The sector of luxurious 3-row SUVs is surprisingly deep, and not using a single standout shaming the pack. However the Acura MDX is perhaps essentially the most stunning car within the section.
Positive, it’s high-tech. Positive, it’s snug. And certain, it’s enjoyable to drive. However you count on these issues from a luxurious car. What you don’t count on is such an approachable value. The MDX begins at $49,550. Final month, the typical new automotive in America bought for somewhat over $48,000.
The MDX is an athletic and enticing luxurious car with three rows of seating for little greater than the worth of the typical new automotive. That’s beautiful.
The MDX isn’t all-new for 2023, however it may as nicely be. It was redesigned from the wheels up for the 2022 mannequin yr, so it wanted just some modest tweaks to maintain it among the many freshest choices in its class.
Acura builds the MDX with a 3.5-liter V6 making 290 horsepower or a turbocharged 3.0-liter V6 making 355. Energy goes by a 10-speed automated transmission. Entrance-wheel drive is commonplace, with Acura’s glorious Tremendous Dealing with All-Wheel Drive (SH-AWD) system out there as nicely.
Let’s have a look contained in the 2023 MDX:
Passenger Room and Consolation
Climb into the MDX, and also you’ll first discover the spaciousness. Our check driver wrote, “The enchantment is broad, the expertise is deep, and the cabin is vast.”
Headroom and legroom measurements are typical for the category. You get extra front- and third-row headroom than in a Lexus GX and extra first- and second-row legroom than in a BMX X5.
However the shoulder and hip room measurements lead the category. That has a psychological impact — you are feeling like you possibly can unfold out within the MDX. It’s good.
Our check driver discovered the motive force’s seat “splendidly snug and supportive.” Most trim ranges get 12-way energy seats with energy lumbar help. Advance fashions, the highest trim degree, get 16-way adjustable seats with thigh extensions and facet bolsters.
Each trim degree will get heated entrance seats; on most, they’re ventilated, too. Even the rear outboard positions within the second row get seat heaters within the MDX Advance.
Third-row lodging are tight for adults, however that’s to be anticipated with midsize SUVs. However the third row within the MDX is usable — the second row’s center seat is detachable, making it simpler to entry the again.
Options and Tech
The newest design pattern in luxurious automobiles is absolute minimalism. The MDX, fortunately, has rejected the thought.
Some rivals place every little thing from stereo settings to seat positions behind touchscreen menus. This makes easy changes a posh course of. The MDX, nonetheless, is stuffed with old-school buttons and switches. It’s fantastic. You don’t must look away from the highway to alter the temperature.
Talking of temperature, each trim degree will get 3-zone automated local weather management. For a lot of trim ranges, it’s GPS-linked, adjusting for the solar’s angle.
That doesn’t imply it’s missing in expertise. As a substitute, it’s filled with thoughtfully built-in expertise. The motive force will get a 12.3-inch digital show they’ll configure to point out the knowledge they like, and on Advance fashions, a head-up show initiatives turn-by-turn instructions straight into their line of sight.
A 12.3-inch central show, nonetheless managed with a touchpad on the middle console, is a bit wonky. However Apple CarPlay and Android Auto are commonplace, as is Amazon’s Alexa Constructed-in. So you possibly can accomplish many duties with voice instructions and steering wheel-mounted controls.
Acura cares in regards to the audio expertise in its automobiles. Consumers can select from 9, 12, 16, or 25 audio system relying on trim degree. These final three come courtesy of Elliot Scheiner, a Grammy award-winning studio engineer, who tuned the programs to sound correct from each seating place.
However the MDX doesn’t simply have huge applied sciences. Considerate small touches abound, like out there charging ports for all three rows.
Our favourite expertise, although, is perhaps the Stroll Away Shut system. If you happen to stroll away from the open tailgate with the important thing, it’ll shut itself. It’s nice for these of us who must get all of the groceries in a single go.
Supplies and Design
Acura designers did a pleasant job updating the MDX’s cabin with one of the best new and previous concepts. The central display is positioned excessive, so the motive force can test it with out wanting down from the roadway. However loads of features get actual buttons and dials — a security characteristic in 2023.
Most luxurious automakers have moved away from leather-based in base mannequin automobiles in favor of simulated stuff that wears nicely over time however, generally, doesn’t really feel like the actual factor. Solely the bottom mannequin of the MDX has it, although. Each different trim degree will get the actual factor and is perforated for breathability.
The corporate additionally helps you to get artistic with it. Leather-based colour selections embody the standard black but in addition Azurite Blue, sharp crimson, and Orchid, a stunning white shade that emphasizes the spaciousness talked about above.
Cargo Room and Flexibility
The MDX has one of many largest cargo capacities in its class. Behind the third-row seats, you get 18.1 cubic toes of house. Behind the second row, 48.4. You’ll discover a cavernous 95 cubic toes with all seats folded flat.
It’s a versatile house, too. Underfloor storage cubbies conceal objects you don’t wish to take out of the automotive. The cargo lid might be reversed — plastic facet up for simple cleansing when hauling dwelling vegetation from the backyard heart, carpet facet up the remainder of the time.
Construct and value your model of the 2023 Acura MDX to see this week’s Kelley Blue Guide Truthful Buy Worth, 5-Yr Value to Personal, and extra, or take a look at Acura MDX fashions on the market close to you.