Introduction

The Acura MDX is a totally new sport-utility vehicle. It represents Honda's acceptance that the luxury SUV market is big and still rapidly growing. If Honda ever believed sport-utility vehicles would become such a monster success in the marketplace the company did not act like it. Late to the SUV party, Honda rebadged the Isuzu Rodeo as the Honda Passport. The Isuzu Trooper emerged as the Acura SLX. Now comes the much-anticipated in-house SUV. Acura claims its MDX offers best-in-class V6 horsepower and torque, greatest fuel efficiency, "greenest" emissions, and best crashworthiness. The MDX offers seven-passenger capacity and a unique four-wheel-drive system that prevents skids almost before they occur. All this is wrapped in a neat though not flashy package with the calm attention to detail expected of things Honda.

Walkaround

The Acura people speak of the MDX's "athletic" appearance. True enough if you have in mind a linebacker rather than a 100-meter sprinter. A casual look reveals a sturdy, stable-appearing machine with a wider, firmer stance than its competitors. Limited overhang gives it a denser, compact air. Large taillights also add to the straightforward sense of a strong presence. The MDX does not draw a gasp for unique design or beauty of line. Rather it is like Emily in "Our Town" who asked her mother if she were pretty. Remember the scene? The motherly answer: pretty enough for all "normal purposes." What isn't obvious except in a body-off view is the duality of the construction of the MDX. It is both unibody and body on frame! This Centaur-like approach gives uncommon rigidity and strength gained from the longitudinal rails with eight box-section cross members. This is the thinking engineers' path to making a car/truck both a car AND a truck whichever is appropriate to the occasion. Oh yes, something else evident when the chassis is "naked": there's a vent tube for the differential so that water won't get into it when you are bumper deep (actually up to 18 inches) in a creek. So they have given thought to either rugged use or flooded roads. That goes beyond the usual "neutralize bad weather" approach of SUVs.

Interior Features

The airy perforated leather on the seat is echoed in the side panels, the steering wheel and the shift knob. There is nothing swoopy or eye-popping about the instrument panel, just easily read instruments with an unobstructed view. Honda's simple large knobs fall easily to hand and are easy to operate whether that hand is wearing mittens or has long fingernails. The overall sense is the serenity of simplicity. The air bag fits flat into the fascia of fake animal hide, which looks better than it sounds. The sun visors have extensions for those sharp shafts of sun angling low at dawn and dusk. And then there's the added touch of elegance makes you say to yourself, "If they thought of this they must have thought of everything": That's the roof-mounted grab handles that don't go CLUNK against the ceiling when released; they whisper their dampened way back into place. Oh yes, another thing they thought of: that muddy back-of-the-legs syndrome when getting out of an SUV after driving in sloppy slush or a rainy road. Acura has enclosed that offending dirty-maker in bodywork so you can dismount cleanly. The third row of seats is easier to get into than those, say, of the Volvo Cross Country wagon. They are a dandy bonus for kids who seem to like far-away places. Every seat in the house has a shoulder harness as well as a lap belt. (Many SUVs do not come with a shoulder belt in the rear center position.) And there are anchors for child seats seemingly everywhere. Lots of cup holders, too. But maybe the most impressive feature is the split air-conditioning system. Not only can those in back have a different temperature than the front-seat riders, but one zone can get heat while another gets air conditioning. That ought to cut down on whining. When not in use, the third row of seats folds to disappear completely into the floor, leaving a flat surface with nothing protruding to scratch your luggage. They split as well for a varied mix of people and stuff. Space and cargo flexibility are superior to the class.