For those who love driving and others who just want to haul their six passengers in sporty luxury, Acura's 2007 MDX provides a single solution. How many vehicles can say that? Handling with a performance-loving driver in mind, the sport package on the MDX comes with Super-Handling All-Wheel Drive (SH-AWD). It keeps this vehicle stuck on the pavement while an active damper system helps the MDX straddle both handling and comfort. We stepped on the gas around corners and this full-size SUV seemed to just grip the road. Impressive.
Under the hood, Acura packs in a 300hp VTEC V-6 that delivers as much power as some V-8s on the market through the use of its electronic Drive-by-Wire Throttle System. The result is relatively great mileage for an SUV (18 on streets / 22 on highway), low emissions and plenty of power. On the outside the new model looks nothing like the previous iteration, with a wide, low stance and yacht-like styling cues. It looks like it's trying too hard to look aggressive and edgy, but the MDX got approving nods from friends and co-workers during our evaluation.
The vehicle is mechanically top-notch, but, of course, the electronics in the passenger compartment were what really caught our attention. The top of the line model with the Technology, Entertainment and Sport packages comes with almost everything you could ask for. The Acura navigation system with voice recognition and traffic information (via AcuraLink which uses XM's NavTraffic) displays mapping on an 8-inch screen, which pairs up with a backup camera. The housing for the camera on the trunk door is bulbous and on the unsightly side, but functions well enough. Overhead, a 9-inch monitor flips down to play DVDs from a player in the front console, though you can give rear passengers full control. They can listen via the entire system or the included wireless headphones. Obviously we recommend you take full advantage of the 410-watt Acura/ELS Surround Premium Sound System that provides discrete 5.1-audio through 10 new lightweight speakers in the cabin. You get CD/DVD-Audio/DTS playback, AM/FM, XM Satellite Radio and Acura's iPod link, not to mention the in-dash 6-disc changer. And finally, you also have the Bluetooth mobile phone interface for hands-free talking. In its price range, a little under $50,000, Acura just may have the best overall technology vehicle on the market.
In terms of features you can hardly complain about the total package here. But there are some drawbacks. The center console stack is not very ergonomic. We imagine that some users will be confused by the array of buttons. In contrast, the dial controller itself is actually easy to use. It will quickly and efficiently allow you to input navigation directives and access other aspects of the system, such as the sound controls. But overall on the console, there's just way too much going on. A touchscreen might have helped. The fact that Acura provides true 5.1-audio with DVD-A/DTS playback should inspire applause from music fans who have embraced the "new" format. The company really thought ahead by including it in the Acura line of vehicles. Moreover, the people at Panasonic really pushed the envelope by persuading Acura to allow them to place the rear speakers at a much more optimal level for surround sound. It works great for front passengers but less so for rear passengers. The daring Acura showed by including DVD-A playback and using more optimal speaker placement is counteracted to some degree by the sound quality of the system. It lacks power and dynamics. In other words: It's a bit bland or "safe," as though Acura/Panasonic didn't want to offend anyone. The system sounds better when listening to DVD-As than when playing regular CDs, but considering that many of us still have most of our music collections in the latter form, we would want an audio system that excelled with both formats. For albums that we had in stereo and 5.1 it was amazing to hear the differences. Donald Fagen's The Nightfly disc in surround sound offered a much richer audio experience. It was like listening to a new work. But when you compare the reproduction of a stereo disc in the various cars, the ELS was almost tame by comparison. Still, the wealth of features in the MDX is not something to easily dismiss. When you consider what you get for the price, this has to be the best vehicle in its class overall.