Driving Impressions

The Acura MDX offers a quiet ride and brisk acceleration performance. MDX is rated to tow up to 5000 pounds. Its rigid structure, and long wheelbase add up to a quiet ride quality, and we've experienced zero squeaks, creaks, groans or rattles. Acura says the 300-hp 3.7-liter V6 engine is the most powerful V6 engine in any SUV sold in the U.S. market. It's quick, fast, and quiet, like every Acura engine before it, only more so. Fuel economy is an EPA-rated 15/20 mpg City/Highway, and the V6 uses premium unleaded fuel. Underneath the lithe lines of the MDX, in the Sport package option you'll find an active damper system. These are the fastest-acting shock absorbers in the world, and they make driving an SUV much sportier, with a flatter ride and less body roll in the corners. A console-mounted switch lets the driver select between sport and comfort modes with the shocks. With the power and torque available from the engine, and the amazing capabilities of the Acura Super Handling All-Wheel-Drive (SH-AWD), this vehicle handles very well. This system actively distributes just the right amount of torque not only between the front and rear wheels but also between the left and right rear wheels. Not only does this help in ice, rain and snow, but helps drivers maintain control in cornering situations even when the road is dry. We drove the MDX in the hill country of western Pennsylvania and eastern West Virginia, and found it to be a delightful traveling partner. The torque-sensing variable power rack-and-pinion steering provided the right amount of help in every situation from parking to very high speed Interstate travel, with nice weight at the wheel and good center behavior. The wheel was connected to big 255/55R18 mud-and-snow tires, very nice to have along, not too noisy, with plenty of cornering grip. Braking performance in those hills was exemplary.

Final Word

The Acura MDX is sized right for the job. It looks aggressive and sporty. The interior design is especially zoomy, but not at the expense of function and ease of use. It's a good choice for drivers who need a truck-based SUV that can tow. NewCarTestDrive.com correspondent Jim McCraw performed his test drive of the MDX in the mountains of West Virginia and western Pennsylvania.