2025 Acura MDX: 31-Speaker Sound System, No Trackpad

The Acura MDX midsize SUV flies a little under the radar. Acura is the luxury division of Honda. Many luxury automakers build a large full-size luxo-barge SUV like the BMW X7 or Lexus LX to serve as their standard carrier. Acura has no problem. The top of its range is the mid-size luxury SUV, the MDX.

The MDX is like a mid-sized navy flagship. Sure, it’s not an aircraft carrier but you better believe that every part of the destroyer the admiral commands is in tip-top shape.

Our expert test driver describes the MDX as “a strong contender in a class full of premium cars.” Still, the MDX doesn’t enjoy the praise it deserves.

The current model has been on dealer lots since the 2022 model year, with few changes. It’s not time for a complete redesign, but the flag needs an update.

For the 2025 model year, that means styling revisions and cabin technology upgrades. Acura has not discussed pricing. We expect a slight upside from today’s starting price of $50,150 (which includes a destination charge of $1,350).

Redone Infotainment Tech

The big news is the infotainment system.

Until now, Acura has stubbornly stuck with an input system no one seems to like. Even in 2023, when nearly every car on the market uses a touchscreen, Acura stuck with a laptop-style trackpad to control the MDX’s center-shelf display.

It has passed. Hallelujah. It has passed.

In its place is a 12.3-inch touchscreen, the same as almost every rival. That knowledge alone could help many buyers feel more comfortable with the MDX. On the test drive, it no longer feels a generation behind the BMW X5 or Mercedes-Benz GLE.

Removing it makes room for storage beyond the center console. The infotainment system runs Google Maps with wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto.

Acura has partnered with Bang & Olufsen to bring enhanced audio systems to its vehicles.

For the MDX, that means a 19-speaker setup in the A-Spec model and 31 speakers in the top-of-the-line S-Type.

Acura says it has improved the hardware and software behind its advanced driver assistance systems, offering acceleration and deceleration from smooth cruise control, a more sensitive blind spot monitoring system, and automatic emergency braking “that can detect oncoming vehicles with additional. potential collision events.”

New Look

External changes are subtle but stay tuned for updates.

The grille gets a slight curve, reducing the heavy chrome look of the 2024 MDX. New front fascias – the S-Type gets its own design – also improve visibility.

Acura hasn’t announced any performance improvements, but the 2024 MDX may feel a little smoother on the highway thanks to noise reduction.

“The 2025 Acura MDX with Technology Package, Advance Package, and MDX A-Spec models receive extensive updates to reduce road noise by approximately 10%,” the company says. Changes include “improved front and rear fascias and additional door insulators. To further reduce wind noise,” and tinted glass even for the rear windows.