2014 Acura MDX gets an all-new look, same old boasting

The new Acura MDX, the Acura guy was saying, is “like an executive-class family jet.” Maybe, but with a lot less legroom. There was a lot of incongruous talk at the New York auto show MDX unveiling. This car does not “take luxury prestige to a new level,” nor is it the “quietest and most prestigious Acura yet.” In essence, it’s a Japanese Buick Enclave, with some lovely rear lines and lots of marketing speak.

Start with the MDX's three driving modes: Sport, Normal, and Comfort. Nothing highlights the oddity of the MDX more than Acura claim that it tuned that "Sport" suspension on the Nürburgring track in Germany, where the 290 hp, 3.5-liter V-6 flung itself around six seconds faster than the previous model — doubling the number of times anyone has ever taken an MDX onto a race track at speed. The new engine and a "Biggest Loser"-like weight loss regimen lead to a middling 21 mpg combined mileage rating for the all-wheel-drive version; a new front-wheel-drive version gets 23 mpg.