The MDX is Acura’s best-selling vehicle, and for 2022 it gets an all-new design on the inside and outside. The Acura MDX first went on sale in the year 2000, the 2022 model-year is the 4th generation of this second-best selling mid-size luxury crossover in the US/Canada.
The fourth generation Acura MDX features an athletic exterior and a more luxurious interior. The exterior is based on the design elements from the Precision concept car, and shares a family resemblance to other Acura cars like the RDX and TLX.
Last week I had the opportunity to review a 2022 Acura MDX Elite, below are my thoughts on this new and improved 3-row luxury SUV.
The 2022 Acura MDX has a starting price of $56,405 for the base trim. The MDX Technology Package starts at $60,405, MDX A-Spec starts at $63,405, and the top-of-the-line MDX Platinum Elite Package starts at $67,405. Acura is also planning on producing an MDX Type S later this year.
Currently, the 2022 Acura MDX is offered with one engine choice, a 3.5-liter V6 with direct injection. This engine produces 290 horsepower at 6,200 rpm and 267 pound-feet of torque at 4,700 rpm. Power is sent to all four wheels via a 10-speed automatic transmission using 4th generation SH-AWD. A more powerful engine will be offered on the MDX Type-S.
According to Acura, the 2022 MDX should consume 12.6/9.4/11.2 liter/100 kilometers in city/highway/combined driving.
The Acura MDX offers a fine driving experience, it’s neither sporty nor floaty; it’s just fine. If you’re looking for a sportier Acura SUV/CUV, the RDX is a sportier offering. The MDX does come standard with the SH-AWD, but unlike the RDX and TLX, I didn’t quite feel the sportiness this system provides. The SH-AWD can send up to 70% of the power to the rear axle and then 100% to either of the two wheels.
The 290 HP provided by the V6 is more than enough for normal city and highway driving, the transmission shifts gears smoothly and can skip down 4 gears under heavy acceleration at higher speeds. The MDX is now offered with a double-wishbone front suspension and comes with an all-new multilink rear suspension, which provides for a comfortable ride even on the roughest of roads.
The exterior and interior of the 4th generation MDX sees big changes. The exterior design of the 2022 Acura MDX is quite attractive, taking design elements from the Acura Precision Concept. The styling is now more in line with the rest of the Acura family, especially the RDX and the newly redesigned TLX, which I recently reviewed.
The MDX features the now familiar pentagonal grill, with a large Acura logo surrounded by small 3D pieces (would you call these diamond shapes?). The grill shape/design works really well with the rest of the front, it’s aggressive but not huge like some of others in this segment.
The new headlights look sharp, featuring the chicane daytime running lights, also seen on the TSX. The overall design looks quite cohesive and feels like a proper luxury vehicle. The 4th generation MDX is longer, wider, and lower, giving it a sporty appearance. The MDX has a 7 cm longer wheelbase, it’s 3.5 cm wider at the front and rear, and is 0.8 cm lower than the previous generation MDX.
The interior sees major improvements with premium materials and excellent fit and finish. The interior looks almost identical to the TLX’s interior, which I was a fan of. At the center of the show is the 12.3” ultra-wide HD screen (standard on all trims), which is not a touchscreen like many competitors. Instead of touch, the screen is controlled via a trackpad that has two separate sections, which correspond to the two sections of the infotainment screen. The bigger trackpad controls the bigger part of the screen and the smaller trackpad section controls the smaller part of the screen. The trackpad can be used to write down letters when you’re entering an address. This is good in theory but not as good in practice, I found it difficult to type anything and resorted to either picking each individual letter with the trackpad, which is quite time consuming or using voice command.
The trackpad is like a mousepad on a laptop but it also has an added feature. Using the trackpad normally, you just slide your finger around to move the “cursor” on the screen to the desired function. The added feature is when you put your finger on the mousepad, say top right corner, the pointer on the screen will appear in the corresponding position on the screen, the top right corner. So instead of sliding you finger/cursor from one end of the screen to the other, you can just click that part of the trackpad and the corresponding part of the screen will get clicked. It doesn’t take much time to get used to this system.
The Acura MDX uses a 10.3” “Precision Cockpit” digital instrument display, unlike some of the competitors, you don’t have to choose the highest trim to get this instead of analogue gauges, it’s standard on all trims. In fact, the MDX is quite well equipped even in the lowest trim.
Other standard equipment includes panoramic sunroof, removable middle seat in the second row, wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, wireless phone charging, built-in Amazon Alexa, and Traffic Jam Assist.
The 4th generation Acura MDX is a great vehicle, it improves on an already good formula and it should continue to be a great seller for Acura.
