Car Skeleton

Other post title was: Car without its Outfit

It’s Acura’s all-new 2014 MDX.

What you’re looking at.

See the yellow? The door ring?

Yellow = the World’s Largest Piece of Hot Stamped Steel

Car with its outfit.

Here’s my MDX review.

 

In Oregon with the 2014 Acura MDX

I travelled with Acura to Portland, Oregon, to test their heavily-refreshed MDX 7-passenger SUV.

It’s an important vehicle launch for them, the MDX accounts for 1/3 of Acura’s total sales.

So the vehicle was re-built from scratch; new chassis and body, designed specifically for this SUV (non-car nerds: this is rare).

Read the full review over at Autonet.ca.

Short review – an excellent refresh; if a 7-passenger 3rd row vehicle is important, test this MDX, it’ll make the shortlist.

The interior ergonomics were updated, it used to be “a bit like climbing back into 1999”.

Breathes better, eh.

The new model is only the tiniest bit bigger, but the interior feels bigger, more open.

Steering is improved; engine provides more than enough power for a fun drive; it’s really quiet inside; all seats now fold flat for loading cargo; a secret storage compartment; the base model is loaded up nicely; great safety features come standard; 6 cameras; and for winter, you can pre-condition the car remotely, a just-for-Canada added feature.

Meet my driving partner, Sylvain Raymond.

Il écrit les belles histoires pour le bon website, Guide de l’Auto. Bienvenue à ma blog, mon ami!

2014 Acura MDX
Available July 2013
$49,990 – $65,990

 

Shift You Later Civic, Sigh

I love shifting gears, you know this.

Most press cars are automatic. So this week was real refreshing.

Shift, rev, peel, skip from 4th to 2nd, lots of superfluous revving just because I can.

I use the hazard button a LOT when I drive.

It find it more effective than brake lights alone.

See the pink arrow above? Note the positioning, the clear path from wheel to engaging the alert system? That’s how you know this is a drivers car – Honda Civic SI.

Shifting gears is easy, don’t be intimidated.

It’s like learning a little dance routine: depress clutch, shift with arm, release clutch. See? Easy.

Even in 5″ heels.

Had to give it back Monday to Honda Canada.

This week’s car, an Acura MDX.

Acura is the fancy, higher-end line of Honda.

It’s making me drive slower, like the Navigator did. I guess that’s good.