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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  Dont Buy It! - 2008 Acura MDX
  By houston - July 13 - 8:39 pm

  I purchased this car in March. I previously owned a Honda with well over 100,000 miles and loved it. So you think you are getting high quality for the money? Wrong! I have had problems since the beginning. There was extreme wind noise which they attributed to a bent windshield. The car started making clicking and grinding noises. That was the defective bushings. I have driven it exactly 16 days and the bushings have evidently gone bad again (bulletin on these). The entire dash is squeaking and they said they will have to tear out the dash to figure it out. There is some metal fluttering and continued noise like the door is open also. Buy anything else on the market and you will be happier.

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  MDX Tech w/ PTG - Steel Blue - 2008 Acura MDX
  By MeBuyToo - July 13 - 8:05 pm

  Great ride words canÂ’t express how much I love this car. The car is nothing but classy inside and out. It stands out on the road and its always the best looking vehicle in the parking lot. Kudos to Acura for coming up with technology ideas that leads us in the 21st century. Nav is working great traffic incidents works. Hands free link works. Climate control is really good super handling, plenty of go power stereo sounds great. The voice commands works well for me, even with the windows down. With all its features its best to get to know the voice commands. Thank goodness they work. Considered Lexus RX350, BMW X5, Volvo C90. MDX design and Technology value outstanding.

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  Solid ride - 2008 Acura MDX
  By cb - July 10 - 11:23 pm

  So far a great purchase. Gas mileage has been better than expected. Ride is smooth, shifts quietly, handles very well, lots of power, brakes are very responsive. Plenty of leg room. Base model is very well-equipped with everything we wanted.

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  I love my MDX - 2005 Acura MDX
  By lvernacc - July 6 - 10:06 pm

  I purchased my MDX in May 2004. This is the best vehicle I have ever driven. I researched other comparable vehicles as Lexus, Toyota, BMW and Volvo. The MDX was not only the best value, but has the best ride.

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  2005 MDX Review - 2005 Acura MDX
  By 2005 MDX - July 5 - 4:42 pm

  Bought the original style MDX because I just knew the new model wouldnt be as nice. I have never been so happy with a car in my life. Its a wonderful highway cruiser and up in the rockies, it just handles the whoop di doos very solidly, no floating around, just well composed ride. Mileage is 21 highway average at 75 mph and around town 13 (100% stop & go). I got the touring model with nav & the tow package. The AWD works wonderfully. I took it out in the desert near Moabe, Utah and it will go down creeks & up sand banks with ease. In snow its a joy, give a lot of confidence in any type of bad weather. Reliability has been excellent with only the nav being replaced, have 75K miles

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  Horrid Reliability - 2008 Acura MDX
  By John Vaughn - July 5 - 2:42 pm

  Just too many issues to list here. The main ones are the suspension defects for both front and rear of vehicle. The front lower control arms busted twice on mine just from every day normal city/high-way driving - no offroad use at all! No aggressive driving either. The rear suspension sounds as something is going to break off - Also "repaired" twice... so they say. Problems still exist. This vehicle has a lot of problems and Acura refuses to work with the customer.

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  Lives up to "Sports Sedan of SUVs" label - 2008 Acura MDX
  By SXY - July 4 - 9:18 pm

  Bought the MDX for utility, but drive it for fun now. I have an older Audi A4 quattro sedan, and was looking for a larger vehicle with more reliability for my weekend golf and ski trips. Didnt think I would prefer driving this full time. It corners as well as the A4! I can also load lots of gear in the back, and rear seat passengers sit in comfort. I compared this to the BMW X3, X5, 328xi wagon, Infiniti EX35, FX35, and the smaller sibling RDX. The MDX has an unbeatable combination of performance, utility, luxury, and price! Yes, price! While gas prices are high, you can get this vehicle for under invoice prices!

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  Wifes 2016 Acura MDX with SH-AWD Advance - 2016 Acura MDX
  By Glen Tryer - July 4 - 6:05 pm

  We looked at numerous SUVs and Sedans but kept coming back to the Acura MDX. Build quality, fit & finish, ride comfort, interior materials, driving performance and styling were equaled only by several of the other Japanese auto makers. Acura was the only one with a dealership nearby so it wouldnt be a hardship if the MDX does have problems in the future. This is our fourth Acura so we do have some degree of owner loyalty. Both of these factors weighed heavily in our decision on which SUV to purchase. However, there are several things that we do not care for and they are as follows, the automatic stop/start feature is a nuisance (and it cannot be disabled), navigation system and driver / vehicle interface is cumbersome and complex. Youre better off just learning to use the voice prompt for most commands. I prefer the Bluetooth connectivity in my 2011 Ford truck than the Acura phone system. My wife has learned to use Siri on her linked IPhone to make calls from the MDXs Bluetooth connection (its easier than their system, at least in her opinion). We drove both the two wheel drive and SH-AWD versions and I can say for a fact that the AWD option handles and performs MUCH better in a hard rain. We typically dont have any snow or Ice in this part of Texas but my guess is that the AWD would do just as well in those driving conditions too. Another consideration is that when the SH-AWD option ($2000) is purchased, you also get a spare tire and jack. If you buy these items separately from the dealer they are $510. The two wheel MDX drive DOES NOT COME with a spare tire. The multiple versions of ride control (e.g. IDS, Comfort, Normal, Sport) are wasted on us. Why would anyone want to drive a glorified station wagon in Sport Mode, the MDX is not a sports car! Acura could get away from having to install the VERY expensive magnetic shock absorbers currently in use but I suppose if thats what the competition is doing they have to do it too. Transmission, shift points, smoothness, etc. all seem to be set OK for normal to moderately aggressive driving. We really like the transmission push buttons in lieu of a "gear shift lever" sticking up in the middle of the console. The MDX has paddle shifters, if you have the need to shift manually but I doubt well ever use them. The engine is strong, quiet and idles smoothly. Our overall fuel economy has been in line with Acuras posted claims for miles per gallon but I sure wish they could have figured out how to do it on Regular (87 octane) fuel. Wheels and tires on the Advance model are good looking 19" wheels w/ Michelin rubber, but I saw several of the basic MDX two wheel drive vehicles equipped with Hankook tires. They would not be my first choice of tires on a $40K vehicle. Warranty is comparable to Lexus and Infiniti, I cannot understand why the Europeans (especially the Germans cannot seem to keep up with their competition in this category). As of this writing, we have not purchased an extended warranty on this vehicle and I doubt that we will. After all, Acura and Hondas claim to fame is their remarkable reliability and dependably so those features should be designed and built into the vehicle. I wish we had more mileage and driving time in the vehicle prior to writing this review but at least I could share a few things with a prospective buyer. In summation, my wife REALLY likes the vehicle. The additional room, the ability to set up a little higher than you do in a typical sedan and ease of driving were big selling points.

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  MDX review - 2003 Acura MDX
  By skywalker2910 - July 4 - 10:00 am

  I have had my silver MDX for a year and have put 19900 miles on it.The fit and finish are flawless.The build quality is solid.The acceleration is more than adequate.There is wind noise when you go over 60mph .It is quite at speeds below 60.The bose system is decent.The navigation system can be misleading at times.

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  Great car - 2008 Acura MDX
  By Owen - July 3 - 5:27 pm

  Only con is that its a gas guzzler. Otherwise I love this car