Compare the2022 Acura MDXVS 2020 Nissan Pathfinder

Safety
Warranty
Reliability
Engine
Fuel Economy and Range
Brakes and Stopping
Tires and Wheels
Suspension and Handling
Chassis
Passenger Space
Cargo Capacity
Servicing Ease
Ergonomics

Safety

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For enhanced safety, the front and middle seat shoulder belts of the Acura MDX have pretensioners to tighten the seatbelts and eliminate dangerous slack in the event of a collision and force limiters to limit the pressure the belts will exert on the passengers. The Nissan Pathfinder doesn’t offer pretensioners for the middle seat belts.

The Acura MDX has standard driver and front passenger side knee airbags mounted low on the dashboard. These airbags helps prevent the driver and front passenger from sliding under their seatbelts or the main frontal airbags; this keeps them better positioned during a collision for maximum protection. Knee airbags also help keep the legs from striking the dashboard, preventing knee and leg injuries in the case of a serious frontal collision. The Pathfinder doesn’t offer knee airbags.

Over 200 people are killed each year when backed over by motor vehicles. The MDX offers an optional Low-Speed Braking Control that use rear sensors to monitor and automatically apply the brakes to prevent a rear collision. The Pathfinder doesn’t offer backup collision prevention brakes.

The MDX’s lane departure warning system alerts a temporarily inattentive driver when the vehicle begins to leave its lane and gently nudges the vehicle back towards its lane. The Pathfinder doesn’t offer a lane departure warning system.

The MDX has a standard blind spot warning system which uses sensors to alert the driver to objects in the vehicle’s blind spots where the side view mirrors don’t reveal them. Only the Pathfinder SV/SL/Platinum offers a blind spot warning system.

To help make backing out of a parking space safer, the MDX has a standard cross-path warning system, which uses sensors in the rear bumper to alert the driver to vehicles approaching from the side, helping the driver avoid collisions. Only the Pathfinder SV/SL/Platinum has a cross-path warning system.

The MDX’s driver alert monitor detects an inattentive driver then sounds a warning and suggests a break. According to the NHTSA, drivers who fall asleep cause about 100,000 crashes and 1500 deaths a year. The Pathfinder doesn’t offer a driver alert monitor.

Both the MDX and the Pathfinder have standard driver and passenger frontal airbags, front side-impact airbags, side-impact head airbags, front wheel drive, height adjustable front shoulder belts, four-wheel antilock brakes, traction control, electronic stability systems to prevent skidding, crash mitigating brakes, daytime running lights, rearview cameras, available all wheel drive and around view monitors.

Warranty

The MDX comes with a full 4-year/50,000-mile basic warranty, which covers the entire truck and includes 24-hour roadside assistance. The Pathfinder’s 3-year/36,000-mile basic warranty expires 1 year or 14,000 miles sooner.

Acura’s powertrain warranty covers the MDX 1 year and 10,000 miles longer than Nissan covers the Pathfinder. Any repair needed on the engine, transmission, axles, joints or driveshafts is fully covered for 6 years or 70,000 miles. Coverage on the Pathfinder ends after only 5 years or 60,000 miles.

Reliability

The engine in the MDX has a single overhead cam for simplicity. The engine in the Pathfinder has dual overhead cams, which add to the number of moving parts and the complexity of the cylinder heads.

J.D. Power and Associates’ 2021 survey of the owners of three-year-old vehicles provides the long-term dependability statistics that show that Acura vehicles are more reliable than Nissan vehicles. J.D. Power ranks Acura 10th in reliability, above the industry average. With 20 more problems per 100 vehicles, Nissan is ranked 21st.

Engine

The MDX’s 3.5 SOHC V6 produces 6 more horsepower (290 vs. 284) and 8 lbs.-ft. more torque (267 vs. 259) than the Pathfinder’s 3.5 DOHC V6.

Fuel Economy and Range

An engine control system that can shut down some of the engine’s cylinders helps improve the MDX’s fuel efficiency. The Pathfinder doesn’t offer a system that can shut down part of the engine.

In heavy traffic or at stoplights the MDX’s engine automatically turns off when the vehicle is stopped, saving fuel and reducing pollution. The engine is automatically restarted when the driver gets ready to move again. (Start/Stop isn’t accounted in present EPA fuel mileage tests.) The Pathfinder doesn’t offer an automatic engine start/stop system.

The MDX has a standard cap-less fueling system. The fuel filler is automatically opened when the fuel nozzle is inserted and automatically closed when it’s removed. This eliminates the need to unscrew and replace the cap and it reduces fuel evaporation, which causes pollution. The Pathfinder doesn’t offer a cap-less fueling system.

Brakes and Stopping

For better stopping power the MDX’s brake rotors are larger than those on the Pathfinder:

	MDX	Pathfinder
Front Rotors	13.8 inches	12.6 inches
Rear Rotors	13 inches	12.13 inches

Tires and Wheels

For better traction, the MDX has larger tires than the Pathfinder (255/55R19 vs. 235/65R18).

The MDX’s standard tires provide better handling because they have a lower 55 series profile (height to width ratio) that provides a stiffer sidewall than the Pathfinder S/SV/SL’s standard 65 series tires. The MDX’s optional tires have a lower 50 series profile than the Pathfinder Platinum’s 55 series tires.

For better ride, handling and brake cooling the MDX has standard 19-inch wheels. Smaller 18-inch wheels are standard on the Pathfinder S/SV/SL.

Suspension and Handling

For better handling and stability, the track (width between the wheels) on the MDX is 2 inches wider in the front and 2 inches wider in the rear than on the Pathfinder.

For greater off-road capability the MDX has a greater minimum ground clearance than the Pathfinder (7.3 vs. 7 inches), allowing the MDX to travel over rougher terrain without being stopped or damaged.

Chassis

The MDX uses computer-generated active noise cancellation to help remove annoying noise and vibration from the passenger compartment, especially at low frequencies. The Pathfinder doesn’t offer active noise cancellation.

Passenger Space

The MDX has 2.5 inches more front hip room, 1 inch more front shoulder room and 1.8 inches more rear hip room than the Pathfinder.

Cargo Capacity

The MDX’s cargo area provides more volume than the Pathfinder.

	MDX	Pathfinder
Behind Third Seat	18.1 cubic feet	16.2 cubic feet
Third Seat Folded	48.4 cubic feet	n/a
Third Seat Removed	n/a	47.4 cubic feet
Second Seat Folded	95 cubic feet	79.5 cubic feet

Servicing Ease

The MDX uses gas struts to support the hood for easier service access. The Pathfinder uses a prop rod to support its heavy hood. It takes two hands to open the hood and set the prop rod, the prop rod gets in the way during maintenance and service, and the prop rod could be knocked out, causing the heavy hood to fall on the person maintaining or servicing the car.

J.D. Power and Associates surveys of service recipients show that Acura service is better than Nissan. J.D. Power ranks Acura 6th in service department satisfaction (above the industry average). With a 13% lower rating, Nissan is ranked 17th.

Ergonomics

Unlike the driver-only memory system in the Pathfinder SL/Platinum, the MDX offers an optional passenger memory, so that when drivers switch, the memory setting adjusts the driver’s seat, steering wheel position and outside mirror angle and the front passenger seat also adjusts to the new passenger’s preset preferences.

The MDX offers an optional heads-up display that projects speed and other key instrumentation readouts in front of the driver’s line of sight, allowing drivers to view information without diverting their eyes from the road. The Pathfinder doesn’t offer a heads-up display.

The MDX’s power parking brake sets with one touch and releases with one touch or automatically. The Pathfinder’s parking brake has to released manually.

The MDX’s front and rear power windows all open or close fully with one touch of the switches, making it more convenient at drive-up windows and toll booths, or when talking with someone outside the car. The Pathfinder’s standard power window switches have to be held the entire time to close them fully. Only its driver’s window opens automatically. With the Pathfinder SV/SL/Platinum’s power windows, only the front windows open or close automatically.

The MDX’s standard speed-sensitive wipers speed up when the vehicle does, so that the driver doesn’t have to continually adjust the speed of the wipers. The Pathfinder S’ standard manually variable intermittent wipers have to be constantly adjusted. The MDX’s optional wipers adjust their speed and turn on and off automatically according to the amount of rainfall on the windshield. The Pathfinder SV/SL/Platinum’s intermittent wipers change speed with vehicle speed, but can’t turn on and off or change speed based on changing rainfall.

The MDX has a standard automatic headlight on/off feature. When the ignition is on, the headlights automatically turn on at dusk and off after dawn. The automatic headlight on/off feature is not available on the Pathfinder S.

While driving with high beams on, sensitive light sensors standard on the MDX detect other vehicles which could be blinded and automatically switch to low beams. The Pathfinder doesn’t offer automatic dimming high beams.

Manual rear side window sunshades are available in the MDX to help block heat and glare for the rear passengers. The Pathfinder doesn’t offer rear side window sunshades.

The MDX’s standard outside mirrors include heating elements to clear off the mirrors for better visibility. Heated mirrors cost extra on the Pathfinder and aren’t offered on the Pathfinder S.

To quickly and conveniently keep personal devices charged without cables tangling and wearing out, the Acura MDX has a standard wireless phone charging system (Qi) in the center console. Wireless charging costs extra on the Pathfinder.