2025 Acura MDX Type S - What Makes It Special?

2025 Acura MDX Type S - What Is It?
The MDX is Acura’s 3-row SUV. It is not an off-roady type SUV, but a decidedly on-road type of vehicle. Type S is the sporty one.

2025 Acura MDX Type S - What’s It Cost?
The Type S version of the MDX has a cost to the consumer of $76,600, inclusive of Acura’s Destination and handling charge, but not including dealer doc fees and added dealer content. 

2025 Acura MDX Type S - What Powers It?
Acura uses a turbocharged V6 liquid-fuel engine mated to a 10-speed automatic transmission. Acura’s outstanding Super Handling All-Wheel Drive (SH-AWD) is part of the package.

2025 Acura MDX Type S - How Does It Drive?
Here’s the special part. The MDX Type S feels light on its feet. It is a joy to drive in normal suburban settings or on the highway. When the open road presents itself, it is a fantastic vehicle to be behind the wheel of. The steering is perhaps its best attribute. Light, precise, sharp. All those positive words apply to the steering of the MDX. It’s solid in corners to the point that it is actually fun to push the limits when you can do so safely. Braking is perfectly tuned. 

Acceleration is great in the MDX. It has the torque and power you expect for a vehicle in this price range. Although we had dry weather during our testing, in prior tests, the AWD system was superb when it was wet or snowy. 

Overall, the primary reason to buy the MDX instead of one of its peers is the driving experience. Take a test drive and see if you love driving it. If not, you can find some similarly sized options at Honda that are also excellent but at a lower price point. 

2025 Acura MDX Type S  - Interior, Infotainment, and Features
The MDX now has a very easy-to-use infotainment system. It has Google Built In, which we are not fans of. Thankfully, the vehicle also still has wireless Android Auto, which we used without any difficulties. The new 31-speaker Bang & Olufsen luxury audio system is just what you are looking for if you are an audiophile. 

Like every Acura product, the ergonomics in the MDX are perfection. Everything is where it “should” be. The learning time to make it all operate is under 3 minutes the first time you enter it on day one of your ownership. No hunting for controls, no weird placement of anything important. The touchscreen main infotainment screen works easily, safely, and intuitively. Acura has thankfully ditched the True Touchpad, which was never our favorite. The phone holder and wireless charging pad are ideal and big enough for people with large phones. Honda’s tech is as good as it gets in 2025. We found every seat to be comfortable, and every bit of interior materials seemed luxury-class. 

One great feature of the MDX is it comes with high-quality, all-season tires. That means you won't have to swap out the rubber like you would if it had been equipped with (dumb) summer-only performance tires. That is a mistake many European brands make. 

2025 Acura MDX Type S - Conclusion
If you are looking for a three-row luxury SUV, it’s hard to name a better one than Acura’s MDX Type S. This is the best-driving three-row vehicle we can remember having tested, and it’s not really even a contest. This vehicle is for those who really value driving, superb ergonomics, great audio, and outstanding tech. 
 

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John Goreham is a credentialed New England Motor Press Association member and expert vehicle tester. John completed an engineering program with a focus on electric vehicles, followed by two decades of work in high-tech, biopharma, and the automotive supply chain before becoming a news contributor. He is a member of the Society of Automotive Engineers (SAE int). In addition to his eleven years of work at Torque News, John has published thousands of articles and reviews at American news outlets. He is known for offering unfiltered opinions on vehicle topics. You can connect with John on Linkedin and follow his work on our X channel. Please note that stories carrying John's by-line are never AI-generated, but he does employ Grammarly grammar and punctuation software when proofreading. 

Images of the 2025 Acura MDX by John Goreham.