01 mpv that jerks

hi.
i got a 2001 mpv that jerks noticibly on acceleration.
my first thought was maybe a misfire (ignition system problems). second thought was fuel system (clogged filter or pump). third thought was transmission slippage.
it seems to happen more when vehicle is cold. also happens quite noticibly when accelerating to get on the highway. i have been in the car with the tranny in "drive" but stopped (brake pedal fully engaged) and seem to feel a light (yet notable) stutter that i can feel right thru the brake pedal. doesnt seem to happen in "park". i put the car in "park" and slowly increased the rpm's all the way to 4500 with pauses at each 500 increment to listen for stuttering or other abnormalities. but nothing seemed out of the ordinary.... and ZERO stuttering.
this last diagnostic leads me to believe that it isn't the ignition system or the fuel filter. so i checked the tranny fluid level. it was right in the middle if the marks. fluid seemed red-ish, but still very transparent.
any help would be appreciated. can't stand the thought of the dealer getting a $100 just for a fuel filter change.

It now appears to be sputtering (misfiring?) in "park" as well. 

Check the IAC (Idle Air Control) valve.  It's a 30 mins. replacement and the IAC runs about $60.  Clogged IAC can contribute to stalling, stuttering, and poor power performance.  I thought my problem was fuel pump related, but I read a poster here suggest the IAC since his symptoms were exactly like mine.  Changed the IAC yesterday and vehicle runs fine now.  Realistically, it was a 15 mins. job since I removed it once before and leanred how to do it quicker.  I tried flushing the old IAC with carburetor cleaner but still no success, so when I installed the new IAC. everything worked beautifully.

same thing happened to my 03 ended up being a coil pack I didn't believe it but it fixed it. Check it out.dealer replaced for $300.

would the IAC show up on the computer reader? I just replaced bank 1 sensor 1 O2 sensor, and had the codes erased and now am getting no codes, but the car runs the same- sputtering in idle, running fine when in gear and at speed.