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2022 Acura MDX Type S First Drive Review | Spicy-enough family hauler

NAPA, Calif. — First things first: The 2022 Acura MDX Type S is not the Honda premium brandÂ’s attempt to create a BMW X5M. Then again, at $67,745, it comes in 30 grand under the storming German SUV. So while the Type S carries the imprimatur of high performance, it is priced more in line with the entry-level BMW X5 xDrive40i, plus the Audi Q7 55 TFSI and Mercedes GLE 450 4Matic that have upgrade engines but fall well short of being considered high-performance models. Acura makes a more convincing showing of it with the Type S, but you still get what you pay for – and sometimes paying less is OK. What Acura has created is an upgraded midsized SUV that gives sufficient sportiness to enthusiastic drivers, without clamping down on handling and braking harder than ThanosÂ’ gauntlet. HereÂ’s what to tell your friends at the bar: Acura ripped out the stock 3.5-liter V6 for a 3.0-liter sequential twin-scroll turbo that adds 65 horsepower (to 355) and 87 pound-feet of torque (to 354), and beefed up the 10-speed automatic transmission with a new torque converter, stronger gears and improved clutches to handle the increased power. It was also reprogrammed for improved response, especially in the new, Type S-exclusive Sport+ mode. Brake upgrades include four-piston 14.3-inch Brembos up front. And Acura claims its first-ever air suspension – courtesy of supplier Continental – delivers both improved ride and dynamic performance. What does that mean when youÂ’re actually behind the wheel? On a rainy day in Napa, California, marked with intermittent drizzle that turned the narrow two-lane roads greasy and slithery, the MDX Type S revealed its beefy size on occasion but also comported itself confidently. Most confident on corners marked “35 mph” or above, the Type S felt a bit bogged down in slower corners – especially when getting on the gas too early. Acura claims that its torque-vectoring Super Handling All-Wheel Drive will help round off corners when accelerating out of an apex, but the laws of physics and slippery roads still apply. Hitting the gas earlier in a wet cornerÂ’s apex can result in some bonus wheel slippage and mini-rotations thanks to SH-AWD, which is great fun if you are expecting it from this 4,741-pound beast.

Acura's MDX SEMA concept took the wrong parts from the NSX GT3

When it comes to SEMA show cars, the more absurd the better, such as with the 1,040-horsepower Bisimoto Hyundai Santa Fe. That's not the case with Acura's custom MDX. This crossover was designed to match the NSX GT3 racecar, and gets a custom trailer to tow it. However, instead of doing something awesome like dropping in the NSX's twin-turbo V6, Acura decided the defining characteristics of the race car were the paint, splitter, and wing. So that's what the MDX and trailer got. In addition to a matching white paint scheme with orange and black accents, the SUV wears a massive front splitter that looks like a shelf stuck close to the ground. It's the only aero modification on the vehicle, and it just looks silly, what with the massive gap between the base of the bumper and the splitter itself. There aren't any performance modifications on this SUV either, except the lowered suspension, so the only thing the splitter is likely to do is break off on the first mildly steep driveway it comes across. To complement the MDX's dubious aero aid, the custom trailer gets a "wing" at the back. Actually, it looks like Acura slapped some endplates on the back to give it a wing look. The trailer also gets running boards that extend the splitter along the side. Maybe it all works together to keep the trailering rig planted. But probably not. If Acura wants suggestions for next time, we suggest a mid-engined MDX, or perhaps one with a wild hybrid system. We'll call this a missed opportunity. Related Video: Featured Gallery Acura MDX with custom NSX GT3 Trailer: SEMA 2016 View 11 Photos Related Gallery 2017 Acura MDX SEMA concept Image Credit: Live photos copyright 2016 Drew Phillips / Autoblog Design/Style SEMA Show Acura Crossover Racing Vehicles acura mdx acura nsx gt3

2014 Acura RLX

Earlier in the year, I reviewed a powder-blue Volkswagen Beetle Convertible, and I witnessed a group of high-school-aged girls ogling the car as it sat in my driveway. In my head, I found it to be a funny-yet-fitting scene that I didn't think of again until a 2014 Acura RLX showed up in my driveway. This time around, an elderly neighborhood couple stopped to give the big Acura sedan a closer look. The RLX is trying to shed past stereotypes of its predecessor, the Acura RL, just like the Beetle. Hoping to avoid becoming the de facto "grandpa car," Acura has completely reworked - and renamed - its flagship sedan.
As the bookend to the new entry-level ILX, the addition of the 2014 RLX might give Acura its strongest sedan lineup ever as the automaker looks to break the cycle of being a middle-of-the-road luxury brand. Stepping up to the big-boy table isn't going to be easy, though, as the competition keeps getting tougher. Forget cars like the Mercedes E-Class and BMW 5 Series, the Acura RLX is going to have its hands full with the likes of the Cadillac XTS, Lexus GS and Hyundai Genesis, not to mention a strong consortium of lower-priced, mid-luxury sedans like the Hyundai Azera, Toyota Avalon and Chevy Impala. The one thing all of these cars have in common is a reputation for being an old man cruiser.
I spent a week with the new RLX to see if it could shake the stigma of its outdated predecessor or if it would just leave me searching for the nearest early bird specials.