We shared about our family camping adventure with the kids this summer. What we haven’t shared about yet is the vehicle we brought with us. We had the opportunity to try out the 2018 Acura MDX. It was definitely a change, and a welcomed one at that, from our usual vehicle when on the road and camping.
Shifting into driving a luxury SUV didn’t take us long to get accustomed too. We noticed things we appreciated almost immediately with the Acura MDX. This took us by surprise a little bit. For the girls, there’s always one thing that will instantly impress them too in a vehicle. Any guesses as to what it is?
It can feel a bit overwhelming when researching the Acura MDX, there are multiple models; Navi, Tech, Elite, Elite 6 passenger, and Sport Hybrid. We were driving the Tech model. It was jam-packed with just that, a whole bunch of technology. The girls loved that there was a 9″ display entertainment system. I’ll be honest, as parents, we appreciated that too for our road trip especially. The girls also spotted the rear sunshades that are situated in the windows. While this may not be exactly “tech” it is brilliant and innovative for people driving kids in vehicles.
What else was offered in the Tech model? The review mirror and the side mirrors were auto-dimming. The first time this happened Jason and I kept looking at each other and asking if that had just happened. It was impressive and happened right at the perfect moments! The driver, passenger, and second-row seats are heated. How lovely would that be in the winter? The headlamps are auto-leveling which really helps with lighting the road while traveling and going over things like bumps or up a steep hill. Keyless entry for the second-row is handy as well if you’ve forgotten something in the vehicle, personally, I’m always forgetting the diaper bag there in a vehicle.
AN SUV WITH ROOM FOR THE WHOLE FAMILY AND THE GIANT SWAN FLOAT
Being a vehicle that can fit 7 people, it is considerably large in size. While we did not use all 7 seats we do feel this is still something that can be improved upon for 7-seater SUVs everywhere. We are not fans of how the third-row of seats often folds down and then takes up all of the space in the boot. Even with the seats down, we felt we had the same amount of storage as we would in our Honda CRV. We would love to see the third-row seats change to ones that you can remove entirely if needed, or for them to be designed in a way that when folded you still have storage space underneath them.
Another change that we think would be incredible in an SUV, especially the larger ones is for the second row to have the same sort of technology for the seats that some minivans have. It would be a game changer if the second row had the middle seat be removable but then the other two seats can be slid together and back and forth. Can you imagine! Keep your kids close or separate them as needed. Plus, it would make getting into that third row so much easier. Dear Acura, please do this!
A QUIET RIDE
As parents, the one thing that rarely happens is a quiet ride when in the car. Kids are always busy making noise, singing, arguing, etc… but that is not what we’re talking about when it comes to a quiet ride. We are talking about how when you are in the vehicle there is very little road noise to be heard. It was ridiculous when we got back into our own vehicle and the noise coming from it. We missed how peaceful it was inside the Acura MDX. This is something we really appreciate seeing in new vehicles.
The inside of the vehicle is also done in a way that makes everything look very sleek. Visually, it’s fantastic. The steering wheel has everything you need right at your fingertips while driving. We really appreciated that there were some buttons and a turnknob on the dash for controlling things, but we’d love to see a shift back to full button and knob control for things like airflow and heating. Using a touchscreen we feel is too much of a distraction while driving. That is our personal preference on this.
One thing to take into consideration for the Acura MDX is also the current cost of gas. This vehicle does require a more premium fuel and it also has a very large tank. The fuel economy was comparable to our older SUV at 11L/100km. There is no Eco Mode on this vehicle like there is on some Honda vehicles. That feature really makes a difference for fuel economy and as a consumer, I would appreciate having it in any large vehicle to try and manage fuel consumption. The price to fill up the tank can be startling.
Would we go for an Acura MDX? It’s definitely one to consider if it fits within your price range and you’re looking for a more luxury SUV. It is definitely a step up from other SUVs from its looks to what it has to offer. It is all around a very refined vehicle. It impressed us on our road trip. At times we felt bad taking it camping, but it definitely held its own for the trip. We were all comfortable for the long drive and it handled the winding roads perfectly.
This is definitely a car I’d be interested in!