Overview & Reviews
The 2016 MDX gets a standard nine-speed automatic transmission with push-button gear selection, an optional suite of safety technologies called AcuraWatch Plus and a revised all-wheel-drive system that Acura says is lighter and more responsive. Other changes include a standard frameless rearview mirror, Siri Eyes Free voice controls for compatible Apple devices, an easy-entry driver seat and (via the Advance package) auto stop-start.
- Generous number of features for the money
- Adept handling
- Quiet cabin
- Excellent crash-test scores.
- Confident acceleration
- Good fuel economy
User Reviews:
Showing 1 through 10 of 82.00-
Jerky Transmission + Clunky Shifting = last Acura - 2016 Acura MDX
By KLance - February 3 - 1:21 pmBackground: Purchased this 2016 model in May of 2015 - have driven for a year. Thud/clunk noise e-v-e-r-y time I accelerate from around 40 to a higher speed. Head mechanic at dealer acknowledged this shouldnt be happening, had my car for weeks, put in a new drive train. Problem still there so then they told me that all of the MDXs do this. Wait-what?? Engine will shut off when I stop, every single time I stop, unless I deactivate the fuel saving feature. Get in the car in the AM, deactivate, go to grocery, get back in car, deactivate, stop to get gas, get back in car, deactivate. You can see how irritating this becomes on a daily basis. Dealer tells me no way to get around this. Drivers side window rattles when its about 1/3 of the way down. After my first month of driving this car, transmission made a thud noise when in reverse (dealer was able to fix this). Very jerky ride at slow speeds (i.e., pulling slowly out of my driveway or rounding a corner). Lots of "cool" touch screen controls -- until you realize that you cant just turn a knob to change the AC or heat, you have to hit the control screen multiple times. Even my husband, who loves everything tech, complains about what a pain this is. When you shift gears, rolls forward or backward quite a bit so dont you dare park too close to anything. And there are other smaller things that make driving this vehicle every day unpleasant. My car history: every 3-5 yrs, when a typical manuf. warranty runs out, I get a new car (Ive been hit more than once so Im very concerned about safety) and this is the WORST car Ive ever owned. I hate it. What am I comparing it to? Going way back to my Honda Passport, Mercedes ML350, Mazda MPV, Subaru Tribeca, Toyota Highlander Hybrid, Volvo XC60 (all of them high-end models w lots of features). This vehicle may get a great review after being test driven once for a car website, but check online and see how disappointed all of us owners are who have to drive it every day.
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Mostly OK with the SUV - terrible transmission! - 2016 Acura MDX
By Heather - February 3 - 12:11 amMostly this car is OK for the price. But the transmission is terrible and has an odd shift that makes it uncomfortable to drive and for passengers. No matter what "mode" youre in. Its been in the shop twice now for this problem and we just keep hearing - it is what it is. Which is frustrating given how much we are paying for it. The Acura service department we also have been going to is less than stellar at communication and makes us even more frustrated with the car. I loved, loved, loved my first Acura many years ago - but I do not think I will be purchasing / leasing another one anytime soon.
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Terrible customer service and tech problems - 2016 Acura MDX
By Jeff Axup - January 20 - 8:58 amAcura customer care refused to return my calls for 8 months when the backup camera was intermittently not functioning. Even after I send videos of it occurring they refused to accept responsibility or communicate. Acura clearly doesnt care about customers after they make the purchase. The navigation system and voice recognition system is really a joke as well. I replaced it with a dash-mounted iPhone. The car does handle well and the all-wheel drive is great.
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Problem in two week after 630 miles - 2016 Acura MDX
By :( - August 29 - 9:29 amThese is the list of problems that I had after two weeks (630 miles) The Car is in service center. 1. Navigation problem with failed HDD - take about week to fix 2. Transmission, The ride is jerky at low speed - service told me that never reported as problem and not fix for it. 3. Back up camera feed is showing for long time after driving forward - They will try to fix it. * Dealer told me nothing wrong with transmission and try different settings might fix the problem which means no solution and no fix. * I had 4 Honda/Acura before Prelude, Pilot, CL, RL and this time I am so disappointed. Maybe no more Honda/Acura in the future. This is follow up on the fix. * Dealer service department call me after 1.5 weeks after I drop off the car about a problem with audio system. Now waiting for new audio system to arrive. Mean time the loaner car is making squeaking sounds and this car has only 3800 miles. I hope other people have better luck with this car.
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The vehicle thats gone from great to a total dud - 2016 Acura MDX
By Peter K. - December 6 - 1:48 amI hardly ever write any reviews but figured I just had to do one on this vehicle. I owned a 2010 MDX Tech, which was a great car, that unfortunately got flooded during Hurricane Sandy. Then, I got an ML350 and when the lease was up, we decided that we needed another 7-seat vehicle. So, as wed already had an MDX before, we figured we couldnt go wrong with that one, right? Wrong! The first thing I noticed on my drive home from the dealership is that the car becomes ridiculously jerky while in traffic. The new 9-speed transmission just doesnt work well for daily city driving or when youre stuck in traffic on a highway. If you live in a rural area, chances are youll never experience this. But if youre in traffic every day, well... youve been warned. Ive adjusted my driving style since then and learned that switching IDS to "Comfort" makes it a little better. The problem, however, never went away and the dealer refused to acknowledge its existence despite the fact that Acura message boards are filled with similar complaints (I should have read those before I got the car). Then, theres the touch screen. Its very slow with a non-intuitive interface. Ive had it lock up several times while selecting a route. Ive always played my music from a USB flash drive and this is another area where this car is a total disaster. Once music is on, you cant switch tracks until the cars MP3 system is done reading the whole drive. So, it takes about 2-3 minutes in my case before I can switch songs or select another album/artist. It could be my flash drive but its the same one I used on the 2010 and ML350 - worked flawlessly there. We have two car seats installed in the second row (one behind the drivers seat and another in the middle). Its impossible to pull down the remaining second row seat and access the third row when theres a car seat in the middle. I had no problem doing that in the ML (needed the remaining seat pulled down sometimes to transport my bicycle). Finally, theres the cargo net or lack thereof. I kept the cargo net from the 2010 and was able to easily install it on the ML. I figured it would also fit on the 2016 MDX. Wrong again! Acura has changed that as well.
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Terrible Transmission - 2016 Acura MDX
By Terry - April 25 - 6:59 pmI have had the car for 7,000 miles now. The transmission is very jerky. There are times when making a right turn going from high to low speed and trying to get the car back up to speed is a pain. I have to push the accelerator much harder around turns and the car struggles to find a gear. For a luxury car, this is not acceptable. The drive is not fun at all and the service department at Weir Canyon Acura said this is the way the car drives. I have called Acura directly to log a complaint. Contact them directly so they can fix this issue. I dont think I would buy another Acura again.
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The Money Trap - 2016 Acura MDX
By Karen - February 23 - 1:28 amI looked for a new car for months and decided on this nice MDX, only to be left on the side of the road when the transmission broke. We waited 3 hours for a tow truck to come. My 2016 MDX had just 3800 miles on it. I asked for a new transmission, but they said all it needed was a gasket. I ghad a BMW which I loved, but it had 190,000 miles on it and I wanted dependable transportation for traveling now this is what I am stuck with. I will say the people at the Acura dealer were very nice, but I did not get great end results. When you spend that kind of money and this happens they should make it right.
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Transmission Gone at 7400 miles - 2016 Acura MDX
By Darrin Mangiacarne DO - August 12 - 8:02 amMy car was making a loud squeak sound while shifting gears. I was told that there is a leak of coolant into the transmission. They need to replace the transmission already. What a piece of junk. Cant believe that I bought this car. Going to go after the Lemon Law for assistance.
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Sold after 8 Months - 2016 Acura MDX
By Bob - April 21 - 8:26 amThe Bad Slow electronics especially navigation iPhone interface doesnt work well Auto idle awfully annoying and cant turn off permanently Doors dont shut well and often require 2nd attempt Funky noise at 18k when shifting gears Paint seems to chip more easily than other vehicles Auto wipers no so good Climate controls not convenient Good Peppy and quiet smooth ride. AWD is spectacular in snow
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Rattling noisy cabin. - 2016 Acura MDX
By Raju Joshi - January 6 - 10:45 amI got 2016 MDX in last June. It was ok for about six month then from passenger side middle row some kind of noise (like two plastic or rubbing two seat together) start coming. I try real hard to pin point but can not pin point. Now is about more then eight month I have vehicle and sound is coming everywhere, I dont know what is solution, is that my vehicle only or most mdx? Very very poor acceleration and uneasy shifting. I plan to change with other brand SUV, but before that I am going to take to dealership and/or body shop just for that noise.
