₦airaland Forum

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Arrival of Some Supplies:

Kenwood Excelon DDX9904s

Rockford fostgate PUNCH P300-12 Powered subwoofer

Stinger Amplifier kit

Noico Sound deadening Mat. 80 Mil 36 sqft

Geosheild pronano ceramic tint film

Infinity kappa 62.11i speakers (by Harman Kardon) for the front doors

JBL GTO 629 speakers also tuned by Harman Kardon for the rear doors

harnesses, speaker adapters, flex tubing, plastic trim piece (for headset), harnesses, etc

This is a documentation of my second DIY upgrade journey; taking a car from stock to unique.
Finally got around to creating this thread after over a year of laziness and procrastination.

While thread is also intended to serve as a guide to others looking to do the same, It is primarily in preparation for the sale of this car in a month or two.
project spanned about 6 months; from order of parts and tools to completion( first quarter of 2019)

Total spend was about $2700- $2800 (excluding wheels which were sourced locally @N170k).

fun fact. . . . half of the items in this upgrade were procured before the car was even purchased.

Project bordered the following areas:

-Sound/Entertainment,

-Illumination,

-Suspension & control,

-Windows (tint)

-Backup Camera.



1. Sound/Entertainment upgrade entailed :

-headunit replacement
-speaker replacement (all four)
-sound deadening
-subwoofer installation

2. Illumination upgrade entailed

upgrade of all interior & exterior Lighting bulbs to High-quality LED alternatives..
.daytime running lights, fog lights, brake light, turn signal, reverse lights, cabin lights , door lights, HID xenon headlight bulbs everything

3. Backup camera install
this entailed the installation of an aftermarket camera from the Brand Motion company

4. Window tint :

Yeppp I shipped my own tint film in the specific brand and tint percentage I wanted and installed myself. This entailed the installation of the Geosheild 20% Nanoceramic film from tintzoom . details on this choice later.

5. Suspension/Control :

this entailed
-A brake rotor upgrade. : replaced the standard brake rotors with some drilled and slotted performance rotors from Powerstop.

-Ride Height upgrade: installed 35mm front strut spacers and rear coil spacers from the Tema4x4 brand, to increase ground clearance and make room for larger, wider tyres: resulting in a sportier, more agressive appearance, better road grip and wider stance.

I will be following with process pictures and details of parts used/installed

TransAtlanticEx:
heavenlybang have had a few Mercedes? For dream abi wetin?
Or is it because the boy talks down on the brand is what make you think he's had a few?
Mercedes is a very premium brand,only those that cant afford them argue facts please.

Lol @ first paragraph. Me sef weak
the same way she's driven all the models and classes, she knows those who belong to the Benz Club.

Acura makes some of the best value for money cars, hands down. And the MDX is one of her best models. Infact I was looking at moving to a 2016 MDX, before an encounter steered me towards the 550. I did some research and found it to better suit what I needed.

To blindly argue that you "lose features" when you move from an MDX to a 550 That's just plain ridiculous.

radautoworks:
And reading numbers online does not make you a car expert. From what I see you're not even an expert reader

LmAO, you'll be Suprised. 6 years of Automotive Engineering Tech is just added bonus.
But I'm willing to bet your expertise is inherited.

radautoworks:
All the above being said, once you've had a few, it being a "Mercedes" stops shacking you. Ask people like Eddee and HeavenlyBang, they know

Lol, @ heavenlybang Oya o, they say you have owned a few too.
Lol @ Bolded. I comment my reserve

Lol, Talk about failing exams , and reading without comprehension

The only place the Mercedes ekes it out because it has more horses and torque out of the gate HOWEVER, it is heavier and it doesn't really translate to gain in the real world .

That was your comment on performance which I refuted. It Had nothing to do with the question about enjoying all 400 hp. Stop juxtaposing statements



AGAIN, IF THERE ARE RATINGS YOU KNOW, WHY DO YOU NEED SOMEONE TO GIVE THEM TO YOU AND WHY DID YOU ASK AT ALL?

Lol but I never asked, you make up your own question as usual. I stated a fact that the Merc is rated higher in that dept, and you gave another My Car response . . . .as usual

12 years in the business and you cannot do a "FACT" based comparison , or articulate autonomous driving ?

Owning a barbershop doesn't make you a barber, you can own one for 50 years and not know how to hold a clipper. Calm down with the expertise talk.

Acting like it's the King of all Achievement?
Lol, Sorry o Madam that has owned all the Mercedes Models, I forgot. I have test driven thanks and God Bless

radautoworks:
Now that I have more time on my hands I'll address fully why I said the Acura is a better car.

About performance -
So let me understand this. . . . An ML550 is heavier than an MDX, but still manges to have way better 0-60 and quarter mile times. Yet in your opinion, the 402hp and 607Nm from a twin turbo V8 are just figures on paper and do not translate to real world gain. ( Lol na wa )

Better Safety Ratings ?
Better Safety is not just about saying My car has better safety features . . . . there are standardized safety tests, there are figures. there are " RATINGS" . . . .
IIHS tests evaluate crashworthiness and crash avoidance/mitigation, and the 2013 ML has higher ratings

Styling
I see you're posting the interior and exterior of your car, are you attempting to "suggest" that interior looks better or is more comfortable than a 2013-15 ML550 ??.
Now I'm sure your haven't owned an ML550.

Most of what you typed which honestly I couldn't completely read is centred around I, Me and My . . . they're personal opinion.
For someone who supposedly knows cars you give very little facts


The Merc offers heated seats, heated steering, KeylessGO ( push to start) , adjustable ride height, so so many things I don't even care to mention.

So Again, . . .what " REAL WORLD " features does an MDX have that an ML550 of equivalent year lacks,
As you said earlier, you "lose features" If you move from an MDX to an ML550.

I already forgot this conversation even happened

About the screen, Lol seriously? . . . this LCD screen is what you're hyping ? what exactly are you going to enjoy on that? very impractical aspect ratio, it's 2020! LCDs are mundane. even the screen on the ML550 is barely tolerable IMO,
you can enjoy HD interface with "capacitive" (not resistive as is on the MDX) touch for less than $1000.

This is a Kenwood DDX9905s .
I have it in a 2008 MDX and its better value than any stock MDX head unit.
A 21inch screen Is not a "real world gain"

radautoworks:
FYI, this is what I was talking about. The ONLY thing that keeps it from being completely autonomous is it doesn't change lanes. When I get a nice curve I'll round it at 90mph on self driving so you see.

Sigh, what you're excitedly showing off on your "loaded" MDX is available on a 2013 ML550 but cannot be gotten on an MDX of equivalent year!!
Lol , you're constantly contradicting yourself.

And for the umpteenth time , lane keeping assist and collison mitigation are not the same as real autonomous driving , . . .those are safety features.
A Driverless / autonomous car "navigates" from point A to B with little human input

HeavenlyBang:
Should've simply ended the conversation with "That wasn't what I was asking about", then.


There simply aren't many ML550 owners in Nigeria, especially with the 4.7TT.

From what I know about the cars, though. I'm always on MBworld, Benzworld, and plenty of MB communities. Same engine on the 2012+ E550s.

The M278 is very solid. It's also underrated by Mercedes. Probably makes closer to 430 HP or so. Also very tunable. Power delivery is excellent. Sounds amazing with a muffler delete too.

Airmatic is pretty reliable on those, actually. Nigerian roads are a different matter, though. Just do the Arnott swap.

Never heard of any turbo issues.

You'll never be able to use that 400 HP to the fullest. Plenty of low end torque, though.

There's nothing wrong with providing unsolicited opinion/criticism if it is constructive. I was looking forward to learning stuff and having a reason to reconsider.

You should also have understood the line of conversation before asking me why I asked for an opinion that I did not.

In any case thanks for the feedback. It's all positive so far

Afromentalist:
Sorry but you never gave a substantiated opinion. You don't expect someone to just follow your opinion for the sake of it, if you can't bring relevant points - not family and wealth talks which was not in question.

This is a forum, not a church/Mosque. People don't say amen to whatever a Pastor says here. Bizzle2 was very correct in the way he approached your answer.

The bolded is My point exactly,

dokyOloye:
Them get herd mentality and hero worship/ass licking behaviour well well for here.
So,a simple academic exercise of which is better in what turns out to be a poke in the eye for them.

E tire me

asamwababy:
Wonder what he is doing here.

Same person fixing pirrelli on chinese knock off rims

Lol, if they ask you now, you will say you know cars. But you cannot distinguish stock BMW rims from aftermarket knock offs . . . you will be fine.

HeavenlyBang:
Since you know so much, why ask for people's opinions in the first place? Waka jeje.

Sigh . . . typical Nairaland . . Band wagon support and butt kissing.

Did you even look at what my post was about ?

Did I ever ask for an MDX vs ML550 comparison ? that conversation came from saying " The mdx is better and has more features".

I asked for feedback from ML550 owners with extended user experience.
"Feedback" , "User Experience" , not opinion on which to buy or whether to buy.

Tell me if our roads have given you issues with the Airmatic suspension ,
Tell me how long before you needed to replace them
Tell me how reliable your turbo has been,
Tell me if the 400 hp has been enjoyable and actually useable, etc
useful feedback only a real user can give

I am irritated by the blind support on this forum sometimes, especially coming from adults.

everybody should be able to respectfully disagree or debate.

radautoworks:
It's not a spat. I just don't receive pleasure from long car comparisons about minute features that don't translate to real-world advantage.

CNET has a comprehensive review on the 2014 which is what I have. Subsequent years only improved.

And yes, it is self driving. I took a road trip to Dallas and about half of the way I just had my pinky on the steering wheel or it starts whining. It rivals the system on the 2019 Volvo xc90 that won car of the year. My best friend has that and I drive both so I know. Another feature I use and love all the time is remote start which is STANDARD on the advance package. The 18 inch split screen with almost any input you can think of is especially good for the kids. Two 9 inch screen with pretty much any input source you can think of including HDMI and it's STANDARD on that package.

Lastly, name a Mercedes, any Mercedes and we either currently have one or have had it. There is a reason we are transitioning over to Acura. We are about to buy a 2018 of the MDX for my mom because she's in love with mine. I tried to talk her into the Volvo but she wants the MDX. She currently has a maxed out 2019 Highlander but is more excited about my 2014 MDX. And yes, there is a GL series in the house.

If you are going to buy an Acura, max it out and you'll get more bang per dollar than almost any other car period. You don't max it out, you won't get it. The only thing missing is Android play and that can be after-marketed.

Lol, so they're suddenly . . . "minute features that don't translate to real world advantage",
but these features were what you originally touted as The MDx's advantage over the ML550 ?
Now clearly the 2013 MDX even lags behind the 2013 ML550 in that regard

18 inch screen abi 9 inch screen?

I dont know who would be looking to buy a N10m+ car because of 21 inch screen or input sources, when even a 2001 mdx can have those features with many after market units and android screens.

Real world value in a Luxury SUV for me are in the

Performance
Safety
Interior/ Exterior Styling
Comfort
Handling

And those are the important categories where I expected you to tell me where the MDX beats the 550 not in the screen size.
The only things you can Max out in any MDX are comfort/ convenience features , onboard entertainment and a few other "minute features like you called them. No maxing out can turn an MDX to a 550.

Mercedes has 13 different classes and over 65 models, are you sure you've had all ?

For the record, I would pick a 2008 mdx over a 2008 ml 550,

radautoworks:
it's alright. You asked for opinions I have one. Please buy what makes you happy. I'll be in my self-driving Acura with a way better system than the Mercedes. I have edited my previous responses.

Sigh, you're still not answering the question though. I'm not trying to win an argument, forums are about knowledge sharing but you're making it look like a spat because i do not blindly agree with you ?

Lane keeping assist + collision mitigation is far from autonomous driving , but if that is what you're refering to as self driving then that is one good example of the many features that a 2013 ML550 has that a 2013 MDX doesn't . . . .see my point ?

radautoworks:
You must be driving the base MDX

I've owned fully loaded version of both cars so what do I know? I currently own the 2014 MDX with advance package as well as the 2014 RDX sh-awd max package and have had the equivalent on the benz and it's not even close.

Oh, also I fix them so like I said, what do I know? Carry on.

You didn't answer my question though.
What features does the MDX offer that you cannot find on an ML550 of equivalent year? not a GLK , C Class or an ML 350. But a 550 specifically ?
That lends a better perspective to your opinion.

The Advance , Tech , Entertainment , Navigation and Sport Packages on the MDX have just minor differences that mainly cater to certain comfort and entertainment priorities.
Mine is a Tech Package.

I believe to objectively compare two cars requires more than just saying A is better than B (which is largely personal opinion), the idea would be to say WHY & HOW A is better than B .

If design figures and test ratings show that the 550 betters the MDX in the categories I mentioned earlier, HOW then does the MDX better the 550 ?
I'm very open to learning. I'm a big MDX fan remember. But a spade is a spade.
I don't own a workshop or fix cars but my background is in Mechanical Engineering (Automotive Tech Engineering Option specifically). Even though my love for cars has nothing to do with that.

radautoworks:
The MDX is better. You'll lose a lot of features going to the Mercedes plus you'll spend more on maintenance and repair. Nobody @me please. The arguments you guys get into over cars I no get energy.

Lose alot of what? Lol, I beg to differ.
Features like what ?
The MDX is anything but feature packed. As far as value for money and fun driving go I cannot fault her, but advance tech? Mba. The 550 blows her out of the water.

I'm not even trying to compare the 2013 MDX to the 2013 ML550. they're not in the same class if you ask me. I'm just looking for hands on experience with owning a 550 locally. Which I consider an upgrade from the MDX.

Interior styling/ luxury and exterior styling - 550 wins
Performance - 550 wins
Crash/ Safety ratings - 550 wins
Advanced Tech features - 550 wins
Handling - both great
Fuel economy - A V8 Biturbo cannot possibly be expected to have the same as a naturally aspirated V6. More power mens more energy consumption. The 550 doesn't even do too badly in comparison to the MDX

Reliability and local availability of parts are my primary concern about the 550

nakoks:
No be wah,its what balloon shocks have caused.

Lol,
I think there are non airmatic options

bizzle2:
I need concrete feedback guys. I'm a Die hard Acura fan gradually tiptoeing into MB territory. I have ridden the MDX for over a year and I'm spoilt on excellent handling and impressive performance. But my hunger is leading me to an SUV with AMG like "umph" .
If you own or have extensively ridden a 2012/ 2013 ML550 . Please share your user experience on
Ride quality, handling
Throttle response
Turbo issues etc

Na wa , ML550 users no dey this thread ?
appears to be quite unpopular

HeavenlyBang:
Hmmm. I'm not sold on turbocharged engines either but the M278 is widely considered to be very solid.

Depends on what you want at the end. The 350 is a 302 HP 3.5L V6, I believe. Not bad, but a lot less powerful than the 550.

Yes the 350 has about the same hp as a 2nd gen MDX which i currently drive, so I'm wondering if that's going to be any different an experience. while the 550 is +100, but then . . is the extra 100 worth dealing with a turbo, this I also wonder.

I need concrete feedback guys. I'm a Die hard Acura fan gradually tiptoeing into MB territory. I have ridden the MDX for over a year and I'm spoilt on excellent handling and impressive performance. But my hunger is leading me to an SUV with AMG like "umph" .
If you own or have extensively driven a 2012/ 2013 ML550 . Please share your user experience on
Ride quality, handling
Throttle response
Turbo issues etc

HeavenlyBang:
I am NOT a fan of BMW V8s.

Buy a 2012 ML550 instead. Should be about the same price, while being a far more loaded car. Comes with the M278 4.7L Bi-Turbo V8 pushing 400+ HP and almost 450 lb-ft of torque. That's the car you want. If you want more power, you can get a tune for about 200k that takes it to almost 600 HP.

There are plenty of MLs from that generation around already, so parts shouldn't be an issue. All CLS550's also use that engine, so you shouldn't have any issues. Very solid engine either way.

have you had any experience driving one?
I'm reading information on the throttle response being laggy from poor throttle calibration.
,would you pick a 350 over a 550 of the same year (2013) if they cost the same? Considering having to worry about about the Turbo.Never owned a turbo charged vehicle

Benekruku:
Hello, who has an hands on experience with MB ML550

Durability, performance and prone problems

Did you finally pull the trigger on the 550?

DonBrad:
Hello Chief, I am considering getting an Acura Mdx too. will really appreciate any advise from you and if we could chat outside here cause
i do have a few questions you're in the best position to help answer.

Thanks.

I look forward to your response

Hi, i no longer have access to the email address attached to this account.
You can email bluebird.redfire@gmail.com

$500 AGC needed. Physical cards only

Eldemmi:
I beg to differ, use the Tyre recommended pressure of your car not that of Tyre..
i.e always follow the information on ur vehicle pillar sticker regarding Tyre pressure irrespective of Tyre brand u buy.

When I say conform accordingly I don't mean inflate your tyre to 51psi , I mean take note of the specs and factor them .
Pressure recommendation on my MDX is 32 psi, but I have my tyres inflated to 35 psi , even though the max inflation pressure for my tyres is over 50 psi.

Manufacturer recommended pressure serves as the minimum for me while the max pressure for your tyre is the Max treshhold . . . As you move from min to max you trade grip and lifespan for comfort.

The factory spare tyre is inflated to 60 psi by the way

jidobaba:
Available.

Long time bro hw you been.
I need $400 AGC let me know when you get any

Gentlelife50:
Speed demon

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