jq2KBucGgJO

I started to document things for a review and realized I keep editing it every few days. It would be impossible for me to write a once and done review, so I'm going to document things as I encounter them starting with this first post. These are in no particular order other than when I think of something that others may be interested in reading about before they decide to purchase an MDX. If you have any questions about anything I haven't written about yet, feel free to ask below and I'll give my input.

AcuraLink mobile/cellphone app control - Useless for me at least. I can't get it to work, and Acura/Honda can't either. I've tried phone calls and Link button calls to both technical support and billing support. Billing says my account clearly shows I have a six month free trial activated, and I've received numerous emails from Acura/Honda clearly stating that my trial has begun on X date and will end on X date. Tech support says their system shows I don't have any subscription at all, active or expired. The app on both my Android and iPhone show I do not have an active subscription. I've tried uninstalling and reinstalling the app, synchronizing the Link call button, and everything else support, billing, app reviews, and random internet websites have suggested. Nothing works. If AcuraLink is a big deal for you, I would not assume it will work easily out of the box, if at all. It isn't a big deal for me since I've never had a car with this feature, but I do imagine after living with it for 6 months that I'd probably want to pay to keep it going. Unfortunately, I won't get that chance.

Touchpad - This is a contentious feature that people seem to either love or hate. I'm a younger technology-savvy person, and I was frustrated by the touchpad at first and, frankly, quite annoyed that I paid $70k+ for a brand new top of the line luxury car without a touchscreen when my few-years-old $18k Hyundai has one. I knew that going into it, but it's still an oddly left out feature. The touchpad was a bit hard to use at first, but once I got used to it, it was just fine for the OEM features. Android Auto and Apple CarPlay? A very bad user experience, and if you're a heavy Android Auto user, I would strongly suggest testing this out very heavily during the test drive because there's an odd feature/bug that CarPlay doesn't have (more on that soon). The touchpad acts differently between the OEM interface and the Android/Apple interface, which is just a bad idea and likely to confuse many people, especially older or less tech-savvy people. The difference is that when you interact with the native Acura stuff, the touch pad is kind of relative, where if you put your finger on the top left of the touchpad, it registers as if you're touching the top left of the screen. Once you get used to where the icons are in a virtual sense, it's easy and natural to maneuver around. No real issues here other than spending some time in getting used to it. OK, fine. BUT, when you move around the Android Auto or CarPlay interfaces, the functionality is totally different. Basically something on the Android/CarPlay screen (icon, button, whatever) is highlighted. To move to another icon, button, whatever, you need to drag your finger up, down, right, or left in the direction of wherever the next button is. It's sort of but not really like a laptop touchpad but without any actual mouse cursor to look at, so you just randomly move your finger around until you manage to hover over whatever part of the screen you're trying to touch. At least the icons kind of bump up to let you know you're hovering over them correctly. This is pretty dangerous when driving because you have to look at the screen for an extended period of time to figure out what button is highlighted and if you're moving in the right direction. It's an entirely different functionality than the OEM Acura interface. It would be awesome if the touch was also relative, so if I know there's a button on the bottom right of the screen, I just need to touch the bottom right of the touchpad to highlight it.

Android Auto - A feature/bug with Android Auto is that it can only be displayed on one part of the screen at a time. The big media screen you see in pictures is actually two screens. The left screen is probably 80% of the total screen real estate and considered the "main" screen for all intents and purposes. The other 20% is a smaller part of the same screen but showing a reduced interface for whatever the main screen isn't showing. For example, if you're using the navigation on the 80% part, the 20% part will show the music you're listening to, and vice versa. The bug with Android Auto is that only one screen will show Android Auto. For example, if you use Google Maps or Waze and want to listen to Spotify at the same time, you can only look at one of those. The main screen will show Waze, and the other screen will simply show an "Android Auto" logo. To interact with your Spotify, you need to manually click a bunch of buttons to switch over to show Spotify (or whatever) on the main screen to browse or search for music, then you need to manually click a bunch of buttons to go back to your navigation. This is a HUGE oversight and a big quality control failure if you ask me. After having the car for a few weeks, this is extremely annoying and, if I can be honest, would be close to a deal breaker if I had found out about this prior to buying the car. Non-Android Auto features do show correctly in the right menu, so if you listen to Sirius (via the satellite, not the app), that does show on the right side correctly. Apple CarPlay, fortunately, does NOT have this issue and will show your navigation on one screen and Spotify on the other screen (or vice versa). I have both an Android and iPhone but prefer to use my Android phone as my primary device, but I can't in this car. Again, if you're a heavy Android Auto user I would be extremely cautious purchasing this car without extensively testing how you'll use it over the coming years.

Air conditioning - Works well with no major issues. Note there are no vents in the 3rd row, so airflow back there is minimal. It's also very cramped (especially for adults), so if the sun is coming in through the back window and you have two kids or grown-ups back there, they may complain. The ventilated front seats are OK but not particularly strong. They take a good 10 minutes to cool me down on an 80+ degree day. Even on the 3rd (highest) setting you can barely feel air coming out and they're nothing to write home about. There are no ventilated seats in the second row, but I test drove a bunch of other makes/models and even though many had ventilated seats in the second row, none of them hardly blew any air so basically were worthless anyway. I haven't had a chance to test the heated seats yet due to the time of year.

ELIN

Infotainment issues have been covered since the days of ‘19 RDX. Wireless Carplay/AA only increased the disappointment.

Let us know when the honeymoon is truly over.

sonyfever

Thanks for sharing, glad to see discussions from real owners. Most owners' discussions seem to be on the other hub...

For setting up AcuraLink, first make sure your AcuraLink account has the exact same name that your salesperson used to activate the AcuraLink, otherwise the app cannot "see" the car.

For AA, yes the touchpad sucks. I also wish Acura add touchscreen support on the gen-2 infotainment system, since the screen is much closer to driver than on gen-1 RDX/TLX. Furthermore, I feel the touchpad position of MDX is worse than RDX, because on MDX I need to keep the wireless charging pad area relatively clean otherwise I often need to tilt my hand in weird position and make the touchpad even harder to use with AA.

Actually, there are two tricks to save you a few clicks when using AA:
1. The b-zone (the right-side small screen you mentioned, where it just says Android Auto) becomes a task-switching button to let you quickly flip between Google Maps and media app.
2. Some apps support long press on the back button. If I remember correctly, in Google Maps, this takes you right back to the taskbar (the left-most column where the AA home button resides).

jq2KBucGgJO

Two updates - Acura Link has magically started halfway working despite me not doing anything at all to try to get it to work. The app on my phones show as registered and activated, and options now show up to start my car, turn on the lights, honk the horn, etc. I say halfway working, though, because none of those buttons actually work. Every time I try to turn anything on, I get an error after maybe 10 seconds or so. So, still worthless and not worth spending any money on.

Apple CarPlay update - I found an interesting bug where, when my iPhone is synced and CarPlay is active, the music cuts out whenever I use certain apps on my phone. For example, if I'm listening to Spotify and, as a passenger, start perusing Facebook or reading my Gmail emails, the sound stops until I close out of those apps or hit the power button to turn my phone screen black. Perhaps the most interesting part is that even if I'm not using music from my phone - such as if I'm listening to Sirius satellite radio - the music STILL cuts out when I'm using Facebook or Gmail. How insane is that? I could literally not be using any actual feature of CarPlay at the moment, but the mere fact that it is connected and I'm doing something on my phone cuts out the satellite radio? Does Acura have interns doing quality control tests?

kareshi

How's the massage seat?

jq2KBucGgJO

Massaging seats are great! I also tested them on a Lincoln Navigator and the Acura ones are definitely stronger. There are three strength levels you can use and 5-6 different styles of massage. I use them almost every time I'm in the car. I have no major gripes. The only notes I can think of are when the very top massaging things go you can hear the air pressure release from them very slightly with a quiet whoosh. It isn't very loud and I didn't notice it at first. It's only noticeable with the very highest massaging parts right at your shoulder blades. Definitely NOT an issue and nothing to be concerned about. I highly recommend the massaging seats.

jq2KBucGgJO

So, cargo accessories... I purchased the cargo area protectors and cargo tray. I would recommend NOT getting either.

The cargo area protector has two plastic panels that protect the backs of the 2nd row seats. They attached with velcro tape. These work just fine. There is NO protector for the 3rd row seats, which would make sense to me. This is clear & obvious from the item description; I'm just putting it as an FYI. There are flimsy plastic protectors that go over the side/arm rest of the 3rd row seating. There is an obvious and major design defect with these - they cover up the 3rd row cupholder. This is NOT called out in the item description. The only way you'll see this is when you read the instructions or go to install them, at which point you'll be like, where's the cupholders? They could have very easily included them in the mold for this part, but they did not. So you're left choosing between a cupholder in the 3rd row or a protective cover over the armrest area. I choose the cupholders, which means that 50% of this item is going in the trash.

The cargo tray is also quite disappointing. The cargo tray for my Type S Advance is SKU 08U45-TYB-200. It's one giant piece of thin plastic that comes rolled up in a tiny package and you need to unroll it. It doesn't lay down flat at first, but hopefully over time it will settle. The problem is - it protects the trunk area and also the 3rd-row seatbacks when folded down. If the 3rd row seats are folded up, you'll either need to remove the tray and stash it in your garage (good luck if you're not at home) or you'll need to try and fold it into half or thirds to get it to fit in the trunk area. It also isn't split in the middle of the 3rd row section. This means that if you only want one seat folded up in the third row, you still need to remove the mat or fold it up in an awkward manner because it isn't made to be split in half where it goes over the third row. The tray itself also doesn't attach to anything, so it kind of floats around the back. There are cutouts for the 3rd row seatbelts that presumably may help hold it in place, but I don't see that happening in my testing. I'm going to need to go buy some of my own velcro tape to try and hold it into position, which isn't going to be fun when I need to take it out to let people sit in the third row....

For a car that costs this much and to be Acura's flagship, the quality of the design of these two accessories leaves me baffled. I don't know if interns are designing these things or what, but whoever designed and whoever approved that final design obviously didn't try to put them into a functioning vehicle and then live with it for a few days. Very disappointed.

BLEXV6

My 2019 MDX cargo tray is the same. The reality for me is that the 3rd row seats are always folded down so it does not matter.

MBP 03

Having both a 2017 MDX Hybrid and a 2022 MDX Type S in the garage, both with the OEM cargo trays, I have found that the cargo tray in the Type S is a bit more "foldable" and therefore more compliant with the third row up, but like BLEXV6, the 3rd row in both of our vehicles stays folded down 95% of the time, so the benefit of having the cargo trays protecting the carpeting in the cargo areas outweighs any potential nuisance due to the 3rd row being up.

I suppose that for someone who is the opposite and has the 3rd row up 95% of the time, they could just cut the cargo tray along the rearmost fold to create a 2/3 1/3 setup where you can remove 2/3 of the cargo tray from the vehicle since the seats will be up most of the time. and leave the 1/3 in to protect the area between the seatbacks and the rear hatch.

lsulaker

Can you give us a comparison of your Type S to your Hybrid? We know the interior of the Type S is much better, but Im more concerned with driving characteristics with them both in Sport mode (which I think is the sweet spot on the Hybrid)

texashoser

Wondering if anyone else has noticed the same thing on their MDX Type-S:

1. When inching forward or backwards, brakes make a noticeable groaning noise. May be perfectly normal due to a different type of pad material and/or that these are brake-by-wire systems.
2. Randomly, at stop lights and in drive, the suspension air system will lower or raise the nose (and possibly the back side) of the car. Kind of weird.

Midwestuser1

1. Normal for a lot of brake systems
2. Also normal as I believe it’s the “Self leveling” feature functioning depending on the angle of the surface you are on at that time. This happens with mine somewhat often. I’ve also wondered if the air suspension may also at times be adjusting for air pressure variance etc.

texashoser

Thanks.

1. I have an older MDX and the brakes don't 'groan' as much. Also had lots of other Hondas that haven't done this. I mean, I know it's just the pads against the rotors and I've heard this in other cars, but this Type-S is just noisy.
2. Thanks for the info. I've read the manual and in sport and sport + mode it's supposed to not change hight but it still does - maybe it's just adjusting to the hight it should be at...

fiatlux

Brembos are normally noisier. They tend to “crunch” right when coming to a stop or when you try to “ride” them at idle.

texashoser

Ah, OK. Thanks! The folks at the service desk are rather clueless about the nuances of this vehicle cause they just haven't seen many of them. So, I supposed clueless is too harsh, but they just don't know what's normal and what isn't.

E92Vancouver

There should be vents under the second row seats for the third row. Send A/C to the floor and vents.

E92Vancouver

Also point front vents to the roof to get air flow to bounce off the roof to hit the 3rd row. Other tips are keep the sunroof shade closed and use recirc.

Colorado Guy AF Ret.

Those of you that have owned the MDX Type S and Type S/Adv. models....would you do it over again? I've owned 11 Acura's, including a '22 MDX Adv,
that I liked a lot, but my wife felt it was too big for her. So, I traded it back for our '22 RDX. After serious eye surgery and new script for her glasses,
she drove one a few months ago, and thinks she'd be OK with another one. To make sure...I'm making her drive an MDX...whatever they have, that's
a 4th Gen. to make sure the size is doable for her in the city.

My New Car Mgr. and friend for over 10 yrs secured one in a dealer trade before the MDX is built. He gets a Type S Adv. in the colors I want, and he gave
them an Adv. that is being built soon. Just switching who is getting which one and where to ship...says Acura! LOL! I am not obligated, as always, since
he can sell every MDX he can get.

I figured IF we go back to the MDX might as well get the top model. I've driven it. But, again, I owned the Adv. for awhile and I really liked it. Now I'm starting to
wonder IF I really do need the Type S Adv, and maybe should get another Advance? We like red interiors...no go for an Adv. I do like the extra goodies and that ELS
sound system in the Type S/Adv. is the best, even though the Adv. is great too. But, in the Type S I can tell the clarity of music is slightly better and overall the sound
is richer. I'm not an audiophile, but, can tell if one sounds a little better or not. Not sure about the need for the air ride/susp? Actually I'm sure I could do without. As long
as there is the mag ride adj. system, as the Adv. had, the ride in Comfort Mode is really very good. Esp. if you put the right tires on it. I always sell back the factory tires and
sometimes the wheels. I've used Continental DWS 06 Plus tires on many vehicles. Had them on the Adv, and they're on my RDX now, and my TLX Type S. Quiet, smooth, great handling tires.
Much better than factory. And I don't want the self sealing ones on the Type S. They would go and replaced by my Contis. Also, a spare tire kit is doable with no big issues.
The "pan" under the Type S is the same as the Adv. Meaning, it's ready to mount all the stuff for a spare tire kit. Already verified that visually and researched about the kit.

Also, wanted to add little about the "track pad" issue...instead of a "touch screen" that so many talk about. I've had LOTS of Acura's with the track pad. For my wife and myself,
we got used to it a long time ago, and find it overall not bad at all to use. People have "touch screen" burned in to their brains it seems, and don't give this system a chance.
It's easier, once you understand how to truly use it, than looking up at the screen and touch areas you are going through. Staying focused longer on the road using the track pad
vs a touch screen is what I find as being more safe. Yes, slight glances at the screen are needed....but, once you are used to it, it takes LESS time looking at screen vs a touch screen.

That's MY personal opinion. And my wife's and she's more techy than me. I think if more people calm down and give it a chance and get used to it, they will feel differently....NO, not
ALL users, but, many will end up feeling "ok, good" about the touch pad. Again....IMHO...and my wife's H.O.
All the car testers on wherever and in mags....spend so little time actually using and getting used to the track pad...that many say they don't like it, when they haven't even given it a chance.

Lexus and BMW?...I know Lexus has had one for a long time...BUT, Acura's are functionally better, and most all have agreed to that.

texashoser

I really like my Type-S Advance. So far so good although there are always quirks.

The stereo system is top notch and the power upgrade over the base MDX is nice.

That said, yes, I wish the car had at least 400 HP and the exhaust note is disappointing when compared to the TLX Type-S.

sonyfever

I strongly suggest you getting Type-S, even just for peace of mind that you went for the best of the best in the Acura lineup. But if a test drive did not convince you, then maybe you will be happy in the regular Advance.

I love the air suspension and think it is the signature feature of MDX-S - initially I feel there was room for improvements, but over time either the suspension/tires settled down or I got used to the ride, these days I would say the ride quality is top notch. With DWS tires, I assume the ride quality is going to be even more refined. ELS Signature needs no introduction, it is one of the best in the industry. Massage is really useful on long trips. The 3.0T is way more responsive than the 2.0T, and much more refined along the way. Honestly, I enjoy sitting in the passenger seat more than in the driver seat with this car.

The things I don't like about MDX-S is the inteior still creaks at times, for example on our car, the noise mainly come from the driver-side door AC vent, luckily the noise goes away with a press of the vent, until it comes back at another time. The interior could be a little more spacious as well as dressed up a tiny bit more. I also want more exhaust noise in Sport+. And every owner wants this car to have higher MPG or closer to 400hp.

MBP 03

With each of the cars in Sport mode, I would say that the ride firmness is comparable between the two cars, with the Type S maybe riding even a touch more firmly than the Sport Hybrid. However, the Type S has the advantage with the air suspension and the ability to lower the ride height at speeds for even better handling. My wife, who was not a fan of the ride quality in Sport mode in the Hybrid over rougher pavement doesn't mind the way the Type S rides over those types of roads and she is very pleased overall with what the air suspension has done for all driving modes when compared to the Hybrid. The fact that the Type S rides on slightly lower profile tires and 21" wheels versus the 20" wheels on the Hybrid has to be taken into consideration as well.

As far as acceleration, both cars are similar, but the power delivery is different between the two and that has to do with the electric motors in the Hybrid and the way that they work in conjunction with the the engine. While the Hybrid is more biased toward fuel economy even in Sport mode with the ECU looking to shut down the engine whenever possible while driving, the Type S in Sport mode holds gears longer while accelerating and also while maintaining a steady cruising speed and this gives the driver the feeling that the car is ready to instantly accelerate at all times. As far as the transmissions go, I would say that the 10 speed in the Type S shifts as quickly as the DCT in the Hybrid. I haven't had the Hybrid in Sport+ mode in quite some time and now I'm curious to see how that will compare to the Sport mode in the Type S as the Sport+ mode eliminates the engine shut down and also commands full power at all times from the electric motors.

Colorado Guy AF Ret.

Wife and I did our 2nd test drive of the Type S Adv. We took a longer test this time. Here is what we, mostly me, thought of the Type S Adv. vs the '22 Adv. we had.
Smooth...is the key word that comes to mind. Great ride comfort, amazing seats, steering is tight and easy to handle, more like my TLX Type S. Power delivery is
much better. No hesitation, even with lighter throttle input. And very strong with a lot of input! Overall nothing really to complain about. Easy transition from current
and previous owned Acuras. Just THE nicest one we could own of all Acuras, once we truly decide to "pull the trigger." Looks like we will. Arrival of our ??...white/red one
due around end of month...if we want it. Don't have to take it. My long time friend and new car mgr can sell it really quick. They can't get enough of them.

I had a discussion with the Master Tech. and NSX Certified Tech...rare....about any issues so far that have come in to the shop with these. They had one air suspension issue, that
appeared at that point to be the only known one out there. The suspension went in to a full down mode and would not move after that. Techs in the shop could not diagnose. An
engineer was brought in and finally they fixed it. Something to do with a "leak" in the system I think. And, a couple of sun roof motors...same one used in the RDX's. Apparently a
bad supplier it would seem. Doesn't concern me. All new vehicles, no matter who makes them have some kind of issue...some have many. those you then stay away from.

I would take off the OEM '21" self sealing tires/and their wheels...just not a fan of the wheels, and I'd put on 20" Continentals I've been using on other Acuras. Serv. Mgr gave me a
thumbs up with those. He knows the Conti DWS 06 Plus tires are amazing. So, 275/45/20's....give you more sidewall and are the exact same diam. as the OEM tires...29.7". That's
the only real factor in doing this...and I've done this many times...is the diam. I'm looking at possibly the Acura black chrome 20" Accessory/Opt. wheel...or even the OEM Advance wheel
which I like a lot. Also, would put together a spare tire kit...since the comp/goop machines they put in veh. with air tires are a "no go" for me...and it seems many others too.

So, we'll see what happens. Wife and I are making sure this is what SHE wants to drive. I know I'd want it. But, too, I have my TLX Type S. But, I like nice SUV's too. Always have had
an eclectic background in types of veh. owned.

Bottom line. We liked it a lot. She likes her '22 RDX A-Spec/Adv also. So, she has to decide between them. But, she's leaning MDX. No pressure from me...I don't want her sorry later on.
On our long drive home in the RDX...heavy traffic...holiday time and accidents...we discussed the ride, etc. of our RDX vs the MDX we had just driven. She did say..."yes, the MDX is much
more comfortable to drive." I know her key concern has always been...navigating around town, sometimes in tight spots, is easier with the RDX, which is true. During her test driving, I had her
go in to parking lots and put it in parking spots to see how "centered" she could do it, and after looking at camera views....perfect. Equal distance on both sides, just right up to the front line, etc.
So, comparing to how much easier it is with the RDX. She's only 5' tall, but, yet seating position and views out front and overall ability to view out in all ways, was no issue for her. Heck, I need
new glasses, so she did better than I've done in the past!! LOL!!

Kandiru1

behind third row tray works great. About the cargo protector, my daughters drive Crosstreks and those humble mini SUVs have a great implementation of removable
protectors that are thick and functional, and come standard with the cars. Acura also FUBARed the roof rails and cross beams, now look like an Aliexpress generic, you
cannot grip the puny rails anymore, the crossbeams stick out ruining the look of the vehicle.