First Drive: 2022 Acura MDX is a Winner!

9th August 2021 Sam Gomez

I am always on the lookout, first and foremost, for vehicles that can give us the room we need to be the men we are.

Hey, we take up a lot of room because, well, all this manliness can’t be easily contained. And why should it be?

And the All-new 2022 Acura MDX is worth the wait. The exterior restyling is impressive. Reviewers have called it more ‘aggressive’. Yeah, sure. Yes, it looks butch. It looks hot. I like it. It is stunning.

On the inside, you will feel like you are staying in the nicest suite at the men’s’ event. No scrimping here. And no need to bow your head and say a prayer when you climb inside. You will like it. And so will your friends, no matter their orientation (horizontal or perpendicular).

This year’s MDX is considered a Luxury Car. Indeed, it is luxurious, and it starts with a luxurious price: $47,200 US.

For that starting price, you get a lot of luxury –- and lot of room: 18 cubic feet in the rear, and if you fold down the second room, you get an amazing 95 cubic feet. You can get a lot of purchases in this car. Or a lot of gear. Heck, you could almost live in it, but please don’t. Honestly.

Mileage is 19 city/ 26 city. You’ll get a V6 engine offering 290 horses, so you fill get some power.

I tested the All-Wheel Drive ‘Advance’ trim, the top-tier trim. Yeah, it’s like having your own private room at the spa. I set the Sirius XM dial to one of the jazz stations and was simply in my own little world as I waited while all the road construction was going on. And did all my big box store shopping. Hey, those bottles of water and boxes of Keurig coffee aren’t going to deliver themselves.

All the way around, this is a really nice car – and a winner for 2022.

The downside for me was the trackpad that Acura uses for the infotainment system. Honestly, I don’t know why manufacturers even bother with a trackpad, mousepad, maxi-pad anymore. At best, they are cumbersome. I like to think I am an intelligent mammal (my friends might disagree) but with a week of fun with this car, I was at a loss to figure out some basic functions, such as switching easily from satellite radio to Apple CarPlay. It was probably right there in front of me, but, well, yeah…. proceed with caution.

To be honest, the car-buyer’s market hasn’t improved as of late, and I really don’t know what to tell you if you are in the market as homecoming approaches. But keep an eye out for the 2022 Acura MDX. The base trim, simply called Base, is worthwhile, but you may want to go up a few trims and see how those work for you.

Stay safe out there. Remember, Delta means Change. Oy!