It’s a real angel/devil shoulder situation. On the side of good, you’ve got two freshly baked pies in the passenger’s-side footwell. On the pointy red side, you’ve got 355 horses in a turbocharged 3.0-liter engine and a twisty route home. What to do? The 2025 Acura MDX Type S offers a solution with adaptive dampers, air springs, and Brembo brakes; it’s quiet enough to enjoy the 31-speaker Bang & Olufsen stereo, quick enough to need the passing lane, and smooth enough not to crumble your crust.
Acura didn’t make huge changes to the 2025 MDX lineup. There are still two engine options. The 290-horse naturally aspirated 3.5-liter making 267 pound-feet of torque sits under the hood in the majority of the models, while the Type S gets the 355-hp turbocharged 3.0-liter making 354 pound-feet of torque that gave our pies an exciting ride. The transmission is the same 10-speed automatic, and there are no updates to the drivetrain or the suspension. That consists of control arms in the front and a multilink setup in the rear, with only the Type S offering the adaptive air springs. You can get two trims with front-wheel drive (MDX and MDX with Tech package). The rest come AWD-only with Acura’s torque-vectoring system that can send up to 70 percent of torque to the rear axle. The changes Acura did make are more of the cosmetic and user-friendly variety, aimed at polishing a few rough edges from what was already an excellent offering and updating the driver-assist systems. The 2025 MDX uses an upgraded version of AcuraWatch with a new front camera and new grille-mounted radar, and for the first time it offers a lane-change assist that can move the MDX over on multilane highways without steering input from the driver when using adaptive cruise mode. We tried it, it works fine, it takes about the same amount of attention and effort as simply looking in the mirror and moving the wheel, but hey, it’s there.
Parked in a driveway or coming up in a rearview mirror, the 2025 MDX adds interest to the usual large-SUV rectangle shape with bigger air ducts in the bumper and sharper, sparklier mesh in its angular grille. The Type S loses the grille surround altogether and opens up the insert pattern to highlight its performance nature. Big crossovers all tend to look the same, but the MDX’s elegantly creased hood, wide fenders, and big 20-inch wheels (21-inchers on the Type S) make it distinctive enough that you won’t have to press the key fob to find it in a parking garage.
Leaving the Type S parked is a terrible waste though, because it’s genuinely fun to drive. It’s not just fun for a seven-seater, it’s a good-handling, quick machine with comfortable yet responsive ride motions. The 10-speed was ready to upshift, both on its own and with the paddles, and it downshifted gently during gradual deceleration, avoiding the shuddering slow-down of many modern automatics. Both braking and steering are electronically assisted and offer better feedback than you might expect. The Type S gets a front brake upgrade in the form of larger 14.3-inch rotors and four-piston Brembo calipers. It also uses Acura’s Electro-Servo Brake (ESB) brake-by-wire, whereas other trims use i-Booster, which is an electrically assisted hydraulic system.
When we tested the previous MDX Type S, it got to 60 mph in 5.5 seconds, ran a 14.1-second quarter-mile, and stopped from 70 mph in 180 feet. We’re not expecting huge numerical changes for the 2025 model, but we’ll update those numbers when we get a chance to test one on more than a local bakery jaunt. Same goes for gas mileage. EPA ratings for the MDX Type S predict 17 city, 21 highway, and 19 combined, but the previous Type S beat its highway estimate in our testing, so this one might be an overachiever too.
Because Type S is the hottest sauce on the MDX shelf, it gets added spice in the form of a Sport+ mode. Pressing it does stiffen the ride and sharpen the pedal response, but the best part of Sport+ is the accompanying growly engine note. We preferred Individual mode to combine the loud exhaust and the smoother ride, which protects both pastries and passengers while still sounding the business. Some cars are worth suffering over rough pavement in, but it’s a poor use of the MDX’s padded and contrast-stitched seats (with new bolsters in the Type S) to bounce over the bumps. Set the springs to Comfort and the engine to Sport, and you’ve got the perfect combo for a ride that will keep the driver alert and engaged while allowing little riders to snooze in their child-safety seats.
While it’s a rare delight to truly enjoy piloting a multi-row SUV, the MDX’s real job, even in Type S form, is to work as a people carrier. Acura is positioning the MDX on the higher end of three-rows, with a starting price of $52,250 for the base front-wheel-drive MDX and $76,300 for the top-tier Type S, like the Urban Gray Pearl example we drove. One of the bigger changes for 2025 is in interior quality, where the MDX gets closer to competitors from Audi and Mercedes than it has in previous iterations. The interior makes use of quilted and perforated leather in saturated hues with decorative stitching and, for the Type S, inset nonslip faux suede on the bolsters; those chairs are also heated, ventilated, massaging, and 16-way adjustable. Second-row passengers don’t get the back rub, but they do get heated cushions and a removable middle seat/console. Third-row riders don’t get much aside from the pretty upholstery and more cushioned padding than we usually find in the way-back seats. It’s a spot for short rides or short riders, but it is usable and the second rows folds forward with the push of a button, so at least you can get out fast. The third row itself also folds down quickly to bump the cargo capacity from 16 cubic feet to 39 cubic feet. There’s an additional cubby beneath the floor in the cargo area for hiding bags from view or just keeping muddy gear from mucking up the carpet.
Back in the front row, the biggest obvious change is on the console. Where previous models offered a touchpad under a handrest by the cupholders, the 2025 MDX has swapped in a wireless charging pad nearly big enough for a tablet and finally gone to a 12.3-inch dash-mounted touchscreen for controlling the infotainment system. Google built-in and wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto connect you to all the apps you’re used to using. The resulting layout might not be the best possible use of space—you could land a helicopter on that charging pad—but it’s a decidedly more familiar control method, and new buyers will appreciate the convenience of not having to retrain muscle memory just to change the stereo settings. Speaking of stereo settings, the Type S has a banger, or rather, a Bang & Olufsen, with those 31 speakers and a quick-set version of a graphic equalizer, that sounds fantastic. The MDX will have you making loops around the block just to enjoy your jams.
The shoulder angel would suggest a lower-level MDX when it comes to sensible buying recommendations. The mid-trims offer all the comfort and only miss out on the rumble of the Type S, but the guy on the other side is definitely pushing for the turbo engine. Or maybe we’ve got it mixed up. A three-row SUV that can make moves in a hurry without shaking the filling out of cargo or family, well, that is sort of heavenly.
Specifications
Specifications
2025 Acura MDX Type S
Vehicle Type: front-engine, all-wheel-drive, 7-passenger, 4-door wagon
PRICE
Base: $76,300
ENGINE
turbocharged and intercooled DOHC 24-valve V-6, aluminum block and heads, direct fuel injection
Displacement: 183 in3, 2997 cm3
Power: 355 hp @ 5500 rpm
Torque: 354 lb-ft @ 1400 rpm
TRANSMISSION
10-speed automatic
DIMENSIONS
Wheelbase: 113.8 in
Length: 198.4 in
Width: 78.7 in
Height: 67.9 in
Passenger Volume, F/M/R: 57/51/31 ft3
Cargo Volume, Behind F/M/R: 71/39/16 ft3
Curb Weight (C/D est): 4800 lb
PERFORMANCE (C/D EST)
60 mph: 5.5 sec
1/4-Mile: 14.1 sec
Top Speed: 111 mph
EPA FUEL ECONOMY
Combined/City/Highway: 19/17/21 mpg
Like a sleeper agent activated late in the game, Elana Scherr didn’t know her calling at a young age. Like many girls, she planned to be a vet-astronaut-artist, and came closest to that last one by attending UCLA art school. She painted images of cars, but did not own one. Elana reluctantly got a driver’s license at age 21 and discovered that she not only loved cars and wanted to drive them, but that other people loved cars and wanted to read about them, which meant somebody had to write about them. Since receiving activation codes, Elana has written for numerous car magazines and websites, covering classics, car culture, technology, motorsports, and new-car reviews. In 2020, she received a Best Feature award from the Motor Press Guild for the C/D story “A Drive through Classic Americana in a Polestar 2.” In 2023, her Car and Driver feature story “In Washington, D.C.’s Secret Carpool Cabal, It’s a Daily Slug Fest” was awarded 1st place in the 16th Annual National Arts & Entertainment Journalism Awards by the Los Angeles Press Club.
Source: Reviews - aranddriver.com
