2023 Acura MDX vs 2023 Honda Pilot ... A quick look at some of the differences and similarities

23159 Views 88 Replies 29 Participants Last post by Macallan1, 4 d ago

AcuraNow

Discussion Starter · 6 mo ago

After watching various videos about the 2023 Honda Pilot online, I got my hands on the Owners' Manual at a Canadian site. The major differences mechanically (Pilot Elite vs MDX Advance) which have already been well publicized are the use of a McPherson strut front suspension on the Pilot vs. Double Wishbones at the front on the MDX and the I-VTM4 vs the SHAWD. I am not exactly sure what noticeable difference any normal driver would observe regarding this suspension setups and my understanding is that the I-VTM4 and SHAWD are essentially the same. The Pilot actually has a newer 3.5 L engine which has a slight bump in power bringing it closer to the MDX. They both use the 10 speed automatic. In short, so far, I am not seeing, mechanically, any justification for the $10k+ price differential.

In terms of features, in several areas, the 2023 Pilot has, in my opinion, jumped ahead of the MDX.
1. I read that the HUD in the Pilot is in color vs. plain white in the MDX.
2. The front camera in the Pilot has a wash feature which the MDX does not have.
3. The front camera has an "Auto display when obstacle is detected" which the MDX does not have.
4. The Pilot's Traffic Sign Recognition System has a "Speed Limit Warning Threshold Setting" unlike the MDX
5. The Pilot appears to have more interior room than the MDX.
6. The Pilot uses the Bose sound system with 12 speakers vs. the 16 speaker ELS system in the MDX.
7. Of course, the Pilot uses regular gas vs premium in the MDX.
8. The Pilot has 7 drive modes including Sport, Snow, Trail, Tow, Sand (?) etc. vs 4 on the MDX.
9. There are vents at the third row which the MDX does not have.
10. Almost all the features I have on my 2022 MDX Advance, however, are to be found on the 2023 Pilot Elite.
11. But the killer app as far as I am concerned, is the ability to remove and store the middle removable 2nd row seat fully, completely out of sight behind the third row, in the Pilot. It is the same removable middle seat as in the MDX. Somehow those who engineered the Pilot figured out how to do this unlike the team that worked on the MDX.

The only thing I could find that the MDX has over the Pilot is the automatic temperature setting for the driver and passenger seats. It appears you have to turn those on manually in the Pilot.

Now, in fairness, I am unable to compare quality of build, quality of materials, sound level etc. and, I admit, I may have missed some key feature differences since I have not sat in or driven the Pilot but just looking at the pictures and from these feature differences above, I am left wondering where the MDX's $10k+ price premium comes from.

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mvl

· #2 · 6 mo ago

From reading a few reviews, the 23 Pilot adopted the 22 MDX's platform (which really is a 2021), so the base cars are probably nearly identical. I think Honda waited for the TypeS release before updating the Pilot to the current platform, so that there would remain differences in the brands. Eg: Acura would have advantages of available 65 additinoal horsepower, air suspension, adaptive dampers, massaging seats, 1000W stereo, etc. Essentially the low end Acura is similar to the Elite Pilot, which is often how things are done.

When I was shopping in 2020, the ACC on Honda SUVs excluded low-speed follow, which was one of two main reasons I jumped up to Acura (other was the MDX Hybrid drivetrain). I had a 16 Lexus Rx without low speed follow, and always hated its deactivation which basically removed the ability to use the feature in suburban traffic. I haven't seen a 2023 Pilot manual but that would be a dealbreaker for me if the Pilot didn't include it.

If you hate the Acura touchpad though, you could get a touchscreen in a Honda.

Other differences to consider are the extra year/10k miles on an Acura warranty, and higher level dealer service experience at Acura. (Though Acura dealer labor and parts probably cost 50% more than Honda). Also consider that you could get bought-in-21 MDXs pretty cheap under CPO, undercutting Pilot prices substantially.

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Hogan773

· #3 · 6 mo ago

Waiting for the coming posts....flavors of "of COURSE it isn't the same you fool, it is an ACURA so it has to be better and sportier and worth the extra $10K" even in the face of your well-presented facts above, which I found very useful

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IanCH

· #4 · 6 mo ago

Well Hogan Im not trying to convince you. You'll buy a Pilot to save some money... good for you.

On paper the ford Explorer and the Lincoln Aviator can be specified almost the same. Built on the exact same platform, same everything under the body panels. But if you go drive the Explorer and the Aviator back to back, you can immediately know without a doubt in your mind that the explorer is an inferior car. I did it, and I didnt buy either car, but I can 100% say that this paradigm holds true across all vehicle manufacturers.

Honda makes economy cars, the goal of their marketing is to make you think you are getting a luxury car when you are getting an economy car. Seems the marketing is stronger than some people would like to think.

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thumper

· #5 · 6 mo ago

is this new engine for the Pilot related in any way to the current one in the MDX?

AcuraNow

Discussion Starter · #6 · 6 mo ago

thumper said:
is this new engine for the Pilot related in any way to the current one in the MDX?

"Honda says the new V6 squeezes out 285 hp and 262 lb-ft of torque. That’s a small upgrade of 5 hp over the outgoing 3.5-liter, which for decades has relied on a single-overhead cam architecture across multiple Honda vehicle lines. But the all-new V6 switches to the more common dual-overhead cam valvetrain configuration, for better volumetric efficiency."

www.autoweek.com

The Upsized 2023 Honda Pilot Eyes Adventure

With a redesigned DOHC V6, the fourth-generation Pilot takes Honda’s family mover to new heights.

www.autoweek.com

mvl

· #7 · 6 mo ago

No idea where Wikipedia sources this, but:

J35Y5 – VCM

2014–present Acura MDX
Displacement: 3.5 L; 211.8 cu in (3,471 cc)
Bore and stroke: 89 mm × 93 mm (3.50 in × 3.66 in)
Compression: 11.5:1
Power: 290 hp (216 kW) at 6,200 rpm
Torque: 267 lb⋅ft (362 N⋅m) at 4,500 rpm
Valvetrain: 24v SOHC VTEC (VTEC on intake valves only)
Redline: 6,800 rpm
Fuel cutoff: 7,200 rpm
Induction/Fuel Delivery: Naturally Aspirated – Direct Injection

J35Y8 – VCM

2023+ Honda Pilot
Displacement: 3.5 L; 211.8 cu in (3,471 cc)
Power: 285 hp (213 kW) at 6,100 rpm
Torque: 262 lb⋅ft (355 N⋅m) at 5,000 rpm
Valvetrain: 24V DOHC (no VTEC)
Induction/Fuel Delivery: Naturally Aspirated – Direct Injection

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Hogan773

· #8 · 6 mo ago

thumper said:
is this new engine for the Pilot related in any way to the current one in the MDX?

yes it is basically the same, with a few small refinements as shown in the above

Hogan773

· #9 · 6 mo ago

IanCH said:
Well Hogan Im not trying to convince you. You'll buy a Pilot to save some money... good for you.

On paper the ford Explorer and the Lincoln Aviator can be specified almost the same. Built on the exact same platform, same everything under the body panels. But if you go drive the Explorer and the Aviator back to back, you can immediately know without a doubt in your mind that the explorer is an inferior car. I did it, and I didnt buy either car, but I can 100% say that this paradigm holds true across all vehicle manufacturers.

Honda makes economy cars, the goal of their marketing is to make you think you are getting a luxury car when you are getting an economy car. Seems the marketing is stronger than some people would like to think.

Who knows, I haven't even seen the Pilot in person, let alone driven it. I just thought the post about some of the features actually going beyond the MDX was an interesting one....

And c'mon man, I see what you did there with the last sentence, but I can easily play that card too. Acura is a Honda that is marketed as a "luxury" car and a "sporty" car but is really just the mechanical equivalent to a 2023 Pilot, with a sexier sheet metal. The goal of Acura marketing is to make you think you are getting a luxury vehicle when you are effectively getting a Honda

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solosolo

· #10 · 6 mo ago (Edited)

A few other differences I can think of:

Larger infotainment screen
Full digital instrument screen
4-way lumbar (&thigh/side extension in advance) for driver seat
12-way vs 4-way seat adj. for front passenger
Three seat memory settings
Passenger seat memory
Power steering column
Third row without the useless middle seat
~~Ambient lighting~~
~~Two-height under trunk storage cover~~

(updated after seeing the now available specs of 2023 Pilot)

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Rafale

· #11 · 6 mo ago

solosolo said:
A few other differences I can think of:

Larger infotainment screen

Full digital instrument screen

4-way lumbar (&thigh/side extension in advance)

Three seat memory settings

Passenger seat memory

Power steering column

Third row without the useless middle seat

Ambient lighting

Two-height under trunk storage cover

Good list. Add to that the projector headlights vs. the inferior reflector headlights of the Pilot.

Also, not sure if the Pilot has auto dimming on both side mirrors as the Advance does.

wrxdev

· #12 · 6 mo ago

mvl said:
No idea where Wikipedia sources this, but:

J35Y5 – VCM

2014–present Acura MDX

Displacement: 3.5 L; 211.8 cu in (3,471 cc)

Bore and stroke: 89 mm × 93 mm (3.50 in × 3.66 in)

Compression: 11.5:1

Power: 290 hp (216 kW) at 6,200 rpm

Torque: 267 lb⋅ft (362 N⋅m) at 4,500 rpm

Valvetrain: 24v SOHC VTEC (VTEC on intake valves only)

Redline: 6,800 rpm

Fuel cutoff: 7,200 rpm

Induction/Fuel Delivery: Naturally Aspirated – Direct Injection

J35Y8 – VCM

2023+ Honda Pilot

Displacement: 3.5 L; 211.8 cu in (3,471 cc)

Power: 285 hp (213 kW) at 6,100 rpm

Torque: 262 lb⋅ft (355 N⋅m) at 5,000 rpm

Valvetrain: 24V DOHC (no VTEC)

Induction/Fuel Delivery: Naturally Aspirated – Direct Injection

There is a possibility this Y8 version will make its way into the 2024 MDX with maybe 295 or 300 horses.

Hogan773

· #13 · 6 mo ago

THIS is how the Drive Mode should be selected in my opinion (vs the giant round dial in the middle of the MDX dash)

Gear shift Vehicle Car Automotive lighting Motor vehicle

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Hogan773

· #14 · 6 mo ago

Just comparing the measurements I see from the new Pilot website that came out today, the Pilot will indeed feel larger inside. Whether enough to matter will be personal preference.

Length of MDX is only 1.5 inches shorter, however interior measurements are all generally smaller. Headroom is 2 inches less. Legroom front seats actually a tad more in MDX, but then second and third seats both much smaller (2.3 inches more legroom second row in Pilot and 3.4 inches more in 3rd row, which is huge difference in useability IMO for that 3rd row. Likewise shoulder room same in front row, 1.4 inches wider in second row and a whopping 4.5 inches wider in 3rd row for Pilot. Overall pax volume = 139.1 on MDX and 158.4 on Pilot. Cargo 3rd row 18.1 vs 22.4 (MDX vs Pilot), 2nd row 48.4 vs 60.1, and all rows 112.4 vs 95

Interestingly (and I guess not surprising) the mileage numbers are EXACTLY the same at 19/25/21 between the 2 vehicles. Again, basically same engine....

mdxstang

· #15 · 6 mo ago

It's not unusual to see some leap-frogging of functions/features between models - in this case between the Honda and Acura similar type vehicles.

Given that the all new 2023 Pilot is coming out imminently, and that both Honda (Prologue) and Acura (ZDX) all electric SUVs are debuting in 2024, which are bound to steal some sales from the Pilot/MDX, I wonder if Acura has some goodies in store to offer on the 2024 MDX, or at least the 2025 MDX - something short of a new gen yet features/functions to keep it as an upsell versus the Pilot and even the electric SUV offerings. They might as they did something similar with the 3rd gen MDX with a mid-cycle (meaning after the first 2 model years) offering of the hybrid, Carplay, new tranny, etc. I know they already have the 'S' as a delineation but that costly trim level doesn't help with the delineation of the 'new' Pilot with the 'old' MDX other trim models as far as features/functions go.

I think there's a good chance there'll be some upgrades within the 4th gen for the 2024 or at least 2025 models to keep it positioned as an upsell premium versus the Pilot, as well as to keep up with the Joneses (other manufacturers). Whether they'll be significant or desirable or not is anyone's guess.

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Hogan773

· #16 · 6 mo ago

mdxstang said:
It's not unusual to see some leap-frogging of functions/features between models - in this case between the Honda and Acura similar type vehicles.

Given that the all new 2023 Pilot is coming out imminently, and that both Honda (Prologue) and Acura (ZDX) all electric SUVs are debuting in 2024, which are bound to steal some sales from the Pilot/MDX, I wonder if Acura has some goodies in store to offer on the 2024 MDX, or at least the 2025 MDX - something short of a new gen yet features/functions to keep it as an upsell versus the Pilot and even the electric SUV offerings. They might as they did something similar with the 3rd gen MDX with a mid-cycle (meaning after the first 2 model years) offering of the hybrid, Carplay, new tranny, etc. I know they already have the 'S' as a delineation but that costly trim level doesn't help with the delineation of the 'new' Pilot with the 'old' MDX other trim models as far as features/functions go.

I think there's a good chance there'll be some upgrades within the 4th gen for the 2024 or at least 2025 models to keep it positioned as an upsell premium versus the Pilot, as well as to keep up with the Joneses (other manufacturers). Whether they'll be significant or desirable or not is anyone's guess.

Like I said in another post, it's just too bad that the MDX in general doesn't bring a better engine (= more performance) vs the Pilot across all trims. Like the RDX vs the CRV, where it isn't "the same" car with different sheet metal and some nice finishes. If the Type S engine was just the normal MDX engine, for example. Or if they offered a hybrid in the MDX that you can't get on the Pilot.

KneeDragr

· #17 · 6 mo ago

Hogan773 said:
Like I said in another post, it's just too bad that the MDX in general doesn't bring a better engine (= more performance) vs the Pilot across all trims. Like the RDX vs the CRV, where it isn't "the same" car with different sheet metal and some nice finishes. If the Type S engine was just the normal MDX engine, for example. Or if they offered a hybrid in the MDX that you can't get on the Pilot.

Maybe Acura should consult you before engineering their vehicles since you know it all.

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Hogan773

· #18 · 6 mo ago (Edited)

KneeDragr said:
Maybe Acura should consult you before engineering their vehicles since you know it all.

Thank you and have a nice day

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agogley

· #19 · 5 mo ago

solosolo said:
A few other differences I can think of:

Larger infotainment screen

Full digital instrument screen

4-way lumbar (&thigh/side extension in advance) for driver seat

12-way vs 4-way seat adj. for front passenger

Three seat memory settings

Passenger seat memory

Power steering column

Third row without the useless middle seat

~~Ambient lighting~~

~~Two-height under trunk storage cover~~

(updated after seeing the now available specs of 2023 Pilot)

typically the leather, wood paneling, exterior accents, and noise reduction are better in the MDX vs. the Honda.

jgirata1

· #20 · 5 mo ago

Hogan773 said:
Who knows, I haven't even seen the Pilot in person, let alone driven it. I just thought the post about some of the features actually going beyond the MDX was an interesting one....

And c'mon man, I see what you did there with the last sentence, but I can easily play that card too. Acura is a Honda that is marketed as a "luxury" car and a "sporty" car but is really just the mechanical equivalent to a 2023 Pilot, with a sexier sheet metal. The goal of Acura marketing is to make you think you are getting a luxury vehicle when you are effectively getting a Honda

Excellent treatise on this subject by a number of MDXers. Lots of facts and specifics on differences between the Honda and Acura. When asked, I just say the MDX is a Pilot with less interior room, nicer interior and more sound deadening. All the other specifics mentioned above would probably not be noticed by most purchasers, even knowledgeable ones. The key to me when I shopped my 2016 was handling and feeling of control. The MDX was clearly superior in 2016. Early road tests indicate '23 Pilot has improved in this area, but I haven't driven one yet.

It's hard to quantify the satisfaction/prestige one gets from owning a "luxury" car vs one marketed as "affordable". Means a lot to my wife - not so much for me

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