JUDGEMENT DAY: Which SUV is the best looking? The new BMW X5 or the new Acura MDX?

Here is my opinion:
The MDX looks more like an SUV, while the BMW looks more like their cars. However, I like them both, I think that I like the looks of the X5 just are a little better right now. I have to see more pictures (The front and back of course)of the MDX before I make my final decision.

Let us see what we are going to comment on here the brand or the actual SUV? Who are the people going to pick?

I would take the MDX. Looks good with a nicely done interior.

That said, the X5 is the best South Carolina made BMW to date.

The MDX, the X5 looks--weird.

I ll take the X5 coz when u just c the car, u know its luxurious. On the other hand, the MDX is nice but its still tooooo japanese.

Definitely the MDX. The MDX is actually a fresh design while the BMW is just a rehash of the 1st generation.

Not sure the choice of pictures gives justice to either model. That said, I am partial to the X5 as it stays true to its origin and is easily recognizable.

I like the Q7. What happened 001, the Q7 is in the same segment and doing amazingly well!?

M35R- well the MDX is made by a japanese Company, lol. I think that means it will always be japanese.

MDX over the X5 though

I think the x5 looks better than the MDX. It has cleaner lines, and profile, while the MDX is quite ugly. WHats with the unconventional lines and angles? Step inside the MDX, and it gets worse. from the acwkwardly shaped steering to the ridulous amounts of wood on the dashboard. From a design pov, it has been completely downhill for Acura since the introduction of the RL. The RL, MDX, RDX, and even the new CRV have all been letdowns from Acura and Honda, companies that once had good taste in design.

However, in terms of purchasing, I wouldnt consider either one. The previous generations of both models looked much better than their current ones.

The X5 is hot......

X5

X5-
Because it saved my life today.
I was on the expressway, and trying to exit, and I was turning towards the exit when some stupid idiot in a 2000's Volvo V70 came right up in the exit lane, and I had to swerve off the road to miss him, then slam on the brakes to avoid hitting him. I right away leaned on my horn, and had a passenger snap off about 5 pictures of the car, including the plate and the driver. The guy was about 20, and the car had so much prior damage on it, the front doors were being held in place with bungee cords. Then I had another passenger call the Illinois State Police and report this moron who should never drive again.
The steering was as sharp as the first day it arrived, (tighter than the '01 MDX I had) and the brakes were very strong. (Even with the light on that said "Low Brake Fluid" !
So the Bimmer is a better driver, but the Acura is a better cruiser for long trips.

Geez...like this is a tough one! X5.

Both of these vehicles are not that great lookin IMO... To me the MDX looks a bit meatier looking, where as the X5 looks more elegant. The MDX has a hint of Mercedes GL-Class in the rear area does it not? However I would choose the BMW X5...It looks unique and instantly recognizable as a BMW... From side view I could guess the Acura to be anything Japanese...

I'll take the MDX in silver please!

Had an '02 MDX.
Traded it in 5 months later for an '02 X5.
Still has the X5 today.
Will trade it up when the new 4.8i comes out.
It's a bargan compare to my '02 X5 4.6is
Don't need all that extra space (7 seats) but it's nice to know it's there =)

X5.

It is more agressive, yet at the same time elegant.

The MDX is very bland. The designers tried to hide the bland design with a fancy grille and headlights, but failed.

It looks like it was designed for teenagers. No class.

maikoazu:
So i'm not the only one who upgrated to an X5 from a MDX.

the x5, as we don't get acura here.

if i had to choose, it'd still be the x5, as i'm a badge snob and i want the x5 3.0 tt diesel.
and the mdx looks like a dodge caliber.

The BMW X5 is a real SUV and the Acura MDX is a jacked up Honda Accord.

I choose the X5.

BMW X5, even when i hate bmw, its at least better looking than the MDX

Even though the MDX looks like a minivan I still think it looks better.

BMW X5...

The new X5 looks awesome!

Rupert - If you came to the U.S. Acura and Honda are all name! You can pay upto $70,000 for an MDX here in Canada... and upto $30,000 for a new Civic...those snitches! But the Canadian dollar is almost at par with the U.S. so I don't get it at all!

Canadian's can just go to the U.S. to buy a car... and in many cases thats what happens!

JCF110,

I heard that tax does not apply or is included when purchasing a car in Canada. Is that true?

On the sidewalk, I've seen more fat ugly girls than good looking ones. There, problem solved.

Then his opinion should be respected.

I actually like the X5...the MDX is not attractive to me...I like the current one more.
T

X5....Come on people.......the BENCHMARK!!!!!!

I'm a Honda lover, but the Acura looks more like a Honda than an Acura, bodywork doesn't have an upscale look to it like the does BMWs...sheetmetal---esp. lower part of doors---looks thin and flimsy...$41k??

Is that even a question? The X5 is thousands of times better looking than the crap Honda MDX.

The MDX is a fine example of how Jap companies follow Germans.

i have been waiting for 2 years i have 2001 purchached in 2000 i have been satisfied.the new pictures are a little disapointing maybe its the color ! i hope. the int. is ok but dash is too bissy i prefer the dash of rdx and x5 .nice sterring wheel i think the fx is jazzier and imagine a re-desing fx maybe next year does anyone have info

i must admit, i am liking the acura way better

The MDX hands down. Not just because it is much better looking inside and out, but also because the reliability is so much better, there's more room inside, and BMW is still trying to catch up to Acura's more advanced all wheel drive system.

bmwexpert,
most people don't care about handling.
people care about different things, load space, ride quality, equpment levels, price, costs, ease of access, all kinds of things.
it's head over heart most often.
we'd all love an m6 or ferrari or porsche, but if you can't afford it, the insurance, the fuel bills or the upkeep then you're not going to get one. (a good reason why smaller premium cars do well, ie the 1 series, or even a boxster) you're going to get the most practical, reliable and best equipped car for your money, unless you are really hung up about the badge, i which case you should be buying used.

if we all drove real driving cars and didn't care about any of the other things then we'd all be in caterham 7s and arial atoms.
and i don't think a 7 passenger suv is going to be the ultimate driving machine.
you can protest all you want, but at the end of the day, people still want hondas.

i wouldn't compare an acura to a bmw (for one thing i have no idea what an acura is apart from a honda), but while the x5 is a great vehicle (i'd pick it over an ml or rx or this), my point was the pricing affects peoples decisions.
i don't know how much the x5 will cost or how much the mdx will cost, but i'm guessing the acura will be cheaper.
people who don't care about cars will buy the acura.
and dsc+ is great.

acura can't come close to bmw, i'm not an acura fan, right now i'm a bmw or audi fan.
bmw make fantastic cars (just ask my family, in 15 years we've had about 6, 3 7ers and 3 3er converts.), i don't think anyone can dispute that, but to say acura or audi or lexus don't is wrong, they're just different. if all cars were as good as bmws then all cars would be very good.

It's amazing how many people who are still uneducated about the car market.
First before one can choose some factors must be concidered;
1. Need= Do you really need something for the name? These days unless you are spending $90,000. for a Bimmer, there isn't such thing as an ultimate driving machine, because the competitions have all caught up to BMW. Heck! did any Bimmer lovers test drive the latest Si or The GTI? So if you like to be bought, then buy the X5 for what it is. A Bimmer.
2. Value = If value is important, then the X5 is definitely a bad move. You get more out of the MDX for your money, Not vinyl Seating and an I-drive system that is more pain in the rear if anything.
3. Affordability = If you can afford it and money is not an issue, then get the X5. (Just remember, more money doesn't mean better.)
4. Reliability = The X5 has had more reliability problem than the MDX, that's why BMW is offering a foor years maintenance free agreement.

I don't care what anybody says, when it comes to electronic the Germans are terible. They like to invent great stuff, but by the time their inventions become usable the Japs have already surpassed them.
Any one remember when Bimmer first came with it's I-Drive? Well they're still learning how to make it usable.
In most parts I agree with a lot of people, The Japs don't invent, they improve. That is what's going on with Lexus.
For any one to downplay Acura, is clear that they do not appreciated and respect the competions.
Mercedes Laught in the 80's when Honda Announced they were coming with a luxury brand. Six years later their laughter turned to anxiety. Any one remember the Legend? that car was a legend! Even Acura has been trying hard to duplicate that success.
I am currently Driving a 2002 M5. I love BMWs, but their latest designs have been anything, but attractive. Who ever would have thought a 530 could look like an Ultima?
I guess weird things do happend even if you are on the the way to the farm. LOL!!

The Legend? What a mediocre car.

Don't even go there, my friend.

the X% everyday and on weekends!!! Forget the MDX, what is that?

MDX looks weird, awkward - the design is too gimmicky, like a Montero + RX350. I'm sure the MDX will be a great performer, but not the look I want.

X5 looks timeless because it's based on an already attractive design

BMWExpert,

Have they changed the CD from the trunk to an in-dash system in the 2007 series?

While I'm dissapointed that Acura have kept the silver shovel grille from the show vehicle, based on past experience I expect the new MDX to be the better vehicle by a huge margin.

To date, BMW's SUVs have been a bit of a joke. Major ergonomic gaffe's, the dreadful Bangle styling, poor performance from the V6, prehistoric transmissions and less utility than their wagons.

What you get when you buy a BMW SUV: The famous badge, great handling, good resale value, snob factor (if you need that ... poor you!) and chuckles from MDX drivers who've properly compared the two.

Sure, the MDX has suffered from a bland interior and an uncompelling exterior design, but in every other respect (given that there's no V8) the X5 gave it no competition at all.

vladyxa,
if that was true, why aren't you all supporting caterhams and go karts?
if that's what you believe, then buy an aerial atom.

Vladyxa

What is the percentage of people who bought their cars just for plaisure of driving??
Don't answer this until you do your homework.
Do you know that most people bought BMW because of the Name. Don't believe me? Why do you think some one bought a 328i when they can buy a better car like the G35 for less? I am not dogging BMW, I love some of their cars, but some people need to get their heads out of their rear end and do a little research before laying that kind of money on an automobile.

BE SURE TO KNOW THE REASON WHY YOU ARE BUYING THAT CAR.

First of all I current own a 2002 M5 and my wife has an '05 MDX. So I know What I'm Talking about.
I bought My M5 because I could afford it and that's what I wanted to drive. My wife bought her MDX because she likes the values and after buying an M5 we didn't much money to spend on the X5. Especially when there are better equiped SUVs for much less money.

By the way! I am not working two or three jobs to pay my bimmer either.
Not to offend any one, but I've got friends who doing it, just to pay an Alpha1. How stupid!

Please disregard some of my typos. I am from Europeo.

Beauty is clearly in the eye of the beholder. Of course, in this case, the beholders of the MDX must be devotees of Mighty Morphin Power Rangers...

MDX! The X5 already looks tired and old.

The old x5 drives like a truck and hasn't done nearly as well as the MDX in this segment. The MDX is second in sales only to the Lexus RX. That being said, I'd take the MDX again. Acura gives you a heck of a lot more than a badge for all those dollars.

Hard to get a great grasp from the pictures, but at first glance I'd take the MDX. Front of X5 looks way too busy and reminds me of a Transformer. It also seems to look more like a rugged station wagon where as the MDX looks like a sporty wagon. I'm sure they're both excellent cars, but give me the MDX and the probably $10-15k in savings to use for gas. :)

X5 by far. BMW is far superior to Acura other than the fact that Acura has their technological innovations are on par with the rest of the Japanese market.