I recently checked out the new mdx and was rather dissapointed. The mdx has plastic wood just like my brothers dodge and the dash plastic was rather shiny. I am a fan of acura/honda, as they are my favorite japanese brand. However, the interior quality is just ludicrous in the mdx. I think the interiors of the cl/tl/rl are great and feel high quality especially for the price, but as fas as the mdx goes, I couldn't stand it. And the color of the interior was wasn't too appealing. As far as exterior appearence, the mdx looks great and sheet metal seems aligned right. Basically, the mdx is a great car on its own, but when compared to the x5 it is out of its league. And it should be, considering the 10k price difference. You don't compare a passat to a 3 series do you when shopping for a car? The passat is a great car in its own right, but not in the calibur of a 3 series, thus the 5 - 15k price difference.