5 reasons to buy the 2025 Acura MDX luxury SUV
Mark PhelanSAN DIEGO — The 2025 Acura MDX gets a handful of significant upgrades, adding appealing new audio systems and other features to what’s already one of the most popular three-row luxury SUVs.
The MDX is Acura’s bestselling and most profitable vehicle. Honda’s luxury brand has sold more than 1.2 million MDXs since sales began in 2000.
Most of the changes involve exterior appearance and electronics. The SUV’s sheet metal and drivetrain are largely unchanged.
My favorite changes to the MDX are inside: improved controls and a dynamite top audio system.
I evaluated a well-equipped MDX Type S with the Advance package — the top model — on a bright summer day over highways, city streets and twisting country roads north of San Diego.
The 2025 Acura MDX is on sale now.
2025 Acura MDX trim levels and prices
- MDX FWD: $50,900 (AWD adds $1,200)
- MDX AWD: $53,100
- MDX FWD with Tech package: $56,300 (AWD adds $1,200)
- MDX A-Spec AWD: $61,500
- MDX AWD w/Advance package: $66,000
- MDX A-Spec AWD w/Advance package: $68,000
- MDX Type S AWD w/Advance package: $74,950
Source: Honda. Prices exclude $1,350 destination charge.
Selected Acura MDX competitors
- Cadillac XT6
- GMC Acadia
- Genesis G80
- Infiniti QX60
- Lexus RX
- Lincoln Aviator
- Mazda CX-90
- Volvo XC90
5 great features
Bang & Olufsen audio: The Danish brand is new this year as Acura’s top audio supplier. The Type S comes with a standard 31-speaker system that was a revelation. It includes Tweeters in the A-pillar — B&Os signature feature — and a dozen speakers in the headliner for three-dimensional surround sound. Aluminum speaker grilles contribute further to fateful reproduction.
A slider adjusts levels of immersion from stereo to Dolby 7.4.
Traditional tone controls are replaced by “Beosonic,” a feature in the touch screen that allows you to vary sound according to characteristics labeled bright, energetic, relaxed and warm.
When listening to high-end sound systems, I tend to trust the sound engineers and use the default settings. That delivered a great listening experience at all volume levels.
The adjustments should also please listeners who prefer to micromanage their audio.
Automatic lane change: Not to be confused with hands-free driving, the MDX measures the distance and speed of oncoming vehicles when the driver holds the turn signal lightly — more than for a three-flash indication, not enough to trigger the detent for a full turn.
That sounds hopelessly fussy, but I found the system intuitive after just a few miles.
I tapped the indicator stalk, the instrument cluster acknowledged that I’d requested a lane change and the wheel rotated under my hand, guiding the SUV into the next lane. The sensors judged the distance and pace of approaching vehicles and refused to initiate lane changes if it didn’t have room.
Automatic lane change is only operational on interstate highways.
Capacitive steering wheel sensor: Most vehicles can tell whether the driver’s hands are on the wheel based on torque inputs — whether the driver is exerting any force on the steering wheel. It’s key to maintaining the light touch necessary for the automatic lane change,
They’re not quite garbage, but they’re garbage-adjacent, alternatingly easy to fool by hanging a weight from the steering wheel or so insensitive they don’t recognize a hand on the wheel — even when you jiggle the wheel slightly.
Capacitive sensors register the presence of human skin, making them both harder to deceive and more accurate in recognizing a light touch.
Hello, touch screen, good riddance, touch pad: The 2025 MDX’s 12.3-inch touch screen is noticeably closer to the driver than the previous model’s screen. That’s because it actually is a touch screen, while the previous display had to be operated with a touch pad on the MDX’s center console, near the shifter and cupholders. Out of the driver’s line of sight and with an idiosyncratic operating system, the touch pad never worked like the new, glanceable screen.
Google built-in: The MDX uses Google’s connected navigation system and has access to apps from the Google store. Google’s voice recognition performed with its usual robustness. Apple CarPlay — and of course, Google’s Android Auto — are also fully functional.
Safety and driver assist features
- Adaptive cruise control with low-speed follow and cornering speed assist
- Automatic front braking
- Active lane change assist
- Lane departure alert and assist
- Front and rear cross traffic
- Blind spot alert
- Traffic sign recognition
- Front and rear parking sensors
- Automatic high beams
Performance, power and efficiency
The MDX offers front- or all-wheel drive, a normally aspirated or turbocharged 3.5L V6 engine and 10-speed automatic transmission.
The Type S develops 355 horsepower and 354 pound-feet of torque from the turbocharged. Other models get 290 hp from the normally aspirated engine.
I drove a top of the line MDX Type S. It accelerated confidently and passed easily.
The interior was quiet and comfortable. Trimmed in black wood and leather and navy upholstery with white stitching, the front seat had plenty of room and storage capacity.
The climate controls have traditional buttons and toggles for key features. Audio controls are via the steering wheel and touch screen.
Acura expects fuel economy ratings of 17 mpg in the city, 21 highway and 19 combined for the Type S.
The less powerful normally aspirated engine should rate 19/26/22 with front-drive and 19/25/21 with AWD. Acura recommends premium fuel to get the rated power and fuel economy.
2025 Acura MDX top selling points
- Available Bang & Olufsen audio
- Improved radars for blind spot and cross traffic sensing
- Automatic lane change on interstate highways
- Capacitive steering wheel sensors
- 12.3-inch touch screen replaces touch pad
- Google built-in navigation and other connected services
- Apple CarPlay and Android Auto standard
- New grille and fascia
Why get one?
The 2025 Acura MDX is a comfortable, familiar lower-luxury SUV. Its new features are welcome additions that will keep it fresh until an entirely new model arrives in a couple of years.
2025 Acura MDX at a glance
Midsize luxury three-row SUV
Front- or all-wheel drive
Price range: $50,900-$74,950 (All prices exclude $1,350 destination charge)
Model tested: AWD Type S with Advance package
Price as tested: $74,950
Powertrain: 3.5L turbocharged V6
Output: 355 hp @ 5,500 rpm; 354 pound-feet of torque @ 1,400-5,000 rpm
Transmission: 10-speed automatic
Manufacturer-estimated fuel economy: 17 mpg city/21 highway/19 combined. 91 octane premium fuel recommended.
Wheelbase: 113.8 inches
Length: 198.4 inches
Width: 78.7 inches
Height: Elevation 67.9 inches
Ground clearance: 7.3 inches
EPA passenger volume: 139.1 cubic feet
Cargo room: 16.3 cubic feet behind rear seat; 39.1 behind second row; 71.4 behind front seat.
Curb weight: 4,776 pounds
Towing capacity: 5,000 pounds
Assembled in East Liberty, Ohio
Contact Mark Phelan: 313-222-6731 or mmphelan@freepress.com. Follow him on Twitter @mark_phelan. Read more on autos and sign up for our autos newsletter. Become a subscriber.