Discovering myself alone as I enter the roundabout-style freeway on-ramp, I stab the throttle and begin to slide across the partially moist patch of pavement. The 2025 Acura MDX Kind S Advance holds the street remarkably effectively, because the SH-AWD system transfers torque in varied methods to all 4 corners and retains it monitoring true, which permits me to speed up onto the interstate at automotive chase speeds. Good enjoyable!
Mechanically talking, this expertise rightly feels identical to the 2022 Acura MDX Kind S did, as just about nothing modified. However this Kind S now has Advance on the finish of the title, which provides a number of comforts, not least of which incorporates nine-way massaging seats. It additionally contains heated and ventilated seats up entrance, a heated steering wheel, heated second-row seats, and extra driving aids.
I spent just a few days in chilly and snowy southeast Michigan to see how all these comforts have an effect on my sensibilities of what a Kind S is and the way it’s speculated to really feel. Did Acura’s updates hold the Kind S as a related three-row efficiency crossover? Or is the competitors transferring too quick?
In brief: The 2025 Acura MDX Kind S Advance properly combines efficiency and luxurious in a three-row crossover SUV package deal. Courtesy of superior suspension know-how and a muscular engine, the Kind S engages the driving force and delights via a pleasant sequence of corners. The Kind S, like all MDX trims, falls quick in grownup consolation within the second and third rows. It additionally delivers underwhelming gasoline economic system. However, lovers with a household will discover these drawbacks effectively value wanting previous.
Quick-shifting, quick-reacting transmission, retains enjoyable issue excessive
Incredible suspension, drives in addition to something below Porsche costs
“Advance” means all the luxurious, together with massaging seats
A lot improved, easy-to-use heart show
Gasoline economic system numbers, unchanged, underperforms the competitors
Engine asks for premium gasoline, making for costly fill-ups
Not sufficient second-row house for this dimension crossover and seat backside is to low
Smaller badge on the entrance grille, please
Robin Warner
2025 Acura MDX Kind S Advance Evaluate
(Photograph/Robin Warner)
What Acura Modified for 2025
To begin, Acura tweaked the styling of the entrance fascia, altering the mesh sample of the grille and giving the entrance bumper a brand new, extra aggressive look. Whereas a 2024 versus a 2025 mannequin back-to-back makes the modifications clear, you’re excused from not noticing in any other case.
In profile, the physique maintains the identical strains, although putting new 21-inch wheels with black accents stand out and exhibit the four-piston Brembo calipers extra clearly than earlier than. A brand new paint colour, City Grey Pearl, exhibits the strains of the physique another way as effectively. Should you go together with a non-Kind S MDX, Acura gives a second new paint colour: Canyon River Blue Metallic.
(Photograph/Robin Warner)
Inside, the MDX carries on with two 12.3-inch screens, one for the instrument cluster, and the opposite for the middle show. However Acura applied a brand new consumer interface to function the middle show (ditching the previous touchpad), which works extra intuitively than earlier than. Furthermore, Google Constructed-in (Assistant, Maps, and Retailer) in addition to wi-fi Apple CarPlay and Android Auto now come as normal gear for the MDX.
Oh, and Acura moved the wi-fi smartphone charged subsequent to the cupholders and upgraded the sound techniques supplied, too.
What Makes a Kind S Advance?
Maybe most importantly, Acura did away with the Advance package deal for the MDX Kind S, and as a substitute making it normal gear and renaming the trim Kind S Advance. That largely explains the $8,705 improve in base value from the 2022 Kind S. Nevertheless it additionally means a way more luxurious efficiency SUV.
(Photograph/Robin Warner)
You get 16-way power-adjusting seats upholstered in Milano leather-based. These seats are additionally heated, ventilated, and massaging. The truth is, you select from 9 completely different therapeutic massage varieties and three completely different depth ranges. My private favourite is Shiatzu on excessive depth. Second-row seats, aside from the center seat, provide warmth as effectively.
Again within the driver’s seat, the Kind S Advance retains your arms heat courtesy of a heated steering wheel — and also you get pertinent data by way of a head-up show.
Lastly, a 31-speaker Bang & Olufsen sound system belts out music — or podcasts in my case. Mid-level MDXs get a 19-speaker model, the bottom mannequin makes do with 11 audio system.
Mechanically Talking
(Photograph/Robin Warner)
Apart from some new garnish and toys inside, the MDX Kind S largely stays the identical. Beneath the hood nonetheless lies a turbocharged 3.0L V6 that delivers 355 horsepower and 354 pound-feet of torque and sends energy via a 10-speed automated transmission earlier than heading to all 4 wheels.
And it’s a torque vectoring AWD system, which Acura named SH-AWD or Tremendous Dealing with, all-wheel-drive. SH-AWD will switch as a lot as 70% of whole torque to the rear axle and 100% of that to the skin wheel, if driving situations benefit it.
Sadly, gasoline economic system didn’t change both: 17 mpg within the metropolis, 21 on the freeway, and 19 mpg mixed. That’s much less environment friendly than a V8-powered BMW X5 M60i, not to mention the brand new Toyota Grand Highlander and far of the remainder of the household crossovers available on the market.
(Photograph/Robin Warner)
With regard to chassis, the MDX carries on with a double-wishbone entrance suspension geometry and a multilink rear, four-wheel unbiased. And the Kind S nonetheless replaces metal springs with an adjustable air setup. That permits the driving force to actually agency up the whole chassis within the Sport plus driving mode and have far more enjoyable than you’d count on in a three-row crossover.
By the best way, the usual MDX additionally stays unchanged. It receives energy from a naturally aspirated 3.5L V6, which churns out 290 horsepower and 267 pound-feet of torque.
(Photograph/Robin Warner)
Driving Pleasure
Simply because it did in 2022, the MDX Kind S Advance drives phenomenally effectively. Sure, it is a almost 200-inch-long, 68-inch-tall, virtually 4,800-pound three-row crossover. And but, every thing about this machine caters to the driving force. Particularly within the sport plus driving mode, which stiffens and lowers the air suspension, corporations up the steering, and encourages extra torque despatched to the rear axle.
Couple that with the better-than-average front-to-rear weight distribution for an SUV (57% entrance/43% rear), and you’ve got a responsive entrance finish. And, front-to-rear chassis steadiness stays a lot nearer to impartial than you’d count on.
The MDX understeers on the restrict — particularly on a moist freeway on-ramp at sub-freezing temperatures — however courtesy of SH-AWD, the rear-end rotates on energy and tracks your required path brilliantly.
Acura additionally maintains really feel via the steering and your bottom. Moreover, whereas it’s not a drag automotive, the 10-speed automated shifts shortly and retains you within the energy band to ship robust pull into triple-digit speeds.
(Photograph/Robin Warner)
Freeway Cruising With Extra Driving Aids
After you full your on-ramp shenanigans and enter the freeway, the Acura up to date its suite of driving aids for cruising. The Kind S Advance makes use of latest sensors and cameras to extend the techniques imaginative and prescient of the street. That led to a brand new title, AcuraWatch 360, as a substitute of merely AcuraWatch. You additionally get extra driving aids: Entrance Cross Site visitors Warning, Lane Change Collision Mitigation, and Energetic Lane Change Help.
Just like Hyundai’s Freeway Driving Help, Acura inches nearer to sustained hands-free driving with out but reaching something like GM’s Tremendous Cruise tech. Child steps.
Regardless of, I like driving. And I discover the seats snug and supportive. Kind S Advance fashions particularly present numerous bolstering within the seats to carry you snugly in place. And now you may take pleasure in a therapeutic massage too.
Sadly, second-row passengers cope with much less legroom and decrease seat bottoms than a lot of the family-size crossover competitors, making it uncomfortable for adults on a street journey. The MDX appears extra constructed for a younger household than a gaggle of adults.
(Photograph/Robin Warner)
2025 Acura MDX Kind S Advance Evaluate: Abstract
The beginning value for a 2025 Acura MDX Kind S Advance is $76,600, which will get you effectively into BMW X5 territory and even inside putting distance of a Porsche Cayenne. Stiff competitors, to make certain. And but, it holds its personal. For the cash, you get a really fulfilling driver’s automotive dressed as much as appear to be a family-sized crossover SUV. And 99 instances out of 100, it should efficiently idiot the lots.
Acura’s replace stored the know-how march updated and sweetened the pot in relation to luxurious appointments, which in the end solely enhanced the general driving expertise. You continue to get all of the driving enjoyable, but in addition extra consolation for the instances you merely have to make it from level A to level B.
The problem for the MDX is that extra massive crossovers entered the market. And current ones noticed large enhancements. That exposes the MDX’s weaknesses greater than earlier than. Accepting 21 mpg on the interstate is a more durable promote today. And, if household wants outweigh a enjoyable driving expertise, the MDX Kind S has an uphill climb to achieve patrons.
However, for the driving fanatic who wants the house, the 2025 MDX Kind S Advance continues to be the one to beat.