Compare the2025 Nissan PathfinderVS 2025 Acura MDX

Safety
Warranty
Reliability
Engine
Fuel Economy and Range
Brakes and Stopping
Suspension and Handling
Passenger Space
Cargo Capacity
Towing
Ergonomics
Recommendations

Safety

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The Pathfinder Platinum has a standard front seat center airbag, which deploys between the driver and front passenger, protecting them from injuries caused by striking each other in serious side impacts. The MDX doesn’t offer front seat center airbags.

With its standard Automatic Emergency Braking with Pedestrian Detection, the Nissan Pathfinder is better at preventing collisions with pedestrians than the Acura MDX, according to the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety:

	Pathfinder	MDX
Overall Evaluation	GOOD	ACCEPTABLE
	Crossing Child - DAY
25 MPH	AVOIDED	-19 MPH
	Crossing Adult - NIGHT
12 MPH Brights	AVOIDED	AVOIDED
12 MPH Low beams	AVOIDED	AVOIDED
25 MPH Brights	AVOIDED	AVOIDED
25 MPH Low beams	AVOIDED	-17 MPH
	Parallel Adult - NIGHT
25 MPH Brights	AVOIDED	AVOIDED
25 MPH Low beams	AVOIDED	No Slowing
37 MPH Brights	AVOIDED	-33 MPH
37 MPH Low beams	AVOIDED	No Slowing
Warning Issued-Low beams	1.5 sec	No Warning

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

Both the Pathfinder 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 and rear 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, driver alert monitors, 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 Nissan Pathfinder is safer than the Acura MDX:

	Pathfinder	MDX
	Driver
STARS	4 Stars	4 Stars
HIC	150	244
Neck Compression	53 lbs.	59 lbs.
Leg Forces (l/r)	156/136 lbs.	463/521 lbs.
	Passenger
STARS	4 Stars	4 Stars
Chest Compression	.6 inches	.7 inches
Leg Forces (l/r)	236/309 lbs.	392/458 lbs.

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

The Insurance Institute for Highway Safety does 40 MPH moderate front offset crash tests on new cars. In this updated test, results indicate that the Pathfinder is safer than the MDX:

	Pathfinder	MDX
Overall Evaluation	GOOD	ACCEPTABLE
Structure	GOOD	GOOD
	Driver Injury Measures
Head/Neck Rating	GOOD	GOOD
Chest Rating	GOOD	GOOD
Thigh/hip Rating	GOOD	GOOD
Leg/foot Rating	GOOD	GOOD
Restraints	GOOD	GOOD
	Rear Passenger Injury Measures
Head/Neck Rating	GOOD	GOOD
Chest Rating	GOOD	GOOD
Thigh Rating	GOOD	GOOD
Restraints	ACCEPTABLE	POOR

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 Nissan Pathfinder is safer than the Acura MDX:

	Pathfinder	MDX
	Front Seat
STARS	5 Stars	5 Stars
HIC	84	107
	Rear Seat
STARS	5 Stars	5 Stars
HIC	88	142
Spine Acceleration	33 G’s	41 G’s
	Into Pole
STARS	5 Stars	5 Stars
HIC	234	549
Spine Acceleration	37 G’s	40 G’s

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

Warranty

Nissan pays for scheduled maintenance (up to 3 visits) on the Pathfinder for 1 year and 12000 miles longer than Acura pays for maintenance for the MDX (2/24,000 vs. 1/12000).

There are almost 4 times as many Nissan dealers as there are Acura dealers, which makes it much easier should you ever need service under the Pathfinder’s warranty.

Reliability

A hardened steel chain, with no maintenance needs, drives the camshafts in the Pathfinder’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’ 2024 Initial Quality Study of new car owners surveyed provide the statistics that show that Nissan vehicles are better in initial quality than Acura vehicles. J.D. Power ranks Nissan above average in initial quality. With 27 more problems per 100 vehicles, Acura is rated lower.

J.D. Power and Associates’ 2024 survey of the owners of three-year-old vehicles provides the long-term dependability statistics that show that Nissan vehicles are more reliable than Acura With 17 fewer problems per 100 vehicles in the first three years of ownership, J.D. Power ranks Nissan higher than Acura.

Engine

The Pathfinder Rock Creek’s standard 3.5 DOHC V6 produces 5 more horsepower (295 vs. 290) and 3 lbs.-ft. more torque (270 vs. 267) than the MDX’s standard 3.5 SOHC V6.

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

	Pathfinder	MDX
Zero to 60 MPH	7.1 sec	7.5 sec
Quarter Mile	15.5 sec	15.8 sec
Speed in 1/4 Mile	92.3 MPH	88.6 MPH

Fuel Economy and Range

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

			MPG
Pathfinder
	FWD	3.5 DOHC V6	20 city/27 hwy
	AWD	3.5 DOHC V6	21 city/27 hwy
		Platinum 3.5 DOHC V6	20 city/25 hwy
		3.5 DOHC V6	20 city/23 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

Brakes and Stopping

The Pathfinder’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 Pathfinder stops shorter than the MDX:

	Pathfinder	MDX
70 to 0 MPH	179 feet	184 feet	Car and Driver
60 to 0 MPH	130 feet	133 feet	Motor Trend

Suspension and Handling

For better maneuverability, the Pathfinder’s turning circle is 1.8 feet tighter than the MDX’s (38.7 feet vs. 40.5 feet).

Passenger Space

The Pathfinder has standard seating for 8 passengers; the MDX can only carry 7.

The Pathfinder has 9.4 cubic feet more passenger volume than the MDX (148.5 vs. 139.1).

The Pathfinder has 3.8 inches more front headroom, 2.7 inches more front legroom, 1.5 inches more rear headroom, 1.6 inches more third row headroom, 6.1 inches more third row hip room and 3.2 inches more third row shoulder room than the MDX.

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

Cargo Capacity

The Pathfinder 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.

Towing

Maximum trailer towing in the Acura MDX is limited to 5000 pounds. The Pathfinder offers up to a 6000 lbs. towing capacity.

Ergonomics

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

Recommendations

The Nissan Pathfinder outsold the Acura MDX by 24% during 2023.

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