Up until last month, I drove a 2016 ILX and loved everything about it. It was reliable (never had a single maintenance issue outside of oil changes, new brakes, and new tires). The driving experience - its agility and the tactile feedback from being so close to the ground - was great. The power was there when I needed it, but I valued the handling more. This may be an unpopular opinion but I think its design language was ahead of its time. It was my first exposure to leather seats (I can never go back). I live in a very snowy part of the midwest and in my eight years of ownership, I only got stuck in snow once. I truly loved the car, but I was almost always the smallest and most vulnerable (from a purely physics standpoint) person on the road. The ILX was a gateway car: I was so impressed by it that I chose to stay within the Acura family and upgrade to an MDX.

I purchased a 2023 Base SH-AWD about one month ago. I had contemplated purchasing an SUV for over a year but COVID markups were unjustifiable. My intention was to test drive an RDX - and it was nice but the MDX was nicer. I went with the base model because of availability, a dealership-specific deal (which, in hindsight, I have learned from this forum I could have gotten more out of), and it had everything I felt I needed. I've only put 450 miles on it so there's much more to learn, but here are my initial impressions:

GREAT:

• Body design: Aggressive, especially the front end, with exceptionally clean lines.
• Ride height: I am no longer the smallest and most vulnerable on the road. Gives me a sense of security.
• Handling: I address the physical effort of steering below, but with regards to overall handling, the vehicle exceeds my expectations. It is responsive, engaging, and not remotely as cumbersome as I imaged it might be.
• Door jambs and closure mechanisms: Very thoughtfully designed. The doors close softly, and no matter how hard they are closed, the sound is muted and pillowy (I don't know how else to describe it).
• Rear camera: Very high resolution, more than adequate even in low light situations.
• Suspension: What really sold me was the vehicle’s Comfort mode (which is how I test drove it). I typically drive in Normal mode and the car feels nearly as soft. The ride is smooth and I experience very minimal vibration, even when driving along brick roads. Regarding pothole management, the large wheels and comfortable suspension make light of Midwest roads. There is enough tactile feedback that I can feel the road, but I am not feeling the seat drop from beneath me.
• Blind spot sensor: Something that Acura doesn’t get enough credit for is moving the blind spot sensor out of the sideview mirrors and into/within the vehicle and part of the A-pillar assembly. This subtle move means that the electronics reside within the car rather than the mirror. It costs a lot less to replace a mirror than to replace a mirror with embedded sensors and electronics.
• Jewel headlights
• Moonroof

GOOD:

• Steering: The car feels extremely light and I can maneuver with ease. This might have been in the ‘great’ category, but I think it may be too light to the touch.
• AWD: It's probably overkill for me right now, though, and I expect to appreciate it more in the winter.
• Center console (except for the charging pad): I think it’s nicely designed. The armrest padding is soft, although I expect it to indent where I rest my arm the most. The center compartment is deep, and I love the lid compartment which has a pen slot and is lined with a soft material to minimize rattle.
• Gas lid: It took me a moment to realize there’s no front dash or driver door button to open the gas lid. I like that it relies on a push actuation system when the car is unlocked.
• Road sound: This appears to be an issue with many MDX owners but the road sounds have been mostly unnoticeable. Maybe my standards are not as high as this level of vehicle warrants, but this has not been an issue for me.
• Volume knob: The volume knob in the center console initially seemed out of place and unnecessary, but since I find that I rest my hand on the padded hand mount (?), the knob is easily accessible and in a very intuitive position.
• Driver seat: The seat is comfortable and nicely adjustable. The headrest feels angulated forward more than necessary but this has been tolerable.

NEUTRAL:

• Vehicle width: Makes me nervous to park in certain lots, especially in lots with diagonal parking. This is something I will inevitably get used to.
• Panel positioning: One of my taillights is perfectly centered between two body panels. The other is 1-2 mm closer to one panel and further from the other. This has absolutely no real consequence or significance, just an observation.
• Front badge: In no world does the Acura logo need to be visible from the International Space Station, but it is.
• Touchpad: It takes a few drives to get used to, but it works. What annoys me is that it works differently between Apple CarPlay and the default Acura menu system. With Apple CarPlay, you swipe to adjust your selection. When you let go, you don’t lose your selection. With the default Acura menu system, if you lift your finger, you lose your selection. Also, your finger position on the touchpad determines your selection, not where or how you swipe. I apologize if I’ve failed to articulate this well. I know the touchpad is polarizing, but I can tolerate it. I do wish it was paired with a touchscreen, though.
• Chrome door accents: Not my taste, but this is purely a personal preference.
• Rear window wiper: It doesn’t bother me, but it would be nice if it was hidden within the rear overhanging spoiler.

BAD:

• Door panels: They feel flimsy and light.
• Rattling sound: I have isolated a rattling sound to the bottom of my front passenger door. I’ve read that others with this generation of MDX have had similar issues. I suspect a piece needs to be tightened or foam padding needs to be placed. I have an appointment with the dealership soon.
• Glove compartment door: The compartment door is thin, cheap-feeling, and not nearly as robust as my ILX’s. Odd place to cut costs.
• Brake creak: When shifting from R to D or vice versa, I can hear a brake creak as the car makes a brief lurch. I chalked this up to the brakes since I can modulate the creak sound with how hard I hold the brakes, i.e. it’s louder if I press harder on the brakes. It’s also most noticeable when cold. For what it’s worth, I always use an e-brake when parked (out of habit). I’ve had it evaluated already and I’m certain it’s a non-issue. The sound is either entirely absent or barely audible most of the time, and because I can modulate it with how hard I press on the brakes, I’ve learned the specific ‘touch’ or applied brake pressure necessary to keep the car stationary and safe to shift without straining the brakes. Weird quirk but harmless.
• Sound system: I have the standard sound system in the base MDX model. My ILX sound system was crisper and punchier. This is an extremely unbalanced sound system and is very bass-forward, which wouldn’t necessarily be a problem if it didn’t come with weak trebles and subpar clarity. The sound system works, especially at low volumes, once the EQ is adjusted to personal taste, but I’m willing to bet the upgraded ELS system is significantly better.
• Key fob: I think this is another victim of cost-cutting. My ILX had a slightly heavier and more robust key fob. The MDX key fob is sleek, but it looks and feels fragile. We’ll see how it holds up.
• Wireless charging pad: It connects less than 25% of the time, and when it does, the connection breaks within thirty seconds even if the phone isn’t moved. I’m wondering if this has to do with my phone case (I use a standard leather Apple phone case). I haven’t had this problem with other wireless chargers, but the ones I’ve used previously were small and made direct contact with the back of the phone/case. Since the phone lays flat on this charging pad, the protruding back camera elements result in a sub-millimeter gap between the back of the phone and the wireless pad. I wonder if – and why – this gap compromises the ability to maintain a connection.

UNFORGIVABLE:

• Fuel economy: I average 15-16 MPG, far below the advertised 19/26. Context: My commute to work is ~3 miles with hills, stoplights, and year-round construction, so I am idling or driving <25 MPH for much of the trip. I understand this is far from the ideal conditions used by the EPA. Incidentally, I have found that the slower I accelerate and the more intentional I am about keeping RPM below 2,000, the poorer my fuel economy. (Highway MPG is in the mid- to upper-20s.) Additional context: I’m coming from a small sedan so I am in the process of reframing my expectations.
• Floor mats: I did a doubletake when the dealer showed me the floor mats. I had to ask if they were OEM. The stock carpets are thin and generic. The tags on the back confirm that they are Acura products, but I’m surprised this is even an option for this vehicle. My ILX’s mats were twice as thick, much plusher, and had ILX branding. I’m not sure if this is specific to base models or if this is standard across all trim levels.

Overall, I’m very happy with this vehicle and look forward to learning more of its quirks.