2011 Acura MDX SUV
MSRP $42,930
The Acura MDX is a midsize luxury crossover SUV. It seats eight people, and is Acura’s biggest and best SUV. As Honda’s luxury arm, Acura has become known for making luxury vehicles with a lot of features while charging as much as $15,000 less than a few of the other luxury manufacturers. But can the MDX “hang with the big boys?”
The 2011 Acura MDX has a 3.7 liter V6 engine that produces 300 horsepower and 270 pound-feet of torque. It has 18-inch wheels, Acura’s patented SH-AWD, which stands for “Super-Handling All-Wheel Drive,” and a 6-speed automatic transmission. It is rated at 16 mpg in the city and 21 mpg on the highway, and goes from zero to sixty in 7.1 seconds.
The MDX comes with 8-way heated power front seats with 2-way lumbar support, leather upholstery, a power tilt-telescope steering wheel, 3-zone climate control, foglights, automatic xenon headlights, a sunroof, a power liftgate, an auto-dimming rear-view mirror, a rear-view camera, and folding rear seats. The audio system has Bluetooth, 8 speakers, AM/FM radio, a 6-CD/MP3 player, satellite radio, and an audio jack. Numerous other options are available in the Technology Package, the Advanced Package, or the Entertainment Package.
The MDX also has traction control, stability control with trailer-sway control, anti-lock brakes with brake-assist, side front airbags, side curtain airbags, and active front head restraints. Among the extra features in the Advanced Package is the Collision Braking Mitigation System, which uses sensors to anticipate forthcoming collisions, and can apply the brakes while tightening the seat belts.
As with many larger Acura vehicles, the MDX got perfect scores of 5 stars on all tests performed under 2010 government standards, and perfect scores of “good” on all tests performed by the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety.
Conclusions and driver feedback:
The interior, while filled with high-grade materials, has a futuristic look to it. This look, though, takes nothing away from the luxurious effect of soft-touch, high-grade materials and plenty of wood trim to go with the aforementioned leather upholstery.
There is plenty of space in the front and second rows, with more than enough headroom, legroom, and elbow room. The seats are comfortable and well-supported. If you fold down the back rows, there are 83.5 cubic feet of cargo space. The only caveat is that the third row is pretty much for kids only unless it is a short commute.
The MDX has some of the best handling in its class. The steering is responsive, and the SH-AWD does a great job of adjusting torque levels when encountering road inpurities. There is a bit of body roll, but the ride more than compensates for it. Most passengers won’t feel much of anything. The MDX might be the least expensive SUV in which someone can drink coffee or soda without a lid.
The MDX is possibly the most fun in its class.
The verdict: yes, the MDX can “hang with the big boys.” Highly recommended.
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