Compare the2024 Chrysler PacificaVS 2024 Acura MDX

Safety
Warranty
Reliability
Engine
Fuel Economy and Range
Environmental Friendliness
Transmission
Brakes and Stopping
Suspension and Handling
Chassis
Passenger Space
Cargo Capacity
Towing
Ergonomics
Economic Advantages
Recommendations

Safety

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For enhanced safety, the front and middle seat shoulder belts of the Chrysler Pacifica are height-adjustable to accommodate a wide variety of driver and passenger heights. A better fit can prevent injuries and the increased comfort also encourages passengers to buckle up. The Acura MDX doesn’t offer height-adjustable middle seat belts.

Earlier warning of stopped traffic, traffic signals, dangerous road conditions, weather, or accidents, can keep driver's safer and prevent crashes. The Pacifica offers optional Emergency Vehicle Alert System, a system that seamlessly communicates important warnings to the driver about impending danger, if they're available. The MDX doesn’t offer a system that can receive automated systems from other vehicles.

Both the Pacifica and the MDX have standard driver and passenger frontal airbags, front side-impact airbags, driver and front passenger knee airbags, side-impact head airbags, front seatbelt pretensioners, 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, available all wheel drive 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 Chrysler Pacifica is safer than the Acura MDX:

	Pacifica	MDX
OVERALL STARS	5 Stars	4 Stars
	Driver
STARS	5 Stars	4 Stars
HIC	168	244
Neck Injury Risk	29%	29%
Neck Stress	230 lbs.	304 lbs.
Neck Compression	56 lbs.	59 lbs.
Leg Forces (l/r)	75/194 lbs.	463/521 lbs.
	Passenger
STARS	5 Stars	4 Stars
HIC	196	288
Chest Compression	.4 inches	.7 inches
Neck Injury Risk	25%	30%
Neck Stress	117 lbs.	122 lbs.
Neck Compression	51 lbs.	75 lbs.
Leg Forces (l/r)	440/251 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 Chrysler Pacifica is safer than the Acura MDX:

	Pacifica	MDX
	Front Seat
STARS	5 Stars	5 Stars
HIC	72	107
	Rear Seat
STARS	5 Stars	5 Stars
HIC	66	142
	Into Pole
STARS	5 Stars	5 Stars
HIC	293	549

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

Instrumented handling tests conducted by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration and analysis of its dimensions indicate that the Pacifica is 3.5% to 4.2% less likely to roll over than the MDX.

Warranty

There are almost 9 times as many Chrysler dealers as there are Acura dealers, which makes it much easier should you ever need service under the Pacifica’s warranty.

Reliability

A hardened steel chain, with no maintenance needs, drives the camshafts in the Pacifica’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.

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

Engine

As tested in Motor Trend the Chrysler Pacifica V6 is faster than the Acura MDX V6:

	Pacifica	MDX
Zero to 60 MPH	6.7 sec	7.5 sec
Quarter Mile	15.1 sec	15.8 sec
Speed in 1/4 Mile	92.4 MPH	88.6 MPH

Fuel Economy and Range

On the EPA test cycle the Pacifica running on electricity gets better mileage than the MDX:

			MPGe
Pacifica
	FWD	Hybrid Electric Motor	87 city/77 hwy
MDX
			MPG
	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

On the EPA test cycle the Pacifica running its gasoline engine gets better mileage than the MDX:

			MPG
Pacifica
	FWD	3.6 V6 Hybrid	29 city/30 hwy
		3.6 DOHC V6	19 city/28 hwy
	AWD	3.6 DOHC V6	17 city/25 hwy
MDX
	FWD	3.5 SOHC V6	19 city/26 hwy
	AWD	3.0 turbo V6	17 city/21 hwy

The Pacifica Hybrid can travel with zero emissions for 32 miles. The MDX can’t move without running its internal combustion engine.

Regenerative brakes improve the Pacifica Hybrid’s fuel efficiency by converting inertia back into energy instead of wasting it. The MDX doesn’t offer a regenerative braking system.

To lower fuel costs and make buying fuel easier, the Chrysler Pacifica uses regular unleaded gasoline. The MDX requires premium for maximum efficiency, which can cost on average about 82.8 cents more per gallon.

Environmental Friendliness

In its Green Vehicle Guide, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) rates the Chrysler Pacifica higher (7 out of 10) than the Acura MDX (5). This means the Pacifica produces up to 8 pounds less smog-producing pollutants than the MDX every 15,000 miles.

Transmission

The Pacifica Hybrid has a standard continuously variable transmission (CVT). With no “steps” between gears, it can keep the engine at the most efficient speed for fuel economy, or keep it at its peak horsepower indefinitely for maximum acceleration. The MDX doesn’t offer a CVT.

Brakes and Stopping

The Pacifica stops much shorter than the MDX:

	Pacifica	MDX
70 to 0 MPH	164 feet	184 feet	Car and Driver
60 to 0 MPH	122 feet	133 feet	Motor Trend

Suspension and Handling

The Pacifica’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 Pacifica’s wheelbase is 7.8 inches longer than on the MDX (121.6 inches vs. 113.8 inches).

The Pacifica’s front to rear weight distribution is more even (55% to 45%) than the MDX’s (57.4% to 42.6%). This gives the Pacifica more stable handling and braking.

For better maneuverability, the Pacifica’s turning circle is .8 feet tighter than the MDX’s (39.7 feet vs. 40.5 feet). The Pacifica AWD’s turning circle is .3 feet tighter than the MDX’s (40.2 feet vs. 40.5 feet).

Chassis

The front grille of the Pacifica 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 Pacifica offers optional seating for 8 passengers; the MDX can only carry 7.

The Pacifica has 26 cubic feet more passenger volume than the MDX (165.1 vs. 139.1).

The Pacifica has 1.6 inches more front headroom, 1.9 inches more front shoulder room, 1.5 inches more rear headroom, .5 inches more rear legroom, 7 inches more rear hip room, 2.7 inches more rear shoulder room, 2.5 inches more third row headroom, 7.4 inches more third row legroom, 8.9 inches more third row hip room and 6 inches more third row shoulder room than the MDX.

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

Cargo Capacity

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

	Pacifica	MDX
Behind Third Seat	32.3 cubic feet	18.1 cubic feet
Third Seat Folded	87.5 cubic feet	48.4 cubic feet
Second Seat Folded	140.5 cubic feet	95 cubic feet

The Pacifica has standard Stow ’n Go second and third row seats (except Hybrid for the second row), which fold flat into the floor. This completely clears a very large cargo area quickly. The MDX doesn’t offer seats that fold into the floor.

Pressing a switch automatically lowers or raises the Pacifica Limited/Pinnacle’s third row seats, to make changing between cargo and passengers easier. The MDX doesn’t offer automatic folding seats.

Towing

The Pacifica’s standard towing capacity is much higher than the MDX’s (3600 vs. 3500 pounds).

Ergonomics

The Pacifica’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 Pacifica and the MDX have locks to prevent small children from operating them. When the lock on the Pacifica 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 Pacifica’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.

The Pacifica’s optional 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 Pacifica has a standard heated steering wheel to take the chill out of steering on extremely cold winter days before the vehicle heater warms up. A heated steering wheel costs extra on the MDX.

The Pacifica (except Touring)’s optional ParkSense 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

Insurance will cost less for the Pacifica owner. The Complete Car Cost Guide estimates that insurance for the Pacifica will cost $410 less than the MDX over a five-year period.

IntelliChoice estimates that five-year ownership costs (depreciation, financing, insurance, fuel, fees, repairs and maintenance) for the Chrysler Pacifica will be $9838 to $14449 less than for the Acura MDX.

Recommendations

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

A group of representative automotive journalists from North America selected the Pacifica as the 2017 North American Utility Vehicle of the Year. The MDX has never been chosen.

The Chrysler Pacifica/Voyager outsold the Acura MDX by over two to one during 2022.