Compare the2023 Acura MDXVS 2023 Maserati Levante

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 Maserati Levante doesn’t offer pretensioners for its rear 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 Levante 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 Levante 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 Levante doesn’t offer backup collision prevention brakes.

The MDX’s standard 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. A lane departure warning system costs extra on the Levante.

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 Levante doesn’t offer a driver alert monitor.

Both the MDX and the Levante 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, daytime running lights, blind spot warning systems, rearview cameras, rear cross-path warning, available all wheel drive and around view monitors.

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 Levante has not been tested, yet.

Acura’s powertrain warranty covers the MDX 2 years and 20,000 miles longer than Maserati covers the Levante. Any repair needed on the engine, transmission, axles, joints or driveshafts is fully covered for 6 years or 70,000 miles. Coverage on the Levante ends after only 4 years or 50,000 miles.

The MDX’s corrosion warranty is 1 year and unlimited miles longer than the Levante’s (5/unlimited vs. 4/50,000).

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. Maserati doesn’t pay scheduled maintenance for the Levante.

There are over 2 times as many Acura dealers as there are Maserati dealers, which makes it much easier should you ever need service under the MDX’s warranty.

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 Levante.

J.D. Power and Associates’ 2022 Initial Quality Study of new car owners surveyed provide the statistics that show that Acura vehicles are better in initial quality than Maserati vehicles. With 63 fewer problems per 100 vehicles, JD Power ranks Acura higher than Maserati.

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

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

To lower fuel costs and make buying fuel easier, the Acura MDX uses regular unleaded gasoline (premium recommended for maximum performance). The Levante requires premium, which can cost 20 to 55 cents more per gallon.

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 Levante doesn’t offer a cap-less fueling system.

In its Green Vehicle Guide, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) rates the Acura MDX higher (5 out of 10) than the Maserati Levante (1 to 3). This means the MDX produces up to 39 pounds less smog-producing pollutants than the Levante every 15,000 miles.

A 10-speed automatic is standard on the Acura MDX, for better acceleration and lower engine speed on the highway. Only an eight-speed automatic is available for the Levante.

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

For better traction, the MDX Type S’ tires are larger than the largest tires available on the Levante (275/40R21 vs. 265/45R20).

The MDX has a standard easy tire fill system. When inflating the tires, the vehicle’s integrated tire pressure sensors keep track of the pressure as the tires fill and tell the driver when the tires are inflated to the proper pressure. The Levante doesn’t offer vehicle monitored tire inflation.

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 Levante doesn’t offer self-sealing tires.

For better handling and stability, the track (width between the wheels) on the MDX is 3.5 inches wider in the front and 1.3 inches wider in the rear than the average track on the Levante.

For better maneuverability, the MDX’s turning circle is .7 feet tighter than the Levante’s (40.5 feet vs. 41.2 feet).

The Acura MDX may be more efficient, handle and accelerate better because it weighs about 300 to 400 pounds less than the Maserati Levante.

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

As tested by Car and Driver, the interior of the MDX Type S is quieter than the Levante Modena:

The MDX has standard seating for 7 passengers; the Levante can only carry 5.

The MDX has 6.1 inches more front shoulder room, 3.9 inches more rear legroom and 4.4 inches more rear shoulder room than the Levante.

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

While the Levante Modena S can only tow 3306, any MDX can tow a minimum of 3500 pounds.

Unlike the driver-only memory system in the Levante, 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 Levante doesn’t offer a heads-up display.

The MDX’s LED headlights produce a white, bright light using less electricity than the Levante’s standard xenon high intensity discharge (HID) headlights. HID headlights can be slow to reach full brightness or power cycle, causing issues when flashing them to signal other vehicles; LED headlights light instantly. LED lights also last about three to four times as long.

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 Levante.

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. The Levante doesn’t offer wireless personal charging.

The MDX offers an optional 115-volt a/c outlet on the center console, allowing you to recharge a laptop or run small household appliances without special adapters that can break or get misplaced. The Levante doesn’t offer a house-current electrical outlet.

The MDX is available in both front-wheel drive and four-wheel drive configurations. The Levante doesn’t offer a two-wheel drive configuration.

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

The Acura MDX outsold the Maserati Levante by almost 12 to one during 2022.