We drive the 2013 Acura MDX

2013 Acura MDX

The Acura MDX luxury performance SUV, considered by many as the benchmark of its class, was completely re-engineered in 2007 and since then it has received many improvements. Today’s version is better in almost every way and it is a very sweet SUV to drive. It has pretty much everything that the typical family would want in an affordable package. But many cars sound good on paper, but we had to see if it was really that good.

The old MDX was a very good vehicle and a new version should be even better. The exterior of the MDX is highlighted by the new Acura corporate grille which is just plain ugly. Over the years it has been toned down but it is still a sore point on an otherwise good looking car. So it is a rough start when the first thing you see makes you wish that the old car were back.

I don’t know if Acura is trying to be different here but the grille has to go and is ruining the look of all of their models including the MDX. Fortunately the rest of the MDX is very attractive with all of the right curves. What is really amazing about the styling of the MDX is how it looks so small on the outside while it is so roomy on the inside.

2013 Acura MDX interior

Inside the MDX, you will find lots of room for seven adults in three rows. Well almost. The third row seat is fine for kids but is a tight fit for adults. While adults will fit back there for short trips, you would not want to stick your grand parents back there. It may take them a while to get there and they may not be able to get out. But kids will be very happy back there so the seats are very useful. The second row seats are very roomy and provide lots of legroom and headroom for adults. The driver is faced with a very attractive dash design and everything is within easy reach.

The MDX’s interior blends purposeful sport sedan intensity with the best elements of SUV utility. Soft leather, supportive front bucket seats and a driver-oriented cockpit make it clear that the MDX is focused on the driver, without compromising passenger comfort. There are multiple configurations of the MDX’s three rows of seating thus enabling a maximum useable cargo volume of 83.5 cubic feet. Additionally, a flat floor is available when the second and third row seats are folded down for your cargo.

2013 Acura MDX interior

Inside the MDX has just about every feature that you would want. These features include a Tri-zone automatic climate control system with humidity control and air filtration, Bluetooth wireless telephone interface, an 8-speaker, 253-watt sound system that features a 6-disc in-dash CD player that plays MP3 and WMA discs and an auxiliary jack for personal audio devices.

Our test car featured the technology package and the entertainment package. The technology package features a spectacular 410-watt, 10-speaker sound system with a 6-disc in dash changer that also plays DVD-Audio discs.

The package also includes the terrific Acura navigation system with voice recognition and real-time traffic. The fabulous system can display up-to-the-minute traffic information on major freeways. The system uses a big knob in the center of the dash to control the action. While the system is miles ahead of the systems used in many other cars, we do miss the touch screen of the older Acuras. The 8-inch navigation screen also features a rear view camera.

The entertainment package focuses on enhancing passenger comfort and convenience. A 9-inch flip-down color screen is the highlight of the system that can help keep kids quiet on those long trips and allows mom and dad to actually talk. The audio signal plays in Dolby Digital surround sound through speakers and two wireless headphones and three audio jacks. The package also includes a 110-volt AC power inverter.

Under the hood of the MDX is an all aluminum SOHC 3.7 liter V6 with 24 valves that puts out 300 hp and features a race car like 11:1 compression ratio. The engine is mated to a six speed automatic transmission that is as smooth as good jazz music. Having 300hp on hand is great but with 4500 pounds of vehicle to move around, the MDX is no sports car.

While it does not feel slow, it just does not have the sharp feel of sports sedan and just feels heavy. The MDX is rated at 16 mpg in the city and 21 mpg on the freeway. We barely got 20 mpg in our mixed driving which was painful. Now in fairness the MDX gets better mileage than most other vehicles of its size. But with gas going for over $4 per gallon, most families will be asking themselves if they need this much vehicle.

2013 Acura MDX

If you do need a big vehicle that seats seven, has four wheel drive, and is full of high tech and luxury features, you can’t get much better than the MDX. It is even five start rated in crash tests. When we showed it to some car shoppers, and asked them to guess the price of the MDX they guessed much higher than the actual price of the MDX. The MDX starts out at $43,000 which is quite a deal. Our fully loaded tester was priced at $55,700 which was still $10,000 less than what most people estimated. So you really do get a lot for your money but just make sure you really do need this much car. There will be a new MDX coming out for 2014 which will probably be more expensive and have more gadgets.

Specifications

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