Overview & Reviews

The Acura MDX is a midsize luxury SUV with a carlike unibody platform and three rows of seats. The original MDX bowed in 2001, at a time when most competitors still featured body-on-frame construction and the term "crossover" was but a glimmer in some marketer's eye. Since then, Acura has maintained the MDX's family-friendly packaging, including standard seven-passenger seating, while spicing up the recipe with various styling, performance and handling enhancements. In typical Acura fashion, every MDX comes well equipped, with options generally limited to a few choice features bundled into packages.

New or used, the Acura MDX stands out for its comfort, versatility and refinement. It's one of our top recommendations for a family-oriented luxury crossover SUV. In reviews, we've found the MDX to be a polished performer, as it remains one of the more engaging luxury crossovers to drive and also provides a commendably supple ride. Weak points include cramped third-row accommodations for adults and less sumptuous interior appointments than in some rivals, though the MDX's strong resale value offers ample compensation.

User Reviews:

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  Best in class but - 2010 Acura MDX
  By luvCARZ - July 4 - 1:35 pm

  We bought it b/c MB gl450 lease ends in 4 months and my wife doesnt want to keep paying 2 car loans (leasing MB amg e63). Before gl, had 07 ml, 05 rx, and 01 mdx. Test drive all usual suspects. Mdx has best quality (as good as MB) and tech for price range. But I have 3 complaints. 1. Feel under power for 300 hp feel less power than 07 ml (263 hp) and hwy wind noise. 2. Questionable fuel economy. 19 mpg combined in mdx. 18 mpg for my gl450 only 1 mile diff. Hmm? 3. Quality of back-up camera is worst than my Prius. Whats up with that !

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  Transmission vibrates/grinds at 35-40 mph - 2005 Acura MDX
  By kpsmith - June 24 - 1:19 pm

  At approximately 30,000 miles, upon acceleration, the transmission would vibrate/grind until 45 mph. I have found this to be a common problem on many Acura forums and there are 11 reports of this exact same problem on the National Highway Transportation and Safety (NHTSA) website. The problem seems to be the transmission torque converter.

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  Great SUV - 2005 Acura MDX
  By jbgraw - June 22 - 6:41 pm

  Great car. Plenty of room, hard to fit seven passengers and luggage. excellent fuel economy. 15-18 in town, we consistently get 25-26 on the highway. Average tank is always around 21. Super comfortable on the inside. Great in the winter.

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  Wont buy it again - 2008 Acura MDX
  By gamerchick - June 14 - 3:18 am

  After almost 3 months of owning it, I got a leak from the edge of sunglasses holder. I brought it over to the dealer ship, they didnt find anything wrong with it. Soon after, My memory seats are not working at all. It takes lots of pushes to get the seat moved to the right position. I brought it to the dealership again. when they tested it, the button worked fine. so they said they couldnt do anything till it acted up. And of course after I got home, the memory seat didnt work. Long story short, this issue is still not getting fixed yet. I would not buy Acura again.

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  Great car but some repairs required - 2004 Acura MDX
  By Alex - June 7 - 2:46 pm

  Overall this is a great car, got it back in 2004 brand new, traded up from the Maxima, MDX handles excellently in bad weather, awesome traction. Great room in the back for the kids. I have 90,000 and it started requiring maintenance, so far replaced 2 engine mounts and will be replacing the 3rd one very soon along with the inner tie rod, the rear shocks had to be replaced at 30k. Funny enough I dont do any off road driving or towing, just regular city commute. Well still keep the car for another 10k and probably trade it for something else.

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  Wish it would last forever! - 2003 Acura MDX
  By Mom Driver - May 29 - 8:47 am

  Love my MDX and have had no major problems. My brake pads have been replaced several times, common for heavy SUVs. Vent knob spontaneously broke when I touched it a few months ago--sounds like this happens often with MDXs. Plastic trim on drivers seat has come off--also common. So far drive train and transmission work fine, but at 65K, I wonder how long that will last. Dont like style of new MDX as much! Too flashy! Want to keep this one as long as possible.

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  Nice, reliable, but boring ride - 2006 Acura MDX
  By Alan A - May 28 - 12:43 pm

  Bought car new. Got good deal because new model year was arriving and dealer wanted to unload. Car has been very reliable. Mileage running around 19 on average - and I do a lot of highway. Acceleration not bad at low end. Handling too mushy... feel like is going to roll over when aggressive on a corner. Interior space is adequate, rear seating relatively roomy, but third row seat is a torture chamber for anyone over ten years old. Overall, car has been lackluster and boring. I had a Nissan Murano before this vehicle and that was a much more exciting car to drive. This time I bought a Jeep Grand Cherokee SRT8 and, other than the gas mileage, this is one hairy ride!

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  Very nice but not without headaches - 2006 Acura MDX
  By IgnatiusReilly - May 17 - 11:53 am

  I bought my CPO MDX about a year ago. I drive mostly city/highway mix with a few long road trips here and there. The gas mileage in city driving is weak averaging around 14mpg, nowhere near the 17 mpg it claims. Pure highway driving has produced better results though getting 23.5 and 25 on two long highway trips. The interior is what sold me on the car. Im 64 and this is one of the few cars that afforded me adequate seating room while still enabling an adult to sit behind me. It comfortably fits 5 full size adults. The all weather performance has exceeded my expectations. I was able to drive through 1.5 feet of snow without issue.

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  2010 MDX Tech - 2010 Acura MDX
  By Joe Dimitrius - April 26 - 10:46 am

  Bought the 10 MDX Tech a month ago. Looks great in black. Love the ride. Compared against the Q5 (smaller), Q7( much more expensive), Lexus RX (very girly) and the X5 (more expensive to own). Zeroed in on the MDX. 45 out of the door. Yes, wait till the end of the month.

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  solid car - 2009 Acura MDX
  By MS - April 25 - 11:39 pm

  great all-around mid-sise SUV. Exterior styling wears well, looks striking in black, with the red/brick leather. amazing sound system, has to be heard to be believed. As an enthusiast, amazed at how well the car responds when pushed hard. Car seems to prefer being pushed hard rather than cruising. Can at least chase my brother in his STI. Ride is a bit firm on long trips, active damping with a comfort mode needs to be standard. Needs better quality interior materials and leather. Simplified button arrangement on dash. Car is very sporty, maybe adding Brembos, and 50bhp would fulfill its potential.