What is the Best Year for the Acura MDX?
Are you a diehard Honda lover looking for a bit of a step up? The luxurious Acura MDX may be the right midsize SUV for your lifestyle, and your wallet.
Written by Elaine Duvet
Reviewed by Kathleen Flear
In a perfect world, the
Acura
MDX is a sophisticated midsize SUV that will last well over 250,000 miles. Due to high demand, the redesigned 2022 models have a two-year waitlist. But if you’re interested in buying one of these three-row MDX autos, be careful what model year you choose.Acura MDX models to avoid
A big issue that has plagued the Acura MDX is an excessive amount of oil consumption, which can lead to severe engine problems over the course of time.
Consumer Reports noted that “for the most part, manufacturers fixed or discontinued the problem engines in later model years. But there are still a lot of individual vehicles on the road that burn oil,” according to
MotorBiscuit
.The organization recommends that consumers avoid model years 2010 to 2013 for the Acura MDX. Though Acura originally extended the warranty on more than 200,000 vehicles that had the 3.7-liter V6 to help with the problem, it has since expired.
Some Acura owners even filed a class-action lawsuit against Honda, its parent company for oil issues and various inaccuracies.
According to MotorBiscuit, “If a qualified vehicle is found to be using more than one quart of oil every 1,000 miles, Acura will pay for the cost of repairs for excessive consumption. The caveat is the vehicle must still be within the powertrain warranty period or warranty gap period.”
Overall transmission failure is the Acura MDX’s biggest struggle. “The 2010 model has a costly excessive oil consumption problem, while the 2014 and 2016 have many engine issues early on,”
CoPilot
tells us.Other Acura MDX model years to pass up on include 2001, 2002, 2003, 2004, 2005, 2010, 2014, 2016, and 2017.
MORE: How Did Acura Come to Be and Who Owns This Luxury Brand?
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Acura MDX models to get your hands on
Acura was born in 1984, as Honda’s luxury sedan, and it has continued to blow its competitors out of the water.
The 2014 Acura MDX is powered by a V6 engine with 290 hp and 267 lb-ft of torque. Strong enough to haul and trailer, the roomy three-row midsize SUV was voted one of the best luxury vehicles in its class by U.S. News. It’s affordable, fuel-efficient, and has great safety ratings—even if the brake sometimes feels like a sponge.
U.S. News is also a longtime fan of the 2018 Acura MDX. According to
Money Inc.
, “It has a V6 engine powerful enough to render a fast yet smooth ride while the safety features include road departure mitigation system, lane-keeping assist system, adaptive cruise control, and a collision mitigation braking system.” The luxury family SUV is fun to drive and can safely seat up to seven people.When you’re stopped at a red light, the 2016 Acura MDX will kick into idle-stop mode. Not only does the 2016 model save you money at the pump, it has a well-insulated interior and a 3.5-liter V6 engine. The auto releases 290 hp with 267 lb-ft of torque and its navigation system is next level. With this seven-seater, you can avoid traffic like a pro and live your best road trip life.
The 2017 Acura MDX Sport Hybrid can reach 100 mph in just 15.5 seconds. “It has variable dampers that are electronically-controlled, thereby enabling body and wheel motion management without compromising on the quality of the ride,” Money Inc. reports.
The Sport Hybrid comes with 321 hp giving power to its 3.0-liter V6 engine. Though the three-row hybrid crossover has limited cargo space and loose front seat bolsters, you’ll experience some high-performance driving at a lower price point.
The best years of the Acura MDX
We also love the 2018 Acura MDX Sport Hybrid. Drivers get impressive fuel economy with 26 mpg in the city and 27 mpg on the highway. The Sport Hybrid features a 3.0-liter V6 engine with 321 hp and 289 lb-ft of torque.
According to Money Inc., “Driving through slippery roads is not an issue since the all-wheel-drive setup facilitates a firm grip, although it does not have some off-road options including hill descent control.” It takes about 6.5 seconds for the auto to reach 60 mph.
The 2019 Acura MDX offers a standard idle start/stop feature that has come a long way from the company’s slow restart found in earlier models. The SUV has a 3.5-liter V6 engine with 290 hp and 267 lb-ft of torque.
Let’s just say the infotainment system has a complicated personality and takes some getting used to. In order to perform simple tasks “like adjusting the fan speed and mode requires multiple touches while most of its major options are bundled into packages,” Money Inc. notes.
The 2015 Acura MDX features a large cargo area and lavish interior. With state-of-the-art driver-assist safety features, the 2015 model offers unrivaled performance. The auto sports a V6 engine that cranks out 290 hp and shows off its sleek exterior styling.
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