . In contrast , it ended up being quite a fun ride to drive . The 3.6 felt qwik and it handled amazingly well and I LOVE the way it looks . The only thing I disliked about it was the horrible interior and Caddy fixed that for 07 .

 

If you like the 6 banger in the SRX, you should drive one with the V8!

 

Car and Driver has always liked the SRX. I can't figure out why though. I think it's terrible. I drove one along with several competitive models years ago and it was the worst of the bunch.

Of all GM vehicles for Car and Driver to like, I don't understand why they like this one.

 

Yeah, it's toast. Probably by around '10.