2016 Acura MDX VIDEO REVIEW

One of Acura’s best-sellers has undergone a number of changes for the 2016 model year…

…highlighted by a new 9-speed automatic transmission with a push button gear selector, replacing the previous 6-speed…

…there’s also an updated version of the brand’s Super Handling All-Wheel Drive, one that’s lighter with enhanced torque-vectoring between the rear wheels…

…an Idle Stop feature has been added, turning off the engine while waiting in traffic…

….and a bevy of new safety electronics debut, bundled together neatly in a package called Acura Watch, utilizing radar and camera sensors to warn, steer and brake the vehicle to avoid danger.

Acura sells 5 vehicles; 3 cars and 2 SUVs and none in greater volume than the MDX so you can’t downplay its importance to the brand. For 2016 they’ve doubled the model offerings. If you go build one on their retail site you’ll be faced with 16 possible trim levels ranging in price from about $43,000 to over $57,000. It’s their premium 3-row crossover and each month about 4,500 Americans drive a new one home.

So I’ll give you the good first. You’ve got to love Acura’s implementation of these Jewel Eye LED headlights…just so gorgeous. Without them, I think the MDX would look a bit blah. Next, the 290hp 3.5-liter direct-injected V6 is a beacon of Honda goodness, very quick, smooth in its operation and sweet sounding when you tap some of that 267 pound-feet of torque. Its mileage is also very competitive. And when you’re driving the family on a weekend trek, the Amplitude Reactive Dampers scrub out the small road imperfections while the new twin clutch all-wheel drive system puts those rear wheels in action even more effectively benefitting sporty handling. The cabin is quiet at highway speeds, a push of the IDS button sets you up for comfort, normal or sport settings affecting steering, throttle, all-wheel drive and engine sound, and the plethora of new safety features, such as Road Departure Mitigation, bring the MDX significantly closer to a state of autonomous driving…if you’re interested in such things. This version I have is the top-of-the-line MDX SH-AWD with Advance Package, a comprehensive grouping of safety and convenience features ranging from heated 2^ndrow seats with sunshades to the Collision Mitigation Braking System and Adaptive Cruise Control. The only option missing here in the Entertainment Package with rear DVD. The third row is really small and exclusively for little ones but Acura does make it easy to get in and out with well-placed power buttons. Now, for the downside…

Ah, more gears better deal, right? Well, not so fast. The MDX feels laborious in around the town driving now, often like it’s stuck in quicksand when you press the gas and the idle stop system is clunky, too. Combined gas mileage has improved by 1 mpg to 22, but highway mileage is actually down from 27mpg to 26.

There’s a very deliberate, computer-controlled sensation to around the town driving that causes some disharmony.

Having taken the family on an overnight trip in the MDX, I can now say without pause that this is the worst infotainment unit in the luxury segment. My feelings about it range from cumbersome to downright maddening. Its only saving grace is that it has Siri Eyes Free now so that some of the system can be bypassed by talking directly to your iPhone.

And I’d happily trade in 2 or 3 power outlets for even 1 more USB port which would bring the total to 2.

This $56,000 MDX has advanced greatly in safety electronics yet has muddied Acura’s typical powertrain excellence.

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