The 2016 Acura MDX was chosen Best Premium Utility Vehicle at this year's annual Mudfest outdoor vehicle competition conducted by the Northwest Automotive Press Association. As the name of the event implies, that's because it was pretty capable of going off road, thanks to its option Super Handling-All Wheel Control all-wheel-drive system.
But the MDX also won because it aced the on-road portion of the competition with decent acceleration, a stable ride, and surprisingly good handling, considering that it can hold seven passengers in its three row of seats. It is also remarkably quiet at all speeds.
On paper, the MDX shouldn't be this good. Acura, the luxury brand of Honda, makes nice vehicles but they are not as sophisticated as those by Audi, BMW and Mercedes-Benz. And the MDX only comes with one engine, a 3.5-liter V6. Other manufacturers offer turbocharged and even diesel options.
On top of that, the standard nine-speed transmission in my top-of-the-line test model had an overly complicated gear selector system that featured buttons that had to be pushed and pulled. It was less than intuitive and still uncomfortable to use after a week of driving. A dial selector would have been easier.
But the bottom line is, everything else about the 2016 MDX is incredibly well designed and put together. The exterior styling is contemporary without being attention seeking, the interior is cleanly laid out and benefits from dual display screens that reduce the number of knobs and buttons, and the fit of the numerous inside components is as good as more expensive brands, even if there is more plastic than in some of them.
And although there's only one engine, its 290 horsepower and 267 pound-feet of torque is more than enough for most situations, including getting up to freeway speeds and easily passing long trucks.
Like most vehicles with three rows of seats, the last one is relatively small and hard to reach. It is bet used by children who don't mind scrambling in between the second row to reach it. But it will work in a pinch for adults, and can be easily folded down to increase the cargo space when needed.
Like any true luxury vehicle, the base 2016 MDX still includes a lot of features and it can be heavily optioned. Our test version came with both Advance and Entertainment packages that included collision warning system and a DVD player with a 16.2 inch screen for the last two row of seats.
Upscale Japanese brands like Acura, Infiniti and Lexus are getting squeezed from all sides these days. Non-luxury American brands like Chevy and Dodge are making good crossovers with premium touches. So are mainstream Japanese brands like Honda, Nissan and Toyota, which ironically own the upscale brands. And so are the South Korean companies. On top of that, European luxury companies are starting to offer lower priced vehicles to lure less wealthy buyers.
So the fact that the MDX sells in large numbers is a sign of just how much it has to offer. That and its recognition at the 2015 Mudfest, of course.
2016 Acura MDX
Base price: $42,865
Price as tested: $58,000
Type: Four-door, seven-passenger, all-wheel drive midsize hatchback
Engine: 3.5-liter V6
EPA estimated mileage: 27 city/36 highway
Length: 193.6 inches
Curb weight: 4,332 pounds (as tested)
Final assembly: Lincoln, Alabama