MALIBU, Calif. – One in all two issues normally occurs when testing a three-row SUV on a twisting mountain highway. First, I ponder why I believed doing so was a good suggestion within the first place. Or, I find yourself saying, “Nicely, I assume that wasn’t so unhealthy.” Neither occurred with the 2025 Acura MDX Kind S, a three-row SUV that someway feels completely joyful and at residence on the type of roads that make rivals really feel like elephants in a horse race.
Positioned into Sport or Sport+ modes, the latter of which is unique to the Kind S, the air suspension lowers 15 mm, and the adaptive dampers tighten to the extent that physique motions are nearly as stage as you can get with out making the trip chattering. If something, sure choppier bits of pavement made the suspension’s discount of suppression and rebound too jostling and queasy, however choosing a softer trip setting within the Particular person drive mode choice corrected that. The steering displayed a spot-on quantity of additional heft within the Sport modes, being pleasantly agency on heart and thru preliminary turn-in, however seeming to loosen ever-so-slightly up in slower, tighter corners and hairpins. It’s pleasurable driving the MDX Kind S, however not a exercise.
The actual star, as has been the case for practically twenty years of sporting Acuras, is the Tremendous-Dealing with All-Wheel Drive system, now in its fourth technology. This torque-vectoring system can ship as much as 70% of accessible energy to the rear axle, after which 100% of that to the skin rear wheel whereas turning. The end result can’t be missed. Brake arduous with the fats Brembo brakes (they measure 14.3 inches up entrance and profit from an electrical servo that successfully makes them adaptive to the quantity of effort utilized to the pedal), flip in with the fantastically contoured sport steering wheel, really feel the entrance finish chunk, and the rear finish not solely comes round, however does so with authority. Because of the extra aggressive energy distribution in Sport and Sport+, there’s even a whiff of oversteer at a number of moments. Great. “Makes it shrink round you” is a drained cliché, nevertheless it applies right here. The MDX feels about 700 kilos lighter than its 4,776-pound curb weight would recommend.
The engine is definitely the least spectacular ingredient of the Kind S, a 3.0-liter V6 with a single twin-scroll turbo good for 355 horsepower and 354 pound-feet of torque. A 0-60 time within the mid-5-second vary is nothing to sneeze at, and certainly, the Kind S had no downside blitzing as much as freeway speeds as site visitors bared down on me whereas exiting a photograph spot on the Pacific Coast Freeway, however a whole lot of autos are that fast lately. Many three-row autos are significantly faster. It’s the response that’s in the end extra spectacular, particularly the 10-speed automated, which fortunately downshifts when braking arduous into corners and upshifts 30% sooner when in Sport+ by utilizing a quick gas minimize in the course of the gear change. The lively exhaust additionally will get louder sooner in Sport+ (the second flap opens at 3,250 rpm versus 4,750 within the different modes), however that’s more durable to note than the Energetic Sound Management that “enhances the pure engine, consumption and exhaust sound inside.” It sounds cool, however in the end synthetic trigger it’s oddly extra indicative of a V8 than a easy, Honda-bred V6.
Factor is, although, all of that would’ve been written concerning the MDX Kind S final 12 months. That it’s arduous to think about a extra agile three-row SUV has not modified (I personally can’t consider one I’ve loved extra in whole). Thanks to 1 particular replace for 2025, nevertheless, you’re now extra prone to soar on the likelihood to personal what’s successfully fairly the sleeper automotive alternative. That change resides on the middle console, or reasonably, what not resides on the middle console.
Acura’s True Touchpad interface was unloved because it debuted on the current-generation RDX and subsequently unfold all through the Acura lineup to every little thing not named Integra. This interface that paired a dash-top display with a singular touchpad on the middle console (urgent on the touchpad would choose an icon on the corresponding spot on the display) was not precisely a vital darling. All the system felt like Acura was being contrarian, as if a touchscreen and even knob-and-display setup was someway beneath them. Nicely, they’ve joined the unwashed plenty now. The brand new touchscreen is shared with the top-of-the-line Honda Accord, however ignore that. The brand new system is effectively laid-out, appears to be like adequate and Google Constructed-in means an enhanced model of Google Maps is on board together with varied apps from the Google Play retailer. Apple CarPlay and Android Auto are additionally current, and there’s a House and CarPlay (or Android Auto) button completely docked on-screen for straightforward back-and-forths. Satellite tv for pc radio, sadly, will not be current. Hope you’ve downloaded some songs to your telephone for those who exit of cell service.
Talking of songs, the 2025 MDX is the very first Acura to be fitted with a Bang & Olufsen sound system, reasonably than the Panasonic/ELS programs which were a staple for practically twenty years. Commonplace on the MDX Expertise, A-Spec and Advance packages/trims is a 19-speaker system, whereas the Kind S Advance (the one Kind S model there may be) will get 31 audio system, 12(!) of that are within the ceiling, 24 channels of energy, two amplifiers and an 8.8-inch subwoofer. The latter is a bit too aggressive, although, particularly when utilizing the 3D encompass ranges. And though I’m not an audio skilled, I used to be in the end underwhelmed. I discovered it very inconsistent between audio tracks and had a tough time discovering acceptable ranges regardless of the Beosonic one-touch management (you progress a spherical dot inside a bigger circle divided between increased and decrease treble/bass settings) that’s admittedly a bit fiddly to function whereas transferring.
Elsewhere in tech land, the AcuraWatch driver help suite will get a {hardware} improve, leading to improved adaptive cruise management efficiency, further-seeing blind-spot warning and a wiser ahead collision mitigation system. The Kind S with Advance Bundle will get even higher-grade stuff, together with higher sensors, that enhance the varied current ADAS programs and make it potential so as to add automated lane modifications to adaptive cruise management (should faucet the flip sign), automated steering intervention to the blind-spot warning system and entrance cross-traffic warning. It appears unusual to maintain all that unique to the efficiency mannequin and never embody it with the usual MDX’s Advance package deal/trim.
The inside continues to be a high-quality and visually interesting area, with leather-based, fake suede, open-pore wooden and pleasingly clicky switchgear all serving to declare the MDX as a real luxurious automobile. These Bang & Olufsen audio system look fairly ritzy, too. Ditching the dopey touchpad additionally freed up some area on the middle console – the amount knob migrated west and, a slender bin appeared, good for a sun shades case. No must drop it into one of many agreeably giant cupholders. The dopey touchpad’s wrist relaxation that used to hover over the wi-fi telephone charger, blocking your easy accessibility to it, is clearly no extra.
The perfect MDX inside trick continues to be discovered within the second row, the place the center seat could be eliminated, thereby eliminating the necessity for homeowners to decide on between a seven-passenger bench or six-passenger captain’s chairs configuration. You get each! That center seat doesn’t match beneath the cargo space as it could within the Honda Pilot, however who cares? That appears extra like a bonus anyway.
Past the second row, the third-row stays tight on headroom for teenagers and adults of above-average top. The seat backside’s fairly low, too, hoisting your knees towards your chin. Eradicating that second-row center seat positive is useful, as is asking these within the second row to slip on ahead. Their subsequent legroom ought to nonetheless be simply nice. Cargo area takes an enormous hit in comparison with the Pilot, however advantages from the identical detachable ground panel that expands the area behind the third row to rather more than what you’ll discover in rivals.
There are some exterior tweaks, however they’re blink-and-you’ll-miss-‘em minor. The grille mesh of each model is now completely different, and the mustache of trim discovered above that grille (be it chrome or gloss black) is gone. The decrease air dam is reshaped on all, with distinctive parts for all three appears to be like, although most noticeably within the Kind S. There are new wheels throughout, too.
Not that any of that’s sure to maneuver the needle. Mainly, the MDX is simply as family-friendly because it was earlier than, and the Kind S is simply as surprisingly pleasurable to drive because it was earlier than. That it doesn’t make you wish to smack a dopey touchpad with a hammer each time you simply wish to choose a podcast actually is the seemingly small however in the end dramatic enchancment. The lack of a deal breaker is a sport changer.
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