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

23134 Views 88 Replies 29 Participants Last post by Macallan1, 3 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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mdxstang

· #41 · 5 mo ago

rollins08 said:
Regardless of that, I would say the overall comfort was so much better in an MDX. The ride was smoother, quieter and “felt” more luxurious. I use the word “felt” because I’m not sure if you’ll find a technical specification that justifies why it felt that way, but I can assure you it did.

There can be subtle differences such as degree of acoustic glass, type and amount and location of insulation, as well as other materials and structural components used, suspension tunes, etc. that can make a difference in the 'feel' of a vehicle that one can't 'see' just looking at the outside of it. I don't know about the 4th gen but on the 3rd gen there was even a difference in the acoustic windshield between trim level of the MDX. I imagine the Pilot could have a lower expense windshield in comparison (but don't know whether it does or not) and ditto many other parts of it that aren't obvious visually or from a spec sheet.

It's why test drives are so important - to not get too caught up in the spec/brochure.

MrBuddha

· #42 · 5 mo ago

I test drove the new Pilot and was very unimpressed. It just felt like it had no soul.

IanCH

· #43 · 5 mo ago

2

No way! I am totally shocked that the cheaper car is worse...

Organism Adaptation People Soldier Happy

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Hogan773

· #44 · 5 mo ago

MrBuddha said:
I test drove the new Pilot and was very unimpressed. It just felt like it had no soul.

It may not have soul, however it can actually fit 7 full adult souls in it along with their stuff given it has an actually useable third row 😀

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ceo2be

· #45 · 5 mo ago

The MDX has always been smaller outside and inside compared to the Pilot so if buyers are looking for space then they shouldn't be looking at the MDX.

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wrxdev

· #46 · 5 mo ago

Hogan773 said:
It may not have soul, however it can actually fit 7 full adult souls in it along with their stuff given it has an actually useable third row 😀

Ha, I understand this is a subjective comparison. However MDX ain't a Cayman either. For me the difference was more marginal. If money is not a limiting factor and a smaller family, I would get the MDX.

spektakle

· #47 · 5 mo ago

Hogan773 said:
It may not have soul, however it can actually fit 7 full adult souls in it along with their stuff given it has an actually useable third row 😀

No adult should ride in the 3rd row of any of these, if that is something you need get a minivan and even then they are for kids primarily.

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Hogan773

· #48 · 5 mo ago

spektakle said:
No adult should ride in the 3rd row of any of these, if that is something you need get a minivan and even then they are for kids primarily.

Yes well it is all on a continuum

We could all get Suburbans and then there would be plenty of space

Minivans sure but people get sick of driving those

I agree most adults wouldn't want to ride for 7 hours in the rear, but when you needed to, a couple adults could ride in 3rd row of Pilot but less so in the MDX and most other "3 row" (in airquotes) SUVs

mdxstang

· #49 · 5 mo ago

spektakle said:
No adult should ride in the 3rd row of any of these, if that is something you need get a minivan and even then they are for kids primarily.

I've had adults ride in the 3 row seat in my 2014 MDX on multiple occasions and it worked out fine (of course, I was the driver). These were for short trips to a restaurant or the beach where otherwise it would've required taking two cars. It was fine and very handy for that purpose especially when the second row is cooperative and scootches it forward a bit to give more leg room to the 3rd row. It likely would've been less enjoyable for them if it was a multi-hour trip.

The MDX hits a good compromise good for many (but not all) where it's big enough to fit people in the 3 rows for uses like I stated but not as huge as a Tahoe or Suburban, which I have no desire to drive, yet bigger and more practical than something like an X5 with the 3rd seat option (at the time I checked one of those out) where the 3rd row seat really was pretty much useless.

MrBuddha

· #50 · 5 mo ago

Hogan773 said:
It may not have soul, however it can actually fit 7 full adult souls in it along with their stuff given it has an actually useable third row 😀

For sure it's practical. I had a first Gen Passport and a 2016 Civic and loved both of those cars. They had some character to em. The Trailsport Pilot I drove just felt dull - I guess I was expecting a little more since it was a pretty major redesign.

Hogan773

· #51 · 5 mo ago

MrBuddha said:
For sure it's practical. I had a first Gen Passport and a 2016 Civic and loved both of those cars. They had some character to em. The Trailsport Pilot I drove just felt dull - I guess I was expecting a little more since it was a pretty major redesign.

That's fair

I thought the Elite Pilot I drove felt just fine, but I agree the interior is clean and also conservative, which can also give the vibe of "boring" I suppose. Driving the MDX felt very similar to me (I drove A-spec version) but perhaps a little more sporty feeling. Could be more sound deadening, could be the front suspension, or could be the fake Vrooom Vrooom sounds they pipe into the audio system that gives you that performance feeling. I would guess on actual 0-60 stats they will be very similar.

Advance2022

· #52 · 5 mo ago

ceo2be said:
The MDX has always been smaller outside and inside compared to the Pilot so if buyers are looking for space then they shouldn't be looking at the MDX.

The MDX is definitely smaller on the inside but on the outside it really isn't. In fact the 2022 MDX is two inches longer and the same width than the 2022 Pilot. Compared to the new Pilot, the MDX is almost exactly the same size with the MDX at 198.4 inches long and 78.4 inches wide and the Pilot at 199.9 inches long and 78.5 inches wide. I wish there could be the combination of the Honda's superior practically (better third row and more cargo space) with the Acura's superior luxury. That I think would be a killer vehicle in the segment with the MDX already beating out cars like the X5 for practicality. An MDX with a better third row with more leg room and vents and a more squared off back end with more cargo could be a credible alternative to something like a Tahoe for most buyers and crush everything else in its segment for family friendliness.

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spektakle

· #53 · 5 mo ago

In order to make the cargo and 3rd row better like the Pilot you ruin the roof line and look of the mdx as it would need to be taller in the back.

IanCH

· #54 · 5 mo ago

I mean just go look at the car, the extra length of the mdx is just the shape of the rear of the car.

Hogan773

· #55 · 5 mo ago

Advance2022 said:
The MDX is definitely smaller on the inside but on the outside it really isn't. In fact the 2022 MDX is two inches longer and the same width than the 2022 Pilot. Compared to the new Pilot, the MDX is almost exactly the same size with the MDX at 198.4 inches long and 78.4 inches wide and the Pilot at 199.9 inches long and 78.5 inches wide. I wish there could be the combination of the Honda's superior practically (better third row and more cargo space) with the Acura's superior luxury. That I think would be a killer vehicle in the segment with the MDX already beating out cars like the X5 for practicality. An MDX with a better third row with more leg room and vents and a more squared off back end with more cargo could be a credible alternative to something like a Tahoe for most buyers and crush everything else in its segment for family friendliness.

Totally agree

I would be a buyer, however I think I would need more than just some softer touch plastics inside and the Acura logo outside to pay up another $10-15K above the Honda. Currently the Pilot gives you all the same driver aid features. IF they had the interior space of the Pilot and added either 1) the Type-S engine or 2) a Hybrid then I would have some real tangible difference and could more easily rationalize the extra money. $10-15K for some softer plastics, ambient lighting and the Acura brand seems like a stretch to me

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mdxstang

· #56 · 4 mo ago

Hogan773 said:
I would have some real tangible difference and could more easily rationalize the extra money. $10-15K for some softer plastics, ambient lighting and the Acura brand seems like a stretch to me

Have you factored in the resale value at some point when you're done with the vehicle? Given that the MDX starts out at a higher price than the Pilot it usually means that 4 or 6 or 8 years down down the road when you go to sell it, it'll sell for a higher price than the Pilot. Your actual ROI cost related to this is the delta between what you bought it for new and the resale value down the road. In other words, if the MDX cost you $10K more up front but nets you $7K more down the road when you sell it then the 'premium' you paid for the MDX vs the Pilot was only $3K rather than the $10K. I totally made up the numbers but you get the drift. Another factor could be depreciation rate but I don't know how the MDX vs the Pilot are on that point but I assume there are some data points to be found on that.

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Dan in Denver

· #57 · 4 mo ago

This is an interesting link. The MDX has a higher depreciation rate than the Pilot. While this link is valuable, it does not have a 1/1 comparison with the ‘23 Pilot. But as I had researched before buying my MDX, the depreciation rate continues to be higher.

Acura MDX vs. Honda Pilot - iSeeCars.com

How do the Acura MDX and Honda Pilot compare? Use our comparison tool to see over 140 data points, including price, trims, reliability ratings, mpg, rankings, horsepower, depreciation, and standard and optional equipment.

www.iseecars.com

www.iseecars.com

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wrxdev

· #58 · 4 mo ago

It does appear the MDX has a higher depreciation compared to the Pilot (though not significant). I checked Caredge.com.
With both cars being brand new and after 5 years, with an average of 10,500 miles per year, the MDX has a residual of 67% vs. the Pilot which has a residual of 73%. Again, take them with a grain of salt and there can be a variety of other factors as well.

Matztrk

· #59 · 4 mo ago

There is no compressing, I came from pilot Elite prior to that had two EXL two EXL where 6 speed clunky tall feel strong winds on a highway buggy infotainment super noisy allots of plastic, but way more room them MDX inside, chose MDX vs 023 pilot
#1-unknown engine in Pilot
#2- fuel consumption (Horrible in pilot)
#3-quality of front seats, Acura MDX I think the most confutable on the market, much better then Mercedes , Audi and BMW
#4-less plastic inside (Way less then Pilot
#5-Much better handling (do not go off roading no need for extra clearance and no Body roll on turns, love the extra handling out of MDX it corners amazing )
#6-Storage room, My cars are not passenger SUVs they are long trip SUVs for me and my better half, our bikes or skis or hiking gear or photography equipment no passengers seats lay flat 99% of time, as long as I can fit two road bikes inside im golden
#7-Super quiet comparing to Pilot Elite, way less wind noise at speeds over 60m/h
just my findings

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jsfbay

· #60 · 4 mo ago

Hogan773 said:
yes it is basically the same, with a few small refinements as shown in the above

So wait, you're saying that the regular MDX (not Type S) 3.5L engine is DOHC? I would be surprised if that was the case. Fine if it is, but surprising.

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