I can't tell from the photos whether it has a touchpad or not.. I love the digital gauge cluster.

 

I'm pretty sure the touchpad is there in the slightly blurry part. I can make out the hand rest to the left of the cupholders.

 

It does.

 

Touchpad is there, clear as day. Interior looks good. Hopefully the power train is a nice surprise too. I’m hearing it won’t be the same 2.0T in everything else. Perhaps a de-tuned version of the 3.0T V6?

 

Looks awesome. Love the ambient lighting and that digital dash should be in a mid cycle refresh for the RDX.

 

Enjoy

 

It may have some nice features. It should. At the price point above the RDX. It is too big for my needs or tastes.

 

I love how they cleared out more space on the center console by pushing the shifter buttons further up, and made use of the room around the drive mode dial. One of my biggest gripes about the RDX is how inefficiently they used the space around those two things.

 

Actually, anyone notice the ‘Power Meter’ gauge on the left of the gauge “cluster?” Pretty sure this is a nice hint that this is going to be a hybrid! Thoughts?

 

This is a good guess. Ikeda hinted that electrification is happening soon at Acura, and MDX is a good candidate due to the higher starting price. Standard hybrid 3.0 V6 would sound sweet to me.

 

I imagine you’re hearing correctly. Reports are that the new MDX is bigger, so probably far too chonky for a the 2.0T.

I’d speculate that the new MDX will only be offered with a V6 hybrid, which they’ll obviously optimize and market for sportiness. They’ll leave the V6 turbo for the eventual Type S.

 

Remember that the MDX is wider than the RDX so the center console is wider as well.

I would also like a bigger, more usable upper console area, but not a car as big as the MDX if that is what is required.

 

It’s not just the size. Look at how much black plastic around the drive model dial and how much space the there is around the shifter buttons in the RDX. They could have easily put some other buttons there or made it a bit more compact to open up some more space south of it. Especially the drive mode dial; the dial itself is relatively small but they decided to surround it with a giant chrome ring, I guess to give it more visual gravitas. On the MDX it’s just the dial, and that’s it. No fluff around it.

 

I agree.

 

I assume it still has the useless 3rd row like so many other useless 3rd rows in so many other vehicles. But the waste of space and loss of cargo room is well worth it just to say it seats any 7 members of the Lollypop Guild.

 

What's the problem with having a third row? I thought third-row seating cars were purchased by people who wanted more seating? Obviously if someone doesn't need a third row of seats, they shouldn't be looking at third-row seating vehicles. It's sort of like if I call truck beds useless?

 

Judging by the Power Monitor on the gauge cluster, I'm thinking it will be a V6 hybrid as well. Unless the 'Power Monitor' is some gimmicky BS like the turbo ball in Sport+ mode.

 

I'm surprised no one commented on the digital speedo that so many have complained about missing on the RDX.

Unless I missed it.

 

At least one person did. I was never a proponent of it. Looks nice enough. Pretty basic but also doesn’t look cheesy. Watching the video again more closely, I don’t think it’ll be a hybrid. Normal mode has no power monitor, while switching to Sport mode (pretty sure it’s going to follow the TLX model of Sport being the top performance drive mode) brings up the Power Monitor. So, it likely is another gimmick like the Turbo Ball in the RDX rather than being a hybrid battery monitor. I’m gonna say 3.0T V6 that’s been de-tuned and/or smaller turbo than the Type-S. Final answer, Regis (RIP).

 

Unlike truck beds, third row seats in mid-size crossovers are usually deemed worthless and just take up cargo space. They're a compromise for parents who picture themselves hauling straphanger kids, but realize the frequency of this happening can't justify purchasing a proper mammoth 3-row SUV.

This trend presents a problem for those of us who would like a bigger 2nd row for car seats, but don't want to waste room and spend more for a mini 3rd row. We're starting to see companies address this product gap (Honda Passport, VW Atlas Cross Sport), but they're half-hearted efforts.

 

Yeah, I don't like it. I like the analog gauges on the RDX. I wouldn't mind having a digital supplemental one as well, but purely digital doesn't look right to me. It does look like the MDX has faux analog option, so I guess that's fine.

Overall I don't really like the look of the interior of the MDX. The controls especially look awkward and cramped - putting it in Park will having to poke under the Drive Mode selector. The floating palmrest doesn't look good to me either. As I've said before though, that touchpad with the audio controls next to it looks better than the strangely placed volume knob on the RDX.

 

A lot of photos here:
https://www.carscoops.com/2020/10/ac...ype-s-variant/

 

Hasn't that been addressed with cars like the Ford Edge, Nissan Murano, Kia Sorento, Hyundai Santa Fe etc? The Passport and Atlas Cross Sport are merely new additions to the class.

 

Yes, but those cars are either painfully neglected (Edge and Murano) or painfully boring to drive (Sorento and Santa Fe). Not a great lineup when you consider the exhaustive list of options in the smaller 2-row segment. Oddly, companies like Toyota have shrunk their 2-row (RAV4) and grown their 3-row (Highlander) in recent generations, creating an even bigger gap in interior volume.

 

Sounds like you could use some Subaru Outback in your life .

 

I'm with you on that one, JB. I like the size of my RDX. The MDX just seems too much bigger without having that much more interior space. And the price......as we pilots say, "I want to drive it, not fly it!"

But I do like the look of it. I think of what I might replace my RDX with but so far nothing strikes me as being any better for my needs. I will hold on to my RED RDX for now.

 

Living in DT condo with 1 kid (one and done) the RDX is the perfect size.

if things change and I live in the suburbs with a big garage then I'll definitely be interested in the MDX.

I see myself driving this RDX for the next 12 years. Hopefully the EV market and autonomous driving will mature by then.

 

It might end up riding better than the RDX given the engine (NA V-6) and the double wishbone front suspension.

 

You had to rub it in, didn't you!

 

Makes sense. Hopefully the new Sorento is a bit more of an exciting drive with it's 290hp turbo but it's not likely to hustle as well as an RDX. My fingers remain crossed that Mazda fills the gap with a CX-7 - they've got all the parts lying around with the 2.5T and a pretty flexible Skyactiv architecture. Seems like an easy way for them to print some money if they would build a 188in long 2 row especially as the CX-5 is on the cramped side for its class.

 

Agreed. I have an RDX, but would like an MDX to replace my Odyssey. We never use the 3rd row, but need more cargo space than an RDX has for longer trips. 3rd row in the MDX adds weight and takes away from cargo room.

 

I like how the center console area is more level than in the RDX. I'm not sure if it's that or the very muted lighting that they used to take the photos, but it makes it look somewhat more sophisticated. It also looks like the dashboard in the center area "floats" over the center console (with the electronic shifter) rather than being one large column, like it is on the RDX. Again, that may just be due to the lighting, but it also looks nicer. I don't mind the RDX interior, but since I've only ever had traditional mechanical shifters, I'm used to the dashboard being one entity and the center console being separate. I understand the whole reasoning that Acura gave for going away from a mechanical shifter, so that there would be no middle floor hump, which is great. But if there was a mechanical shifter instead where the touchpad area is on the MDX, I think it would look really good.

 

Preach! I had an original CX-7 and, yes, replaced two turbos before finally ditching it. I really like Mazdas, but they're completely whiffing on product choices. I've read that they consciously put form over function, which explains why the CX-9 is 199" yet somehow cramped for its class.

 

LOL, maybe when I start losing my eyesight.

 

Doubt we will see a hybrid unless it is the high end trim a year or two later. We're not talking about a Toyota / Lexus / Mercedes here. Maybe things will change a couple years from now when we'll see the fruits of the electrification partnership with GM.Link to GM Press Relase.

 

I do like the digital gauge and ambient lighting. However with all new redesign I would hold off for a year or two to work out all the manufacturing defects and bugs. Lesson learned with our 2019 RDX. The MDX will be our next vehicle. Keeping the RDX and Accord, too.