Compare the2023 Ford ExpeditionVS 2023 Acura MDX

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

Safety

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The middle row seatbelts optional on the Expedition inflate when a collision is detected, helping to spread crash forces over a much larger area of the body and limiting head and neck movement. This can help prevent spinal and internal injuries. The MDX doesn’t offer inflatable seatbelts.

When descending a steep, off-road slope, the Expedition 4x4’s standard Hill Descent Control allows you to creep down safely. The MDX doesn’t offer Hill Descent Control.

Both the Expedition and MDX have rear cross-traffic warning, but the Expedition has Cross Traffic Braking (automatically applies the brakes) to better prevent a collision when backing near traffic. The MDX’s Rear Cross Traffic Monitor doesn’t automatically brake.

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

The Ford Expedition weighs 580 to 1352 pounds more than the Acura MDX. The NHTSA advises that heavier vehicles are much safer in collisions than their significantly lighter counterparts.

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

	Expedition	MDX
OVERALL STARS	5 Stars	4 Stars
	Driver
STARS	5 Stars	4 Stars
HIC	165	244
Leg Forces (l/r)	23/39 lbs.	463/521 lbs.
	Passenger
STARS	5 Stars	4 Stars
Chest Compression	.4 inches	.7 inches
Neck Compression	74 lbs.	75 lbs.
Leg Forces (l/r)	271/178 lbs.	392/458 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 Ford Expedition is safer than the Acura MDX:

	Expedition	MDX
	Front Seat
STARS	5 Stars	5 Stars
HIC	23	107
Chest Movement	.5 inches	.6 inches
Hip Force	180 lbs.	226 lbs.
	Rear Seat
STARS	5 Stars	5 Stars
HIC	61	142
Spine Acceleration	27 G’s	41 G’s
	Into Pole
STARS	5 Stars	5 Stars
HIC	134	549

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

Warranty

There are over 11 times as many Ford dealers as there are Acura dealers, which makes it much easier should you ever need service under the Expedition’s warranty.

Reliability

A hardened steel chain, with no maintenance needs, drives the camshafts in the Expedition’s engine. A rubber cam drive belt that needs periodic replacement drives the MDX’s camshafts. If the MDX’s belt breaks, the engine could be severely damaged when the pistons hit the opened valves.

The Expedition has a standard “limp home system” to keep drivers from being stranded if most or all of the engine’s coolant is lost. The engine will run on only half of its cylinders at a time, reduce its power and light a warning lamp on the dashboard so the driver can get to a service station for repairs. The MDX doesn’t offer a lost coolant limp home mode, so a coolant leak could strand you or seriously damage the truck’s engine.

J.D. Power and Associates’ 2022 Initial Quality Study of new car owners surveyed provide the statistics that show that Ford vehicles are better in initial quality than Acura vehicles. J.D. Power ranks Ford above average in initial quality. With 25 more problems per 100 vehicles, Acura is rated below average.

J.D. Power and Associates’ 2022 survey of the owners of three-year-old vehicles provides the long-term dependability statistics that show that Ford vehicles are more reliable than Acura vehicles. J.D. Power ranks Ford above average in long-term dependability. With 4 more problems per 100 vehicles in the first three years of ownership, Acura is rated below average.

Engine

The Expedition has more powerful engines than the MDX:

	Horsepower	Torque
Expedition 3.5 turbo V6	380 HP	470 lbs.-ft.
Expedition Limited/KR/Platinum 3.5 turbo V6	400 HP	480 lbs.-ft.
Expedition Timberline/Stealth Performance 3.5 turbo V6	440 HP	510 lbs.-ft.
MDX 3.5 SOHC V6	290 HP	267 lbs.-ft.
MDX Type S 3.0 turbo V6	355 HP	354 lbs.-ft.

As tested in Motor Trend the Ford Expedition (base engine) is faster than the Acura MDX V6:

	Expedition	MDX
Zero to 60 MPH	6.2 sec	7.5 sec
Quarter Mile	14.8 sec	15.8 sec
Speed in 1/4 Mile	91.7 MPH	88.6 MPH

Fuel Economy and Range

The Expedition has 4.7 gallons more fuel capacity than the MDX (23.2 vs. 18.5 gallons), for longer range between fill-ups.

Brakes and Stopping

The Expedition’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 Expedition stops shorter than the MDX:

	Expedition	MDX
60 to 0 MPH	129 feet	133 feet	Motor Trend

Tires and Wheels

For better traction, the Expedition has larger standard tires than the MDX (265/70R18 vs. 255/55R19). The Expedition’s optional tires are larger than the largest tires available on the MDX (285/45R22 vs. 275/40R21).

For better ride, handling and brake cooling the Expedition offers optional 22-inch wheels. The MDX’s largest wheels are only 21-inches.

The Ford Expedition’s wheels have 6 lugs for longer wheel bearing life, less chance of rotor warping and greater strength. The Acura MDX only has 5 wheel lugs per wheel.

The Expedition has a standard full size spare tire so a flat doesn’t interrupt your trip. A full size spare isn’t available on the MDX; it requires you to depend on a temporary spare, which has mileage and speed limitations, or roadside assistance and a tow-truck.

Suspension and Handling

The Expedition’s drift compensation steering can automatically compensate for road conditions which would cause the vehicle to drift from side to side, helping the driver to keep the vehicle straight more easily. The MDX doesn’t offer drift compensation steering.

For a smoother ride and more stable handling, the Expedition’s wheelbase is 8.7 inches longer than on the MDX (122.5 inches vs. 113.8 inches).

For greater off-road capability the Expedition has a 2.5 inches greater minimum ground clearance than the MDX (9.8 vs. 7.3 inches), allowing the Expedition to travel over rougher terrain without being stopped or damaged. The Expedition Timberline’s minimum ground clearance is 1.2 inches higher than on the MDX Type S (10.6 vs. 9.4 inches).

Chassis

The front grille of the Expedition uses electronically controlled shutters to close off airflow and reduce drag when less engine cooling is needed. This helps improve highway fuel economy. The MDX doesn’t offer active grille shutters.

Passenger Space

The Expedition offers optional seating for 8 passengers; the MDX can only carry 7.

The Expedition has 32.8 cubic feet more passenger volume than the MDX (171.9 vs. 139.1).

The Expedition has 3.5 inches more front headroom, 2.3 inches more front legroom, 2.9 inches more front hip room, 3 inches more front shoulder room, 1.9 inches more rear headroom, 3 inches more rear legroom, 4.8 inches more rear hip room, 4.5 inches more rear shoulder room, 1.1 inches more third row headroom, 7 inches more third row legroom, 10.8 inches more third row hip room and 9 inches more third row shoulder room than the MDX.

For enhanced passenger comfort on long trips the Expedition’s middle and third row seats recline. The MDX’s third row seats don’t recline.

Cargo Capacity

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

	Expedition	MDX
Behind Third Seat	19.3 cubic feet	18.1 cubic feet
Third Seat Folded	57.5 cubic feet	48.4 cubic feet
Second Seat Folded	104.6 cubic feet	95 cubic feet

Pressing a button automatically lowers the Expedition’s optional second row seats and pressing a button automatically lowers or raises the Expedition’s third row seats, to make changing between passengers and cargo easier. The MDX doesn’t offer automatic folding seats.

The Expedition’s rear cargo window opens separately from the rest of the liftgate door to allow quicker loading of small packages. The MDX’s rear cargo window doesn’t open.

Towing

The Expedition’s standard towing capacity is much higher than the MDX’s (6000 vs. 3500 pounds). Maximum trailer towing in the Acura MDX SH-AWD is only 5000 pounds. The Expedition offers up to a 9300 lbs. towing capacity.

The Expedition 4x4 with optional equipment can be flat towed on all four wheels (dinghy towed), allowing recreational vehicle owners to bring it with them on the road. When they reach their destination, the Expedition can be unhitched and driven around locally. The MDX can’t be towed flat on the ground.

Servicing Ease

The engine in the Expedition is mounted longitudinally (North-South), instead of sideways, as in the MDX. This makes it easier to service and maintain, because there are no rear spark plugs and the accessory belts are in front.

Ergonomics

The Expedition’s instruments include an oil pressure gauge and a temperature gauge - which could save your engine! Often ‘idiot lights’ don’t warn you until damage has been done. The MDX does not have an oil pressure gauge.

The power windows standard on both the Expedition and the MDX have locks to prevent small children from operating them. When the lock on the Expedition 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.

In case you lock your keys in your vehicle, or don’t have them with you, you can let yourself in using the Expedition’s available exterior PIN entry system. The MDX doesn’t offer an exterior PIN entry system, and its AcuraLink can’t unlock the doors if the vehicle doesn’t have cell phone reception or the driver can’t contact the service.

The Expedition XLT/Limited/Timberline/King Ranch/Platinum’s standard rear view mirror and optional 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 Expedition (except STX)’s optional Enhanced Active Park Assist 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.

Economic Advantages

The Expedition will cost the buyer less in the long run because of its superior resale value. The IntelliChoice estimates that the Expedition will retain 49.75% to 51.3% of its original price after five years, while the MDX only retains 45.63% to 46.51%.

Recommendations

The Ford Expedition/Expedition Max outsold the Acura MDX by 34% during 2022.

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