2022 Buick Enclave vs 2023 Acura MDX

The 2022 Buick Enclave has always been a testament to Buick's commitment to combining understated elegance with modern design. Historically, Buick's styling was conservative, featuring softer, less aggressive lines and simple, functional interiors. This approach catered to an older customer base that prioritized comfort and tradition. However, over the last 15 years, Buick's transformation has been noteworthy. Moving from a sedan-heavy lineup to an all-SUV portfolio, Buick responded to the market's shift toward SUVs. The 2022 Enclave, as part of its mid-cycle refresh, received several exterior upgrades. A new grille, front and rear fascias, headlamps, taillamps, and wheel designs were notable inclusions. The top-tier Avenir trim featured a unique grille, body-colored lowers, exclusive taillamps, and 20-inch wheels, adding a touch of class. Internally, the 2022 Enclave boasted a restyled center console with new push-button gears and upgraded materials. Features like heated, cooled, and massaging front seats significantly enhanced comfort, with the Avenir trim offering these features as standard. Our test vehicle, an Enclave Avenir in Rich Garnet Metallic, sported Ebony perforated leather seats with attractive accents, making it a visually appealing and comfortable ride. The Avenir's seat pattern and piping added to the interior's character, positioning it just below the luxury level of competitors like the Cadillac XT6. On the other hand, the 2023 Acura MDX Type S sets a different standard. The fourth-generation MDX, particularly the Type S, emphasized subtlety in its performance-oriented design. Dressed in Apex Blue Pearl with an Orchid interior, it set high expectations for quality and driving dynamism. The MDX Type S featured chicane-design LED lights, 21-inch wheels, a panoramic sunroof, and a Sport Appearance package with perforated Milano leather and aluminum interior trim. The Type S Advance trim added open-pore wood and a leather-wrapped dashboard for an upscale touch. However, despite its sophisticated look, certain design elements, like the body tapering in at the doors, gave the MDX a somewhat awkward appearance from specific angles. The center console's glossy black plastic also posed challenges for usability. While Acura's electronic transmission switchgear aimed to innovate, it often left users confused. Overall, the Enclave's blend of comfort and understated luxury stood in contrast to the MDX's sportier yet slightly flawed execution in design.

Focus on performance revealed stark differences between these two SUVs. The 2022 Buick Enclave kept things straightforward with a 3.6-liter V6 engine producing 310 horsepower and 266 pound-feet of torque. Paired with a nine-speed automatic transmission, this powertrain offered responsive performance even for a vehicle weighing over 4,300 pounds. Front-wheel drive was standard, while all-wheel drive was available across trims, with a towing capacity of up to 5,000 pounds. The Enclave impressed with its premium ride quality, enhanced by the optional Avenir Technology package, which included a premium ride suspension and real-time chassis damping. It handled various terrains smoothly, benefiting from Buick's QuietTuning and active noise cancellation technology, ensuring a serene cabin environment. Despite its size, the Enclave's acceleration was surprisingly good, and the transmission operated seamlessly, delivering pleasing engine sounds. Conversely, the 2023 Acura MDX Type S focused on a more powerful and dynamic performance. Its 3.0-liter turbocharged V6 engine produced 355 horsepower and 354 pound-feet of torque, with a 10-speed automatic transmission and Acura's Super Handling All-Wheel Drive (SH-AWD). This AWD system could direct up to 70% of engine output to a single rear wheel, enhancing driving dynamics in tight corners. The Integrated Dynamics System offered multiple driving modes, while the exclusive Lift mode increased ground clearance to 9.4 inches. Despite the extensive performance upgrades, the MDX Type S struggled to offer a cohesive driving experience. Its transmission was often indecisive, the ride compliance inconsistent, and the brake pedal modulation poor. The turbocharged engine, while powerful, consumed fuel heavily, averaging 16.9 mpg in mixed driving conditions. Issues like these highlighted the MDX Type S’s shortcomings in achieving a balanced performance-oriented identity.

The 2022 Buick Enclave excels in offering practicality blended with comfort. Easy ingress and egress, excellent visibility, and highly adjustable and comfortable seats were standout features. All Enclaves came with eight-way power driver seats and six-way power front passenger seats. The Premium and Avenir trims took comfort further with heated, massaging front seats and four-way power lumbar. With three rows of seating, the Enclave offered roomy accommodations for up to six adults. The third row even provided adequate space for six-footers, a rare feat in this class. The second-row captain's chairs enhanced accessibility to the third row, though their flip-and-fold mechanism could be initially confusing. Cargo space in the Enclave was plentiful. With all seats up, it offered 23.6 cubic feet of space, enough for three rolling suitcases. Folding the third row expanded this to 57.7 cubic feet, and with both rear rows folded, the Enclave boasted a cavernous 97.4 cubic feet. The 2023 Acura MDX also prioritized functionality, offering three rows of seating and configurable second-row options. Our Type S Advance trim featured luxurious 16-way power-adjustable front seats with heating, ventilation, and massage. However, despite the adjustability, the firm seats didn't offer the expected enveloping comfort during spirited drives. While the second-row seating provided comfort and versatile configurations, the third row was cramped for adults, best-suited for children. Internally, the MDX’s design sacrificed storage spaces, with a small center armrest bin and the touchpad interface dominating the center console. The MDX’s cargo area was practical, providing 18.1 cubic feet behind the third row, 39.1 cubic feet with the third row folded, and 71.4 cubic feet with both rows down. An underfloor storage bin and convenient grocery bag hooks added to the overall utility. In comparing their form and function, the Enclave’s roomier interior and larger cargo capacity made it a preferable choice for family trips and daily practicality.

From the Enclave's driver's seat, users faced a standard 4.2-inch driver information center, with Premium and Avenir trims upgrading to an 8-inch version. An 8-inch touchscreen infotainment system was standard on Essence trim and higher, featuring wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, and wireless phone charging. Navigation and a performance-enhanced 10-speaker Bose audio system featured in higher trims, offering a competent audio experience. The Enclave's system could pair up to 10 devices, maintain two smartphone connections simultaneously, and provide a WiFi hotspot. While functional, the interface’s graphics began to look dated, yet it remained user-friendly. The 2023 Acura MDX pushed boundaries with its Digital Precision Cockpit. This consisted of a configurable 12.3-inch digital instrumentation panel and a 12.3-inch infotainment display, elements expected in luxury SUVs. However, the infotainment screen wasn’t touch-sensitive, instead requiring the True Touchpad Interface (TTI) for operation. This system, intended to be innovative, faced criticism for its complexity and intrusion into valuable storage space. Acura supplemented this with voice recognition capabilities through Amazon Alexa, Siri, and Google Assistant, but the native system remained frustratingly inconsistent. Acura offered high-quality audio experiences, with the top-tier Signature Edition ELS Studio 3D system with 25 speakers providing stellar sound quality. The MDX Type S Advance trim added a 10.5-inch head-up display, showing crucial driving information, although the traffic sign recognition occasionally malfunctioned. In assessing technology, the Enclave provides a more straightforward, user-friendly interface with ample essential features, while the MDX aims for high-tech sophistication but falters in usability.

Safety is paramount, and both SUVs aimed to reassure drivers with comprehensive safety features. For 2022, Buick standardized many advanced safety features across all Enclave trims with the Buick Driver Confidence Plus package. This included automatic emergency braking, forward-collision warning, lane-change alert, blind-spot warning, rear cross-traffic alert, lane-keeping assistance, rear park assist, and automatic high-beam headlights. The Premium trim added enhanced emergency braking, adaptive cruise control, a surround-view camera, head-up display, and rear pedestrian alert. The Enclave earned "Good" ratings in most IIHS crash tests and a four-star rollover resistance rating from NHTSA, highlighting its solid safety credentials. The 2023 Acura MDX came with an enhanced Acura Watch suite, including forward-collision warning, pedestrian detection, automatic emergency braking, lane-keeping assist, lane-centering assist, adaptive cruise control, and Traffic Jam Assist. Additional trims provided parking sensors, low-speed automatic braking, and a surround-view camera system. Despite improvements, the MDX’s lane-departure warning implementation and adaptive cruise control speed resumption needed refinement. An unusual braking incident during our evaluation raised concerns despite the MDX’s overall strong safety ratings, including a Top Safety Pick+ from IIHS and a five-star overall rating from NHTSA.