ToyotaFan:
When looking at a new car we test drove the Acura MDX (w/ Sport Package), Lexus RX350 (w/ everything but Levinson and DVD entertainment), and a GMC Acadia (SLT-2, every option). Our main buying points were more space (preferably 7 passenger) and luxury.
When we went to test the RX, I absolutely loved it, but unfortunately it only seats 5 passengers and didn't have the cargo room I was looking for. The ride was great; very quiet and luxurious, but it did not handle nearly as well as the MDX. It was the most expensive of the three, costing ~$46,000.
The MDX was a great car. I didn't like it as much as the RX, but it was very nice. Handling was superb, but I hated the navigation setup; it has an iDrive like controller, but it took about 8 minutes to program in our address vs. our BMW 5-Series which takes about 3 minutes. Technology wise, while it had a great sound system and higher resolution screen, I felt it wasn't up to par with the Lexus.
We are GM Card holders, so we got a $3,500 discount on the GMC Acadia which I loved. It's large and roomy, but more agile than a minivan. In terms of technology it doesn't come close to either the Lexus or Acura, but having a touch-screen nav is very nice. As you can probably tell, we chose this vehicle for its size and price... (we're getting ~$9,000 off the MSRP)
If I was going to be the main driver of the vehicle, I would have chose the Lexus, but since we needed the extra space, the GMC Acadia really gets the job done well.
Good Luck,
Simon :)