2016 Acura MDX Hits Showrooms With Nine-Speed Auto, Safety Tech Suite

by Cameron Aubernon

Published: February 4th, 2015

2016 acura mdx hits showrooms with nine speed auto safety tech suite

Starting today, the 2016 Acura MDX will hit U.S. showrooms with an assortment of power and technological upgrades.

Power for the new premium crossover comes from its 3.5-liter, 24-valve, direct-injection i-VTEC V6, which now paired with a nine-speed automatic with Acura’s Sequential SportShift. The new transmission not only replaces the former six-speed auto, but weighs 66 pounds less than said unit. Colin Chapman’s philosophy is also applied to the MDX’s Super Handling All-Wheel Drive system, where its rear differential is now 19 pounds lighter than the previous part.

The other major upgrade for the MDX is the AcuraWatch package, which comes by itself on all MDX, and is standard when part of the Advance Package. The suite includes adaptive cruise control, collision mitigation, lane departure/lane keeping/road departure, blind-spot information with rear cross-traffic monitor, and multi-view rear camera.

Other features include: Siri Eyes Free voice recognition; easy-entry/exit driver’s seat that moves 35 mm back when the door is opened; bi-directional remote engine starter; start-stop; and a tire-pressure monitor that alerts when tires are inflated to the correct pressure.

Price of admission begins at $42,865 for the base MDX, $57,080 for the top-end MDX SH-AWD with Advance, Entertainment and AcuraWatch Plus packages on-board. Fuel economy for most AWD models amounts to 18 city/26 highway/21 combined, with start-stop adding 1 mpg to the city and combined figures. FWD models do slightly better at 19/27/22, 20/27/23 with start-stop.

#Acura #MDX #MY2016

Cameron Aubernon

Seattle-based writer, blogger, and photographer for many a publication. Born in Louisville. Raised in Kansas. Where I lay my head is home.

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NeilM on Feb 04, 2015

"[...] a tire-pressure monitor that alerts when tires are inflated to the correct pressure." Shouldn't the alert occur when they're NOT inflated to the correct pressure? Or maybe the MDX has a whole series of these alerts: the doors are all closed, the engine isn't overheating, you didn't forget to release the handbrake, you have plenty of gas, etc.?

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- Cameron Aubernon on Feb 04, 2015
  
  That's what the press release says the TPMS does: "The 2016 MDX adds numerous other luxury upgrades including a frameless rearview mirror, Siri™ Eyes Free voice recognition, an easy-entry/exit driver’s seat that moves 35 mm rearward when the driver’s door is opened and TPMS fill assist that sounds an audible alert when the driver inflates the tire to the correct pressure."
  
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Speedlaw on Feb 05, 2015

I like my second gen MDX, and bought it over an X5, as the MDX had more power and more space in the back. OK, I didn't get Honda (or even BMW) reliability in this car, but let me join the chorus of "don't ever, ever buy the first year of a new model"...they fixed the tranny issues and a few other things in the next year, but at least Honda paid for a new torque converter. At least in the second generation version, the SH-AWD really adds to the package, and it lugs around kids, Home Despot runs, and tows the boat. You can also toss it around for a big water buffalo, it stomps on ricers with fart can mufflers, and overall, is a really good "big car" to have in the driveway. Sway bar bushings and end links are under-designed so need replacement every 30-50k, but beyond that....

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