I live in a suburban neighborhood cloned straight from Wisteria Lane. Anytime I leave the house dressed up (the term “dressed up,” by the way, constitutes anything other than jeans or workout clothes), one of my neighbors calls immediately to find out what I’m doing, where I’m going and who I’m going with. Last summer, I witnessed the lady on the corner vacuuming her yard (seriously, she was using a hand vac to suck up grass clippings around her flower bed). And once, late one night while enjoying my hammock, I silently watched as the man across the street drunkenly threw the family cat out the door and over the patio railing, only to find out later from his wife that the cat “went mysteriously missing.” This is a neighborhood where Honda Pilots and Toyota Siennas reign supreme, and I honestly have nightmares about turning into one of them (the neighbors I mean, not the cars – that would just be plain weird). Anything I can do to set myself apart from the Stepford neighbors is a good thing, and my vehicle is the perfect place to start.
Upon first glance, the 2007 Acura MDX Sport is impressive. The look is unique enough to make me feel like an individual, but not so crazy bizarre that I’d be embarrassed to drive through the carpool lane in it. The three rows of seats leave plenty of room for the entire carpool (although, true to form, they all argue over who gets to sit in the way back). Three sets of Latch connectors in the second row offer several options for safely installing child-safety seats, although I have to refer to the owner’s manual to figure out how to access the Latches in the center position; you must punch in your pin number, dial the super-secret code then lift the flap to locate the metal bars (or just lift the flap).
For older kids in booster seats, the third row is a nice option, with seat belts that are easy for them to use on their own. I climbed in the back to test it out and oddly found myself hyperventilating, as I apparently have a slight case of undiagnosed claustrophobia. The tiny seat paired with the tiny angled rear windows makes for a literally and figuratively tight fit.
After the monotonous routine of installing the ménage-a-car-seats, I finally jumped into the driver’s seat and started that adjustment process. Despite the eight-way power-adjustable seat, I can’t seem to find a perfect fit. The laid-back Barcalounger effect I get in the MDX would be fantastic in a living room, but it feels a little too relaxed in a car. I found myself wishing for a booster seat to prop me up so I could see up and over the hood.
Finally ready to pull out of the garage, I was thrilled with the rearview camera (standard on this model) to help keep me from running over the neighbor’s “missing” cat. I also appreciated this feature because when you pair those little angled rear side windows I spoke about earlier with the second-row head restraints positioned perfectly to completely cover the driver’s view out those windows, rear visibility in the ’07 MDX sucks.
Other features in the ’07 Acura MDX Sport that I appreciated were plenty of storage compartments (bottle holders in both the front and rear doors, nifty hideaway compartments for people sitting in the third row), easy-to-fold second- and third-row seats, and the cleverly designed rear entertainment system with a control panel that pops out to become a remote control. I’d like one of those at home for a remote that will never get lost.
This vehicle also sports the Acura Navigation System with Voice Recognition and AcuraLink Communication System with Real Time Traffic. I’d love to tell you about how fabulous these two features are, but to be completely and shamefully honest, I’m totally intimidated by the interface dial used to operate them (a selector that moves left, right, up, down and depresses, stacked on top of an interface knob that twists clockwise and counterclockwise). I can solve nearly any disaster on the home front: Boo boo on the knee, bring it on; sister stealing your favorite new shirt, mama to the rescue; puppy peed on the carpet, you ain’t got nothing on me! Acura’s Interface Dial – almost as scary as the mean cat man neighbor who’s knocking on my door right now. Do you think he knows I saw him? If you don’t see another review from me this time next week, call the cops …
*For more information on the 2007 Acura MDX Sport and its safety features, visit www.cars.com.
LET’S TALK NUMBERS LATCH Connectors: 3
Seating Capacity (includes driver): 7
IT’S THE LITTLE THINGS THAT COUNT
Storage Compartments (Puny, Fair, Ample, Galore): Ample
Cargo/Trunk Space (Puny, Fair, Ample, Galore): Ample
SENSE AND STYLE
Family Friendly (Not Really, Fair, Great, Excellent): Great
Fun-Factor (None, Some, Good Times, Groove On): Good Times
