Barber Acura

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Driving Impressions

The Acura MDX offers a quiet, taut ride and brisk acceleration performance. The all-wheel drive system does not counter stupidity or physics but it adds to driving fun and with a set of winter tires should do very well in snow.

Acura's 3.7-liter V6 dishes up 300 horsepower (more than any competitor's six cylinder) and with a new six-speed automatic delivers a very good blend of acceleration and fuel economy for a 4600-pound box. The engine is smooth; it's quiet too until you lean on it and pass through 4500 rpm where the satisfying growl comes on but it never gets rough or raucous. With only moderate torque you have to have some revs on to climb a hill or pass, but the transmission and shift logic are perfectly dialed in to that.

Fuel economy for the MDX is an EPA-estimated 16/21 mpg City/Highway on premium unleaded. Among its competitors, only the five-seat Lexus RX and RX hybrid offer better mileage on gasoline; the diesel Q7, X5, GL and ML all do from 2-5 mpg better.

MDX uses independent suspension all around, a setup typical for the class and tuned more toward the BMW-enthusiast end of the spectrum than pillow-velvety Lexus style. Steering is nicely weighted and the car goes where you point it, and driving it up a winding road, where the all-wheel drive pushes the car around a bend like a giant, gentle hand guiding it, is the most rewarding.

While the plain MDX is good, the Advance car is even better. It comes with larger (19-inch) wheels and the same width tires, normally a recipe for better handling/poorer ride, but also includes an active damper system. These shocks are the same design used on top-performance Corvettes, Cadillacs and Audis and use magneto-rheological fluid to change their firmness-level almost instantly. In addition to the comfort/sport modes retuned for 2010, the Advance car also gets thicker antiroll bars, especially in back, so it corners flatter and changes direction better. Pushed to its limits the MDX acquits itself well in terms of handling dexterity and braking, and its acceleration betters many V8-powered SUVs.

For 2010 the loaded MDX includes a blind-spot warning system that works from 6 mph. Acura claims it recognizes cars and trucks but did not mention motorcycles; outward vision is sufficient that we never had the system warn us. It also has radar-based adaptive cruise control to maintain following distance and, if needed, apply the brakes when it senses an impending collision. We didn't test that latter feature either.

MDX carries a maximum tow rating of 5000 pounds, though we'd carefully consider weights and frontal area carefully for any trailer approaching that weight. Some of the larger competitors have higher ratings, up to 7000 pounds, worth noting if your boat is more than 3500 without its trailer.

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