Reader Review: 2022 Acura MDX Platinum Elite

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“That’s an MDX?” Rosa Reyes queried upon first glimpsing the 2022 Acura Platinum Elite SUV she was slated to drive for a week.

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For 13 years, Reyes has piloted a 2009 MDX, a vehicle she bought new, that now has 290,000 kilometres on the odometer. Even though she’s seen and driven new MDXs over her years of Acura ownership, the complete redesign of the 2022 MDX caught her by surprise.

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“Acura has come a long away from the silver bird beak look,” Reyes says. “The diamond pentagon grille is sporty and gives it a much more serious tone with a very bold and athletic look. The body has several ridges and curves that give the car a sense of motion without it moving.”

For 2022, Acura has made the MDX their flagship vehicle, the first time an SUV has been in that position. Now in its fourth generation, the MDX is on an all-new platform and has grown in every direction. It is sportier looking, and some of that is due to Acura having shifted the cabin farther to the rear, allowing the automaker to stretch the hood. Four MDX models powered by the same 290-horsepower, 3.5-litre DOHC V6 paired with a 10-speed automatic transmission are currently available. All are imbued with Acura’s Super Handling All-Wheel Drive system, too. A new Type S model with a turbocharged 3.0L V6 that makes 355 hp is slated for release sometime later this year.

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Reyes spent time in the top-of-the line Platinum Elite MDX, and before taxes, it was close to $70,000. The only option on her tester was the $500 liquid carbon metallic paint.

“Compared to my 2009, the new MDX does look bigger,” she says.

And that carried into the cabin. Inside, Reyes found plenty of room, and appreciated the way the centre console was designed. It wasn’t bulky, and she found the 12.3-inch colour centre screen was easy to glance at without becoming distracted. Of that screen, Reyes says, “It’s controlled by a touch pad in the console, where the gear shifter would normally be. The system wasn’t the easiest thing to figure out and the touch pad was a bit finicky. I was eventually able to do what I needed to, and once I figured out the wireless Apple CarPlay, I didn’t worry too much about the system.”

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She continues, “I’m not sure if the interior was trimmed out in real wood, but it was very upscale and classy in all black with highlights in a grey colour. Acura did not scrimp on interior materials, and the leather surfaces all feel like they’ll last for years.”

It was easy to set up the ’22 MDX to her liking, and Reyes says all of the controls are user friendly. However, she’s very used to having a gear shifter to select drive and reverse. The new MDX, she says, is all buttons, and that wasn’t a favourite feature.

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Reyes bought her ’09 MDX when her oldest son was just one week old. Thirteen years later, he’s 6 feet 2 inches tall, the same height as her husband. Her 11-year-old son is five feet two inches and growing.

“I need a lot of headroom in a vehicle,” Reyes laughs, and adds, “There was no bumping of heads in any of the seats. My kids found the second row comfortable and liked that the middle seat could be pulled down with storage and cup holders. They found it quite roomy, but when my 11-year-old tried out the third-row seats he found them small.”

Access to the third row was, however, easy thanks to one button that moved the second-row seat down and forward with very little effort.

“The car felt quicker than mine even though I think the engine is about the same size,” she says of the performance. “However, it seemed like it was working hard when I tried to get it moving quickly. When I wasn’t accelerating hard the car was very quiet which made it feel like a high-end vehicle. The drive settings could be changed between sport, normal, comfort and snow.”

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Sport mode, she says, made the MDX more responsive, but also a bit louder so for her day-to-day driving she kept it in comfort mode. Like her older MDX, the 2022 model is equipped with Acura’s Super Handling All-Wheel Drive system. Reyes adds she’d have no problem being off the beaten path in this MDX.

“We have always felt our car had great control in wet and snowy conditions and this one seems even better, it was very planted to the road,” Reyes says. “The driving position itself was great and I had good visibility out the sides.”

During her time with the MDX Reyes tested out the cargo carrying capacity when she hauled home from Costco 24 potted plants. There was more than enough room for the annuals, and grocery runs were not an issue.

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She liked the power liftgate that could be opened by passing a foot under the rear bumper.

“I don’t think that’s a gimmick, and for me, I found that useful,” she says.

Reyes plans to replace her ’09 MDX in the next year. She’d put the newest MDX at the top of her shopping list, as it checks many of the boxes on her wish list. However, she’s thinking of the future and with the rising cost of fuel (she averaged about 12.1L/100km) and environmental issues in mind, she wishes the MDX had a hybrid powertrain option.

“It was a great SUV, though,” she says, and concludes, “it does drive like a dream.”

DRIVER’S JOURNAL

Day 1

This is a completely new design for the model with a sleeker and. more luxurious look. Walking around the vehicle it is noticeably bigger than my 2009 MDX and the front seems larger than the outgoing model. When we bought our MDX, Acura was known more for the technology they put into their vehicles than the luxury they put into them. Acura has clearly stepped up the 2022 MDX to a higher level of luxury.

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Day 2

Driving into work early this morning, it was quite nice to have a heated steering wheel on a cool morning. The heated seats that quickly kicked in were also a great addition. I also liked the different driving modes especially in comfort mode on Deerfoot Trail, the suspension feels smooth even going over the rough bumps along the way. Passing other vehicles on Deerfoot was easy, as it easily accelerated with no hesitation. Downside – it’s a big SUV and I feel like I’m driving a truck. The reason why we originally chose our 2009 MDX is that it felt like a car in a SUV body. This new model feels like I would have difficulty parallel parking with its huge front.

Day 3

I took my 11- and 13-year-old boys for a drive and they were quite impressed with the amount of USB chargers throughout the second and third rows. They — and if they could have friends ride with them — would have more than enough to charge all their electronics for a road trip. They also commented that there were enough cup holders for them.

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Day 4

Being a mom of two rapidly growing and somehow always hungry boys, must do the Costco run! This MDX did not disappoint in trunk space to fit all the usual groceries plus the extras that my husband and I always seem to find that we “need” from Costco.

Day 5

Had hoped to take the vehicle for a road trip but with the wet conditions couldn’t get the family motivated to go too far so just did some around town driving doing errands. Loving the surround sound speakers. I feel immersed in my own world with music. And my oldest discovered the MDX came with a remote car starter – that would be a bonus on a cold snowy day.

Day 6

Another work week to start off what I’m hoping will be a busy but fast week. The wireless automatic connection to Apple CarPlay was quite convenient; loved the easy hands-free way to text and phone friends and family during my commute.

Day 7

I guess I never realized what I was missing in my 2009 MDX. The updated version has so many perks from a heated steering wheel to wireless CarPlay. The only thing holding me back from buying one is it’s not a hybrid. I wouldn’t even mind the size if I didn’t have to fill it up so much, but it is a quality vehicle.