2014 Acura MDX
As Acura reaches for the mainstream luxury relevance it ceded to Lexus a decade ago such vehicles as the new MDX come into sharper focus. Gone is the beaklike nose and muscular fender forms, replaced by sleek sides and ornate LED lighting. Inside quality improves at eye level (while degrading below hip point) and the center stack’s button count comes down dramatically. A neat little area to set your phone on features faux wood and rubber strips that remind of boat decking: very cool. The two screens that comprise the infotainment interface puzzle though—and their resolution differs, which kind of cheapens things.
Seating is comfortable in the first two rows and the fold-flat rear seats add versatility a Lexus RX350 can’t match. The MDX also betters the class’ best seller dynamically, with a simply superb ride—at least in the Advance model, with its magnetic shocks—great steering, and the aptly named Super Handling AWD system means it almost never succumbs to understeer.
A downsized yet uprated, 3.5-liter, 290hp engine teams well with a slick 6sp automatic, providing ample thrust (0-60mph in 6.4 seconds with an addictive top-end rush), decent fuel economy that averaged just under 20mpg in urban use and refinement to rival anything in the price range. That the Sport mode for the tranny chops off access to top gear is annoying, though.
Missing too are such niceties as a heated steering wheel and power-fold mirrors. Making up in some measure is the ability to program the heated and cooled seats to auto activate based on the temperature you select via the climate control. Overall, a solid effort, compelling for the driver, pleasing for passengers—at a premium price.
EPA ratings: 18/27; 21mpg combined
Price as tested: $57,400
Here is what Acura has to say about the new MDX.
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