Compare the2023 Mercedes E-Class All-Terrain WagonVS 2023 Acura MDX

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

Safety

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The E-Class All-Terrain Wagon’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.

The E-Class All-Terrain Wagon offers an optional Post Collision Brake, which automatically applies 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.

To provide maximum traction and stability on all roads, All-Wheel Drive is standard on the E-Class All-Terrain Wagon. But it costs extra on the MDX.

When descending a steep, off-road slope, the E-Class All-Terrain Wagon’s standard Downhill Speed Regulation allows you to creep down safely. The MDX doesn’t offer Downhill Speed Regulation.

Both the E-Class All-Terrain Wagon and MDX offer rear cross-traffic warning, but the E-Class All-Terrain Wagon with Rear Cross-Traffic Alert also has Active Brake Assist (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 E-Class All-Terrain Wagon 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, height adjustable front shoulder belts, four-wheel antilock brakes, traction control, electronic stability systems to prevent skidding, crash mitigating brakes, daytime running lights, blind spot warning systems, rearview cameras, driver alert monitors, available lane departure warning systems and around view monitors.

The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration does 35 MPH front crash tests on new vehicles. In this test, results indicate that the Mercedes E-Class All-Terrain Wagon is safer than the Acura MDX:

	E-Class	MDX
OVERALL STARS	5 Stars	4 Stars
	Driver
STARS	4 Stars	4 Stars
HIC	190	244
Neck Stress	186 lbs.	304 lbs.
Neck Compression	21 lbs.	59 lbs.
Leg Forces (l/r)	387/481 lbs.	463/521 lbs.
	Passenger
STARS	5 Stars	4 Stars
HIC	204	288
Chest Compression	.4 inches	.7 inches
Neck Injury Risk	29%	30%
Neck Stress	120 lbs.	122 lbs.
Leg Forces (l/r)	257/308 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 Mercedes E-Class All-Terrain Wagon is safer than the Acura MDX:

	E-Class	MDX
	Front Seat
STARS	5 Stars	5 Stars
Hip Force	223 lbs.	226 lbs.
	Into Pole
STARS	5 Stars	5 Stars
Max Damage Depth	11 inches	12 inches
HIC	326	549

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

Warranty

There are over 41 percent more Mercedes dealers than there are Acura dealers, which makes it easier should you ever need service under the E-Class All-Terrain Wagon’s warranty.

Reliability

J.D. Power and Associates’ 2022 Initial Quality Study of new car owners surveyed provide the statistics that show that Mercedes vehicles are better in initial quality than Acura vehicles. With 3 fewer problems per 100 vehicles, JD Power ranks Mercedes higher than Acura.

J.D. Power and Associates’ 2022 survey of the owners of three-year-old vehicles provides the long-term dependability statistics that show that Mercedes vehicles are more reliable than Acura With 49 fewer problems per 100 vehicles in the first three years of ownership, J.D. Power ranks Mercedes higher than Acura.

Engine

The E-Class All-Terrain Wagon’s 3.0 turbo 6-cylinder hybrid produces 72 more horsepower (362 vs. 290) and 102 lbs.-ft. more torque (369 vs. 267) than the MDX’s standard 3.5 SOHC V6. The E-Class All-Terrain Wagon’s 3.0 turbo 6-cylinder hybrid produces 7 more horsepower (362 vs. 355) and 15 lbs.-ft. more torque (369 vs. 354) than the MDX Type S’ standard 3.0 turbo V6.

As tested in Car and Driver the Mercedes E-Class All-Terrain Wagon is faster than the Acura MDX:

	E-Class	MDX V6	MDX Type S
Zero to 60 MPH	4.4 sec	6.4 sec	5.5 sec
Zero to 100 MPH	11.5 sec	17.6 sec	14.1 sec
5 to 60 MPH Rolling Start	5.3 sec	6.6 sec	5.9 sec
Passing 30 to 50 MPH	3 sec	3.6 sec	3.4 sec
Passing 50 to 70 MPH	3.8 sec	5.2 sec	4.2 sec
Quarter Mile	13.1 sec	15.1 sec	14.1 sec
Speed in 1/4 Mile	106 MPH	93 MPH	100 MPH
Top Speed	128 MPH	112 MPH	111 MPH

Fuel Economy and Range

On the EPA test cycle the E-Class All-Terrain Wagon gets better mileage than the MDX:

			MPG
E-Class All-Terrain Wagon
	AWD	3.0 turbo 6-cyl. Hybrid	21 city/28 hwy
MDX
	FWD	3.5 SOHC V6	19 city/26 hwy
	AWD	3.5 SOHC V6	19 city/25 hwy
		3.0 turbo V6	17 city/21 hwy

Regenerative brakes improve the E-Class All-Terrain Wagon’s fuel efficiency by converting inertia back into energy instead of wasting it. The MDX doesn’t offer a regenerative braking system.

The E-Class All-Terrain Wagon has 2.6 gallons more fuel capacity than the MDX (21.1 vs. 18.5 gallons), for longer range between fill-ups.

Environmental Friendliness

In its Green Vehicle Guide, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) rates the Mercedes E-Class All-Terrain Wagon higher (6 out of 10) than the Acura MDX (5). This means the E-Class All-Terrain Wagon produces up to 6.9 pounds less smog-producing pollutants than the MDX every 15,000 miles.

Brakes and Stopping

For better stopping power the E-Class All-Terrain Wagon’s standard front brake rotors are larger than those on the MDX:

	E-Class All-Terrain Wagon	MDX
Front Rotors	14.2 inches	13.8 inches

The E-Class All-Terrain Wagon’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 E-Class All-Terrain Wagon stops much shorter than the MDX:

	E-Class All-Terrain Wagon	MDX
70 to 0 MPH	167 feet	184 feet	Car and Driver
60 to 0 MPH	115 feet	133 feet	Motor Trend

Tires and Wheels

The E-Class All-Terrain Wagon’s standard tires provide better handling because they have a lower 45 series profile (height to width ratio) that provides a stiffer sidewall than the MDX’s standard 55 series tires.

Suspension and Handling

The front and rear suspension of the E-Class All-Terrain Wagon uses air springs for a smoother, controlled ride than the MDX, which uses coil springs. Air springs maintain proper ride height and ride more smoothly.

The E-Class All-Terrain Wagon’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 E-Class All-Terrain Wagon’s wheelbase is 1.9 inches longer than on the MDX (115.7 inches vs. 113.8 inches).

The E-Class All-Terrain Wagon’s front to rear weight distribution is more even (52% to 48%) than the MDX’s (57.4% to 42.6%). This gives the E-Class All-Terrain Wagon more stable handling and braking.

The E 450 4MATIC All-Terrain handles at .89 G’s, while the MDX Type S pulls only .87 G’s of cornering force in a Car and Driver skidpad test.

The E 450 4MATIC All-Terrain executes Motor Trend’s “Figure Eight” maneuver 1 seconds quicker than the MDX SH-AWD (26.2 seconds @ .69 average G’s vs. 27.2 seconds @ .63 average G’s).

For better maneuverability, the E-Class All-Terrain Wagon’s turning circle is 1.5 feet tighter than the MDX’s (39 feet vs. 40.5 feet).

Chassis

The E-Class All-Terrain Wagon is 3.6 inches shorter than the MDX, making the E-Class All-Terrain Wagon easier to handle, maneuver and park in tight spaces.

The E-Class All-Terrain Wagon is 5.6 inches narrower than the MDX, making the E-Class All-Terrain Wagon easier to handle and maneuver in traffic.

The E-Class All-Terrain Wagon is 8.2 inches shorter in height than the MDX, making the E-Class All-Terrain Wagon much easier to wash and garage and drive (lower center of gravity).

Passenger Space

The E-Class All-Terrain Wagon has .1 inches more front legroom, .1 inches more rear headroom and 1 inch more rear hip room than the MDX.

Cargo Capacity

The E-Class All-Terrain Wagon 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.

Pulling a handle automatically lowers the E-Class All-Terrain Wagon’s second row seats, to make changing between passengers and cargo easier. The MDX doesn’t offer automatic folding seats.

Servicing Ease

The engine in the E-Class All-Terrain Wagon 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 power windows standard on both the E-Class All-Terrain Wagon and the MDX have locks to prevent small children from operating them. When the lock on the E-Class All-Terrain Wagon 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 E-Class All-Terrain Wagon’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 fluid is standard on the E-Class All-Terrain Wagon to defrost the washer nozzles and quickly clear ice and frost from the windshield without scraping. The MDX doesn’t offer heated windshield washer fluid.

To help drivers see further while navigating curves, the E-Class All-Terrain Wagon offers optional adaptive headlights to illuminate around corners automatically by reading vehicle speed and steering wheel angle. The MDX doesn’t offer cornering lights.

The E-Class All-Terrain Wagon’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 E-Class All-Terrain Wagon’s optional Active Parking Assist can parallel park or back into a parking spot by itself, starting, stopping and changing direction automatically. The MDX doesn’t offer an automated parking system.

Model Availability

The Mercedes E-Class comes in coupe, convertible, sedan and station wagon bodystyles; the Acura MDX isn’t available as a coupe, convertible or sedan.

Economic Advantages

The E-Class All-Terrain Wagon will cost the buyer less in the long run because of its superior resale value. The IntelliChoice estimates that the E-Class All-Terrain Wagon will retain 47.6% of its original price after five years, while the MDX only retains 45.63% to 46.51%.