Review: 2024 Acura MDX SH-AWD Type S ADV - A Comprehensive Sensory Delight

We tested the 2024 Acura MDX and found that it makes you realize there are many senses when you drive. 

The Acura MXD is easy to call Honda/Acura’s flagship automobile. At the top of its pecking order is the Type S Advance with the SH-AWD all-wheel drive system. This is a vehicle that brings a driver pleasure in so many ways that we decided to organize them by sense. Fear not, we didn't taste it. Yet. 

2024 Acura MDX SH-AWD Type S ADV - Sound
We’ve started with sound because the Acura MDX can come equipped with a sound system we think can't be topped. The ELS Studio 3D Signature Edition Premium sound system is so good we can honestly say that no vehicle we ever tested at any price point offered better sound. The audio is so crisp, clean, and dynamic that you will swear that even older analog recordings, say a Beatles song, were just recorded this week with modern equipment. The newer music available via Pandora or Spotify just sounds brilliant.

The system places speakers everywhere. The door, the dash, the cargo area, under the cargo area, the ceiling, who knows where else they hid one of its 25 (yes twenty-five) woofers and tweeters. This system seems to make every instrument clearly heard. It has a magical way of “de-compressing” the audio so that it sounds bright and beautiful. Couple this with a punchy bass and the ability to recreate snare rimshots that sound like you are standing in front of Neil Peart (rest his soul), and we cannot fathom how any audio system could ever be better. 

2024 Acura MDX SH-AWD Type S ADV - Smell
Many brands in the price range of an Acura MDX now eschew leather. In its place, they offer you interior seating trimmed with plastics made from hydrocarbons which smell like dry cleaning bags. To each their own. I like leather. Mostly because it smells so good. Acura’s Milano Premium leather makes me think of the many happy cows in rural New England I have always enjoyed seeing. Another trigger from the smell is a memory of my very first leather jacket circa 1979. Thank you, Acura, for offering this sensory delight. 

2024 Acura MDX SH-AWD Type S ADV - Sight
Sight is a primary sense when it comes to driving. And the MDX delivers in two key ways. First, the MDX has an outstanding greenhouse. You have an excellent view of the road. There are no blind spots (for those who can look over a shoulder and who know how to use side mirrors properly.) The rear view is also quite good for a 3-row vehicle. 

The MDX is also a very pleasing shape on which to cast a gaze. Inside, it looks as grand as any modern luxury vehicle. Outside, it has a classy and modern design that is easy on the eyes. 

2024 Acura MDX SH-AWD Type S ADV - Touch
The MDX, like all Acura products, has it where it counts. Everything you touch feels like it is a finely crafted piece made from the world’s best materials. The wheel is perfect in every conceivable way. The switchgear and infotainment interfaces are splendidly executed.

Touch is also “feel” in the context of driving. You feel the road when you operate the MDX. The steering feels precise. There is no tippy sensation in the corners. Your foot is made happy by the firmness of the brake. Your back is given a delightful nudge when you toe the throttle. 

2024 Acura MDX SH-AWD Type S ADV - Taste
We didn't use our mouths to taste any part of the MDX. However, if we may play on words, the car is clearly built for a person of good taste.

Our test vehicle had a price of $75,295 inclusive of its destination fee but less any dealer-added costs. While this price is certainly beyond the reach of many shoppers, Honda and Acura offer vehicles with tremendous value at all price points. If the MDX falls into yours, don't wait. Come to your senses and head to your local Acura dealer. 

Images of 2024 MDX Type S courtesy of Acura.

John Goreham is an experienced 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. 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 follow John on Twitter, and connect with him at Linkedin.