Roseville, Calif. – Now in its eighth year of production by Honda’s luxury division, the Acura MDX is a midsize luxury crossover sport utility vehicle that is appealing for a variety of reasons.
The MDX is quite versatile. It can serve as the family-friendly sport utility vehicle that has three rows of seating and can haul up to seven people, providing appropriate transportation for kids and their many activities.
But it can also be the cool SUV that one uses as a daily commuter to work or the MDX can be the comfortable, classy mode of travel for a small family.
The MDX has plenty of competition in the Volvo XC90, Audi Q7, Infiniti QX60, BMW X5 and Buick Enclave.
The 2017 MDX arrives with some changes this year, but remains one of the standouts in this segment. The most notable changes are the inclusion of a sport hybrid, new front end, grille, and headlight design, electronic parking brake, and available safety features that can be added to the standard package.
While the additions are good ones, a feature that’s not appreciated here is the gear selector. Instead of the standard shifter, the MDX has a push button selector that one utilizes to hit park, reverse, neutral and drive. While the driver does get accustomed to it, the feature seems like a change for the sake of change.
2017 Acura MDX
- Performance: 3.5-liter, V6, 290 horsepower; 3.0, V-6 hybrid, 325 horsepower
- Mileage estimate range: 19-27 mph; 25-26 mpg
- Price: $44,890 – $51,850
- Warranty: 4 years/50,000 miles; drivetrain 6 years/70,000 miles;
- roadside assistance 4 years/50,000; corrosion 5 years/unlimited
The Acura MDX has one very solid standard engine, a 3.5-liter, V6 that produces 290 horsepower and 267 pound-feet of torque. However, a turbocharged option would be a nice addition, since that’s a popular choice these days. The base model is front-wheel drive and all-wheel drive with (SH-AWD) is an option. The MDX can tow up to 5,000 pounds.
Even without the Sport mode engaged, the MDX offers a good ride. It handles with ease in any around-town driving and demonstrates its agility when challenged by an S-curve road or maneuvering in freeway traffic. In Sport mode, the MDX shows off a little more and does it with a pleasing engine roar.
The new hybrid sport MDX features a 3.0-liter, V6 engine with 325 horsepower.
A smart interior characterizes the MDX. It has an appealing look with leather upholstery, quality material, and a very sensible layout The interior has both an upper and lower touchscreen that are intuitive in nature. A few interior tweaks were added this year.
Comfort is also a plus with the MDX, with the exception of the third row, which is only comfortable for a child. Front and back seat folks will enjoy the head and leg room. The third row eats up much of the trunk space (15.8 cubic feet), but fold it down and there is ample storage capacity.
The MDX provides good value for the price (approximately $45,000). It has strong upside, providing a fun SUV to drive with good performance, strong handling, comfortable ride, and very few flaws.