2022 Volvo XC90 vs 2023 Acura MDX

The 2022 Volvo XC90 represented a significant leap from Volvo’s earlier boxy designs, while still maintaining the brand’s commitment to safety and family-friendliness. After Ford sold Volvo to China’s Zhejiang Geely Holding in 2010, Volvo underwent a complete overhaul, creating new vehicle platforms from scratch. The flagship XC90, launched in 2016, stood on the Scalable Product Architecture (SPA) platform.

The 2022 XC90 had a striking stance and a sleek profile, its body seemingly inclined forward, ready to launch. The refined roofline concealed a spacious greenhouse without conveying bulk or height. Pronounced wheel arches hinted at its athleticism, and a short nose evoked the classic 245 wagon. Perfectly finished, it exuded quality, and the LED headlights, humorously dubbed "Thor’s Hammer," paid homage to its Swedish roots.

Inside, the XC90 embodied "Scandinavian Modern" and "Swedish Luxury," featuring natural wood and metal trims for an authentic feel. Luxurious touches, like the sliding wood tambour cover on the center console and the crystal gear selector handle, emphasized its upscale status. Although Volvo aimed to go leather-free by 2030, the 2022 model still offered Nappa leather seats, required for the ventilated front seats option. Alternatively, the tailored wool blend upholstery provided a durable, easy-care non-leather choice, though possibly not to everyone’s taste.

In contrast, the 2023 Acura MDX, particularly the Type S variant, projected a more subtle but refined look. The standard MDX and the Type S Advance trim boasted a sophisticated design with minor front styling tweaks and muted badges, complemented by 21-inch wheels and quad exhaust outlets. The interior featured Milano leather, aluminum trim, and a Sport Appearance package with a black headliner and stainless steel pedal covers. The Type S Advance trim included open-pore wood and a leather-wrapped dashboard. Despite its polished appearance, the MDX’s body tapering around the doors sometimes created the illusion of a dent, and the gloss-black dashboard could make controls hard to locate. Acura’s electronic transmission switchgear, implemented since 2017, remained a confusing feature for some.

The 2022 Volvo XC90 offered three engines across its T5, T6, and T8 models. The T5 featured a turbocharged 2.0-liter four-cylinder engine producing 250 horsepower and 258 pound-feet of torque. The T6 upgraded to a supercharged and turbocharged version, delivering 316 horsepower and 295 pound-feet of torque. The T8 plug-in hybrid combined the supercharged/turbocharged four-cylinder engine with an electric motor—or, in the extended-range model, a turbo gas engine with an electric motor—yielding a combined 455 horsepower and 523 pound-feet of torque. The T5 was available as front-wheel drive (FWD) or all-wheel drive (AWD), while the T6 and T8 were AWD only, with the T8’s electric motor driving the rear wheels. All models used an eight-speed automatic transmission.

The T5 FWD achieved 21 mpg city, 30 mpg highway, and 25 mpg combined, while the T5 AWD offered 20 mpg city, 28 mpg highway, and 23 mpg combined. The T6 AWD rated at 19 mpg city, 27 mpg highway, and 22 mpg combined. The T8 hybrid earned 27 mpg combined and 55 MPGe with an 18-mile electric range. The extended-range version managed 26 mpg combined, 66 MPGe, and an electric range of up to 36 miles, taking about five hours to charge fully at 240 volts.

Despite its size, the XC90 handled adeptly with minimal body roll, feeling almost sporty. The top-tier T8 Inscription accelerated briskly, the electric motor smoothing power delivery by mitigating turbo lag, enhancing the driving fun.

Meanwhile, the 2023 Acura MDX Type S ran a turbocharged 3.0-liter V6 engine with 355 horsepower and 354 pound-feet of torque, boosted from the standard MDX’s 3.5-liter V6. Its 10-speed automatic transmission, paired with Acura’s Super Handling All-Wheel Drive (SH-AWD), could channel up to 70 percent of the engine’s power to a single rear wheel. The Integrated Dynamics System allowed drivers to choose between Snow, Comfort, Normal, Sport, and Sport+ modes, with a Sport mode for the transmission and a Lift mode increasing ground clearance from 7.3 inches to 9.4 inches. Specific to the Type S were a solid front stabilizer bar, Electro-Servo brake system, larger brake rotors, and upgraded Brembo front calipers.

However, the performance enhancements didn’t integrate seamlessly. The MDX Type S exhibited inconsistencies with its transmission, ride compliance, and brake response. It averaged 16.9 mpg during mixed driving against the EPA-rated 19 mpg combined, underperforming at 17 mpg in city driving alone and dropping to 14.1 mpg in Sport+ mode.

The 2022 Volvo XC90 provided six-passenger or seven-passenger configurations, with the latter having a second-row bench seat. Accessing the third-row seat was easy with the second row’s one-handed slide and fold feature. The third row was suitable for children but cramped for adults. It offered 15.9 cubic feet of cargo space behind the third row, expanding to 41.8 cubic feet with it folded flat, and up to 85.7 cubic feet with both rows down. The XC90 could tow between 4,000 and 5,000 pounds, sufficient for lighter loads. The interior was spacious and well-utilized, with ample storage solutions and a comfortable, airy cabin, further brightened or cooled by the panoramic moonroof and efficient air-conditioning.

The 2023 Acura MDX also offered three rows of seats, configurable for seven passengers or with a removable center section in the second row for easier access. Despite being fully equipped, the firm driver’s seat didn't envelop or hold occupants as well as expected. The second-row seat, although comfortable and supportive, didn’t provide as much rear legroom as hoped. The third row, tight as expected, was best for children. Storage was somewhat compromised by the design focus, but it still had a decent cargo area of 18.1 cubic feet behind the third row, expanding to 39.1 cubic feet with it down and up to 71.4 cubic feet with all seats folded.

The MDX performance fell short of its luxury ambitions, with occasional engine response delays and unrefined transmission behavior. While the turbo V6 delivered quick acceleration, it consumed more fuel than expected, highlighting the vehicle's inefficiencies.

The 2022 Volvo XC90 employed the Sensus infotainment system, featuring a nine-inch portrait-oriented touchscreen. The interface, although intuitive with familiar gestures, was somewhat slow and glitchy. Apple CarPlay improved responsiveness, and connectivity options included two front USB-A ports, two rear USB-C ports, a WiFi hotspot with a complimentary trial, and the Volvo Care app offering remote control functionalities. The Advanced package added a head-up display and a 360-degree surround-view camera, while the Bowers & Wilkins sound system upgrade was audiophile-friendly.

In contrast, the 2023 Acura MDX featured a 12.3-inch Digital Precision Cockpit and a 12.3-inch infotainment display, controlled via a True Touchpad Interface (TTI) rather than touch-sensitive operations. While innovative, the TTI added unnecessary complexity and hindered storage space. The MDX supported wireless Apple CarPlay, Android Auto, and Amazon Alexa Built-In, but the native voice recognition was less effective. Additional features included SiriusXM satellite radio, native navigation, AcuraLink connected services with a complimentary three-year subscription, and a WiFi hotspot. The MDX Type S Advance had a 10.5-inch head-up display and the Signature Edition ELS Studio 3D audio system with 25 speakers, delivering excellent sound quality.

Volvo’s reputation for safety was affirmed by the 2022 XC90’s extensive safety suite including blind-spot monitoring, rear cross-traffic alert, parking assistance, rain-sensing wipers, lane-keeping aid, adaptive cruise control, and more. Its Pilot Assist system offered semi-autonomous driving capabilities. The XC90 earned the IIHS Top Safety Pick+ and NHTSA’s five-star overall safety rating.

Similarly, the 2023 Acura MDX was equipped with Acura Watch, encompassing forward-collision warning, automatic emergency braking, lane-departure warning, lane-keeping assist, adaptive cruise control, Traffic Jam Assist, and more. However, it had occasional glitches, such as false lane-departure warnings and misidentifying overhead signs. Although it achieved good crash-test ratings, such as the IIHS Top Safety Pick+ and NHTSA’s five-star rating, it earned four stars for frontal-impact protection.