EXCLUSIVE PHOTOS: Is the 3rd row seat in the new Acura MDX dangerous?

Good point. They stuffed it in there so they can claim 7 passenger utility. I guess you would probably put the neighbors kids back there though, leaving yours in the safer middle row.

hahaha! that's great!

Wow, I actually laughed out loud at the "neighbor's kids" comment.

I wonder what sort of person would put his neighbor's kids at risk and protect his/her own.

Either this person is immature or heartless.

You know the shoe could fit the other foot though...

Mitch, I was responding to your scenario about using the neighbors' kids as padding for your own spawn, which is quite Tim Burton of you, and by the time I posted, I was too late by about 3 people. You gotta be fast around here. Anyway, you are a fun guy for what I would expect a Lexus dealer to be like.

I AGREE WITH U MITCH.

The old one had a third row, too. Nice comment though!

Maybe those you would put in the middle row are also your neighbor's.

Looks to me that the head rests have been adjusted as far as they can go up thats what I see in the pics.

Er, Mitch. Um ... huh.

Translation please?

Well, it is a natural, fatherly intuition/impulse. Better their kids than mine I always say.

Probably safer riding on the roof....Zoom, Zoom, Zoom

WTF ?!?!?! This third row is for my mother in-law...

this is dumb... the only reason its like that is because the Head-rests are raised as high as possible... stupid post... lower them back down and the look at it... no one has a neck that long that they would need to be that high... besides the lift gate is not flat up and down, looking at another angle it looks like there would be plenty of room even with the head rest all the way up.

I don't think people at Acura would not notice such a thing if it's not safe...

Agree with 4 the haters,the head rests are raised.Otherwise it would be fine.

BTW Acura is one of the most safest AUTO Brand today.

JUGNU

No it's not. Acuras are lightweight cars (Honda strives for simplicity and fuel efficiency in their designs). You can put all the airbags and crumple zones you want in a car to get a good test rating or make it appear safe, but when such a light car has a high speed colision, air bags won't do jack as the car rips in half. A heavier car such as a mercedes is much safer, just ask sir isaac newton.

cars don't just rip in half, that is a stupid statement.
and like its light!
its a 7 seater suv!

Its light for a 7 passenger vehicle...and I'm not suggesting acuras rip in half in every accident, note I said "high speed"...I'm saying I don't think Acura can be considered one of the safest automakers when every article I read in the paper involving a fatality is a honda product...maybe its a coincidence but i think not, sorry to be so macabre but i wouln't make this stuff up just to bash Honda, and I do like Acuras

Autoegr-

Actually, with Acura's recent adoption of AWD in the RL, their flagship sedan isn't exactly a featherweight.

But who would buy this MDX over the new X5 or Q7 anyhow? The Q7 3.6 is actually LESS expensive, and both are just better cars and easier on the eyes.

Have you ever seen the front of this Acura? It went from super-bland to super-monster.

I've sold them for years (17), so I have some experience regarding these vehicles. The position of the third row is nearly identical to what its been for the last 6 years. At this point, there hasn't been any reported or otherwise noted issues about the safety of the third row in a rear impact. In this class, its one of the roomiest third seats, but having said that, its still relatively tight. There is a new 50 mph rear collision test that the insurance institute or the gov't will be doing to test the safety of a rear impact from now on.

That is trully amusing. In addition to little fingers and arms, someone's long hair might get caught in the tailgate trapping them there.

I never approved of a third sitting row in mid-sized SUVs. If you want a people hauler, get a freaking van. The Odysey for example is great and looks sporty enough.

Did you notice that the headrests were fully extended? If you had younger kids back there, their heads wouldn't be in the way of the tailgate.

One question, What kind of car has a bumper that high?

This is such a bogus post. Let's see BMW's new X5 and its 3rd row.

Acura makes one of the safest car in the US. And the MDX with 5,500lbs is by no means light weight.

Technically it is probably okay, but it shows how little space there is. Definately a third row in a car that isn't big enough for it.

As was previously stated...this is a stupid article that is obviously geared at starting an Acura bashing party. The MDX is expected to score among the top 10 safest cars with the advanced safety systems employed. Get the facts before posting from now on

Most third-row seats in SUVs are useless. They are too uncomfortable and cramped for adults and too dangerous for children if the vehicle is rear ended. They take up valuable cargo space unless you happen to have a Cadillac Escalade ESV.

Hey Mitch! That would be a great pitch to use in your sales presentations, we need to cull the herd in Marin anyway! A local friend, hint: we worked together at Porsche! Cheers!

Hey Craig! How are you bra!
Mitch

BTW- call me about Peter K. I need to talk to you about him.

lookk at this photo from www.familycar.com there appears to be more than enough room in the rear!

http://familycar.com/RoadTests/AcuraMDX/Images2007/Hatch.jpg

that's the current generation!!

"Luxurious" ARE YOU BLIND??? CAN YOU NOT SEE THE NEW INTERIOR AND THE AUDI Q7-LIKE TAILLIGHTS!?!?

Thanks Carboy :')

well..it's no Q7~!

From day one,i am against the 3 rows of seating in a mid-size SUV.As they are pretty much useless.

BTW,Q7's third row seats also have their issues.They r no example for anyone.

JUGNU

Just what do you need a 3rd row seat for? Someone please explain. Most families at most have 2 kids. Is it an SUV or a school bus? I just do not understand this obsession with a 3rd row seat in these SUVs.

I guess it goes hand in hand with the glutonous mcmansions of 3000+ sq feet for 4 people.

mercedes made thr gl because it found that its buyers who had 2 kids bought 7 seaters, not 5 seaters. why does a 4 person family suddenly need a 7 seater suv?

What can you about this SUV.

It has Godzilla headlights.

I am shocked that you Japanese and European lovers didn't say that an American designed this SUV.

As much as everyone bashes the US car companies for building SUV's and no recognizes the fact that all foreign car companies are trying to develop and produce medium and large SUV's. Has anyone bitched about the shitty gas mileage a Toyota Sequoia gets?

Toyota Sequioa's get god-awful gas mileage.

(bitching completed)

i think i'm going to start blaming toyota for everything.
;)

You do know that this new MDX is one of the few vehicles on the road to pass the latest Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standards (FMVSS) 301 test, right? FMVSS 301 crashes a 3,015 pound barrier moving at 50 mph (80kph)at an offset (70%) into the rear of the vehicle. This regulation is being phased in right now, existing vehicles won't pass it without structure modifications; the old regulation was at 30mph. That makes it safer in a rear crash than most of the vehicles on the road.

http://hondanews.com/CatID0000?mid=2006090870453&mime=asc

"You do know that this new MDX is one of the few vehicles on the road to pass the latest Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standards (FMVSS) 301 test, right?"

The 301 test is only a fuel tank integrity test. It does not measure the forces on a dummy's head in a rear impact. There are no dummys involved in the test at all, it is only a fuel tank integrity test.

The new test lowers the weight of the vehicle hitting the rear from 4000# to about 3000# but ups the speed, but then offsets the impact, so the new test is a trade off. The new test has been critized as inadequate by safety groups.

The test has nothing to do with measuring if a 3rd row occupant would be injured by rear impact forces.

I live 5 miles from Anaheim, but I'm not going to this autoshow because I refuse to pay $18 bucks to park and get in.

Other than that those tail lights on the new MDX look like they're off a Volkswagen or an Audi SUV's.

It appears the seatbacks in the third row of the pictured MDX are in their most-reclined position. For everyone worried about being so close the hatch and glass, simply adjust the seatbacks to a more upright position. Reclining 2nd & 3rd row seats were standard in earlier MDXs; It seems logical this is standard in the '07 as well. For those wanting a better look at the '07 MDX, go to www.acura.ca. The US website isn't showing the new model yet. regards....

Yes if a truck or anything that size hits it.

Typical SUV design...small on the inside, big on the outside.

the rear seat shouldn't be so close to the rear window, there isn't much to protect the occupant. here is the old mdx

http://vehock.dns2go.com/fca53041.jpg

WHOA, I hope no one was in the back seat!

BS picture!

By the way...

I love the new RDX.

I don't know what everyone has against it. It looks better than the X3 on the road, but that's not saying much.

However, I can understand why people hate the new MDX. I don't see why the last one was so great (mediocre style inside and out, ho-hum engine and accomodations) and sold so well, and the new one doesn't change my perceptions.

They should have left the third row out, it looks like they really squeezed it in, wouldn't want to be back there in a rear-ender!

Hey, TheDonII, Mitch was just joking about the neighbors' kids. Where's your sense of humor?

I think the design is quite awesome! the interior, awesome as well! its not boxy like most suv's and it's a little more upscale in design than them as well! the only thing holding me back is the fact that EVERY ACURA made has to use PREMIUM UNLEADED fuel!!! Ridiculous!! So not the bad gas mileage crap, the fact that you're going to pay when it comes to fuel for ACURA's regardless!! PREMIUM?