2025 Acura MDX Type S: Squeezing a lot in, including passengers
The three-row SUV from Honda’s luxury brand has a lot going for it, but it’s geared more toward the driver.
2025 Acura MDX SH-AWD Type S w/Advance vs. Audi SQ7 Prestige: The “Geez, this is really a lot of money for an SUV” comparison.
This week: Acura MDX
Price: $75,550 as tested.
Conventional wisdom: Motor Trend likes that it’s “quicker than pre-refresh Type S,” says “Finally, a touchscreen,” and “Top model is loaded.” But they decry the “luxury doesn’t go far enough,” it “could use a grippier tire,” and there’s a “punitive third row.”
Marketer’s pitch: Nothing gripping on the website. It is Acura’s best-selling model, though.
Reality: Lots of attention for the driver but the passengers might want to have a word.
What’s new: The MDX gets a new look outside for 2025.
The Type S aims to provide an even sportier version of the three-row SUV that has impressed immensely in its last two Mr. Driver’s Seat tests. But most of the performance aspects remain unchanged since 2022.
There’s now Google built in to the touchscreen so you can get watched everywhere you go, and active lane change so you hardly have to drive there. Clearly, Mr. Driver’s Seat has a hate-hate relationship with tech.
Competition: Audi Q7; BMW X7; Land Rover Range Rover; Lexus GX, LX, and TX; Volvo XC90
Up to speed: The 355-horsepower turbo 3-liter V-6 is exclusive to the Type S. Motor Trend finds 0-60 to be 5.9 seconds.
I always forget to toggle from D to S in Acuras and Hondas using the transmission button, which helps maximize the performance.
In any case, I didn’t feel the acceleration was that dramatic. The vehicle moves quickly but not with surprising force.
Passing and accelerating in a more normal fashion actually provide more driving pleasure.
Shifty: As noted, we still have the transmission buttons. (Not all Hondas and Acuras have them anymore, though I don’t know of any plan to phase them out.) They’re not my favorite, but I like them better than plain dials, though not as much as dials that twist one way for Reverse and one for Drive.
One could feel the MDX combing through the gears during acceleration tests, so that may not be every owner’s favorite.
On the road: The MDX Type S is definitely designed for the curves, holding its own for slaloming around the woods and countryside to your heart’s content.
The handling was SUV-level “fine” until I hit Sport mode; then it increased to superb, especially for a vehicle whose main focus is to haul seven people.
Driver’s Seat: The MDX Type S front row is a super comfortable place to be. The leather feels lived-in, even though the vehicle arrived with only 900 miles on it. Though it’s supportive and comfortable, there’s also a plush feel to it all.
Friends and stuff: Motor Trend panned the third row, but even the second falls short. The middle row looks and feels very 2015 minivan-ish for a premium SUV from 2025. The seat looks and feels thin and very straight. The test model had all manually operated controls, which moved the seat at full force with a smack, so it doesn’t feel refined.
The seat offers decent legroom and headroom, but no foot room under the front seat. The middle seat has no floor hump or console intrusion, and the middle seat is overall no worse than the corners.
The rear seat pushes Mr. Driver’s head against the ceiling. Legs fare little better, as the floor is also nearby, rendering my knees as my new best friends.
Cargo space behind the rear seat is pretty dismal; we had a tough time getting a few birthday presents in for Granddaughter 1.0 — and they weren’t even the giant-sized grandparent birthday presents you’d expect.
Play some tunes: Adjusting the equalizer is not allowed unless the vehicle is in Park. That’s a good thing, because it’s a long trip through the 12.3-inch touchscreen just to get to the equalizer, and then once you’re there, it’s a confusing circle of adjustments, like working with the color palette on Photoshop. Neat idea but a lot of hyper focus for a means of transportation. Why is this better than three toggles or three dials?
And the end result from the 31 — yes, 31-speaker Bang & Olufsen system — is middling to good sound. I’d call it maybe an A-; it was clear, but nothing delighted Mr. Driver’s Seat’s ears. This is actually a few steps below previously tested incarnations of the MDX, and that seems to be happening on a range of automobiles these days.
Keeping warm and cool: Toggles control the temperature and small Honda-style buttons control the rest of it.
The seat heater and cooler buttons are squeezed into the bottom row and angled downward, making them really challenging to read.
Fuel economy: I brought the consumption from 13 mpg in town to 17 mpg after some highway driving, which is pathetic.
After some more driving it settled in around 16 mpg, so it’s really low. Certainly it’s in line with other three-row SUVs, but maybe it’s time they all lifted their numbers, no?
Where it’s built: East Liberty, Ohio
How it’s built: Consumer Reports gives the MDX a 3 out of 5 for reliability.
Verdict: Great handling, good acceleration, fun if you’re driving, comfy if you’re up front.
Next week: Will another $25,000 or $30,000 for an Audi be even more worth it?