2007 Motor Trend Sport/Utility of the Year Award: Testing
Personality-Transplant Hyde vanquishes Jekyll
By Frank Markus
With strong sales and a sterling quality rep in the bank, Acura is looking for street cred by infusing its mainstream products with more heart, soul, and verve. So the old minivan-based MDX has been revamped in the image of BMW's X5--for better and for worse.
First the good news: Acura's new 3.7-liter, 300-horse V-6 delivers a better weight-to-power ratio than does BMW's entry V-8 at a price that undercuts the six-cylinder Bimmer. By overdriving the outside rear wheel when powering out of corners, the Super-Handling AWD system mimics rear drive darned convincingly. Magneto-rheological fluid allows the shocks to vary damping rates widely within milliseconds to check untoward body motions when driving briskly. And longer, wider bodywork capped by a more swooping roofline backs up this athletic hardware with a sporting aesthetic.
Out in the real world, the MDX's promise doesn't entirely translate to reality. The 4643-pound truck launches gently, en route to a 7.5-second 0-to-60-mph time--0.3 second quicker than the X5 3.0, but six-tenths off the V-8 BMW's pace. Its 129-foot stop from that speed was considerably longer than most X5s, Infiniti FXs, and other sporting 'utes have managed. Even the slalom and figure-eight numbers fell short of the class average, at 60.3 mph, and 27.7 seconds at 0.61 g, respectively.
At least the MDX offers a third-row seat, right? Well, sort of. Most found the new way-back bench less accommodating than before. Ditto the middle row. Maybe the seat cushions are fatter, but rear-seat riders will feel more confined than in the minivan-y MDX. Finally, in "comfort" mode, the ride quality feels a busy and jiggly, yet wallowy on undulations. It's downright harsh on potholes traversed in "sport" mode.
The MDX marks a significant move for Acura and delivers reasonable value, but it lacks the segment superiority required to grab the trophy here.
| 2007 Acura MDX |
| Base price range | $40,665-$46,265 |
| Price as tested | $48,465 (Sport) |
| Vehicle layout | Front engine, AWD, 7-pass, 4-door SUV |
| Engine | 3.7L/300-hp/275-lb-ft SOHC 24-valve V-6 |
| Transmission | 5-speed automatic |
| Curb weight (f/r dist) | 4643 lb (56/44%) |
| Wheelbase | 108.3 in |
| Length x width x height | 190.7 x 73.6 x 68.2 in |
| Max Cargo Capacity | 83.5 cu ft |
| Max Towing Capacity | 5000 lb |
| 0-60 mph | 7.5 sec |
| Quarter mile | 15.9 sec @ 87.6 mph |
| Braking, 60-0 mph | 129 ft |
| Lateral Acceleration | 0.82 g (avg) |
| 600-foot slalom | 60.3 mph (avg) |
| MT Figure Eight | 27.7 sec @ 0.61 g (avg) |
| EPA city/hwy Fuel Econ | 17/22 mpg |
| Sum Up | Newfound heart and soul may draw new customers to the brand, but risk turning away the faithful. |
| Bet You Didn't Know | The MDX's chassis dynamics were tuned on Germany's fabled Nuerburgring. |
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