Remember that old saying, “compare apples to apples” ? That saying should definitely be applied when shopping for and purchasing a 2001 thru 2006 Acura MDX.

Without a doubt, the MDX is a very popular SUV, with many satisfied owners. But with popularity, confusion can enter the market. Many times this confusion leads consumers to consider, and to purchase Acura MDX units that are not equipped or “loaded” as the car ad or dealer may indicate.

Regardless of model all ’01 to ’06 Acura MDX units have heated leather seats. They all have a screen in the center console. They all have sunroofs. They are all 7 passenger vehicles. But American Honda did make it easy to identify the various models. The manufacturer designated numbers in the car serial number (referred to as the vin) that indicate the Factory equipment that is on each individual Acura MDX.

All 2001 thru 2006 MDX units start 2HNYD

The next set of numbers are the critical ones.

2HNYD 182 Indicates an Acura MDX Premium or Base model

2HNYD 184 Indicates an Acura MDX Premium with Factory Navigation (Very Rare)

2HNYD 186 Indicates an Acura MDX Touring

2HNYD 187 Indicates an Acura MDX Touring with RES / DVD (2003 to 2006)

2HNYD 188 Indicates an Acura MDX Touring with Navigation

2HNYD 189 Indicates an Acura MDX Touring with both Navigation and RES / DVD

On 2001 to 2006 Acura MDX units there is a Premium model and a Touring Model. The Premium is the base model of the MDX. Some of the items that are equipped on the Touring model but are not on the Premium include a roof rack from the Factory. The passenger (right) front seat is electric on the Touring model but manually adjusted on the Premium. The Touring model has a BOSE sound system. The alloy wheels on the Premium are also a much different spoke pattern then the MDX Touring alloy wheel.

At Accurate Cars, we want to encourage Honda and Acura shoppers to always identify your target MDX by the serial number (vin). This will prevent a costly error when purchasing a 2001 thru 2006 Acura MDX.