2024 Acura MDX Type S First Test: Type S Looks, But Does It Have the Moves?

The MDX is Acura's bestselling model in the automaker's small two-crossover lineup, outselling the RDX by double. Offering a Type S version of the MDX widens the three-row SUV's appeal thanks to sporty styling cues, more power, a more aggressive suspension setup, and upgraded brakes compared to the standard MDX.

We last tested the MDX Type S in 2022, and the only change since then has been the addition of complimentary service (for two years or 24,000 miles). Its 3.0-liter turbocharged V-6 engine still pumps out 355 horsepower and 354 lb-ft of torque, 65 hp and 87 lb-ft more than the standard MDX and its 3.5-liter V-6. A 10-speed automatic transmission distributes that power to Acura's Super Handling All-Wheel-Drive system.

In the large segment of luxury crossovers, Acura positions the MDX Type S against similarly powered three-rowers like the BMW X7 xDrive40i, Audi Q7, and Mercedes-Benz GLS450. The Acura's starting price of just more than $69,000 should certainly be a plus against its competitors, especially the BMW that starts a tad shy of $83,000.

Buyers will likely be impressed with the 2024 Acura MDX Type S' long list of standard creature comforts, including heated and ventilated front seats, wireless Apple CarPlay, advanced driver assistance tech, and its premium ELS sound system. The MDX Type S Advance trim costs an additional $5,350 and adds gorgeous open-pore wood trim and massaging front seats with tons of adjustability for an impressive combo of comfort and support.

Interior materials and design are top notch, especially the two-tone color scheme, suede headliner, and quilted leather seats. Middle-row seats are roomy, while third-row seats are decent in terms of real estate. From the outside, the standard Acura MDX is already a handsome crossover, and the latest Type S touches are subtle and well done, including the round quad-tipped exhaust, 21-inch wheels, and our test car's eye-catching Tiger Eye Pearl paint.

The instrument panel layout looks good, as does the head-up display. Visibility is nice, too, and the Type S Advanced's surround-view camera offers another set of eyes for tricky parking maneuvers.

Our 4,769-pound test car needed 6.2 seconds to run from 0 to 60 mph before covering the quarter mile in 14.7 seconds. The previous MDX Type S we tested was 0.2 second quicker to 60 mph. Either way, that amounts to a sizable gap compared to the 2023 BMW X7 xDrive40i (4.8 seconds to 60 mph and 13.5 seconds for the quarter mile). But perhaps more puzzling is our test of a 2022 Acura MDX A-Spec that put down 0-60-mph and quarter-mile times of 5.7 seconds and 14.4 seconds, respectively.

The 2024 Acura MDX Type S features a number of drive modes including Comfort, Sport, and Sport+. Each adjusts powertrain characteristics, along with steering feel, air suspension, and suspension dampers. Despite its fancy suspension, ride quality is merely adequate in Comfort mode and somewhat jarring over rough surfaces. Ride quality is noticeably stiffer in Sport and Sport+, though we struggled to see any performance benefits. Our test car was fitted with Continental CrossContact RX all-season tires, and we wonder how a set of gripper summer tires would've improved its 27.0-second figure-eight time and meager lateral-g average of 0.84 on the skidpad.

Performance numbers aside, the overall driving experience doesn't conjure many Type S vibes. And there's a good chance this will be of little concern to most buyers.

This is an adequate MDX that looks like a Type S, but it's still learning how to walk like one.