2024 Acura MDX: The Perfect Blend of Luxury and Refinement

The 2024 Acura MDX, the three row luxury SUV from the marque ticks many right boxes. But is it outright luxurious to take on the Germans? 

So the Acura MDX has long been an extremely popular luxury three-row SUV, thanks to its combination of luxury and value relative to its rivals. Now today I'm with the latest 2024 model, and I want to know what's new for 2024 as well as if this is still a great choice, with luxury rivals as well as new mainstream rivals pushing it into its territory. 

There is nothing new for 2024 except for one thing. You do have a new price. It's going to be adjusted upwards, of course, because that's how everything is, by about eight hundred dollars. The base 2024 Acura MDX price starts at $50,750. You move up through the scale until you get to the advanced model, which now starts at $64,195. 

2024 Acura MDX Configurations And MSRP

Still Look Stylish

Of course, Acura has a very signature design language, and that's not going to change for 2024. That means right in the front, you'll have their signature Diamond Pentagon Grill. We have the Chrome surrounds, which most models do have, but if you choose the A-Spec, that is going to black that out. You'll always have the gigantic Acura branding in the center of the grille.

The headlights have signature-designed jewel eyes. So we've got the four crystals running. You also have the chicane daytime running light and turn signal indicator right below that. If you choose the A-Spec or the advanced model, that will get you LED fog lamps as well. The 2024 MDX is 100,198.4 inches long, which is roughly in line with its main rivals, the XC90 and the Audi Q7. As far as the design, again, nothing is different. 

So we've got chrome trim around the windows; unless you choose the A-Spec, those trim bits will be blacked out. 

When it comes to the rear, nothing has changed design-wise, so you'll continue to find the nice, clean, classy look you expect from the MDX. The rear comes with a tiny spoiler at the top, and all three elements of the taillights—the brake light, reverse light, and turn signal—are all LED.

You knew Acura wasn't going to mess around with the very nice-looking tail light cluster. I’m also happy to report that all versions of the MDX will come with exposed exhaust outlets as standard. As for the wheels, you have standard 19-inch alloys on the base model, and all the rest of the trim levels will come with 20-inch alloys. They've got different finishes on them. Like I mentioned earlier, the one I’m reviewing is the 2024 Acura MDX Advance Package trim, which comes with a wheel with a more luxurious look.

Luxurious Interior

Actually, there are no major interior changes for the 2024 model year but let's go ahead and talk about our interior color and material selections first of all. So the base model will come with leatherette if you choose the sporty A-Spec that's going to come with Milano leather and suede inserts in the middle. 

The 2024 Acura MDX interior is well-appointed in my opinion….

But if you choose the Tech or Advance models, that's going to get you a premium Milano leather, which is what I have in the car I’m reviewing. With the Advance where you get the additional color contrast piping that runs down the side, got the perforation in between and a good design that holds you in place. As far as the seat controls standard 12-way power adjustment. However on the Advance model you will have 16 ways of adjustment. 

When it comes to the overall material quality, we do have a very nice selection especially in the Advance. The front door panels have leather across the armrest and through the center along with beautiful metal speaker grilles. One additional bit of trim you get with the Advance is the open pore wood trim near the door handle and looks very nice. 

The upper dash is going to be finished in a nice leatherette with stitching detail. You have more of that genuine wood running through the middle of the dash along with some piano black accenting as well as some leather running down the sides of the center console for your knees to rest.

Plenty of storage and utility across the cabin

The steering wheel is the MDX steering wheel, which is nicely leather wrapped. if you choose the A-Spec model it's going to be flat bottom as well but it will always be power adjusting. if you want steering wheel heating, that's going to be included on just this Advance trim level. 

We know that Interior storage is very important for a family SUV. The center console here is going to be two tiered so you can put small objects in the first bin or you can go into the larger console area which is pretty nicely sized. It's good and deep and has a rubber lining down there at the bottom. You also have a USB port inside. 

Ahead of the center console, you've got a very large wireless phone charging pad standard on all models, two cup holders, another little storage area and you also have some more USB connections that pop out of the dashboard. So there's nothing more crave to in this area as it is well thought-off

The push button style shifter is not everyone's cup of tea 

When it comes to the shifter, the MDX comes with a typical push button style. You have to just press D for drive. you can press again if you want to activate sport mode. you do have standard paddle shifters on the steering wheel, even if you don't choose the A-Spec model. If you pull the trigger that is located in front of the shifter, that will take you in to reverse. 

Only the advanced model is going to come with this 360 degree camera system. The other models will just come with the standard multi-angle backup camera. We also have mirrors that tilt down when in reverse to help you see the parking lines easier. So the MDX does come standard with a nine speaker sound system. 

You do have three different choices so you have a 12 speaker system with the Technology model and then A-Spec and Advance come with the 16 speaker ELS premium sound system, which is an excellent sounding sound system. really fantastic sound quality. So, audiophiles would be very happy inside this cabin. 

This actually isn't even the best you can get because you can get the Signature series if you choose the Type-S model with the advanced package. But ELS premium sound system is fantastic. When it comes to the rest of the features, you do get standard three zone automatic climate control on board. As far as your seats here you do have standard heated seats on all models. Ventilated seats are going to come on A-Spec and Advance models both of which are automatic.

Gauge Cluster And Infotainment Screen

The MDX comes with a very nice-looking 12.3-inch digital gauge cluster as standard on all versions. You can continue to change things, like the design, depending on the drive mode. There's also one car in the middle of the screen that is very customizable.

So if you press on the brake, you'll see the brake actually light up on the MDX. If you choose the Advance model, that's going to give you a large head-up display; it's 10 and a half inches. It's also very bright and vivid. Just below the shifter, you will find your true touch controller, which is used for your infotainment system. The MDX has a 12.3-inch infotainment screen located on the dashboard. 

You’ll have to use the true touch controller to control it because it is not a touch screen. So you will have to kind of get used to the true touch control and system, which involve a one-to-one relationship on this pad relative to the display. So wherever you kind of hold your finger, that's where it's going to be highlighted on the display itself. Besides the controller, you do have built-in navigation technology, and above that, you also have standard Apple CarPlay and Android Auto.

Multiple Features And Space Across The Second Row

In terms of space for the second row seats, you are going to get 38.5 inches of legroom and 38.1 inches of headroom. That's right in line with those rivals I was mentioning earlier, the Volvo XC90 and the Audi Q7. In terms of features, you get standard vents with standard three-zone climate on all trim levels, which is nice and easy to adjust. 

If you want heated seats, though, you will have to choose the top-of-the-line Advance model. Just below the vents, you get a 12-volt outlet, two USB ports, and we also have a traditional household-style outlet as well. Another cool feature in the MDX is the ability to turn the middle seat in the second row into a center console, where you have a nice place to rest your arms, two cup holders, and some storage area.

But if I don't even want that, you can actually remove the entire middle seat and have a full captain chair arrangement with a center pass-through. So really, Acura is giving you a lot of choices in terms of what works best for you and your family. However, the captain seats will reduce the total passenger count 

Easy Ingress To The Third Row But Lack Of Space 

Now every MDX does have a third row. Getting in there is as easy as pressing a button on the side of the second row of seats, which will then fold and slide itself forward. So this is really an elegant and easy way to get into the back. In terms of space for the third row seats, you’re looking at about 21 inches of legroom and 36 inches of headroom. So if you were tall, you would definitely be bumping the roof a little bit.

However, in terms of the leg room, it's going to be a lot tighter. This is not the largest third row, that's for sure. You won't have a lot of knee space, but you do have a good amount of space to stick my feet underneath the seat. You do get some cup holders along with some USB ports, but unfortunately, you don’t get any air vents. I'm not really sure why Acura has done this because even the Honda Pilot does have rear vents, but you're not going to find them in the back of this MDX.

Cargo Space

The 2024 MDX comes with a standard power tailgate. If you choose the top-end Advance, you get the hands-free access system. So space-wise, there's 16.3 cubic feet behind the third row, and it expands to 39.1 behind the second row. However, there's a maximum of 71.4 cubic feet. 

That is going to be in line with those rivals I was mentioning in the back seat area. Although it's not going to be an enormous amount of space. Both the third row and second row seats have to be manually folded as there’s no power option, unfortunately. So, there are some features that should have been there in this luxury SUV, but it misses on them. 

In terms of additional things in the cargo space, you do have a 12-volt outlet. We've got some underfloor storage as well. Actually, quite a bit of it has plenty of space for any objects you want to hide, and you also have a spare tire underneath. 

Smooth And Refined Driving Experience

When it comes to the MDX, the thing that people love, or one of the things that people love most about it, is just having a smooth and powerful V6 powertrain, and that does continue for 2024. So what you'll find here in the 2024 MDX is a traditional 3.5-liter V6 with 290 horsepower and 267 pound-feet of torque. So those are good and healthy numbers for this segment of vehicles.

Just like some other Honda cars, the engine in this Acura is very refined 

But, like I said, first and foremost is the smoothness of this powertrain. It's just such a refined motor. It makes a nice growl as well. It's really just an enjoyable vehicle to be behind the wheel of. Of course, if there's not enough power for you, you can always upgrade to the Type-S. That's going to have about 100 more horsepower. 

But as far as the standard powertrain is concerned, it is totally adequate for normal everyday driving.  All MDX's will come with standard 10-speed automatic transmission, and most of your trims will have front-wheel drive and SH all-wheel drive available. But the A-Spec and the Advance will come with standard fourth generation SH-AWD. 

So, essentially, 70 percent of the bias can be angled towards the rear right. That kind of gives it a little bit more of an athletic feel. Although I do want to emphasize that, this is definitely a very comfort-oriented vehicle. I've driven all the versions of the MDX through the years, and it doesn't really matter if you get the A-Spec or not. It's definitely going to be really comfort-oriented.

Nimble handling is one of the USPs of the Acura MDX 2024 model….

The steering is quite accurate, though, and is going to be very light. You're going to have a moderate amount of body roll as well. So just keep that in mind again. Type S is available if you want a little bit of a sportier edge. You're going to have a moderate amount of body roll as well.  I do want to revisit the ride quality, just to really hammer in how comfortable this is. It is insanely comfortable. 

The way they've tuned the suspension here on the Advance model, you just kind of feel like you're floating down the road. And when you see potholes and stuff like that, it just absorbs it nicely. It's not an air suspension. You can get the air suspension on the Type-S, but it's totally unnecessary. If comfort is what you're really looking for, this has got it in spades.

The actual and EPA-estimated mpg figures vary to some extent 

In terms of fuel economy for the MDX, you're only going to have two. For front-wheel drive, you’re going to get a combined mileage of 22 mpg, and for the SH all-wheel drive, you're going to get a combined mileage of 21 mpg. So just one less for going up to all-wheel drive. 

My test example with SH-AWD was not as efficient as the EPA-estimated gas mileage figures. However, some reports claim equal or better mpg figures with the Type-S trims. Overall, the 2024 Acura MDX mpg ratings are not best in class, but you do still have that refinement of the V6, which I know a lot of people love. 

The Acura MDX Offers Top Notch Safety 

It's very easy for me to talk about this because every single MDX is going to come standard with the full active safety suite and all four of your major active safety systems, which include a forward emergency braking system, lane keeping assist, auto high beam, and adaptive cruise control with traffic jam assist. When it comes to ratings, the 2024 MDX is a IIHS Top Safety Pick Plus and has a 5-Star rating from the NHTSA.

Should You Buy One?

The main highlight of the 2024 Acura MDX is going to be the overall comfort because this vehicle really has that great focus. It doesn't get confused about what its primary mission is. It's a must-recommend for comfortable rides, excluding the third row's inadequate space. 

One lowlight about the 2024 MDX is the fact that we don't have any other powertrain options. Of course, nowadays we kind of are hoping to see hybrid or plug-in hybrid variants of a lot of models, and we don't have that here. So there's no way that you can actually improve the fuel economy of this model. 

I really think Acura would do well if they added back the hybrid they used to have with the previous generation and put that here on this new generation. Also, the interior luxury falls short of the German counterparts in some areas, but mind you, it's not mediocre in any way. So, buying one is a good idea, but adding a few more grands will open gates to some better options.