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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  2011 Acura MDX - 2011 Acura MDX
  By jack1973 - September 19 - 9:37 am

  I had this vehicle for 18 months and recently traded it in due to a couple reasons. - on a combination of city and highway driving I was avging 16 mpg. I understand its an SUV but find this number unacceptable. - The interior in this vehicle is horrrible. Not only is the design bad but the leather is cheap and showed massive wear with only 10,000 miles on the vehicle. The dash is covered in fake wood and there were many rattles in the car. The ride is extremely hard and road noise is prominent. Exterior is really nice but the interior and gas mileage really started to weigh on me. I guess thats what you get when you try to make a Honda a luxury car.

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  Not a luxury car - 2011 Acura MDX
  By sinew23 - August 29 - 1:13 pm

  I leased this car last year because it had the lots of leg room and cargo space and overall seem like a good choice. Unfortunately after driving it for a year, Ive been disappointed numerous times by the way Acura cut corners to save a buck. It just doesnt feel like a luxury car. It basically feels like a Honda. This car is not nearly worth the $50K price tag it touts. To add insult to injury, the sales team at the dealership was horrible. Do not buy your Acura from Hendrick Acura!!! Im so disappointed by this car and the service that Im in the process of transferring my lease. I just cant drive or pay for this car any longer.

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  Not worth the hype.. - 2011 Acura MDX
  By bala_71 - August 12 - 9:07 am

  First of all, I am surprised that why I am alone in finding lots of minute problems with this SUV. Are people insanely happy about owning a poorly designed SUV? These are not 20K Civics. Having said that, I am not going to argue that this should drive like a Ferrari or Aston Martin. But come on! With in the last 11 months, I had to visit the dealer for vibration issues many times. One issue they fixed by adjusting the suspension system. But now I have a vibration in steering wheel at above 70 mph. The dealer convinced me that thats how these cars drive. I think its due to the factory installed tires. But they wont accept it! I now have a vibration coming from the roof-top too!

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  Not Impressed - 2010 Acura MDX
  By jccai1 - August 9 - 5:03 pm

  Replaced a Volvo XC90 with the MDX in 2010. We were sold mostly on interior space, price (model year end) and perceived reliability. Two years later, I have to say Im not impressed. The car is just a chore to drive. The engine has very little low end torque. The ride is busy and floaty at the same time. The steering is loose and vague on center. A lot of road noise makes it into the cabin. And the transmission has slow and sloppy shifts, even after the software upgrade. After reading the horror stories about failed torque converters, now Im really worried. Since its the new 6-speed, I had thought Honda had fixed their transmission issues. I guess I was wrong!

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  Best all around SUV - 2012 Acura MDX
  By thomatl - July 28 - 11:03 pm

  We shopped Audi Q5, BMW X3, Volvo XC60, and Infiniti FX35. MDX was an afterthought after a disappointing drive in an RDX (not a bad vehicle but lacks features and feels like a CR-V with lipstick). We preferred the European vehicles driving feel, but the MDX Advance offered more of the features we wanted, especially the safety features such as collision mitigation. Our prior experience with Acura (CL, TL, TSX) sealed the deal.

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  Another quality Acura product - 2011 Acura MDX
  By jrm1955 - June 19 - 7:37 am

  This is one of many Acuras I have owned over the past 20 years and I could not be happier with this vehicle. It is roomy, comfortable and provides a level of performance that I was not expecting from a large SUV. The adjustable suspension has proven useful by giving the choice of a comfortable ride or sportier handling. Gas mileage is par for the course in this market segment. Resale value is also strong which was another factor in my choosing this vehicle. Love the sound of that big V6 too when you pull out to pass. Much more entertaining than a Lexus RX350 to drive.

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  First Acura...Impressed! - 2012 Acura MDX
  By erperp - June 3 - 8:42 pm

  Only few negatives to get out of the way... Coming from the German SUVs including the last one being a Cayenne, I would say the handling is on the "comfort" side. And the center cluster is just way too cluttered for any standard. Nevertheless, MDX makes up with enough grunt for such a heavy car and an exceptional value, especially w tech/ent that was by far the best deal compared with any comps, including JX. Very comfortable cruiser with ample room and storage and awesome audio too. We will continue to monitor if the Acura reliability is what people say it is....

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  2nd MDX - 2012 Acura MDX
  By dc12 - May 30 - 12:29 pm

  This is our 2nd MDX and we are very happy with our purchase. The car drives and handles very well and comes with a laundry list of standard options. I wanted to check out the new Explorer before we bought this one but the Ford dealership was too difficult to deal with. A relative of ours just bought the Toyota Highlander which I also like but the MDX handles better in my view. I was also able to get a better deal than the Edmunds True Market Value. Our kids love the car.

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  MDX transmission issues - 2010 Acura MDX
  By carollyn - May 27 - 10:04 pm

  My husband and I have a 2010 MDX and its been in the service dept almost 5 times with serious issues. two of those being transmission problems. It had to have a torque converter with less than 30K miles. It recently needed another tranny software update. Steering and axle issues......Wow. For 50K purchase, we shouldnt have these problems!!! I feel like we need to get RID of this car while it still has a decent resale value. DO NOT, I REPEAT DO NOT!! BUY ONE OF THESE CARS! Its been nothing but a headache for us. We are trading it in tomorrow. Will never buy an acura or honda AGAIN!!! EVER!!!!

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  TRANSMISSION - 2005 Acura MDX
  By brannguyen - May 21 - 9:28 am

  I bought this from a used Honda dealership-in Marietta, GA, Aug. 2011. Was really excited to own my Acura SUV w/ 3rd row! Honda had a good reputation w/ reliability except for their transmission issue! I didnt realized it until it was too late! I had it checked out by Ed Voyles Acura-Chamblee. They said it was fine & they even did the transmission chip software recall. They found nothing wrong w/ it! They even took it upon themselves to do the FULL 105k service w/ timing belt w/ out getting my approval or trying to figure out what was wrong w/ the transmission. I was really upset! I even rode w/ them to see why it would vibrate at 50-60mph. Of course it wouldnt make that noise.