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We all want a reliable SUV, and when the brand in question is Acura, it’s pretty well documented that it should be reliable. But even for Acura, one nameplate stands out, and it’s the brand’s recently refreshed flagship SUV, the MDX. The Acura MDX for 2022 takes top reliability honors, on top of winning Newsweek’s best three-row SUV crown.

Is the Acura MDX a reliable SUV?

2022 Acura MDX in silver on a road is the most reliable Acura SUV.
2022 Acura MDX Type S | Acura

The Acura MDX should be the most reliable Acura. According to iSeeCars, which ranks cars trucks and SUVs, the MDX has the highest reliability score of any Acura, car or SUV. It beats the Acura RDX, Acura RLX, and every other small luxury SUV that the site ranks. According to iSeeCars, it has a reliability score of 9.3 of 10, which puts it ahead of the Lexus RX 350, BMW X3, Audi Q7 and 66 other luxury crossover SUVs rated by the site.

Overall, it gets a total score of 8.7 of 10, which includes value, safety, and reliability. That means it ranks No. 2 overall in its class, just behind the Volvo XC90.

Is the Acura MDX a luxury SUV?

2022 Acura MDX Type S | Joe Santos, MotorBiscuit
Acura MDX interior | Joe Santos, MotorBiscuit

The Acura MDX is a luxury SUV and the flagship of the Acura lineup. Acura redesigned this three-row SUV for 2022 and the New MDX showcases Acura’s new design language that, honestly, looks better in person than in photographs. The flared indents in the doors and the starburst pattern in the grille, as well as new scoops and LED headlights set the 2022 apart from the 2021 MDX.

The new MDX also has a sophisticated suspension, electric power steering, and an entirely new interior. Acura also updated its love-it-or-hate-it touchpad interface that controls most of the MDX’s functions. The new version no longer relies on the Honda Pilot’s bones. Instead, it gets its own platform.

Newsweek named the MDX the best three-row SUV for 2022

Newsweek also named the MDX the best three-row SUV for 2022 after its redesign. For many of the same reasons that the MDX tops iSeeCars’ list, the MDX outpaced others on Newsweek’s annual awards. Newsweek praised the long list of options with the MDX, the Type S version, and how it can be as sporty as an Audi or a BMW with three rows and a turbocharger, yet stay true to Acura’s luxury mission. And, in Type S speck it adds a touch of handling prowess that costs many thousands more with other luxury brands.

Is the Acura MDX changing in 2023?

2023 Acura MDX type-S
2023 Acura MDX Type S | Acura

The MDX is still new in its lifecycle. After its 2022 refresh, the MDX doesn’t need much to stay competitive. But, Acura does add  AcuraLink services, it’s safety and remote packages, at no cost for three years. Every MDX also now gets a complimentary maintenance plan for the first two years or 24,000 miles.

The Acura MDX comes in eight trim levels, from a basic front-wheel drive version that starts at $49,050 to the MDX Type S with Advance Package that tops out at $72,700. The big differentiators in the MDX versions are the Technology Package, the A-Spec trim, the Advance Package and the Type S. The $63,000 MDX Advance Package adds almost everything you’d want, however.

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Writer - Sedans & Coupes

Dan Mayfield

Dan joined MotorBiscuit in 2022 with over 20 years of experience in journalism and a lifelong passion for anything related to the automotive industry. He grew up wrenching a 1949 Ford pickup truck and an MGB with his dad, learning how not to wire a fuel pump (he inadvertently set the MGB on fire).

After earning a bachelor’s degree in photojournalism from the University of New Mexico, Dan has contributed his expertise to a range of local outlets, including the City of Albuquerque, US Eagle, and the Alliance for Local Economic Prosperity.

On weekends, Dan spends Saturdays enjoying “cars and coffee” chats and, on Sundays, he’s watching the Route 66 Cruise roll through town. He also races motorcycles, and it’s not unusual to find him elbows-deep in his latest cafe racer build.

Taking advantage of the local desert terrain, Dan also enjoys exploring and driving off-road in his trusty Ram Rebel pickup truck, which provides personal insights into his contributions to our Trucks, SUVs, & Crossovers coverage. Dan strives to give our readers unique information about the dynamic automotive market, reading anything that has to do with cars, trucks, bikes, 4X4s, and, in his words, “everything with a motor.”

Dan has earned a number of accolades from the Public Relations Society of America, and is a University of Southern California, Annenberg School of Communication and Journalism Fellow.