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Pretty cool to list all the key personnel.
Curious to see what the 400 components were.
Acura Tells the ‘Origin Story’ of the 2022 MDX
The automaker marked its 35th anniversary with a series of social videos
Acura welcomes its new 2022 MDX three-row sport-utility vehicle
BY DAVID COHEN
3 DAYS AGO Acura kicked off its “Origin Story” campaign Monday to mark the automaker’s 35th anniversary and introduce its new 2022 MDX three-row sport-utility vehicle.
The campaign incorporates a series of videos released via Acura’s social channels, spanning 15 seconds, 30 seconds and two minutes, looking at the brand’s history as a challenger brand rooted in performance and success on motorsports tracks and incorporating engineers and executives to help tell the story.
2022 Acura MDX Origin Story
Volume 90%
Acura said in a statement, “’Origin Story’ highlights key performance stories in Acura history, such as the fact that the 2022 MDX engine shares some 400 components with the engine that powered Team Acura’s championship winning ARX-05 racecar. The video also highlights Acura’s decision to equip the MDX with its first-ever double-wishbone suspension as a commitment to performance and the Type S performance variant joining the MDX lineup later this year.”
The video series features:
Erik Berkman, former president of Honda R&D Americas and Honda Performance Development. the development leader behind several iconic Acura models, including the 2004 TL, and a leader of the very first Acura Type S performance models.
Jon Ikeda, vice president and Acura brand officer, who led the brand’s return to its “Precision Crafted Performance” roots, drawing on all the fun he had creating vehicles with his Acura teammates including his role as design project leader of the 2004 TL, the best-selling Acura sedan of all-time.
Dave Marek, Acura executive creative director, Honda R&D Americas, who led the return of Acura design to a sharp focus on performance, fulfilling the “Precision Crafted Performance” brand direction. Marek led the design of the very first Acura vehicle to be created in America (Acura CL Coupe) 25 years ago.
Frank Paluch, executive vp, Honda of America Manufacturing, who served in a key development role for the innovative first-generation MDX, the first-ever uni-body three-row SUV and North American Car of the Year, and who was development leader of the second-generation MDX. He also is a former president of Honda R&D Americas.
Art St. Cyr, vp, auto Operations, American Honda Motor, who played a key role in the development of the first-generation MDX, later serving as president of Honda Performance Development in a role critical to Acura’s return to motorsports success.
Adam Saruwatari, Import Drag Racing Circuit champion, who looks back at Acura as part of the foundation in the import tuner crowd. He is known for tuning and drag racing the first-generation Acura NSX.
Jason Widmer, chief engineer, Honda R&D Americas, who currently serves as chief engineer over dynamic performance. He was part of the first-generation MDX development team with a critical focus on off-road and towing capability, and he was the dynamic evaluator for the second-generation MDX. Widmer also played a critical role in the development of the second-generation NSX and its performance capability as the supercar’s performance development leader.
Plus, how come Acura is adding 'unique' platforms when other carmakers are doing the opposite?
The 2022 Acura MDX introduces a new platform to the Acura and Honda lineup called the Global Light Truck Platform, and it's currently exclusive to the MDX. The new 2021 Acura TLX is also built on a totally new platform that isn’t shared with any other Honda or Acura. Going further back, when the redesigned 2019 RDX debuted, Acura said that model was built on “a new-from-the-ground-up, Acura-exclusive platform."
That’s three totally-new and Acura-exclusive platforms in a short time period, and it got us thinking. What is Acura up to here?
Most manufacturers these days are increasingly going in the exact opposite direction. Volkswagen’s MQB architecture underpins everything from the hot hatch GTI to the gigantic Atlas. Toyota’s TNGA platform has multiple sizes/versions, but Toyota still considers them related and will tell you that TNGA is the basis of cars from the Corolla on up to the Highlander, plus the Lexus UX and ES. You can find similar stories all across the industry, in both luxury and non-luxury brands. Acura, on the other hand, appears to be taking a totally different approach.
To get some clarity on strategy, we reached out to Acura. The answers are multifaceted, but Acura says it's spending money where it pays dividends for performance — but there's also more sharing between models than it might look like on the surface.
“The definition of what constitutes a 'common platform' varies by automaker,” Acura exclusively told Autoblog during a wide-ranging e-mail interview involving the input of numerous engineers and product planners. “For us, the most fundamental value is to maintain the same carry points throughout production and enable us to produce different vehicles in the same manufacturing environment.”
As an example, the TLX and RDX feature similar carry points in the chassis to enable their production on the same line, but that’s where the two diverge.
“The TLX is different in that it has a bespoke platform that is not shared with any other Acura or Honda vehicle,” Acura says. “This approach was adopted to meet the high dynamic targets [for the Type S], and unique powertrain [the 3.0T V6] and drivetrain applications [SH-AWD] that required a different platform from the Accord.”
Wow practically right on the dot: Acura moved 8782 MDX's last month. I hope the majority of this was the 2020 models, because there's no way the 2022 should result in the same lift that the unchanged RX saw considerably it's substantially better than the 2020.
It's hard to compare anything to last year. The comparisons are sort of meaningless given what happened in 2020.
The all-time record number is something to mark and I think it does have meaning even in this weird environment - the stimulus money and pent-up demand are doing weird things for sure but...like the market is still hyper-competitive. You have to have a good product or you generally don't set all-time records.
It's hard to compare anything to last year. The comparisons are sort of meaningless given what happened in 2020.
The all-time record number is something to mark and I think it does have meaning even in this weird environment - the stimulus money and pent-up demand are doing weird things for sure but...like the market is still hyper-competitive. You have to have a good product or you generally don't set all-time records.
These aren't comparison to last year. This is in reference to how the majority of sold MDXs in March have been 2020 models rather than the new 2022 models. So while the increase in sales compared to February is great, I think it would be higher if more 2022s were available. Considering cars like the RX saw almost the exact same monthly growth compared to the MDX, I would hope that it means this March growth was driven largely by the external market conditions, and not by the introduction of the 2022 MDX. If that's the case, then relative to the competition, I think the best is yet to come for MDX sales figures. And if that's not the case, and this growth was in fact largely attributable to the 2022 MDX, then it's quite sad that Lexus was able to see the same growth without have made any changes for years to their RX. Given that I've seen more new 2020 MDX's on the road than 2022's (in fact I've yet to see a single 2022), I'd be willing to be that it's the former case.
The weird thing is if the base models really only make up 5% of total MDX's made, they must have been sitting somewhere all this time for the end of year sales? Or do you think the base models were produced "on purpose" at the expense of more higher trims just to move product and show great sales numbers?
Let's be careful about that 5% number.
I just rewatched that video: the quote is at the 3:30 mark
First of all, there might be an error in the auto- subtitle translation, since it is in french.
The quote is: "Acura intends to sell very little of the basic version - in fact, it will not be 5% of sales"
That says nothing about what % were made. It is possible (likely?) that 5% of all 2020 MDX sales were base trim.
If there is a glut of 2020 base models being sold now, then it would make sense that the percentage made is higher.
Serious question: Tiger was reportedly driving a GV80 in his horrific accident. Hearing what happened before the car finally stopped, does this actually help sell more GV80's based on Tiger being alive? It's amazing to hear that the interior was completely intact!
Originally Posted by ELIN
One news report I heard mentioned that credit was given to the car for keeping him alive. It may have come from the officers that arrived on the scene.
As that area is known for such accidents, I would imagine most of them have been fatal.
Originally Posted by ELIN
I've never had a car flip multiple times over but I would imagine your leg is not completely stationary...
Originally Posted by fiatlux
The Genesis did well, but one does have to wonder if he would have had even less injuries (a shattered leg is no joke) if he were in something like a Volvo XC90, which is the gold standard for safety.
Originally Posted by ELIN
True, but miracles like these don't happen everyday. You have to celebrate when you can.
Hopefully advances in technology are making helicopter travel safer since Kobe, his daughter, and the other folks lost their lives.
Authorities said professional golfer Tiger Woods was driving 84-87 mph in a 45 mph zone when he crashed his SUV in Rolling Hills Estate back in February
If you were to ask me for a serious response, the GV80 saved his life. Not many other vehicles that I could firmly say would have performed the same way. The cabin stayed intact and doors were still able to open.
Authorities said professional golfer Tiger Woods was driving 84-87 mph in a 45 mph zone when he crashed his SUV in Rolling Hills Estate back in February
If you were to ask me for a serious response, the GV80 saved his life. Not many other vehicles that I could firmly say would have performed the same way. The cabin stayed intact and doors were still able to open.
Looks like a simple cut and dry case of pedal misapplication (similar to the Lexus "brakes not working" case a couple years back).
Tiger has a history with Ambien and that may have something to do with it...
Looks like a simple cut and dry case of pedal misapplication (similar to the Lexus "brakes not working" case a couple years back).
Tiger has a history with Ambien and that may have something to do with it...
Yeah.. well. I'm sure being well known and having connections helps avoid investigating phone records and warrants for blood samples..
Another article stated
Powers listed data points retrieved from the event data recorder inside Woods’ Genesis GV80. In the seven seconds leading up to the collision, the speed of Woods’ vehicle ranged from 82 to 87 mph before dipping down to 68 mph. However, Woods was applying 99 percent pressure to the accelerator pedal through each point of impact in the collision — striking a sign, then a tree and eventually coming to rest. No braking was recorded either, which the Sherriff’s Department interprets to mean that Woods inadvertently mashed the accelerator instead of the brake pedal. Some steering input was registered during this time, ranging from 10 degrees to the left to 55 degrees to the right.
Yeah.. well. I'm sure being well known and having connections helps avoid investigating phone records and warrants for blood samples..
Another article stated
Powers listed data points retrieved from the event data recorder inside Woods’ Genesis GV80. In the seven seconds leading up to the collision, the speed of Woods’ vehicle ranged from 82 to 87 mph before dipping down to 68 mph. However, Woods was applying 99 percent pressure to the accelerator pedal through each point of impact in the collision — striking a sign, then a tree and eventually coming to rest. No braking was recorded either, which the Sherriff’s Department interprets to mean that Woods inadvertently mashed the accelerator instead of the brake pedal. Some steering input was registered during this time, ranging from 10 degrees to the left to 55 degrees to the right.
Ironically, I think that Jalopnik website also debunked the Lexus case. It has been well documented that brakes do work, even with a wide open throttle:
Ironically, I think that Jalopnik website also debunked the Lexus case. It has been well documented that brakes do work, even with a wide open throttle:
With my previous back ground experience, we put several vehicles in the same scenarios. WOT til 80, firm on the brakes, always slowed down. Most were able to go right into neutral. This was back nearly a decade ago so everything was relevant during those times. The running joke was, get a manual transmission, problem solved.
Modern passenger vehicles are designed such that even at wide open throttle, properly maintained brakes are able to stop the runaway vehicles.
Since the Toyota accelerator debacle, the alot (majority?) of automakers (including Toyota and Honda) have integrated in the brake switch into the DBW throttle algorithm for throttle control.
So if the vehicle speed is over some limit (~10MPH) and both the throttle and brake are applied, engine power is reduced to idle via throttle control (vast majority use a stepper motor) and/or fuel can be cut as well.
Only a few lines of ECU S/W changes, and no H/W changes and the brakes only have to manage typical vehicle kinetic/thermal loads.
"Seven passenger seating is standard, but the second-row middle seat can either be folded down and used as a console with cup holders, or completely removed to create a faux-captain’s chairs layout, unfortunately without inner armrests."
If I was a passenger in the 2nd row with the center console semi-permanently removed, I'd be annoyed by the lack of support.
I can imagine someone getting an MDX Type S and whipping it about while 2nd row passengers fly out of their seats!
So coming from 19 years and 320k miles in a 2003 Honda Pilot, it's not the 2nd row seats that a passenger needs to worry about it's the 3rd row.
I'm guessing most 3 row SUV's suffer from having the last row so far away from the middle of the vehicle (the center of the wheelbase) that you get toss'ed around a fair amount.
In my Pilot driving I've gotten two people car sick in that last row (daughter and sister-in-law).
If I was a passenger in the 2nd row with the center console semi-permanently removed, I'd be annoyed by the lack of support.
Is there any real difference between the center console removed, and a pure bench seat?
I don't recall people using their 'inside arm' to brace themselves on the rear seat, although I have a sedan and not an SUV.
(Although one of the things that appeals to me about the MDX is that I believe it has less body roll than most SUVs)
Is there any real difference between the center console removed, and a pure bench seat?
I don't recall people using their 'inside arm' to brace themselves on the rear seat, although I have a sedan and not an SUV.
(Although one of the things that appeals to me about the MDX is that I believe it has less body roll than most SUVs)
Unlike a bench seat, there's nothing to "fall" into if the center console is removed (especially if seat belt is not on).
2022 Acura MDX SH-AWD A-Spec 1st Test: Gets the Job Done Looks better, has more space and technology, but lacks promised performance. Scott EvansAuthorRenz DimaandalPhotographer
Apr 20, 2021
None of us wants to believe we'd fall for a marketing pitch or an advertising line. We're all sophisticated, modern consumers who've seen it all. We're jaded, and too smart to be sold, anyway. But there's a reason you remember commercial jingles years or even decades later. There's a reason you prefer one brand over the other, even if you can't really explain why. None of this is by accident; it's the work of teams of professional marketers with untold budgets saturating the world with carefully crafted messaging based on decades of psychological and behavioral research. It's also the reason you should keep being jaded and skeptical of the messages you're bombarded with, because they're designed to sell you something, not convey an irrefutable truth. Automotive advertising is no exception, and the 2022 Acura MDX SH-AWD isn't delivering what the marketing is promising.
Looking Beyond the AdvertisingGo to Acura's website right now and look up the MDX. "Performance" is the overriding message. It's listed as a "premium performance SUV," performance is the first of 3 categories presented for further information, and an additional section on performance is directly below. It's consistent with all of Acura's messaging about the MDX, and the direction of the greater Acura brand, both of which center on "precision crafted performance." The issue is, the MDX doesn't deliver. Not on that message, anyway.
But no one buys a three-row premium SUV because it kicks ass on the racetrack. That's not what these vehicles are made for. Comfort, convenience, technology, space—those are the things that really matter. And those are the places where the MDX largely succeeds.
More Space for ActivitiesThis big SUV has grown in every dimension, opening up useful space throughout. There's more cargo room behind every row and even stowage under the rear cargo floor (without giving up the spare tire like some automakers do). There's a bit more passenger space in the 1st 2 rows and significantly more than before in the 3rd row, where an average height adult can now fit. After all, those kids in the 3rd row are going to get a lot bigger in the 10 years you're statistically likely to keep this vehicle. Roomier rear accommodations are welcome, but passengers are going to be underwhelmed by the seats. A hard, flat, unsupportive third row may be industry standard, but it's disappointing in the second row. At least those middle seats fold and slide forward with the touch of a button to allow third-row access. That may be less elegant and luxurious than power actuation but is magnitudes faster. How Acura engineers came up with that time and effort saver but awkwardly placed the handles that release the folded third-row seats where you must climb into the back of the car to reach them is beyond us.
Similarly, being able to remove the middle seating section in the second row is a nice trick, but actually lifting it out of the vehicle is awkward and cumbersome, and the resulting exposed mounts in the floor make it look like something is missing. Nothing about this says "luxury."
The front row is where Acura really delivered. There's a bit more stretch-out room, seat heaters are standard, and the Advance Package features 16-way heated and cooled seats that remain comfortable at the end of a 7-hour road trip and still offer good lateral support in corners.
Hi-Tech, High Atop the Learning CurveAcura promises the most tech it has ever put in a vehicle, and it delivered. The execution, though, is a mixed bag.
The optional ELS Studio 3D stereo is fantastic, providing the kind of clarity and range you usually have to pay a lot more money for on a much more expensive car. You have to operate it, though, through Acura's controversial True Touchpad Interface. It's a powerful system and highly customizable, but the learning curve is extremely steep. Every little feature can be made a favorite, so once you've got it set up the way you want and get used to the way the touchpad works—you don't use it like a trackpad, instead touching it exactly where you would on the main screen—it's very convenient. But getting there is a struggle.
The infotainment setup has all the right add-ons, though. Wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto are included, and Amazon's Alexa voice assistant is integrated into the system. Unfortunately, Alexa responds to a lot of words that sound vaguely like "Alexa," making it more annoying than helpful.
It's a similar situation with the new digital instrument cluster. You'll want to dig through the menu and switch it to the "Crafted" layout, which looks like traditional round gauges. The "Advanced" layout tries to take advantage of the design freedom offered by a screen but ends up looking like someone put all kinds of information and graphics in a bucket and threw it at a chalkboard. There's too much information competing for your attention, half of which isn't useful.
We're also of 2 minds on the advanced driver aids. We're happy to see all the latest features included and things like traffic-jam assist are very helpful, but the lane-centering system is so hyperactive with its near-constant steering corrections that you'll probably just want to switch it off.
Promised Performance Mostly UndeliveredAll the right technology is present under the skin, but in this case, it really doesn't deliver. A new and considerably more rigid platform, a new control arm front suspension and revised multi-link rear suspension, next-generation torque-vectoring all-wheel drive that can send more power rearward and do so more quickly, bigger brakes, variable-ratio electric power steering, a new transmission with more aggressive gearing and faster shifting; this thing has it all.
Put it on our test track, though, and the only metric by which it outperforms the old MDX is acceleration. A lower 1st gear gets the new model off the line quicker, cutting the 0-60-mph time by 0.6 second to 5.7 seconds. It's all the launch, though, because the new MDX is actually slower in our 45-65-mph passing test by 0.1 second.
Stopping from 60 mph is also slightly worse. Despite the bigger brakes, the new MDX needs 118 feet to stop from that speed, 2 feet more than the 2019 MDX SH-AWD A-Spec we tested. No doubt a contributing factor is the additional mass, with the 2022 model carrying 269 more pounds than the 2019 as a result of growing slightly in every external dimension.
The thrust of Acura's pitch, though, is really about handling. All that suspension and all-wheel-drive work should pay some real dividends, but it doesn't. The new MDX pulls 0.84 g on the skidpad, versus the previous model's 0.85, but that's a paltry difference compared to the figure-eight result. That test measures acceleration, braking, handling, and the transitions between them, and the new MDX was way slower than before. With a 28.6-second lap at 0.60 average g, it can't hold a candle to the old model's 27.1-second lap at 0.65 average g.
Performance Isn't Just About the Numbers, Is It?Here at MT, we believe the way a vehicle feels to the driver matters as much or more than the numbers it generates on the test track, and the test driver's notes do say the MDX felt sporty and even power oversteered off the corners. Maybe there's something there, after all? Only if you drive it like you're at a racetrack. On the road, the overwhelming impression is one of adequacy. The 2022 MDX gets the job done, and that's about it. There's nothing about the way it drives on real-world roads, straight or curvy, that's sporty or even memorable. It's extremely competent, sure, but it has no soul. The steering is numb, and the way the body moves is controlled to the point of feeling robotic. It never gets into a groove. The torque-vectoring works, making the handling more precise, but not more exciting. In fact, the wrong things make the drive exciting. Like the smaller RDX, the MDX features a brake pedal tuned for perfect limousine stops that don't disturb your passengers in the slightest. An admirable goal, but in practice it makes the brake pedal feel like stepping on a wet sponge. Nothing happens until the pedal is halfway to the floor. Stopping from higher speeds the 1st few times means applying the brakes then stomping on them to get the stopping power you wanted the first time. Hardly elegant.
It's a similar feeling under acceleration. As the testing shows, the MDX gets off the line, but it's soggy in the middle. Acura's 3.5-liter V-6 is old and feels overwhelmed by the weight of this vehicle. The new 10-speed automatic transmission does its best, but all the power and torque are at the top of the rev range, and worse, there's a plateau in the torque delivery between 2,500 and 3,500 rpm. It's a good thing the transmission can drop four gears at once when you put your foot down, because that's the only way this thing really gets moving. Otherwise, you're always giving it a lot more gas than you think you should to get the response you want. (Thankfully, an MDX Type S with a turbocharged 3.0-liter V-6 is on the way.)
But Is It Luxurious?Being a "premium" brand rather than a traditional "luxury" brand cuts both ways. It allows Acura to sell its vehicles for significantly less money than the old-school luxury brands, but it means costs have to be saved somewhere. Acura mostly has the balance right, keeping the interior very quiet, offering a bangin' sound system, and loading up on the latest tech.
There are misses, though, in the little details. Acura's "Milano" leather looks and feels less rich than the leather in luxury competitors, and the textured plastic trim between the bits of real wood and metal looks like something from a Honda Civic. The center console layout is odd, with the wireless phone charger underneath a wrist rest that makes it awkward to get your phone in and out. Then there's all the empty space around the protruding pushbutton shifter, and the maddening inelegance of going to all the trouble to house the USB charging ports in a pop-up module only to paste a giant battery logo on it and ruin the effect.
Should You Buy One, Then?As much as the MDX is hit or miss on the tech, the luxury, and the driving experience, it's really good at what it needs to be: a nicer mainstream SUV. Compare it to a Honda Pilot and you see a lot of style and tech advantages for not a lot of extra money. Compare it to an Audi Q7 and you understand why the true luxury brands are so much more expensive than the premium ones. The 2022 MDX gets the job done fine, but a forgettable driving experience, some frustrating tech, and uncomfortable rear seats mean "fine" is as good as it gets.
Some small notes:
This, and the last review, were the first reviews to complain about how long the infotainment system takes to boot up.
It took 24 seconds from startup to auto-play the USB stick's music. He had a USB stick with audio files that started auto-playing, I don't know if that slowed anything down.
Noted that the subwoofer is in the trunk, so the bass is notably louder if you are in the back seat.
First person I recall playing audio files off a USB stick, and so not suprisingly first person to demo how you can't have files on a USB stick and use AA/Carplay at the same time.
(which, btw, is documented in the manual)
I normally don't see the point of demoing Audio quality in a video, since it gets affected by your phone/computer's audio system.
It is clever to play the same audio music when sitting in the front/middle/rear seats though, to demonstrate how the high/mid/bass changes between them.
His noise reading of 74 db is using is smartphone which I doubt is particularly accurate.
This video at the 21:00 mark showed 59 db using a noise meter:
Some small notes:
This, and the last review, were the first reviews to complain about how long the infotainment system takes to boot up.
It took 24 seconds from startup to auto-play the USB stick's music. He had a USB stick with audio files that started auto-playing, I don't know if that slowed anything down.
Noted that the subwoofer is in the trunk, so the bass is notably louder if you are in the back seat.
First person I recall playing audio files off a USB stick, and so not suprisingly first person to demo how you can't have files on a USB stick and use AA/Carplay at the same time.
(which, btw, is documented in the manual)
I normally don't see the point of demoing Audio quality in a video, since it gets affected by your phone/computer's audio system.
It is clever to play the same audio music when sitting in the front/middle/rear seats though, to demonstrate how the high/mid/bass changes between them.
Coming from a current gen TLX, the infotainment does take forever to boot up!
Anyone who focuses on the audio quality in a car review is ok in my book. Could even be someone from AZ for all we know!
His noise reading of 74 db is using is smartphone which I doubt is particularly accurate.
This video at the 21:00 mark showed 59 db using a noise meter: https://youtu.be/ZT0K9vuaSUk?t=1265
I agree that the smartphone will never beat a dedicated SPL meter but I would also like to put it out there that the DM reviewer average speed was in the 70's whereas the reviewer with the SPL meter was reading noise when the car was only going 55 MPH (because we know all drivers obey speed limits...).
FWIW, the DM video review had the best audio quality in a review I've ever heard. The fidelity from the review was phenomenal, down to hearing every crack in the exit ramp towards the end of the review (which most likely was slower than 55 MPH). I'm very glad to hear that he preferred the TLX's audio better than the MDX (owner bias) but I also may have an explanation. Every large SUV/minivan I've ever owned and listened to music in has always struggled to make that perfect soundstage. The MDX interior would be akin to a large gymnasium compared to the TLX's more intimate spacing (more like a classroom?). It's much harder to tame good sound when you have so much space to cover.
04-01-2021, 01:57 PM
in that last row (daughter and sister-in-law).
MotorTrend
).