Inside, every convenience feature you might expect is at your fingertips. Still the level of luxury that defines this class somehow misses the mark. Although the fit and finish of materials is among the best in its class, the plastics used are not up to the quality of some of its competitors. The pseudo-wood trim doesn't look or feel real (something Acura got very right in the new EL and equally wrong in the CL) and little items like the chrome plastic power lock buttons seem out of place. The thin plastic on the passenger side of the center armrest was permanently creased (something I've never seen before), giving me concerns about how well the interior will hold up over the long haul. On the brighter side, the 200-watt Bose audio system is quite good, incorporating a 6-disc in-dash CD changer. However, the climate control system, while doing everything that it's called upon to do, is awkward to figure out. A trendy trip computer/fuel economy gauge is a little larger than I first thought necessary, but would be exceptional if hooked up to a GPS or wireless system.
Its front seats are comfortable and supportive, providing adequate side bolstering even during fast cornering. Speaking of seats, there are seven of them in the MDX - an accommodating capacity I didn't expect when I first laid eyes on its deceivingly tight exterior dimensions. Acura holds true to its practical Honda roots by devising a clever foldaway third-row seat that tumbles out of the way to make a totally flat rear floor. Equally clever, the rear headrests neatly slide into the storage compartment under the rear deck. You have to witness their precise fit to fully appreciate.
Its front seats are comfortable and supportive, providing adequate side bolstering even during fast cornering. Speaking of seats, there are seven of them in the MDX - an accommodating capacity I didn't expect when I first laid eyes on its deceivingly tight exterior dimensions. Acura holds true to its practical Honda roots by devising a clever foldaway third-row seat that tumbles out of the way to make a totally flat rear floor. Equally clever, the rear headrests neatly slide into the storage compartment under the rear deck. You have to witness their precise fit to fully appreciate.