Compare the2022 Volvo XC90VS 2022 Acura MDX

The XC90’s pre-crash front seatbelts will tighten automatically in the event the vehicle detects an impending crash, improving protection against injury significantly. The MDX doesn’t offer pre-crash pretensioners.

For enhanced safety, the front and middle seat shoulder belts of the Volvo XC90 are height-adjustable to accommodate a wide variety of driver and passenger heights. A better fit can prevent injuries and the increased comfort also encourages passengers to buckle up. The Acura MDX doesn’t offer height-adjustable middle seat belts.

Both the XC90 and MDX have child safety locks to prevent children from opening the rear doors. The XC90 has power child safety locks, allowing the driver to activate and deactivate them from the driver's seat and to know when they're engaged. The MDX’s child locks have to be individually engaged at each rear door with a manual switch. The driver can’t know the status of the locks without opening the doors and checking them.

The Volvo XC90 offers an optional built in child booster seat. It’s more crash worthy than an added child seat because of its direct attachment to the seat. Acura doesn’t offer the convenience and security of a built-in child booster seat in the MDX. Their owners must carry a heavy booster seat in and out of the vehicle; XC90 owners can just fold their built-in child seat up or down.

Using vehicle speed sensors and seat sensors, smart airbags in the XC90 deploy with different levels of force or don’t deploy at all to help better protect passengers of all sizes in different collisions. The XC90’s side airbags will shut off if a child is leaning against the door. The MDX’s airbags don’t have smart features and will always deploy full force.

The XC90 has a standard Whiplash Protection System (WHIPS), which use a specially designed seat to protect the driver and front passenger from whiplash. During a rear-end collision, the WHIPS allows the backrest to travel backwards to cushion the occupants and the headrests move forward to prevent neck and spine injuries. At the same time the pretensioning seatbelts fire, removing slack from the belts. The MDX doesn’t offer a whiplash protection system.

The XC90 has standard Automatic Braking After Collision, which automatically apply the brakes in the event of a crash to help prevent secondary collisions and prevent further injuries. The MDX doesn’t offer a post collision braking system: in the event of a collision that triggers the airbags, more collisions are possible without the protection of airbags that may have already deployed.

When descending a steep, off-road slope, the XC90’s standard Hill Descent Control allows you to creep down safely. The MDX doesn’t offer Hill Descent Control.

Both the XC90 and the MDX have standard driver and passenger frontal airbags, front side-impact airbags, driver knee airbags, side-impact head airbags, front and rear seatbelt pretensioners, 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, lane departure warning systems, blind spot warning systems, rearview cameras, rear cross-path warning, driver alert monitors and available around view monitors.

The XC90’s corrosion warranty is 7 years longer than the MDX’s (12 vs. 5 years).

Volvo pays for scheduled maintenance on the XC90 for 3 years and 36,000 miles. Volvo will pay for oil changes, lubrication and any other required maintenance. Acura doesn’t pay scheduled maintenance for the MDX.

The battery on the XC90 is in the trunk, which protects it from hot underhood temperatures that can degrade battery life. By keeping the XC90’s battery 20 to 30 degrees cooler, its life is increased by years. The MDX’s battery is in the hot engine compartment.

From surveys of all its subscribers, Consumer Reports’ January 2021 Auto Issue reports that Volvo vehicles are more reliable than Acura vehicles. Consumer Reports ranks Volvo 10 places higher in reliability than Acura.

The XC90 T6’s standard 2.0 turbo/supercharged 4-cylinder produces 26 more horsepower (316 vs. 290) and 28 lbs.-ft. more torque (295 vs. 267) than the MDX’s 3.5 SOHC V6. The XC90 Recharge’s standard 2.0 turbo/supercharged 4-cylinder hybrid produces 110 more horsepower (400 vs. 290) and 205 lbs.-ft. more torque (472 vs. 267) than the MDX’s 3.5 SOHC V6.

On the EPA test cycle the XC90 running on electricity gets better mileage than the MDX:

On the EPA test cycle the XC90 running its gasoline engine gets better mileage than the MDX:

The XC90 Recharge can drive on battery power alone for up to 18 miles. The MDX must run its internal combustion engine to move.

Regenerative brakes improve the XC90 T8’s fuel efficiency by converting inertia back into energy instead of wasting it. The MDX doesn’t offer a regenerative braking system.

For better stopping power the XC90 Recharge’s front brake rotors are larger than those on the MDX:

The XC90’s standard front and rear disc brakes are vented to help dissipate heat for shorter stops with less fading. The rear discs on the MDX are solid, not vented.

The XC90 stops much shorter than the MDX:

For better traction, the XC90’s optional tires are larger than the largest tires available on the MDX (275/45R20 vs. 255/55R19).

The XC90’s optional tires provide better handling because they have a lower 35 series profile (height to width ratio) that provides a stiffer sidewall than the MDX’s optional 50 series tires.

For better ride, handling and brake cooling the XC90 offers optional 22-inch wheels. The MDX’s largest wheels are only 20-inches.

The XC90 offers an available driver-adjustable suspension system. It allows the driver to choose between an extra-supple ride, reducing fatigue on long trips, or a sport setting, which allows maximum control for tricky roads or off-road. The MDX’s suspension doesn’t offer adjustable shock absorbers.

The XC90 R-Design/Inscription has a standard automatic front and rear load leveling suspension to keep ride height level with a heavy load or when towing. The XC90’s height leveling suspension allows the driver to raise ride height for better off-road clearance and then lower it again for easier entering and exiting and better on-road handling. The MDX doesn’t offer a load leveling suspension.

For a smoother ride and more stable handling, the XC90’s wheelbase is 3.7 inches longer than on the MDX (117.5 inches vs. 113.8 inches).

The XC90’s front to rear weight distribution is more even (51.7% to 48.3%) than the MDX’s (58% to 42%). This gives the XC90 more stable handling and braking.

For better maneuverability, the XC90 w/19” wheels’ turning circle is 1.8 feet tighter than the MDX’s (38.7 feet vs. 40.5 feet). The XC90 w/22” wheels’ turning circle is .8 feet tighter than the MDX’s (39.7 feet vs. 40.5 feet).

For greater off-road capability the XC90 has a 1.5 inches greater minimum ground clearance than the MDX (8.8 vs. 7.3 inches), allowing the XC90 to travel over rougher terrain without being stopped or damaged. The XC90 w/Air Suspension’s minimum ground clearance is 2.6 inches higher than on the MDX (9.9 vs. 7.3 inches).

The XC90 is 3.4 inches shorter than the MDX, making the XC90 easier to handle, maneuver and park in tight spaces.

The XC90 has .4 inches more front headroom, .4 inches more rear headroom, .1 inches more third row headroom, 2.8 inches more third row legroom and 4.3 inches more third row hip room than the MDX.

The XC90 has a standard third row seat which folds flat into the floor. This completely clears a very large cargo area quickly. The MDX doesn’t offer seats that fold into the floor.

A control in the cargo area automatically lowers or raises the XC90’s optional third row seats, to make changing between cargo and passengers easier. The MDX doesn’t offer automatic folding seats.

The XC90’s minimum standard towing capacity is much higher than the MDX’s (4000 vs. 3500 pounds).

The power windows standard on both the XC90 and the MDX have locks to prevent small children from operating them. When the lock on the XC90 is engaged the driver can still operate all of the windows, for instance to close one opened by a child. The MDX prevents the driver from operating the other windows just as it does the other passengers.

The XC90’s rain-sensitive wipers adjust their speed and turn on and off automatically based on the amount of rainfall on the windshield. This allows the driver to concentrate on driving without constantly adjusting the wipers. The MDX’s standard intermittent wipers change speed with vehicle speed, but can’t turn on and off or change speed based on changing rainfall.

Heated windshield washer nozzles are optional on the XC90 to prevent washer fluid and nozzles from freezing and help continue to keep the windshield clear in sub-freezing temperatures. The MDX doesn’t offer heated windshield washer nozzles.

In poor weather, headlights can lose their effectiveness as grime builds up on their lenses. This can reduce visibility without the driver realizing. The XC90 has standard headlight washers to keep headlight output high. The MDX doesn’t offer headlight washers.

To help drivers avoid possible obstacles, the XC90 has standard cornering lights to illuminate around corners when the turn signals are activated. The MDX doesn’t offer cornering lights. The XC90 also has standard adaptive headlights to illuminate around corners automatically by reading vehicle speed and steering wheel angle.

A manual rear sunshade and rear side window sunshades are optional in the XC90 to help block heat and glare for the rear passengers. The MDX doesn’t offer a rear sunshade.

The XC90’s standard rear and side view mirrors have an automatic dimming feature. These mirrors can be set to automatically darken quickly when headlights shine on them, keeping following vehicles from blinding or distracting the driver. The MDX has an automatic rear view mirror, but its side mirrors don’t dim.

The XC90 Inscription offers optional massaging front seats in order to maximize comfort and eliminate fatigue on long trips. Massaging seats aren’t available in the MDX.

The XC90 R-Design/Inscription’s optional Park Assist Pilot can parallel park or back into a parking spot by itself, with the driver only controlling speed with the brake pedal. The MDX doesn’t offer an automated parking system.

The Car Book by Jack Gillis recommends the Volvo XC90, based on economy, maintenance, safety and complaint levels.

Motor Trend selected the XC90 as their 2016 Sport Utility of the Year. The MDX has never been chosen.

The XC90 was chosen as one of Automobile Magazine’s “All Stars” in 2016. The MDX has never been an “All Star.”

A group of representative automotive journalists from North America selected the XC90 as the 2016 North American Truck of the Year. The MDX has never been chosen.