Six years ago Acura introduced the first MDX, with the promise of an exhilarating driving experience and even nimble handling in a roomy, three-row SUV. The secret: starting from a minivan rather than a pickup. I test drove one, and found the experience a bit close to that of driving a minivan. Other shortcomings included distinctly sub-Lexus materials and overly long overhangs.

For 2007, Acura has introduced a second-generation MDX. By giving the new SUV a more athletic appearance and a "Super Handling" all-wheel-drive system (SH-AWD), Acura claims that it has truly catered to drivers this time.

Only one way to find out.

Styling

On paper, the Acura MDX's dimensions and proportions haven't changed much. The SUV's wheelbase has grown by two inches, to a still class-following 108 inches, but overall length has also increased by a bit over two inches, to nearly 191. Despite the small length increase, the length of the MDX remains clearly that of a midsize SUV. This is no Mercedes GL competitor.

Despite the minor nature of the dimensional changes, the new body looks as if its proportions are tighter. Credit a racier D-pillar, prominent fender flares, and, most importantly, a more massive, less pinched nose. While I'm hardly in love with the new, much more athletic appearance--I'll be doing none of the doubletakes I did with the TL sedan--I do like it, which is much more than I can say about the old design.

The most controversial aspect of the new styling is the grille, while includes a bisected perfortated metal shield. I don't have a problem with it personally. It is at least innovative. I've also read complaints about the Aztek-like gray bumpers. I personally have no problem with those, either.

Beginning with the current RL, Acura has been putting out some of the auto industry's most stylish interiors. The new MDX continues this trend. Though the large amount of smoky "wood" looks like it's probably plastic, I did have to ask the salesman to make sure. I've seen much worse. I especially like the artfully curves lines everywhere you look and the numerous comfortably padded surfaces on the door panels. Some people will find the somewhat video game-like "high tech" theme a bit much, but I personally like the distinctive, sporty atmosphere. Competitors might have better-finished interiors, but in many cases these better-finished interiors are also much more boring.

Fit and finish are generally good, but the door-to-dash gaps are much larger than I expect in an Acura.

Accommodations

The slightly larger size of the 2007 Acura MDX's exterior combines with its more stylish design to yield about the same amount of interior room as before. So the first and second rows continue to be quite roomy, as they should be since the MDX (like the related Honda Pilot) is about as wide as a Chevrolet Suburban. Direct competitors tend to be a few inches narrower.

The new MDX is a bit lower to the ground than the old one, but you still sit higher up than in more car-like crossovers. I drove a Cadillac SRX an hour after driving the Acura. While the two are about the same height, from behind the wheel the Cadillac feels more like a station wagon than an SUV. This is most definitely not the case with the Acura. Even though the MDX's instrument panel is relatively high--you don't sit high above it like you do in some SUVs, including the smaller Acura RDX and Volvo's XC90--the windows are large, providing the level of forward visibility people expect in an SUV. The stylish D-pillars are large, but proper adjutment of the mirrors takes care of the blind spots they create. A wide, high center console combines with the relatively high instrument panel to make the driving position feel sportier than that in most SUVs. Infiniti's FX may have been the benchmark here.

The front seats are about average in comfort for this sort of vehicle. They are not supple or form-fitting enough to rank among my favorites. Aided by some smallish shoulder supports, lateral support in hard turns is adequate, though the more tightly-spaced bolsters in the RDX fit me better.

The manually reclining second row seat looks like it has more shape to it than the folding seats in most SUVs, but in practice it's not much more comfortable. As with the front seats, a less firm cushion, more shape to the cushion, or both would be welcome.

The third row continues to be barely large enough to squeeze two adults in for short trips. Access to this row is also among the tightest I've seen. The second row does not tumble out of the way, but merely slides forward. Ultimately, the "way back" (as we used to call it) is better suited to carrying a couple of kids. The related Honda Pilot has three sets of belts back there, but the MDX has just two. All for the better. Since third-row hiproom is down half a foot, by far the largest dimensional change, it would be a very tight fit even for three small people.

As before, both rows fold to create a flat surface. Unlike before, the headrests do not have to be removed before folding the seats, just lowered. A further benefit of the MDX's width is that the 79-cube cargo area is wider than most.

Missing Amenities and iDrive

I don't see the point of keyless access and ignition, though maybe I would if I owned a vehicle with this feature. But I suspect that many people buying a $40,000 vehicle today expect it, at least as an option. But it is not available on the MDX.

I'm also not the expert on nav systems. But the Acura touchscreen unit has been widely praised in the past for ease of use. Well, in the 2007 MDX the touchscreen is gone, replaced by an iDrive-like knob near the bottom of the center stack. I suspect this will displease many owners of older Acuras. Luckily voice control is an option. The salesman had trouble getting the voice control to properly understand him, but in my experience voice control systems work fairly well these days.

On the Road

For 2007, the Acura MDX's engine has been bumped from 3.5 to 3.7 liters, and now produces 300 horsepower at 6,000 rpm. Of at least equal significance, the 275 foot-pound torque peak occurs at 5,000 rpm. Combine the high torque peak with the MDX's 4,575-pound curb weight, and 300 horsepower yields easily sufficient but not thrilling acceleration. An Audi Q7 with a throatier, 350-horsepower, eight-cylinder engine sounds and feels much spunkier when the throttle is cracked wide open. But then the V6-powered Q7 is a much fairer comparison. It likely also provides a more visceral driving experience than the relatively anodyne Acura.

The new 3.7 actually feels strongest at moderate speeds, where the lofty torque peak is within reach, and at part throttle. Some engines are just like this, I'm not sure why.

Acura is lagging in the ratio wars, with five-speed automatics in this and its other models. Perhaps a larger number of more tightly-spaced ratios would have helped get more out of the V6. The transmission can be manually shifted using the console-mounted lever. When this is done it reacts after a moderate delay, about average for such a transmission. I generally left it in D.

Now for my main interest in driving the new MDX: how does it handle? Like other Acuras with the SH-AWD system, in casual to mildly aggressive driving the MDX handles competently, but doesn't have the sharp reflexes or communicative steering of the vehicles I enjoy most.

Push harder, though, and the SH-AWD system gradually steps in, shunting more and more of the engine's power rearward and, in turns, to the outside rear wheel. The power distribution is displayed on a small LCD between the speedometer and tach. When I could steal a glance away from the road I found it quite entertaining.

The new MDX's weight distribution is 55/45, so less nose-heavy than your typical front-driver but still far from 50/50. Nose-heavy vehicles tend to understeer, to plow wide in hard turns. Sending power to the outside rear wheel counteracts this tendency. As you push harder, power distribution initially imparts a balanced feel to the chassis. Push harder still, and the rear end will predictably step out. Such throttle-induced oversteer isn't possible using conventional front-drive-based all-wheel-drive systems. This is the beauty of the SH-AWD system. I enjoyed it quite a bit.

Though the roads were a touch damp and I worked the MDX fairly hard, the tires uttered nary a complaint and the vehicle never lost its composure. The stability control must have been cutting in, but I never noticed it doing so. This system doesn't mind if you hang the rear end out a bit; it seems to have been tuned to work with the SH-AWD system.

All is not perfect. I've already mentioned the pedestrian feel of the MDX in casual driving. As in most vehicles these days, SUVs and otherwise, the steering isn't quick enough or communicative enough for my taste. The Sport Package on the vehicle I drove might also play a role. This package includes adaptive shocks. In my experience, these Delphi-sourced shocks, which contain a magnetic fluid, can firm up much more quickly than other types of adaptive shocks. And, once they firm up, they do an excellent job of restraining body roll in turns. But on-center, when they default to a softer setting to boost ride comfort, they lend the vehicle a looser, less sharp feel than would firm conventional shocks.

Even when pushed the new Acura MDX doesn't feel nimble. The MDX's above-average width does it no favors here. A narrower SUV like the Volvo XC90 feels more agile despite its softer, less composed suspension. A final niggle: despite the AWD system, hard acceleration in tight turns (which most drivers won't do) jerks the steering wheel. I suppose you can't have everything.

Among three-row SUVs, the Audi Q7 retains an edge in driving pleasure, especially in casual driving, but it's considerably more expensive and less roomy inside. I drove a Cadillac SRX immediately afterwards, and it felt soft and squishy in comparison to the Acura; however, this SRX had the base wheels and suspension. It is also offered with shocks like those on the MDX, and they do make a difference.

The use of trick shocks to achieve roll stiffness does have a payoff: the MDX's ride quality is clearly superior to that in the sportiest SUVs, from BMW and Infiniti. I suppose this is the flip side of the less-than-sharp responses in casual driving. There's still a bit of the jiggle that plagues most every high-riding SUV, but not enough that many people will mind it. Noise levels are fairly low, perhaps average for the class. Partly because the engine in the Cadillac was louder, that vehicle tended to have a less insulated feel to it. I've read many complaints of road noise in other Honda and Acura models. The new MDX seemed quiet to me on every road surface I sampled during an extended test drive.

Acura MDX Price Comparisons and Pricing

The base price of the MDX is up $2,900 this year, but adjusting for the higher level of standard equipment cuts the gap to $600. The improvement are easily worth this much. However, Acura has been providing dealers with a $2,500 incentive to help sell the 2006s, and dealers are much more willing to discount them, so the difference in actual transactions prices is much larger, perhaps $7,000 even after adjusting for feature differences.

Visitors to my price comparison site often compare the MDX to the Volvo XC90, as the latter also has three rows of seats. Compared to the 311-horsepower XC90 V8, the MDX is about $8,700 less expensive even after a $1,400 feature-based adjustment in the Volvo's favor.

The difference is about the same when comparing the MDX with the 280-horsepower V6 Audi Q7.

These comparisons do not include the fancy suspension on the MDX I drove, which is part of a $5,600 package that also includes a navigation system, premium audio system, and the Acura equivalent of OnStar. Since the $3,500 Technology Package includes everything but the trick suspension, a self-adjusting feature for the standard xenon headlights, and sport leather, that suspension isn't cheap. The Volvo offers no equivalent, though a Sport trim with a stiffer suspension has just become available. Opting for the trick suspensions on both the Acura and the Audi narrows the price gap a bit, to about $7,400 after adjusting for remaining feature differences. The Audi's optional suspension is more complicated, including adjustable height air springs as well as adaptive shocks.

Prices change frequently, and differences will vary based on feature level. To quickly generate these and other comparisons with the specific features you want, visit my Web site, www.truedelta.com. (It's the only site that provides true "apples-to-apples" price comparisons.)

TrueDelta's page for the Acura MDX:

http://www.truedelta.com/models/MDX.php

Last Words

The styling of the new Acura MDX is a big improvement, and its interior and handling in aggressive driving both impressed me. No, despite Acura's claims back in 2001 it still doesn't feel nimble. I've just about accepted that three-row vehicles, because of their inevitable size and weight, just aren't going to feel agile. Elsewhere, the SUV with midsize legnth but full-size width has no glaring weaknesses, and other three-row SUVs with this level of luxury and performance cost significantly more. Add it all up, and the MDX seems an excellent value, quite likely the one I'd buy if I was buying something in this category.

Stay tuned, though, as the BMW X5 also has been redesigned for 2007, and now will also offer a third row.

A Note on Acura MDX Reliability

I cannot practically cover reliability within the context of this review. However, many people are interested in such information, so I've started collecting my own data. Results, once they are available, will be posted to my site, www.truedelta.com, with updates every three months.

Unlike other sources, TrueDelta will clearly identify what difference it will make if you buy an MDX rather than another vehicle by providing "times in the shop" and "days in the shop" stats (among others). You will be able to specify the number of years, annual miles, and types of repairs to include in Acura MDX reliability comparisons.

Before I can report results, I need reliability data on all cars--not just the MDX--from people like you. To encourage participation, those who help provide the data will receive free access to the site's reliability information. Non-participants will have to pay an access fee.

For the details, and to sign up, visit www.truedelta.com.

A link to this website and alphabetized links to my other vehicle reviews can be found on my profile page.

Some of my reviews of related vehicles:
2001 Acura MDX review
2004 Acura MDX review
Audi Q7 review
Cadillac SRX review
Chrysler Pacifica review
Mazda CX-9 review
Volvo XC90 V8 review