2023 Acura MDX Review

LIKES

Easy entry rear seats
Type S handling
Versatile rear seating
Stylish exterior
Loaded safety and convenience tech

DISLIKES

No electrified options
Average efficiency, at best
Tight third row
Touchpad infotainment controller

BUYING TIP

All-wheel drive is a steep $2,200 addition, but it comes standard on A Spec, Advance, and Type S models.

The 2023 Acura MDX disguises its three-row functionality with style and sport, especially in Type S form.

What kind of vehicle is the 2023 Acura MDX? What does it compare to?

The 2023 Acura MDX three-row crossover SUV from Honda’s premium brand rivals the Infiniti QX60, Genesis GV80, Cadillac XT6, and Lincoln Aviator.

Is the 2023 Acura MDX a good SUV?

Yes. The premium family hauler comes well equipped, has a versatile and roomy seven-seat arrangement, top safety scores, and a dynamic ride quality, especially on the Type S performance model. That’s why it earns a high TCC Rating of 7.2 out of 10, despite a poor efficiency rating.

What's new for the 2023 Acura MDX?

After last year’s redesign, the premium three-row crossover mostly carries over. Acura adds two years or 24,000 miles of complimentary scheduled maintenance and a three-year subscription to AcuraLink connected car app that lets owners remotely start, condition, and check on the maintenance status of the vehicle.

The 2023 Acura MDX blends muscular ends with flowing body lines that look the luxury part, much more than the related but utilitarian Honda Pilot. The interior melds leather upholstery in a variety of colors with cross-stitching and metallic trim, but the flair falls flat at a wide center console slapped by gloss black plastic.

The MDX is powered by a 3.5-liter V-6 that makes 290 hp and 267 lb-ft of torque with a 10-speed automatic transmission sending power to the front wheels or available all-wheel drive. Most grades come standard with AWD, including the impressive Type S, which upgrades the quality handling and comfy ride of the MDX with an adaptive air suspension and a 355-hp 3.0-liter turbocharged V-6 that makes it perform like a class size smaller. Without an electrified option, however, either V-6 lags in fuel economy at 22 mpg combined, tops.

With and without the performance upgrade, the 2023 MDX extends comfort to all three rows, though only youthful passengers will appreciate it in the two rearmost seats. Push-button second-row sliding seats make the rear row easy to access, and a versatile middle seat in the second row converts to a console or can be removed entirely.

A top performer in crash tests, the Acura MDX comes standard with a wealth of driver-assist features such as automatic emergency braking front and rear, adaptive cruise control, active lane control, blind-spot monitors, and a driver attention monitor.

How much does the 2023 Acura MDX cost?

Acura jacked up the price of its bestseller by at least $2,300 this year to $50,245, including a $1,195 destination fee. The base model has 19-inch wheels, a 12.3-inch digital instrument cluster, a 12.3-inch infotainment display screen with wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, wireless smartphone charging, and a panoramic sunroof. It’s also sold in Technology, A-Spec, and Advance grades, but the sport-tuned MDX Type S with the Advance Package tops the lineup at about $74,000.

Where is the 2023 Acura MDX made?

In East Liberty, Ohio.

Styling

With a profile that mixes sport and style, the 2023 Acura MDX earns long looks for a three-row SUV.

Is the Acura MDX a good-looking car?

Yes, with the body strutting out more personality than the interior for an 8 here.

Acura adopts a wide, low presence with the MDX, with a shield-shaped grille pulled horizontally into LED headlights that wrap around the sides. A lower grille flanked by chunky air intakes on Type S models complement 21-inch wheels and twin dual exhaust pipes around back for a muscular presence that’s toned down but still present on other grades. The body and roof lines flow like European luxury, resolving harmoniously at the rear quarter window.

The horizontal spread applies inside, but the harmony gets discordant at a wide center console busied with a touchpad for the infotainment system, a gear selector, and other drive functions. There’s a lot going on there, which takes away from the otherwise lovely blend of clean tech displays, plates of aluminum or wood trim, and creamy leather upholstery on all but the base model.

Performance

Excellent handling stands out most on 2023 Acura MDX Type S models.

Two V-6 engine options offer varying degrees of power that can transform the dynamic suspension and handling of the MDX from a comfy cruiser to an agile SUV that belies its large proportions. The excellent handling earns it two points to a 7, but if rated separately, the turbocharged V-6 and air suspension of the Type S would earn an 8.

Is the Acura MDX 4WD?

Front-wheel drive is standard on base and Technology grades, but all-wheel drive is available for $2,200. Most MDX shoppers choose trims with AWD standard due to its sophisticated delivery of up to 70% power to the rear wheels and a torque split to either rear wheel for better cornering and improved grip.

How fast is the Acura MDX?

The familiar 3.5-liter V-6 used throughout the Honda SUV family churns out 290 hp and 267 lb-ft of torque, good enough for a 0-60 mph time in the low seven-second range. A 10-speed automatic flicks through gears without much thought or notice from the driver, though paddle shifters might be called upon in the mid-range gears where it takes a beat to downshift from higher cruising gears. A drive mode dial in the center stack ranges from Normal, Comfort, Sport, and Snow modes that varies the cluster display as well as changing the shift timing and ambient engine noise.

The MDX distinction comes from its dynamic suspension that modulates evenly between a soft cruiser to a spry whippersnapper that is most pronounced with Type S upgrades. A double wishbone front and multi-link rear suspension team with springs and dampers that smother bumps yet it firms up enough to counter some of the inertia in turns. The steering is precise but light, but the brake pedal lacks a linear feel, so there’s not much response at first then too much response about midway through.

MDX Type S impressions

The Type S with standard AWD rights those wrongs and buttons down the MDX thanks in part to an adaptive air suspension that can raise the ride height by 2.0 inches for loading or lower it by 0.6 inches in Sport of Sport+ mode. Stiffer stabilizer bars and other enhancements to make the large SUV more rigid don’t diminish the comfort on the highway, even with the standard 21-inch wheels on low-profile tires, and it also counters much of the body lean on turns before the torque vectoring on the rear wheels takes over.

With a downshift on the paddles, the 3.0-liter turbo V-6 that makes 355 hp and 354 lb-ft powers out of corners in a way meant to induce grins and meant to forget that it’s happening in a three-row crossover. It shaves at least one second off its 0-60 mph time, and Brembo front brake calipers that grab larger rotors also have a firmer and more consistent brake pedal feel.

Comfort & Quality

With room for seven passengers, the 2023 Acura MDX seats five in comfort and class.

The 2023 Acura MDX earns a near perfect 10 here for its comfy front seats, versatile second-row seats, room for up to seven passengers, and flexible cargo room. It misses a point for thick rear pillars and headrests that hinder side and rear vision. It’s a 9.

The heated front seats come with 12-way power adjustability that includes power lumbar support and leather upholstery on all but the base model. That’s better than most entry-level SUVs in this class, and 6-footers have plenty of headroom beneath the standard sunroof. Acura’s infotainment touchpad in the console results in a wide, busy console with an available smartphone charger tucked inconveniently under a hand rest.

Three seats in the second row can easily be turned into two, with a clever mid-row seat that can be folded down for a console with cupholders, or it can be removed entirely to turn the outboard seats into captain’s chairs. With 38.5 inches of legroom in the second row, there’s plenty of space for adults, and the seats slide up to 5.9 inches for more or less room. That helps with carpooling the littles around.

Push-button second-row seats tuck and slide forward for easy access to the third row, but it’s a cramped proposition back there.

More than 16 cubic feet of space behind the rear seats helps stow youth sports bags or groceries, but fold the third row down for up to 48.4 cubic feet of cargo room, or a minivan-like 71.4 cubic feet of cargo room with both the second and third row flat.

Safety

The Acura MDX aces crash tests, but comes standard with tech designed to avoid crashes.

How safe is the Acura MDX?

By most measures, the premium family hauler is very safe. The IIHS and the NHTSA bestow its highest honors on it, with a Top Safety Pick+ and a five-star crash rating, respectively, and Acura loads it with standard driver-assist tech such as automatic emergency braking front and rear, low-speed braking control, traffic-jam assist, adaptive cruise control, blind-spot monitors, and a driver attention monitor. Options such as a head-up display and surround-view camera system are standard with the Advance Package. That adds up to a 9 here.

The only point missed is more about the segment as a whole than the MDX itself. Rear headrests and thick rear pillars muddle the rearward view and make for large blind spots.

Features

Premium features and an upgraded warranty offset a pesky infotainment interface on the 2023 Acura MDX.

The 2023 Acura MDX comes well equipped with 12-way power front seats, a panoramic sunroof, a 12.3-inch digital instrument cluster, and a 12.3-inch infotainment display screen with wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto as well as wireless smartphone charging. The infotainment screen relies on a console touchpad that might be safer in theory than reaching forward for a touchscreen, but in execution it still requires the operator to look down, and the secondary slider is even more distracting. The touchpad fails to earn the infotainment system a point on our scale, but the otherwise good standard features, luxurious options, and an upgraded 4-year/50,000-mile warranty this year that includes two years or 24,000 miles of scheduled maintenance all earn a point to an 8.

Which Acura MDX should I buy?

The base model satisfies the MDX experience, but the $54,945 Technology Package adds leather upholstery, a rocking 12-speaker 550-watt ELS audio, front and rear parking sensors, ambient lighting, navigation, and 20-inch wheels.

For standard AWD and blacked-out trim pieces, as well as more firmly bolstered front seats that are heated and cooled, blacked-out trim, consider the $60,645 A-Spec. If we had to have AWD, this is the model we’d buy.

The $64,195 Advance Package adds 16-way power front seats, a surround-view camera system, a head-up display, a heated steering wheel, and heated rear outboard seats.

How much is a fully loaded Acura MDX?

The Type S tops the MDX performance and price range at $68,545. Adding the Advance Package to the Type S boosts the price to $73,895 and includes massaging front seats to a 25-speaker ELS sound system.

Fuel Economy

Lacking a hybrid model, the Acura MDX and its V-6 trail more efficient rivals.

Is the Acura MDX good on gas?

It’s average for a V-6, but lacks the electrified powertrains being offered by competitors. This year we updated our Green rating to keep up with greener times, unlike Acura who ditched the Sport Hybrid model for the 2022 redesign. The MDX scores a 2 here.

The front-drive MDX earns 19 mpg city, 26 highway, 22 combined, according to the EPA. All-wheel-drive models dip to 19/25/21 mpg, while the more powerful Type S drops to 17/21/19 mpg. Of its three-row luxury cohort, only the Infiniti QX60, Cadillac XT6, and Genesis GV80 lack an electrified option, for now.

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