Compare the2023 Acura MDXVS 2022 Honda Pilot

Safety
Warranty
Reliability
Engine
Environmental Friendliness
Transmission
Brakes and Stopping
Tires and Wheels
Suspension and Handling
Chassis
Passenger Space
Servicing Ease
Ergonomics
Recommendations

Safety

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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 Honda Pilot doesn’t offer pretensioners for its second-row seat belts.

In the past twenty years hundreds of infants and young children have died after being left in vehicles, usually by accident. When turning the vehicle off, drivers of the MDX are reminded to check the back seat if they opened the rear door before starting out. The Pilot doesn’t offer a back seat reminder.

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 Pilot 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 uses rear sensors to monitor for objects to the rear and automatically applies the brakes to prevent a collision. The Pilot doesn’t offer backup collision prevention brakes.

The MDX Advance has a standard Surround-View Camera to allow the driver to see objects all around the vehicle on a screen. The Pilot only offers a rear monitor and front and rear parking sensors that beep or flash a light. That doesn’t help with obstacles to the sides.

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 Pilot doesn’t offer a driver alert monitor.

Both the MDX and the Pilot 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, lane departure warning systems, blind spot warning systems, rearview cameras, rear cross-path warning and available all wheel drive.

The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration does 35 MPH front crash tests on new vehicles. In this test, results indicate that the Acura MDX is safer than the Honda Pilot:

	MDX	Pilot
	Passenger
STARS	4 Stars	4 Stars
Neck Injury Risk	30%	35%
Neck Compression	75 lbs.	478 lbs.
Leg Forces (l/r)	392/458 lbs.	478/436 lbs.

New test not comparable to pre-2011 test results. More stars = Better. Lower test results = Better.

The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration does side impact tests on new vehicles. In this test, which crashes the vehicle into a flat barrier at 38.5 MPH and into a post at 20 MPH, results indicate that the Acura MDX is safer than the Honda Pilot:

	MDX	Pilot
	Front Seat
STARS	5 Stars	5 Stars
HIC	107	109
Chest Movement	.6 inches	.6 inches
Hip Force	226 lbs.	269 lbs.
	Rear Seat
STARS	5 Stars	5 Stars
HIC	142	233
Spine Acceleration	41 G’s	42 G’s
Hip Force	168 lbs.	304 lbs.
	Into Pole
STARS	5 Stars	5 Stars
Max Damage Depth	12 inches	15 inches
Spine Acceleration	40 G’s	45 G’s
Hip Force	424 lbs.	838 lbs.

New test not comparable to pre-2011 test results. More stars = Better. Lower test results = Better.

Side impacts caused 23% of all road fatalities in 2018, down from 29% in 2003, when the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety introduced its side barrier test. In order to continue improving vehicle safety, the IIHS has started using a more severe side impact test: 37 MPH (up from 31 MPH), with a 4180-pound barrier (up from 3300 pounds). The results of this newly developed test demonstrates that the Acura MDX is much safer than the Pilot:

	MDX	Pilot
Overall Evaluation	GOOD	MARGINAL
Structure	GOOD	MARGINAL
	Driver Injury Measures
Head/Neck	GOOD	GOOD
Head Injury Criterion	83	206
Neck Tension	134 lbs.	335 lbs.
Torso	GOOD	GOOD
Torso Max Deflection	1.18 in	1.22 in
Pelvis	GOOD	MARGINAL
Pelvis Force	602 lbs.	1339 lbs.
Head Protection	GOOD	GOOD
	Passenger Injury Measures
Head/Neck	GOOD	GOOD
Head Injury Criterion	171	206
Neck Tension	112 lbs.	178 lbs.
Neck Compression	45 lbs.	67 lbs.
Torso	GOOD	MARGINAL
Shoulder Deflection	.75 in	.94 in
Shoulder Force	290 lbs.	335 lbs.
Torso Max Deflection	1.46 in	2.05 in
Torso Deflection Rate	8 MPH	12 MPH
Pelvis	GOOD	GOOD
Pelvis Force	602 lbs.	759 lbs.
Head Protection	GOOD	GOOD

Instrumented handling tests conducted by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration and analysis of its dimensions indicate that the MDX is 1.3% to 2.4% less likely to roll over than the Pilot.

For its performance in IIHS driver-side and passenger-side small overlap frontal, moderate overlap frontal, updated side impact, headlight, daytime pedestrian crash prevention, and nighttime pedestrian crash prevention testing, the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety grants the MDX its highest rating: “Top Safety Pick Plus” for 2023, a rating granted to only 29 vehicles tested by the IIHS. The Pilot last would have qualified as only a standard “Top Safety Pick” for 2019.

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 Pilot’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 Honda covers the Pilot. Any repair needed on the engine, transmission, axles, joints or driveshafts is fully covered for 6 years or 70,000 miles. Coverage on the Pilot ends after only 5 years or 60,000 miles.

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. Honda doesn’t pay scheduled maintenance for the Pilot.

Reliability

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 11 points higher than the Pilot.

Engine

The MDX’s standard 3.5 SOHC V6 produces 10 more horsepower (290 vs. 280) and 5 lbs.-ft. more torque (267 vs. 262) than the Pilot’s 3.5 SOHC V6. The MDX Type S’ standard 3.0 turbo V6 produces 75 more horsepower (355 vs. 280) and 92 lbs.-ft. more torque (354 vs. 262) than the Pilot’s 3.5 SOHC V6.

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

	MDX	Pilot
Zero to 60 MPH	5.4 sec	6.1 sec
Zero to 100 MPH	13.8 sec	17.1 sec
5 to 60 MPH Rolling Start	5.8 sec	6.3 sec
Quarter Mile	14 sec	14.8 sec
Speed in 1/4 Mile	101 MPH	94 MPH

Environmental Friendliness

In its Green Vehicle Guide, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) rates the Acura MDX higher (5 out of 10) than the Honda Pilot (3). This means the MDX produces up to 16.5 pounds less smog-producing pollutants than the Pilot every 15,000 miles.

Transmission

A 10-speed automatic is standard on the Acura MDX, for better acceleration and lower engine speed on the highway. Only a nine-speed automatic is available for the Pilot.

Brakes and Stopping

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

	MDX	MDX Type S	Pilot
Front Rotors	13.8 inches	14.3 inches	12.6 inches

The MDX stops much shorter than the Pilot:

	MDX	Pilot
70 to 0 MPH	170 feet	183 feet	Car and Driver
60 to 0 MPH (Wet)	139 feet	153 feet	Consumer Reports

Tires and Wheels

For better traction, the MDX has larger standard tires than the Pilot (255/55R19 vs. 245/60R18). The MDX Type S’ tires are larger than the largest tires available on the Pilot (275/40R21 vs. 245/60R18).

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 Pilot EX-L’s standard 60 series tires. The MDX Type S’ tires have a lower 40 series profile than the Pilot SE/Touring/Elite/Black Edition’s 50 series tires.

For better ride, handling and brake cooling the MDX has standard 19-inch wheels. Smaller 18-inch wheels are standard on the Pilot EX-L. The MDX Type S’ 21-inch wheels are larger than the 20-inch wheels on the Pilot SE/Touring/Elite/Black Edition.

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 Pilot doesn’t offer self-sealing tires.

Suspension and Handling

The MDX 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 Pilot’s suspension doesn’t offer adjustable shock absorbers.

The MDX Type S has a standard automatic front and rear load leveling suspension to keep ride height level with a heavy load or when towing. The MDX’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 Pilot doesn’t offer a load leveling suspension.

For a smoother ride and more stable handling, the MDX’s wheelbase is 2.8 inches longer than on the Pilot (113.8 inches vs. 111 inches).

For better handling and stability, the track (width between the wheels) on the MDX is 1.4 inches wider in the front and 1.4 inches wider in the rear than on the Pilot.

The MDX Type S handles at .87 G’s, while the Pilot Elite 4WD pulls only .80 G’s of cornering force in a Car and Driver skidpad test.

The MDX SH-AWD executes Motor Trend’s “Figure Eight” maneuver quicker than the Pilot Elite 4WD (27.2 seconds @ .63 average G’s vs. 27.8 seconds @ .62 average G’s).

For greater off-road capability the MDX Type S has a 2.1 inches greater minimum ground clearance than the Pilot (9.4 vs. 7.3 inches), allowing the MDX to travel over rougher terrain without being stopped or damaged.

Chassis

As tested by Car and Driver while at idle, the interior of the MDX Type S is quieter than the Pilot Elite 4WD (36 vs. 37 dB).

Passenger Space

The MDX has .7 inches more front legroom, .2 inches more front hip room, .1 inches more rear legroom and .5 inches more rear hip room than the Pilot.

Servicing Ease

The MDX uses gas struts to support the hood for easier service access. The Pilot 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 Honda. J.D. Power ranks Acura 6th in service department satisfaction (above the industry average). With a 36% lower rating, Honda is ranked 25th.

Ergonomics

Unlike the driver-only memory system in the Pilot, 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 Advance has a standard heads-up display that projects speed, warning, navigation instruction and incoming text message readouts in front of the driver’s line of sight, allowing drivers to view information without diverting their eyes from the road. The Pilot 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 Pilot’s parking brake has to be 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 Pilot’s rear power window switches have to be held the entire time to open or close them fully.

The MDX’s power mirror controls are mounted on the armrest for easy access. The Pilot’s power mirror controls are on the dash where they are possibly hidden by the steering wheel and are awkward to manipulate.

The MDX Type S Advance has standard massaging front seats in order to maximize comfort and eliminate fatigue on long trips. Massaging seats aren’t available in the Pilot.

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. Only the Pilot SE/Elite//Black Edition offers wireless charging.

Recommendations

Consumer Reports® recommends both the Acura MDX and the Honda Pilot, based on reliability, safety and performance.

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