The 2026 Acura MDX

The Acura MDX has been the premium midsize SUV of the Japanese brand for over 20 years, with most of the vehicles sold in the United States made in plants in North America (Ohio, Alabama and Ontario, Canada. Acura is the luxury arm of Honda and is known as the first luxury auto marque to come out of Japan, beginning in 1981.

Today, Acura’s lineup consists of gas-powered Integra sedans, as well as three different SUVs, including the flagship MDX, the smaller ADX and RDX. And they are developing a hybrid, two-motor RDX in the near future.

I recently took the 2026 MDX SH-Advance AWD through its paces, driving it on city streets, highways and through the mountains, too. It’s an excellent SUV, with a collection of driving modes for many conditions. Use “Snow” when the weather goes bad, as it controls traction and slipping; try “Lift” for extra ground clearance when needed; or hook into “Sport” when you want tighter turns and torque, like on those mountain roads.

The new version of the MDX, “America’s best-selling three-row luxury sedan of all time,” as Acura tells us, has some of the significant changes that were implemented into the 2025 version. The vehicles are now equipped with the company’s AcuraWatch 360, their proprietary driver’s safety system that seems almost futuristic, with front corner radars and a front-facing camera that monitors the traffic ahead.

Acura pioneered the automatic emergency braking system in 2006, and most manufacturers soon followed; nowadays, the 2026 MDX has so many systems in place you’ll barely have to drive your own car! And for those of us who like to keep more control over our driving experience, each safety system can be controlled individually.

Inside the cabin, the newest innovation is the 12.3-inch touchscreen with everything from radio and navigation to the controls for all those safety features, with an easy-to-navigate platform. And for an absolute joy listening to the music you love to drive by, add on the Technology Platform as an extra, to have a Bang & Olufsen sound built in that will literally rock your world. Think 19 speakers, with four in the headliner, and 1,475 watts of perfect sound power.

With its V6 engine that puts out 290 horsepower (the Type S version has a twin-turbo V6 with 355 hp), the MDX is distinctly powerful enough to climb mountains, even when packed with gear and people. Three rows of seating comfortably seat six people (seven people fit for a short ride), with legroom reducing as you move toward the last row.

The front seats are heated, as is the steering wheel, and every version of the MDX has a panoramic moon roof. The mileage rating is what you would expect from most SUVs that run on gasoline alone, 19 city/25 highway/21 combined on most of the models. Pricing ranges from $53,250 to $77,300.

For additional information about the Acura MDX go to:
www.acura.com/suvs/mdx