2024 Acura MDX Reviews, Pricing & Specs
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Strong engines
Sharp handling
Lots of standard features
Cons
Frustrating infotainment system
Ride can be firm for some
Small third row
The Acura MDX doesn’t excel in any one particular area. It’s a terrifically well-rounded luxury SUV, but its infotainment system could be its downfall.
The Acura MDX is a mainstay of the luxury SUV segment, and it covers the bases remarkably well. Its well-rounded nature is perhaps because it shares a platform with the Honda Pilot (another fantastic family hauler) but for that same reason, it doesn’t offer the same cachet as a BMW X5 or Mercedes-Benz GLE. Whether you are on a road trip or heading to work, the MDX is comfortable, refined, and has space for the family and their gear. For 2024, there’s a new Type S Ultra trim level, bringing a new level of performance to the three-row, seven-passenger midsize luxury SUV. But as we’ll get into in a bit, the MDX is held back by a maddening infotainment system that could truly be a sticking point to overshadow all other positive attributes.
Verdict: The MDX is a beautiful, safe, and cost-effective luxury SUV, and the new Type S Ultra trim level delivers a higher level of performance. However, it doesn’t offer as much space as some of its competitors, and we wouldn’t recommend it to anyone easily frustrated by finnicky tech interfaces.
Acura has nailed the look of the MDX. The large shield grille is flanked by a pair of rakish headlights and accented below it with a pair of intake vents. The lower bumper area below the grille almost bends, making for a modern, refined presence. Inside, it’s high-tech but busy. The bevy of controls in the centre console can be a lot to take in at first, and as we’ll get to later, are even more of a pain to operate.
In addition to the base Tech model, the Acura MDX is offered in several trims in Canada. These include A-Spec and Platinum Elite. There’s also the Acura MDX Type S Ultra, the U.S. equivalent of which we drove for this review. Standard features on the MDX include tri-zone automatic climate control, push-button start, a panoramic moonroof, power-adjustable front seats, heated front seats, a heated steering wheel (with a sporty flat bottom in the A-Spec and Type S Ultra), and heated outboard rear seats. Ambient cabin lighting in 10 positions is standard, and this increases to 23 positions at the Platinum Elite trim and 25 in the Type S Ultra, which also come with standard roof rails, open-pore wood inserts (or metallic wood in the Type S Ultra), and 16-way power adjustable front seats.
An on-board navigation system is also standard equipment, along with a 12-speaker ELS Studio premium stereo system, and genuine leather upholstery. The A-Spec trim level has a sportier personality and features unique styling touches, as well as an upgraded 16-speaker ELS audio system, UltraSuede seat inserts, and ventilated front seats.
The new-for-2024 Type S Ultra packs in all the features of the lower trims and adds the top-end 25-speaker ELS sound system and a pair of very lovely massaging front seats. The perforated leather upholstery is incredibly comfortable, and the massaging seats are worth every penny. The massage function is firmer than that found in other luxury crossovers and SUVs, so it feels more active and refreshing on long drives (softer systems risk lulling you into a slumber). Although the Mercedes-Benz GLS’s cabin may be far ahead of the MDX, overall, the MDX has the better massagers.
The standard powerplant in the Acura MDX is a 3.5-litre V6 engine. It makes 290 horsepower and 267 pound-feet of torque. The Type S Ultra comes equipped with a twin-scroll turbocharged 3.0-litre V6 engine that puts out 355 horsepower and 354 lb-ft of torque. Power is sent through a 10-speed automatic transmission to Acura’s Super-Handling All-Wheel Drive System (SH-AWD), which is standard in Canada.
The 2024 Acura MDX Type S Ultra boasts strong acceleration (thanks to those turbos) in most driving situations. It never whips your head back (this is a luxury SUV, after all), but you’re never wanting for power when pulling away from a stop, getting up to highway speeds, or making a passing maneuver. The transmission manages power well and throttle delivery is quick. It’s light on its feet yet extremely comfortable over bumps in the road.
The Type S Ultra trims come with Brembo performance brakes, as well as an adaptive air suspension that is able to automatically level. You can hear it deactivate and slightly lower when you stop the MDX. This system allows the MDX Type S Ultra to be surprisingly light on its feet, and the ride height lowers when you select Sport mode in the Integrated Dynamics System. Operated via a large dial in the centre of the dash, the IDS also includes Sport+ (which requires a longer hold to make sure you want to select it), Snow, Comfort, and Normal modes, plus an Individual drive mode. There’s also a Lift mode that adds 5 centimetres of ground clearance for when you want to get off the beaten path.
But the MDX’s natural habitat is the boulevard and highway, where it is refined and comfortable. Some may find the ride from the double-wishbone front suspension on the firm side, but it still does a great job of absorbing bumps in the road. Also, there’s an expectation in modern SUVs—especially luxury SUVs—for a sportier ride quality, and so the firmness comes with the territory. The MDX Type S Ultra can quickly dive through corners. Quickly, at least, for a roughly 2,000-kilogram (4,500-pound) SUV. The steering has the weight and tactile responsiveness of a luxury sedan, and the turning radius is tight enough to negotiate tight spaces and busy mall parking lots. When properly equipped, the MDX’s towing capacity maxes out at 2,268 kilograms (5,000 pounds).
The MDX comes standard with three rows of seating. The first two rows are comfortable and supportive, but the third-row seats are on the smaller side and is best suited for children. You’ll find a maximum of 512 litres of cargo space behind the rear seats, and that number expands to 1,367 litres with the rear seats folded. Folding the second and third rows provides access to the maximum 2,690 litres of cargo space. (Note these are maximum figures, if you pack in every available corner. The standard measurements allowing for a line of sight out the back of the vehicle are 461/1,107/2,021 litres.) There’s also an additional storage area underneath the cargo load floor. The MDX comes standard with a hands-free power liftgate.
Our Type S Ultra test vehicle’s second-row bench has a fold-down centre console with integrated cupholders. While there is no option for second-row captain’s chairs, this fold-out armrest provides that individual-seat experience for second-row passengers. The centre of that bench also folds out, providing easier access to the third row.
There are plenty of cupholders throughout the cabin, no matter where you are sitting. The centre console has plenty of space for your various items. And then there’s the centre stack of controls, which is a bit of a mess. The shifter is a row of buttons that takes some getting used to, and it takes up about as much space as a conventional shifter would, anyway. The IDS (drive-mode selector) is a large dial in the centre of it all. Automakers have stated that the centre controls area is one of the most valuable pieces of automotive real estate, and yet, Acura has installed features that aren’t completely essential to the driving experience. How many drivers are going to use the IDS dial regularly? We suspect the majority simply want to get in and drive.
And now we come to the Acura MDX’s Achilles Heel. Although it’s full of nice features, the infotainment system’s interface is painfully clumsy. At first, the 12.3-inch display atop the dash seems like it’s a touchscreen, but then you mush your index finger onto an icon and nothing happens. To control this screen, there is a touchpad down below the shifter. You drag your finger and tap the pad to select menu items, and it is painfully unintuitive.
Luckily, the MDX’s feature set offers some positives. First, the MDX comes standard with wireless Apple CarPlay and wireless Android Auto connectivity. Acura has also integrated Amazon Alexa and packages every MDX with satellite radio, HD radio, and a Wi-Fi hotspot. (Several of these features require a paid subscription.) The MDX also comes standard with multiple USB ports, a fully digital instrument panel, and wireless device charging.
The MDX does have a very clever placement for charging ports in the centre console, hidden behind a small retractable pad. You also have a helpful leather handrest for the touchpad that hovers above the wireless charging pad. It’s actually incredible that the infotainment system and other driver controls are so unintuitive given how much thought went into little details like the touchpad/charging pad packaging.
Given that the new Integra comes with a far more intuitive touchscreen setup, we hope that Acura has learned its lesson on the infotainment front, and the current system will be phased out in the MDX, in future model years. However, it still exists in the 2024 MDX, and that makes it a hard luxury crossover to recommend, particularly over other options like the Genesis GV80, which offers impressive tech.
The Acura MDX comes with a comprehensive suite of high-tech driver assistance and safety features. This includes standard automatic emergency braking, forward collision warning, pedestrian detection, adaptive cruise control with stop-and-go, lane-departure warning and lane keeping assist, driver attention monitoring, traffic-sign recognition, blind-spot monitoring, rear cross-traffic alert, front and rear parking sensors, and rain-sensing windshield wipers. A surround-view camera system and a head-up display are equipped starting from the Platinum Elite grade.
The 2024 MDX has not been tested by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) nor the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS), but as the 2024 model carries back to 2022, those safety scores translate to the contemporary model. The ’22 MDX earns a five-star overall rating from NHTSA and earns a best score of Good in all phases of IIHS evaluation. It’s also a 2022 IIHS Top Safety Pick+ and it earns a best score of Superior for its crash-prevention technology.
Despite all this safety tech and strong safety scores, there is one area of distraction for drivers. Yes, we’re back on the infotainment system. The fact that you have to look at the screen to figure out where your finger is on the touchpad takes your eyes low and away from the road longer than if you were simply using your index finger to select an icon on a touchscreen.
Natural Resources Canada rates fuel economy in the standard 2024 Acura MDX at 12.6 litres per 100 kilometres in city driving, 9.4 on the highway, and 11.2 combined. In the MDX Type S Ultra, these figures go up to 13.8 L/100 km city, 11.2 highway, and 12.4 combined.
Base MSRP for the 2024 Acura MDX in Canada is $65,409 for the Tech trim level, including destination charges and dealer fees. Pricing tops out at $88,409 for the 2024 Acura MDX Type S Ultra. The Acura MDX is backed by a four-year, 80,000-kilometre limited warranty.
Today, consumers want one vehicle that can do it all. The expectations for an SUV are well understood; cargo space, capability, safety, and room for the whole family. But modern SUVs are also expected to handle and perform as well as a sport sedan might have 15 years ago. The Acura MDX delivers on all these fronts.
The biggest headache in the MDX is its infotainment system, but there might be hope soon. Acura generally maintains a roughly eight-year run for its vehicle generations, with a mid-cycle refresh about halfway through the generation. Given that the new Integra has an improved infotainment system, the MDX’s next mid-cycle refresh (possibly in 2025 or 2026) could bring the new infotainment setup. For now, you’ll have to drive the MDX for yourself to determine if the clumsy controls are a deal breaker.
If you think those controls are not confusing for you to operate, you’ll be rewarded with a luxury SUV that is fantastic in so many other ways. There are sportier SUVs, more upscale SUVs, and more spacious three-row SUVs, but few vehicles combine all these attributes into one product. The 2024 Acura MDX is an extremely well-rounded luxury SUV with a comfortable interior that will make the commute a little more pleasant and spirited handling that will make it more exciting.
Note: Images show a US model.
