We're down to our to 2 vehicle choices, the Highlander Limited and the MDX Elite (the Sport/Entertainment package in the U.S.). We're kind of at a stand still and having a tough time deciding! Here's our personal list of preferences for each vehicle:

Highlander Advantages:
* SmartKey system
* peppiness of the engine
* nav is touchscreen
* lots of heating vents for 2nd/3rd row passengers
* spacious interior
* visibility of side mirrors
* rear window opens
* levers for folding 2nd row seats

MDX Advantages:
* driver's memory seat/steering wheel/mirrors/climate/audio
* power adjust steering wheel
* reverse tilt mirrors
* heated 2nd row seats
* split 3rd row seat
* smooth and quiet ride
* nicer looking interior (woodgrain trim is much nicer) and exterior
* safer (according to http://informedforlife.org/)
* headlight washers

Like I said, these are our reasons, so others might not have the same opinion. The MDX is pricier, but right now Acura Canada offers a 7K rebate on the MDX Elite, and we can deal on the price as well. Toyota's current rebate is 3K and you basically have to pay the asking price. So, in the end, price is close enough for us not to be considering price as a factor.

For anyone else who considered both of these vehicles, what swayed you to the Highlander?

ETA: and I should add I have read the Consumer Reports article and their opinions tend not to sway me for any product.

My wife and I pretty much narrowed the field down to the MDX and the Highlander as well. You are not going to go wrong with either vehicle, but we ended up going with the Highlander (Limited, NAV, DVD, etc.). I don't recall what the price difference would have been for us to get an MDX with Tech and Entertainment, but I think it was a few grand (although, this was not much of a factor in our decision).

The determining factor for us is we have a young family and need more of the family friendly features of the Highlander versus the luxury features of the MDX. The MDX seemed/is more luxurious than the Highlander and we may have got it if we did not have any young kids.

So, what were those differences?

- Smart key (we are always carrying a ton of stuff, can never remember if keys are in the diaper bag, jacket pocket, etc.). Just walk up to the car and the door automatically unlocks.
- Conversation mirror (while minor, it is a nice feature with kids in the back)
- Rear window opens (even with the power lift gate, we use this quite a bit).
- Slightly better fueld economy. 17/23 vs 15/20.
- Cargo space/flexibility. While the 3rd row seat does not split in the Highlader, there is greater cargo space when all rear seats are folded down. Also, you can automatically fold down the second row of seats by pulling a switch near the tailgate in the Highlander (makes cargo expansion easier than the MDX).
- Access to the third row. In the MDX the access to the third row is via folding down the second row passenger side seat. We keep a toddler's car seat in that seat, so that makes folding down that seat impossible. The Highlander can either have that seat folded or the middle seat in the second row can be removed for access to the third row. This was a deal breaker for us with the MDX.

I really liked the MDX, although my wife was not as impressed. I liked the interior of the MDX better, my wife did not (she didn't like the dark gray wood trim - although many people don't like the Highlander's wood trim either). The handling of the MDX is superior, but with a young family we are not necessarily looking to whip the car around corners! In terms of safety, they are both very safe SUVs and I would have a tough time rating one higher than the other (they were both top picks by the IIHS).

Like I told my wife, having to choose between these two SUVs is a good problem to have. Good luck.

 

Thanks everyone, your comments are very much appreciated!

- Conversation mirror (while minor, it is a nice feature with kids in the back)

I am not familiar with this feature, can you tell me what it is? I obviously didn't notice it when we test drove the Highlander (twice).

- Access to the third row. In the MDX the access to the third row is via folding down the second row passenger side seat. We keep a toddler's car seat in that seat, so that makes folding down that seat impossible. The Highlander can either have that seat folded or the middle seat in the second row can be removed for access to the third row. This was a deal breaker for us with the MDX.

Coincidentally, my husband and I just had a conversation about this, this morning! We've got some thoughts about it, if you can add to or correct us at all, that would be swell!

Have you found you can actually get to the 3rd row with the console in place? We had our 10 year old try it out, and the console was in the way. So we removed the console and then she tried. She could make it through, but not without dragging her winter boots along the seats and snagging her leg on a metal piece that is used to attach the seat/console. Even when you remove the console, the floor is not flat, so you can't just shuffle your feet along the floor and squeeze through. So, in all honesty, we didn't think access to the 3rd row through the middle was actually useful since it was a pain even for a skinny, 10 year old. I wonder though, if you have found it to be different in regular practice?

Our plan is to put our toddler behind the passenger seat (in either vehicle). The child restraint will be rear facing until baby reaches the rear facing limits of our seat (we extended rear face because it's safer, so baby will be rear facing to sometime between 2 and 3). So, this means there is no way to get access to a 3rd row in either vehicle via the passenger side seat. And since we didn't find the centre access possible in the Highlander, we rated the vehicles the same in this regard. When the 3rd row was needed, we were going to shift the seat over to the driver's side and then access the 3rd row from the passenger side.

My husband's other thought is that we always have stuff in the cargo area. A stroller, a couple bins for grocery shopping, and usually various other random things that accidentally get left. This would mean that if we need the 3rd row unexpectedly, we've got nowhere to put our stuff as it's never going to fit behind the 3rd row of the Highlander. With the MDX, we could at least carry one person in the 3rd row, and the leave the other seat down to still have room for the cargo.

We've also got 2 strollers, one is umbrella style and hopefully will fit behind the 3rd row in either vehicle (haven't tested it yet), but the other is a book fold so would never fit behind the 3rd row of the Highlander, but would fit in the MDX with half of the 3rd row folded down (so still have the capability to carry one person in the 3rd row).

Does any of what I said sound workable? Feel free to point out where I may be dreaming or not practical and let me know how the Highlander would resolve these situations better!

In terms of safety, they are both very safe SUVs and I would have a tough time rating one higher than the other (they were both top picks by the IIHS).

This is true, but if you go to informedforlife.org you can see that they use an algorithm to evaluate both the IIHS and NHTSA ratings in combination with other factors about the vehicles. The MDX ends up with a better rating than the Highlander (although the Highlander also does well!).

Here's what I did not like - no smart key, and the second row seat cannot be moved forward to give more leg space to third row - this was a big problem. We are having a baby next month and the baby will be in the 2nd row seat, the seat will be moved forward to allow use of the third row seat by visiting relatives and friends.

Our baby (well toddler) is still in the infant seat (we have the Graco SafeSeat which goes to 30#, 32" so fits the average baby until around 18 months). When you put that seat in the 2nd row, there is no way you can move the 2nd row forward for extra leg room in the 3rd row. Maybe you could if you also made the front passenger move their seat up so they were close to the dash assuming your passenger would be comfortable with that. Once a convertible toddler seat is in there, it's not going to provide anymore room when rear facing, so you'd run into the same issue.

I hear you on that SmartKey, I REALLY want that feature!! I loved using it on our test drives!

As for the CX-9, we ruled it out because it doesn't tow enough for us, so we didn't even bother to take a look. Which is sadly the same reason why we ruled out the Highlander Hybrid, 3500# wasn't enough. If the Hybrid had towed 5000#, I wouldn't even need to be having this discussion.

 

Also..
MDX requires 91 octane
Highlander uses 87 octane

MDX has Super Handling All Wheel Drive (SH_AWD) which may be more sophisticated system than the Highlander if you are into AWD techy stuff

 

Also..
MDX requires 91 octane
Highlander uses 87 octane

Correct, thanks for the reminder!

 

my wife and I had also narrowed it down between the Higlander, MDX and the Mazda CX-9
I was most impressed with the plush luxurious feel of the interior in the MDX. Here's what I did not like - no smart key, and the second row seat cannot be moved forward to give more leg space to third row - this was a big problem. We are having a baby next month and the baby will be in the 2nd row seat, the seat will be moved forward to allow use of the third row seat by visiting relatives and friends. The leather in the HL is very functional - its not super plush Milano leather like the MDX, but to us that was a plus - as babies tend to errr... drip!
I also love the tech built in to the car. I hate the built in navs in the car. I love my tomtom. so I did not want the nav. with the HL, i still got the backup camera, BT, and the steering mounted controls for everything - including climate control!
I also like the drive of the HL, it is very smooth and car like - important for the baby.

As someone said, you cannot go wrong with either. However, it depends on what matters more to you?
driver memory seats, luxurious feel (MDX)
or
adjustable legroom for third row seats, smart key (HL)

Tarun

P.S. We chose not to go with the Mazda because of the known reliability of the Toyota and the fact that we were getting similar pricing on both.

 

We camp, and the larger stroller comes with us camping because of the AT wheels

Might take the stroller with you on your next test drive to see how it fits.

With the third row seat up you might have a problem with all of the gear you want to take.

 

We've actually got a cargo box that we take camping and the stroller goes in it for the trip there and back, so likely not a worry. Stroller goes with us in the vehicle while we're there as the cargo box is a pain to access and not something I'm able to do on my own while lifting a 25 pound stroller above my head! Also, most times we won't need the 3rd row up for the trip, just for when we get there (the rest of the family meets up with us so takes their own vehicle). Thus, I think it will be workable, just have to accept that the stroller would either stay behind for day excursions if we are using the 3rd row, or not take the nieces in our vehicle if we take the stroller.

 

Dory-

Have you considered any full size SUVs? Based off the amount of "stuff" you haul around and the 3rd row seat accessibility issues you raise, most of these can be resolved with a larger SUV.

Hard for me to tell if these issues are high on your priority/wish list or if you are just seeing if they can be met with a mid size SUV. Good luck.

 

We briefly looked at larger SUV's, but the gas mileage scared me off! And the larger ones just don't look as good as the mid size ones. Plus, they are just so freakin' huge! We only use the one vehicle and I just can't imagine driving a huge one around on a daily basis. We looked at the Outlook/Acadia/Enclave and although it was roomier in the inside, even it was larger than we like (it is sooooo tall).

Our camping is only done in the summer, so honestly 2 months out of the year. And we are towing a folding trailer, so most of our gear goes there, then we basically carry the food and things to occupy the kids inside the vehicle, and stroller and a few other things go in the rooftop cargo box. We've done it the last 3 summers with our Ford Escape and been just fine, except that as we add kids, and as they grow, we are basically towing at the limit of our Escape.

The 3rd row really is just for occasional use. Honestly, we'll use it every month or so if we take my parents to dinner, or if the nieces come with us to an event. Then in the summer for a few weekends while camping. So, it's not really a big user for us.

I am probably making the issues sound more serious than they are. I am really just doing as you said, and seeing how workable these things are. If they aren't doable AT ALL, then obviously were looking at the wrong vehicles, but if they are workable, then we'll be fine for the times we need the 3rd row or need to haul a bunch of stuff.

 

We've actually got a cargo box that we take camping and the stroller goes in it for the trip there and back

Be sure you read the tread on the Thule pod issue and be aware that the cross rails for the roof rack are not standard equipment.

Some dealers are ordering more of them with the cross rails but it took me a month an a half to get mine. They were on back order and the date kept sliding until someone on this forum pointed me to Cowboy Toyota in Dallas which shipped them the day I ordered them...jeez

Link to the Thule discussion..

http://www.toyotanation.com/forum/showthread.php?t=226114

Sounds like the key is to put the rear door all the way up and see if there is enough room for your cargo box. A square box is probably better than a long box

 

Thanks for this info! We'd be buying shortly, so they'd have plenty of time to get us the cross rails before camping season, we'd just order right away in case they took an extra long time.

I am on my way to read the Thule thread, but sounds like it might be good that we went with the square box (Thule Excursion) for our Escape, rather than the long box! We liked the short because it didn't cover the moonroof. Off to read and cross my fingers that the one we already have works...

 

Not to stir the pot too much, but I would recommend you choose the Acura. I bought my HL Limited in early August - it was one of the first of the new Highlanders in my neck of the woods. So far I have about 4000 km on it, and it has started to do funny things. A symphony of rattles under the dash, a very noticeable "drone" type sound at all speeds, none of which could be fixed by Toyota. A little legwork on Google led me to a RAV 4 forum that described the "drone" sound (reverberation) exactly, and none of the posters with this problem had been given an explanation or a solution by Toyota. The initial encounter with Toyota is often denial, and the next encounter is usually "its normal". Well, I know it is not. The bottom line is that it is probably not a good idea to buy ANY new vehicle in it's first year of production as there are always issues. Since I bought my Highlander Toyota has gone from Consumer Reports #1 in initial quality to #5 (Honda and Acura are now #1 and #2). Take that with a grain of salt, of course, but it seems to me at this junction that there are unresolved issues with the 2008 HL that even the best extended warranty cannot help. I will more than likely trade my 2008 HL in for another vehicle in the next few months. It is really too bad, as the HL is a very capable vehicle that would be a perfect for me if only the quality control were a bit better. Ironically, the 2008 HL is the first vehicle to benefit from Toyota's "Customer First" initiative, intended to make up for the rather disastrous fall in quality that Toyota has experienced over the past few years. Toyota is now the "recall king" of the auto world. It's a shame really, but that's the way it is. Maybe I just got a lemon, but I suspect not. YMMV. Keep in mind that this advice (which is worth exactly what you paid for it) is coming from a Toyota enthusiast of over two decades.

 

Not to stir the pot too much, but I would recommend you choose the Acura. I bought my HL Limited in early August - it was one of the first of the new Highlanders in my neck of the woods. So far I have about 4000 km on it, and it has started to do funny things. A symphony of rattles under the dash, a very noticeable "drone" type sound at all speeds, none of which could be fixed by Toyota. .

Sorry you had problems with your HL. Noise issues are a real pain. Fortunately I have had zero problems with the one I bought in November 2007.

Acura did a MDX upgrade for 2007 and if you read the MDX user forums they are seeing similar symptoms as yours on occasion.

There are no perfect cars and you roll the dice on model year changes for the first six months until they work out the kinks.
Toyota came out with felt strips for squeaks experienced with the 2007 Camry when it first was introduced. Took a while for Toyota to issue the TSB and fix kits though.

With all manufacturers some service departments have a higher skill level then others. Service advisor's are generalists and usually do not have specific knowledge of issues with all models coming through the doors.

Might try another dealership in your area to see if you get better results with your issues.

 

We are another that were looking at the MDX Elite vs. the Highlander. We are also in Canada, but price was a large issue for us for the simple reason that were unable to justify the extra $ for the luxury and refinement of the MDX. The extra for us was a lot more than a few grand, it was more like $13K+, but this is to the Sport as I wanted the sport suspension more than the Limited features. Note that the $7K on the MDX is only available to cash purchasers whereas the Toyota cash incentive can be "stacked" with decent financing rates and other discounts. Last month Toyota had $4K off plus we negotiated another $3K discount, so we were $7K below MSRP. I guess what I am saying is that for us the Highlander had more value for our $, but then again this is an extra vehicle we were looking to for decent mileage, ease of use, utility and bad-weather capability.

You cannot go wrong with either, but to me these vehicles although both 7 seater CUV's are in very different classes. The interior and fit and finish of the Highlander just does not compare. If the $ difference is <$5K I would go for the MDX in a heartbeat.

Good Luck!

 

My wife and I also heavily considered a base MDX but in the end it came down to price. We got a Highlander Sport AWD with Nav and leather for a lot less than even a base MDX would have cost. The MDX did drive better and has a nicer interior but the HL drives pretty well and the interior is pretty nice also.

Plus, the HL has a number of nice features that the MDX didn't. The opening rear glass, deletable third row, better mpg on 87 octane, sliding second row and touchscreen Nav are all very nice and we paid about $5k less than a base MDX would have cost.

 

Wow ktmd. I am saddened by your post. I am very sorry to hear about your issues. I too am an early adopter. I have an 08 Sport with almost 4k miles.
There are some dash rattles which I have localized to the speaker grilles. Notably the drivers side dash mounted speaker. Seems worse in cold weather. I will address this on first service visit. I don't expect miracles, but I won't settle for stock answers like "I don't hear it" or "it can't be fixed". Honestly, my 5 year old has so many toys and games, etc. stuffed in every bin, there is a virtual symphony of noises inside the vehicle.

I don't know about the droning sound. not sure I know what to listen for. Anyway, I really want to believe that you and me and everyone else here did not buy a lemon. We love ours so far.

FYI - Acura is not perfect - a quick check on the MDX Carspace forum finds many people complaining about one thing or another. Most prominently, a "thumping sound" from the front suspension on 08 MDX's.

Nothings perfect - nothing. Good luck with your HL.

 

Wow ktmd. I am saddened by your post. I am very sorry to hear about your issues. I too am an early adopter. I have an 08 Sport with almost 4k miles.
There are some dash rattles which I have localized to the speaker grilles. Notably the drivers side dash mounted speaker. Seems worse in cold weather. I will address this on first service visit. I don't expect miracles, but I won't settle for stock answers like "I don't hear it" or "it can't be fixed". Honestly, my 5 year old has so many toys and games, etc. stuffed in every bin, there is a virtual symphony of noises inside the vehicle.

Mine does the exact same thing. No other problems to date, but the driver's side speaker grille definitely "talks" when it's cold outside. I'll have to ask about that at my next oil change I guess. Can get pretty annoying at times.

 

I really appreciate everyone's replies! I agree that there are always niggly problems. I hate to hear when someone is having an issue, but I know that most dealers tend to deal with things the same, step 1: you're imagining it/there's nothing wrong/we couldn't replicate the problem, step 2: we replicated your issue and it's normal, step 3: it's a know issue and here's a TSB (happens MONTHS later!)

So, I don't expect Acura to be any different than Toyota in this respect or any different than Ford, GM....you get the idea!

 

Why choose the HH?

I lined up all the potential vehicles when I chose to get a new car... but bottom line which is the one that has the lowest emissions and sets the best example for our kids. The hybrid by a mile (or 1.609344 km if you're in Canada). It's not perfect, but it's as close as I "need" it to be.:thumbup:

 

I lined up all the potential vehicles when I chose to get a new car... but bottom line which is the one that has the lowest emissions and sets the best example for our kids. The hybrid by a mile (or 1.609344 km if you're in Canada). It's not perfect, but it's as close as I "need" it to be.:thumbup:

Actually the Hybrid was my first choice, but unfortunately it only tows 3500#. The trailer we tow is 3000# loaded, then kids, adults, cargo box, strollers and bikes on the vehicle, and we can't carry it all with that tow rating.

 

Example for kids? The current hybrids are ecological nightmares! That includes the production of the equipment needed for electrical operation as well as the disposal and replacement scenarios on down the road for the battery packs.

You can pat yourself on the back if you want, but it's misplaced enthusiasm.

 

I hope you're not basing this opinion on the "Hummer vs. Prius" article because the holes in that were large enough to drive a Hummer through.

Electric motors aren't very detrimental to the environment and are fully recyclable. Similarly, the NiMH batteries are fully recyclable also and the production of them is nowhere near as bad as that article says.

 

Well, I took my HL in for servicing and they could not find any rattles, nor could they hear the droning sound (my kids and I could easily and we were along for the ride at the same time). Unhappy about this I asked what kind of trade in value I could expect should I decide to trade my 2008 HL with approx 3500 kms for a Toyota of a different model ( I was thinking 4Runner - a well proven vehicle at the end of it's build cycle). I was shocked to be offered less than 75% of the new price of my HL - a loss of almost $13,000. In addition, no credit would be given for my $1800 extended warranty or the $1000 protection package (paint, undercoat, leather protection), bringing the total loss to me up to $15,800 + lost taxes. I felt that was a bit much for a 5 month old current model vehicle in new shape with no accidents and low mileage but I was told that was absolutely the best they could do for me as the vehicle is pretty much illiquid. Apparently 2008 Highlanders are not selling well at all in Canada, especially the more expensive trims, even with the current nationwide $3000 rebate. I have been buying from the same salesman at this same dealer for many years, so I have no reason to doubt what I was told. Needless to say I was disappointed. With mixed feelings I will keep my HL and seek out a different dealer to service it. Hopefully with time I will become used to the droning sound.

 

Well, I took my HL in for servicing and they could not find any rattles, nor could they hear the droning sound

Here is a link to what was the fix on RAV4's with the V6/5 speed 4WD with this problem. Might be the same thing on your HL

Cause of RAV4 drone at Highway Speed

 

Thanks Paul. I agree about the protection package comment. I don't think I will ever buy that again. When I bought it I asked my dealer why I should bother. His response: resale value. Having the package on a new vehicle helps resale value he said. Obviously this is not true, as he was unwilling to make any concessions at all for the fact that I (foolishly) bought the package from him. Lesson learned.

I realize there is significant depreciation during the first year, but I thought that was a bit much, especially since I was given the usual speech about Toyotas having high resale value when I bought the HL. I guess I am just too trusting of my dealer.

The noise was definitely not present when the vehicle was new, so I agree that it may be possible to fix it, but it is a big hassle bringing the vehicle in to the dealer multiple times for the same problem. I'll keep trying though. I do like the HL - if this droning problem and the dash rattles can be fixed I will be happy.

 

Another source of noise on the RAV4 V6

Cause of RAV4 V6 whine at low speeds

Don't know how much commonality in power train components there are between the V6 in the RAV4 and the V6 in the HL but it may be a rock that hasn't been turned over yet due to the HL being new.

Next time you do the dealer service dept thing for the drone noise take aride with a senior tech mechanic and demonstrate what you are talking about with him in the HL.

 

2008 Highlander Engine Drone

I really feel for you on this drone,it cannot bee fixed the drone come from the intake manifold design, my wifes 2006 Avalon had this drone,so my dealer replaces the intake manifold,said it had a crack,this did not stop the drone,the way I stopped it was to sell the car and purchase a 2007 Lexus ES 350,but hears the kicker,the Lexus has a drone also. Go back to your dealer and drive other Highlanders until you find one that does not drone then trade for it. We drove three 2008 Avalons befor we found one that did not drone much,but we could get the Lexus for less money. Good luck