Robustly powered and refined in character, a 3.5-liter V6 engine sits under the Acura MDX’s hood, generating 290 horsepower and delivering quick, satisfying acceleration accompanied by a pleasantly aggressive yet appropriately muted exhaust note. This is a terrific engine, and it provides this family-size crossover with the ability to thrill its driver.
For 2016, the V6 is paired with a new 9-speed automatic transmission with Drive and Sport modes, a change designed to make the MDX more fuel-efficient. Acura has also done away with a traditional shifter, replacing it with push buttons and a Reverse gear switch arranged on the center console next to the cupholders.
Engine power is transferred to the MDX’s front wheels unless you order the SH-AWD (super-handling all-wheel drive) system, which adopts a new twin-clutch rear differential design for improved torque-transfer performance. Acura has also installed a new Idle Stop feature for MDX models equipped with the Advance option package, which shuts the engine off while the SUV is idling, such as in traffic or at an intersection, automatically re-starting the engine when the driver lifts off the brake pedal and steps on the accelerator.
In my opinion, these powertrain changes reduce rather than enhance the MDX’s appeal. I understand that automakers are under a significant amount of pressure to improve fuel economy in order to meet federal mandates. Unfortunately, and the problem is not limited to Acura and the new MDX, the result is a less satisfying driving experience.
From the new shifting mechanism on the center console to the way the powertrain behaves, the 2016 MDX is not as enjoyable to drive as last year's version.
In Drive mode, I experienced frequent delays in downshifts when requesting extra power for passing or hill climbing, combined with occasionally unexpected lurches forward when accelerating from a stop and unanticipated gains in speed when the transmission freewheeled between gears on downgrades. In Sport mode the transmission simply holds revs too high and for too long. Also, note that if you park the MDX or shift gears on a hill, the SUV rolls more than expected, so use extra care.
Paddle shifters should provide a more satisfying driving experience, but they don’t. Engage them, and there are too many speeds to cycle through in order to find the one you want, creating distraction. When you tire of using them, depending on how you’re driving and which transmission setting you’ve selected, it can be unclear how to get the transmission to switch back to automatic mode.
Idle Stop technology is the best argument against choosing the MDX’s pricey Advance option package, though doing so means you’ll need to live without the MDX’s outstanding sport ventilated front seats. Bummer.
When Idle Stop shuts off the engine, it causes the MDX to shudder slightly. When Idle Stop responds to the driver lifting his or her foot off the brake, it takes a moment for the engine to restart, and in my experience my foot was usually already pressing down on the accelerator pedal.
To compensate for the delay, it appears that Acura has designed the system to automatically rev the engine to a level corresponding to how far the driver has pressed the accelerator, which can, depending on how the MDX is driven, mitigate the effect of the delay. However, in my experience, it often resulted in uneven acceleration from a standstill.
In summary, I’m not a fan of the new transmission or the new Idle Stop feature. Acura provides a button on the center console that gives the driver the option of turning off Idle Stop, but there’s no swapping out the transmission for last year’s 6-speed automatic.
What’s the net gain in terms of fuel economy? Apparently, according to the EPA, there isn’t one, unless you get the Advance option package, use Idle Stop, and spend lots of time driving in the city.
Last year, the EPA expected the 2015 MDX SH-AWD to get 18 mpg in the city, 27 on the highway, and 21 in combined driving. This year, the EPA rates the 2016 MDX SH-AWD for 18 mpg in the city, 26 on the highway, and 21 in combined driving. If you have the Advance package and activate Idle Stop, those ratings rise to 19 in the city and 26 on the highway, for 22 mpg in combined driving. I averaged 19.9 during my week of driving.
Boy, would it be nice to just get last year’s 6-speed automatic back. My family and I took a long road trip in a 2015 MDX, and that transmission was terrific.
Part of that trip was on California’s Pacific Coast Highway, where the road twists and turns from Carmel to Hearst Castle. The MDX was genuinely fun to drive on this long stretch of coastal highway, thanks in part to the Integrated Dynamics System (IDS) with Comfort, Normal, and Sport driving modes. The IDS adjusts steering feel to all three settings, and in Sport mode it quickens throttle response and more aggressively transfers torque to the rear wheels when the MDX is equipped with SH-AWD.
For this test of a 2016 MDX, my favorite setting was Drive for the transmission and Normal for the IDS. With both components set to Sport mode, the MDX adopts a frenetic personality, one that contrasts sharply with its otherwise refined and tailored character. In Drive/Normal, the MDX is more relaxed and less responsive, but also more enjoyable and predictable to drive without losing its athletic demeanor.
In Normal mode, the steering is a joy to use, displaying perfect levels of heft and quick, accurate response at all times. Agile Handling Assist is standard for the MDX, tightening the SUV’s cornering line by automatically braking an inside wheel to tuck the Acura closer to the inside of a curve. This, combined with palpable torque vectoring courtesy of the SH-AWD system, makes the MDX lots of fun to drive. Unfortunately, on a hot testing day in California’s Santa Monica Mountains, the brakes faded slightly with heavy use in the high-heat conditions.
The MDX’s suspension does a great job of controlling body squat, roll, and dive, and while the SUV always feels solidly connected to the pavement, it nevertheless is very comfortable to drive over long stretches of Interstate highway. My wife commented upon how quiet the MDX is at speed on local freeways, though I’ll attest that traversing rougher pavement textures can create more road noise than might be expected of a luxury SUV.
Despite my misgivings about the MDX’s new transmission and Idle Stop technology, I wouldn’t allow them to deter me from buying one. That’s because I enjoy the trip to the destination as much as the destination itself, and otherwise the Acura MDX is fantastic to drive.