2001 Acura MDX SUV Road Test & Comparison

We've certainly gone to extremes to test Acura's all-new MDX sport/utility vehicle. Last month, we reported on a preview drive in the frigid snow and ice of Colorado's high country. This month, we followed up that limited traction test with a comprehensive outing through the steamy jungles and pounding roads of Belize in Central America. The bottom line? In both cases, the MDX succeeded in injecting an impressive level of control, comfort, and civilized refinement into a decidedly uncivilized environment.

There's no question, Acura has been a latecomer to the SUV party. Sure, from '95 through last year, the division offered the SLX-a rebadged Isuzu Trooper-but everybody knew that was only a stopgap until the company could carve out enough R&D time and money to create a true, all-Acura thoroughbred.

That vehicle is the MDX, and look for it in showrooms this fall. The MDX joins the rapidly swelling ranks of the so-called hybrid SUVs that are often developed from passenger-car platforms and sacrifice hard-core, rock-straddling off-road potential (the kind of driving that owners will rarely indulge in) for more everyday liveability. With such well-established and popular targets as the Lexus RX 300, Mercedes-Benz ML320, and BMW X5, the MDX has a lot to prove. Still, Acura has infused the MDX with its own distinct attitude. Rather than simply copying the soft, roadgoing domesticity of the RX 300, the ultra-sport excitement of the X5, or the low-range capability of the M-Class, Acura has chosen to blend elements of their various personalities for a balance between fun performance, real-world versatility, and foul-weather driveability none of the others can claim.

The MDX's long list of highlights begins right under the hood, where Honda's engine magic has been worked again. Its 3.5-liter SOHC VTEC V-6 is essentially the same as that in the top-line RL sedan, but with several high-potency improvements (the same used to add extra zip to the 3.2CL Type S) that boost output from 210 horsepower to a stout 240 and torque from 224 pound-feet to 245. In addition, the torque is delivered over such a flat, useable curve that 95 percent of its peak is available from 2000 to 5500 rpm. The result is a powerplant that's pleasantly strong and responsive, yet well mannered and quiet, enhancing both the sport and luxury elements of the vehicle's equation. 0-60-mph acceleration is estimated at 8.5 seconds, which (if verified by our own testing) outpaces both of its prime V-6 competitors, the RX 300 (8.8) and Mercedes ML320 (9.0), as well as the new '01 240-horse Infiniti QX4 (9.1). In addition, the MDX is the first SUV to be rated as ULEV (ultra-low emission vehicle) in all 50 states.