Yahoo Autos 2022 Acura MDX First Drive Review | Sportier and more luxurious than ever
The 2022 Acura MDX is Acura’s latest, completely redesigned model in what’s shaping up to be a rekindling of the Japanese luxury brand. Acura smacked us across the face (in a good way) with the luxurious and sporty TLX last year, and now it’s trying to do the same with its three-row family crossover.
2020 saw the MDX become Acura’s best-selling model of all time, surpassing 1 million total sales. Granted, it’s been around since the turn of the century, but there’s no underselling how important the MDX is to Acura. Enthusiasts like ourselves are far more intrigued by the performance cars, but the MDX is where Acura is printing its money. However, its cash cow status hasn’t restrained Acura from transforming the new MDX into a crossover that’s likeable to both enthusiasts and the public at large. That’s the Acura we remember and love.
The 2022 MDX rewrites its story with a new “light truck” platform that's exclusive to Acura … for the time being. When we asked what this platform’s future might be, an Acura spokesperson told us that “this platform will underpin other models in our company portfolio, but we’re not speaking to that at this time.” Most likely, Acura is referring to the next-generation Pilot (along with the Passport and Ridgeline), considering that every previous MDX has been related to Honda's three-row crossover.
For now, however, this new platform facilitates the MDX’s longer dash-to-axle ratio (4 inches greater than before), which gives it proportions similar to rear-drive-based competition from Europe and elsewhere. It also results in greater cabin space, better handling and new technologies, but we need to address the design first.
The transformation is substantial, as the 2022 MDX is both wider and longer than its predecessor. Where there was slop and slouch before, there is none today. Its upright face, mesmerizing grille, big wheels and sharp lighting elements make the MDX stand out in the crossover crowd. This redesign takes the MDX from being one of the least fetching options in the segment to standing tall as one of the most stylish. Big styling wins haven’t always been easy for Acura to come by over the last 10-plus years, but chalk this one up as another feather in the cap following the dashing new TLX.
The new MDX platform contributed to these good looks, but it also brings a splash of utility. The third row sees the biggest gains, as adults or teens are far more likely to fit comfortably in the way back. Acura added 2.4 inches of legroom and found a touch more headroom despite raising the seat bottom by 2 inches. Cargo space in all seating configurations also goes up by minor amounts. Acura says that this extra space was opened up by switching from a coilover to a separate strut and spring rear suspension design.
The MDX may no longer be mechanically related to Honda's Odyssey, but its novel second-row seats do borrow a page from Honda's minivan playbook. You can sit three-across (seven-person maximum capacity), fold the center seat down for a massive center console, or completely remove the middle seat to leave yourself with a pair of quasi captain’s chairs. Every other competitor makes you choose whether you want a three-person bench or two-person captain's chairs at the dealership.
So yes, the MDX is a better crossover for the family, but even more impressive is what it brings to the table for the driver. Acura is not deviating from what’s worked in the past with the base engine. It’s still the 3.5-liter naturally aspirated V6 that makes 290 horsepower and 267 pound-feet of torque — no 2.0-liter turbo to be found here. The transmission is new, though, and it makes a substantial difference in how this MDX drives. Acura went from a nine-speed automatic to a new 10-speed automatic, and it implemented a lower first gear for better performance. That gives this 4,500-pound crossover (with SH-AWD) far better pull off the line and at low speeds than we were expecting. It requires a lot of shifting to get the job done (you’re at the top of third gear by 60 mph), but Acura successfully used gearing to make the MDX feel more potent than the numbers suggest it would be. Plus, it’s above average when you toss it into manual shifting mode, responding eagerly to inputs from the nicely shaped paddles.
An MDX Type S with the 3.0-liter turbocharged V6 (355 horsepower and 354 pound-feet of torque) is coming in the summer, so if you desire more power, we suggest waiting. Acura also left the door open for a return to hybrid power in this generation of MDX, but we don’t know any details about it or when it might be coming.
Our biggest disappointment concerning the powertrain is the total lack of fuel economy improvement. It’s actually down 1 mpg in the combined rating for both front- and all-wheel drive layouts. Acura blames the car’s new styling for this loss in efficiency. Engineers tried their best to claw MPGs back through greater use of aluminum for body parts and newly integrated active grille shutters (reduces aerodynamic drag), but it still wasn’t enough to stay neutral from one generation to the next.
