Compare the2023 Acura MDXVS 2022 Cadillac Escalade

For enhanced safety, the front and second-row 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 Cadillac Escalade doesn’t offer pretensioners for its second-row 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 Escalade doesn’t offer knee airbags.

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 Escalade Premium/Platinum/Sport offers a blind spot warning system.

To help make backing out of a parking space safer, the MDX has a standard rear 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 Escalade Premium/Platinum/Sport has a rear 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 Escalade doesn’t offer a driver alert monitor.

For better protection of the passenger compartment, the MDX uses safety cell construction with a three-dimensional high-strength frame that surrounds the passenger compartment. It provides extra impact protection and a sturdy mounting location for door hardware and side impact beams. The Escalade uses a body-on-frame design, which has no frame members above the floor of the vehicle.

Both the MDX and the Escalade have standard driver and passenger frontal airbags, front side-impact airbags, side-impact head airbags, 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, rearview cameras, available all wheel drive and around view monitors.

For its top level performance in IIHS driver and passenger-side small overlap frontal, moderate overlap frontal, side impact, roof strength and head restraint tests, its standard vehicle-to-vehicle front crash prevention system, its standard vehicle-to-pedestrian front crash prevention system, and its standard headlight’s “Good” rating, the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety grants the MDX its highest rating: “Top Safety Pick Plus” for 2022, a rating granted to only 81 vehicles tested by the IIHS. The Escalade has not been tested, yet.

Acura pays for scheduled maintenance on the MDX for 2 years and 24,000 miles. Acura will pay for oil changes, lubrication and any other required maintenance. Cadillac only pays for the first scheduled maintenance visit on the Escalade.

For smoother operation, better efficiency and fewer moving parts, the engines in the MDX have an overhead cam design, rather than the old pushrod design of the engine in the Escalade.

A reliable vehicle saves its owner time, money and trouble. Nobody wants to be stranded or have to be without a vehicle while it’s being repaired. Consumer Reports rates the MDX’s reliability 34 points higher than the Escalade.

As tested in Car and Driver the MDX Type S 3.0 turbo V6 is faster than the Cadillac Escalade:

On the EPA test cycle the MDX gets better mileage than the Escalade:

Regardless of its engine, the MDX’s engine automatically turns off when the vehicle is stopped, saving fuel and reducing pollution. If the conditions warrant or the driver wishes, the system can be manually disabled at any time for the duration of a trip. Cadillac only offers an automatic engine start/stop system on the Escalade Diesel.

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

The MDX stops shorter than the Escalade:

The MDX Type S’ tires provide better handling because they have a lower 40 series profile (height to width ratio) that provides a stiffer sidewall than the Escalade’s 50 series tires.

Having a flat tire is dangerous, inconvenient and expensive. The self-sealing tires available on the MDX can automatically seal most punctures up to 3/16 of an inch, effectively preventing most flat tires. The Escalade doesn’t offer self-sealing tires.

The MDX Type S handles at .87 G’s, while the Escalade Sport Platinum 4WD pulls only .67 G’s of cornering force in a Car and Driver skidpad test.

The MDX SH-AWD executes Motor Trend’s “Figure Eight” maneuver 2.9 seconds quicker than the Escalade Sport 4WD (27.2 seconds @ .63 average G’s vs. 30.1 seconds @ .53 average G’s).

The Acura MDX may be more efficient, handle and accelerate better because it weighs about 1050 to 1350 pounds less than the Cadillac Escalade.

The MDX is 1 foot, 1.5 inches shorter than the Escalade, making the MDX easier to handle, maneuver and park in tight spaces.

The MDX is 9.6 inches shorter in height than the Escalade, making the MDX much easier to wash and garage and drive (lower center of gravity).

Unibody construction lowers the MDX’s center of gravity significantly without reducing ground clearance. This contributes to better on the road handling and better off-road performance and stability. In addition, unibody construction makes the chassis stiffer, improving handling and reducing squeaks and rattles. The Escalade uses body-on-frame design instead.

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

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

Consumer Reports® recommends the Acura MDX, based on reliability, safety and performance. The Cadillac Escalade isn't recommended.

The Acura MDX outsold the Cadillac Escalade/Escalade ESV by 57% during the 2021 model year.