The sphere of luxurious 3-row SUVs is surprisingly deep, with out a single standout shaming the pack. However the Acura MDX is likely to be essentially the most shocking car within the phase.
Certain, it’s high-tech. Certain, it’s comfy. And positive, it’s enjoyable to drive. However you anticipate these issues from a luxurious car. What you don’t anticipate is such an approachable worth. The MDX begins at $49,550. Final month, the typical new automotive in America offered for a little bit over $48,000.
The MDX is an athletic and enticing luxurious car with three rows of seating for little greater than the value of the typical new automotive. That’s beautiful.
The MDX isn’t all-new for 2023, however it may as properly be. It was redesigned from the wheels up for the 2022 mannequin yr, so it wanted only a few 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 way of a 10-speed automated transmission. Entrance-wheel drive is customary, with Acura’s glorious Tremendous Dealing with All-Wheel Drive (SH-AWD) system obtainable as properly.
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 attraction is broad, the expertise is deep, and the cabin is large.”
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 driving force’s seat “splendidly comfy and supportive.” Most trim ranges get 12-way energy seats with energy lumbar assist. Advance fashions, the highest trim stage, get 16-way adjustable seats with thigh extensions and facet bolsters.
Each trim stage 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 thing from stereo settings to seat positions behind touchscreen menus. This makes easy changes a posh course of. The MDX, nonetheless, is filled with old-school buttons and switches. It’s great. You don’t need to look away from the highway to vary the temperature.
Talking of temperature, each trim stage 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 know-how. As an alternative, it’s stuffed with thoughtfully built-in know-how. The driving 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 customary, 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 stage. These final three come courtesy of Elliot Scheiner, a Grammy award-winning studio engineer, who tuned the methods to sound correct from each seating place.
However the MDX doesn’t simply have huge applied sciences. Considerate small touches abound, like obtainable charging ports for all three rows.
Our favourite know-how, although, is likely to be the Stroll Away Shut system. In the event you stroll away from the open tailgate with the important thing, it’ll shut itself. It’s nice for these of us who need to 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 outdated concepts. The central display screen is positioned excessive, so the driving force can examine it with out trying down from the roadway. However loads of features get actual buttons and dials — a security function in 2023.
Most luxurious automakers have moved away from leather-based in base mannequin automobiles in favor of simulated stuff that wears properly over time however, typically, doesn’t really feel like the true factor. Solely the bottom mannequin of the MDX has it, although. Each different trim stage will get the true factor and is perforated for breathability.
The corporate additionally helps you to get artistic with it. Leather-based shade decisions embrace the standard black but in addition Azurite Blue, sharp crimson, and Orchid, a beautiful 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 ft of area. Behind the second row, 48.4. You’ll discover a cavernous 95 cubic ft with all seats folded flat.
It’s a versatile area, too. Underfloor storage cubbies disguise gadgets you don’t wish to take out of the automotive. The cargo lid may be reversed — plastic facet up for simple cleansing when hauling house crops from the backyard middle, carpet facet up the remainder of the time.
Construct and worth your model of the 2023 Acura MDX to see this week’s Kelley Blue E book Honest Buy Worth, 5-Yr Price to Personal, and extra, or try Acura MDX fashions on the market close to you.