Review: 2022 Acura MDX Adds Wireless CarPlay to a Touchpad-Driven Infotainment System

[Mystakill]

Hope it works better than the wireless car play used in my Audi Q5...50/50 odds it connects.

Ditto in the VW Atlas. I generally end up just plugging it in, because it's a more reliable connection.

 

[Mystakill]

Well I own 2021 MDX...

There was no 2021 MDX. They skipped that model year and went to 2022.

Also, I absolutely despise the push-button gear controls in my wife's 2020 MDX. She also keeps turning my Atlas off because its power button is in approximately the same place on the console as the MDX's Drive button. Admittedly, the Atlas' button location was also a poor choice, because anything set on it (like her purse) will turn it off while you're driving.

 

[justperry]

They are in two entirely different market segments. I doubt there will be a significant amount of cross-shopping. The Wagoneer is more Tahoe/Suburban, Expedition, Telluride twins, Escalade, Navigator, whatever the larger Benz SUV is. Basically, big cushy family hauler with usable third row AND can tow a few jet skis behind it.

The Acura is for aspirational mommies and dads who got sick of BMW/MB/Audi reliability issues, and are willing to take a hit in prestige for reliability and less cost. Or those who want the dynamics of a Cayanne or Q7 without breaking the bank. Acura's excellent SH-AWD system and sporty dynamics are completely lost on their customers.

I'm actually a huge fan of the MDX (and Acura, hence the TSX in my name). My wife would be driving one right now, but we opted for a RX350. And only because it offered much better real world mileage (+4-6mpg over the 45-55k miles she drives annually), and it was a timing chain motor (saving $1200 T-belt service every 90k miles). I'm honestly more moved by the smaller RDX, and have recently had some serious test drives in the new TLX Type-S. But Tesla is getting our $$$ next. (again, with 45-55k miles driven per year an EV makes TONS of sense as it will save $4-6k in fuel annually).

Thanks for your reply, wasn't my point though, I just think one is ugly Monstrosity, the other is a nice-looking car.

 

[DanTSX]

What is with that phallic drive selector console? also, piano finish on any car these days is a huge no-no to me... that stuff gets so scratched up that after the first year of ownership it looks like it was gone over with sandpaper.

Sometimes a cigar is just a cigar man....

 

[ColdShadow]

Cheap as in how? (Be specific.) I mean, A semi-leather stitched Dash, using high gloss piano black looks cheap? I can think of like five other cars that have very similar set ups that are in $65,000 plus range. I mean, what were you expecting…. carbon fiber? I don’t think anything here looks ‘cheap’, seems a bit subjective. I do think the placeholder for the center display isn’t the most aesthetic, when that maybe could be a bit more integrated.

Cheap as tacky..
The design the aesthetics when compared to proper luxury design language of German cars for example.
I’m sure they use good quality material,but the aesthetics simply suck.Japanese just can’t do it.(with exception of few Lexus models here and there)

 

[johnb300m]

Terribly outdated looking pop-up screen and no touch control. Wow. For a possible 60k sticker price this seems like a major fail.

Yeah. Driving wise, I'd place the RDX we drove up there with a BMW X3. Except the touchpad system is hot trash compared to BMW's knob and touchscreen interface. I've tried it out on some test drive cars, as well as a past BMW rental, and their infotainment system is practically a dream compared to some others.
The Germans pack a stupid amount of data in there, but the system was very intuitive and I learned all the basics within a short test drive. I still don't know how the Acura system works.

Yea using a touchpad while driving is stupid and dangerous. Honda has really lost its way. They made their reputation on great ergonomics. Now, they just follow trends without thought. Like that giant knob in the middle, even though that's the least used function! Make the volume knob that big.

Agreed. We've been test driving some SUVs lately. We loved the RDX in every way except the infotainment system.
Acura/Honda needs to understand that infotainment systems now make/break cars. They are arguably more important than the car itself when they are the main interface besides the steering wheel now, when interacting with a vehicle.
The RDX is now on the bottom of our list, which is sad.

 

[johnb300m]

Cheap as in how? (Be specific.) I mean, A semi-leather stitched Dash, using high gloss piano black looks cheap? I can think of like five other cars that have very similar set ups that are in $65,000 plus range.

"Cough....Genesis...cough, cough."
The Acura interior style may not be everyone's cup of tea.
But it certainly didn't feel cheap in all the areas that mattered. Felt very well built.
Unlike a Genesis SUV I tested.
That interior was clearly built to photograph very well, but felt like crappy Chinese tinker toys with lots of galvanic painted finishes that will rub off in just a few years.

 

[mlody]

Yeah. Driving wise, I'd place the RDX we drove up there with a BMW X3. Except the touchpad system is hot trash compared to BMW's knob and touchscreen interface. I've tried it out on some test drive cars, as well as a past BMW rental, and their infotainment system is practically a dream compared to some others.
The Germans pack a stupid amount of data in there, but the system was very intuitive and I learned all the basics within a short test drive. I still don't know how the Acura system works.

Agreed. We've been test driving some SUVs lately. We loved the RDX in every way except the infotainment system.
Acura/Honda needs to understand that infotainment systems now make/break cars. They are arguably more important than the car itself when they are the main interface besides the steering wheel now, when interacting with a vehicle.
The RDX is now on the bottom of our list, which is sad.

We are in the same boat. We generally like Honda / Acura products and had many of them over the years, but Acura lost their mind with trackpad interface. Add the fact that CarPay only occupies 2/3 of the screen, you end up with crappy interface and 7" display (on RDX). A freaking $20k Kia offers better CarPlay experience than $50k premium SUV.