Honda MDX 4WD 2004 Review

Well, if you count the voices of Gandalf the Grey and Anakin Skywalker as bliss, that is.

The good folk at Honda would like you to think that the comfort and calm of the children on the long trip was due to the qualities of the MDX four-wheel-drive.

While that might help, the real reason is the addition of a new feature in the car, a virtual "must-have" for holidaying families: the in-car DVD player.

The MDX now has a $3500 DVD system with a roof-mounted seven-inch screen included in the $69,900 price.

It operates independently of the car's CD player and tuner by using two wireless headsets. However, the audio can also be heard by all occupants by flicking a switch in the glovebox and adjusting the frequency on the radio.

So while the family watched movies, I settled in to driving and assessing the car.

While this is a large seven-seat 4WD, it is also surprisingly agile.

The MDX has broken clear of the tall mould in these cars and created a design that is much more square. It means the centre of gravity is lower and it doesn't have the "it's about to fall over" feeling of some 4WDs around sharp corners. The Honda still stands at 177cm, but it is noticeably lower than some other makes.

Power is delivered from a 3.5-litre six-cylinder engine that pumps out maximum power of 191kW at 5800rpm and has a responsive 345Nm of torque at 3500rpm.

That equates to handy acceleration around town and enough grunt to comfortably pull a fully laden trailer with all seven seats in use in the car. It is driven through a five-speed automatic gearbox.

But all this size and power does have one down side. It is a thirsty beast. Around the city the fuel economy was up around 20 litres per 100km. On the highway that dropped to a best figure of 13.1 litres/100km, but that took 500km of highway driving before it was achieved.

Honda's official figures quote an average of 12.9 litres/100km.

Inside there is no doubt you are in a well-optioned car. The seats are leather, two in the front are heated, and the driver's seat has a power-adjusted two-setting memory button.

While this may seem somewhat extravagant it was particularly handy with two people swapping driving duties every two hours.

The dominant presence for the driver is a large display screen in the centre of the dash.

It shows an array of information, from fuel consumption figures to the sound system operations and a compass.

The MDX has a sun roof that, funnily enough, had the most use in an underground car park where a low roof seemed a problem, but in fact, was well clear.

There's plenty of leg room in the front and second rows but the third row is a different story. It suits children, but is not really suitable for adults on long trips. Similarly the luggage space at the rear was small. Overall the MDX is a quality car at a quality price. Importantly, it has the flexibility of seven seats for big families.