Honda Pilot vs. Acura MDX: Compare Crossover SUVs

Are luxury models worth the price? This question has bedeviled car shoppers for years, especially between cars from the same family that share the same platform and similar hardware, such as in the Honda Pilot and upscale Acura MDX. These brothers from the same mother offer three rows of seats, available all-wheel drive, and the latest in connected car technology. So how are these three-row crossover SUVs different? 

The differences are stark. The 2025 Honda Pilot seats up to eight passengers, and comes available with an off-road ready TrailSport trim. The revised 2025 Acura MDX leans into the more refined side of utility, with a sleeker design, seats for seven in its upscale interior, and a performance-minded Type S model with an air suspension that wrings the most out of its impressive handling. 

The difference between the base models is more than just $13,000, and the differences grow at the top end, with a price delta of more than $20,000 separating them. What follows is whether we think it’s worth it, and how the Pilot and MDX measure up. 

Honda Pilot vs. Acura MDX price and trims

• Base Pilot Sport costs about $41,000
• Base Acura MDX costs about $52,000
• Pilot AWD costs $2,100 extra; it’s $2,200 on the MDX
• Best picks: Honda Pilot EX-L, Acura MDX A-Spec

Which Honda Pilot should I buy?

The Pilot comes in Sport, EX-L, TrailSport, Touring, Elite, and Black Edition trim levels. For $41,295, the Sport gets a 7.0-inch touchscreen, heated front seats with power adjustments, Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, and 20-inch alloy wheels. We recommend moving up to the $44,595 Pilot EX-L to get its 9.0-inch touchscreen, wireless smartphone charging, leather upholstery, power tailgate, and 18-inch wheels. Those who will take their Pilots off-road to a campsite or dirt road will want the TrailSport edition for $50,495. It adds an off-road suspension, all-terrain tires, an off-road driving modes, off-road camera views, and synthetic leather upholstery, 

By the time you get to the $55,675 Pilot Black Edition you’re into MDX territory. It comes with black trim, and a bunch of amenities, including a 10.2-inch digital instrument display, navigation, a head-up display, 12-speaker Bose audio, cooled front seats, heated second-row seats, second-row captain’s chairs with a removable second-row middle seat, a surround-view camera system, a hands-free tailgate, and 20-inch wheels.

Which Acura MDX should I buy?

The MDX offers base, Tech Package, Advance Package, A-Spec, A-Spec Advance, and Type S Advance trim levels. All get all-wheel drive standard, except for the base and Tech Package models, where it costs $2,200 to add.

For $52,250, the base MDX is outfitted with a synthetic leather upholstery, 12-way power-adjustable front sport seats, a removable second-row middle seat, a 12.3-inch digital instrument cluster, a 12.3-inch touchscreen running Google Built-in, Amazon Alexa, a wifi hotspot, wireless smartphone charging, an 11-speaker audio system, a panoramic sunroof, a power tailgate, and 19-inch alloy wheels. 

We recommend adding all-wheel drive and moving up to the MDX Tech Package for $59,850. That nets you leather upholstery, passenger seat memory, ambient lighting, a 19-speaker Bang & Olufsen audio system, remote starting, two rear USB-C ports, a hands-free tailgate, front and rear parking sensors, and 20-inch wheels. Laminated rear glass and additional insulation in the fenders and door liners make it quieter, too.

We can’t blame anyone for wanting the extra performance of the $76,300 Type S Advance model. In addition to the 355-hp turbocharged V-6, it gets adaptive dampers, an air suspension, bigger Brembo front brakes, and 21-inch wheels. It’s also luxurious, with quilted Milano leather upholstery with synthetic suede seat inserts, 16-way front seats with cooling and massage, a heated steering wheel, heated rear seats, a 31-speaker Bang & Olufsen audio system, and more safety features.

Does the Honda Pilot or Acura MDX have a better warranty?

The Acura MDX has a more comprehensive warranty. The 4-year/50,000-mile warranty includes two years or 24,000 miles of scheduled maintenance. The Pilot’s basic warranty is three years or 36,000 miles, whichever comes first.

Advantage: The Pilot EX-L and the MDX Tech Package result in a draw.

Honda Pilot vs. Acura MDX engine, AWD, and off-road  performance

• TrailSport editions give the Pilot an off-road edge
• Type S editions give the MDX a performance edge
• Honda Pilot has a 285-hp 3.5-liter V-6 coupled with a 10-speed automatic
• Acura MDX has a 290-hp 3.5-liter V-6 with a 10-speed automatic
• Acura MDX Type S uses a 355-hp turbocharged 3.0-liter V-6
• Both models can tow up to 5,000 pounds with AWD

Do the Honda Pilot and Acura MDX have the same engine?

They’re similar, but the 3.5-liter V-6 employed in the Honda Pilot makes slightly less power. It churns out 285 hp and 262 lb-ft of torque. It pairs with a seamless 10-speed automatic transmission. 

Most Acura MDX models use a similar 3.5-liter V-6 tuned to 290 hp and 267 lb-ft, with the same 10-speed automatic. The MDX Type S has something the Pilot does not have: impressive acceleration from its turbo 3.0-liter V-6 that makes 355 hp and 354 lb-ft. 

How fast is the Acura MDX?

The Type S tops the performance charts of both models, and its turbocharged V-6 helps it shuttle to 60 mph in about six seconds, which is one second quicker than in the standard V-6. Normal, Comfort, Sport, and Snow modes in the MDX vary the throttle response and steering feel for a bit more variability between being a soft highway cruiser and a little more snap off the line. 

Is the Acura MDX 4WD?

It’s front-wheel drive in the base and Technology Package models, and all-wheel drive in other models. Most shoppers pony up the $2,200 for AWD when it’s not standard. The biggest difference between the Type S and the base version of the MDX and the Pilot is its handling. The AWD system can send 70% of the power to the rear axle, to give any MDX a sporty character like a rear-wheel-drive vehicle, and the torque can then be split between the rear wheels for improved grip. It builds off the double wishbone front and multi-link rear suspension that makes the regular MDX stand out among other three-row crossover SUVs by adding adaptive dampers and an air suspension for settings that vary between ride comfort and better handling. 

The air suspension raises the SUV up to 2.0 inches from its standard ground clearance of 7.3 inches, or lowers it 0.6 inches in Sport+ mode. With the independent suspension controlling the lateral motions, and the adaptive damping in the air suspension controlling the vertical motions, the MDX Type S stays planted. 

Is the Honda Pilot 4WD?

Like the MDX, front-wheel drive is standard and all-wheel drive costs $2,100 on all but TrailSport, Elite, and Black Edition grades, where it is standard. It’s a similar AWD system as on the MDX, with a variable power split between the axles, and torque split between the rear wheels for more grip. In total, the Pilot is built more for comfort and quiet. It employs cheaper MacPherson struts up front that allow for more body lean in turns than the MDX. 

Ground clearance on the Pilot TrailSport increases an inch to 8.3 inches, 18-inch wheels wrapped in all-terrain tires come standard, and it uses standard hill descent control to help control the vehicle on downhill treks. With skid plates and built-in recovery points, it delivers genuine off-road capability on moderate trails. It can also tow up to 5,000 pounds.

Advantage: The MDX, for a price.

2023 Honda Pilot

 

Honda Pilot vs. MDX fuel economy

• Acura MDX FWD gets 19 mpg city, 26 highway, 22 combined; AWD drops to 19/25/21 mpg
• Acura MDX requests premium fuel
• FWD Pilot gets 19/27/22 mpg; AWD drops to 19/25/21 mpg
• Neither offers hybrid models

Is the Honda Pilot good on gas?

Without a hybrid option on either model, and a curb weight that averages about 4,500 pounds, neither the Pilot nor the MDX are very efficient. 

The extra weight, raised height, and beefier tires on Pilot TrailSport models lowers the EPA rating to 18/23/20 mpg. 

Is the Acura MDX good on gas?

Same story: Not really. The Type S sinks to 17/21/19 mpg, down 2 mpg from other AWD models. 

Advantage: Draw.

MDX vs. Pilot interior and exterior design

• The Pilot embraces boxy ends and a retro vibe
• The MDX leans sleeker and sportier
• The MDX interior outshines the staid Pilot, barely

Is the Acura MDX a good-looking SUV?

Acura spreads the wings of its flagship in a low, wide theme inside and out, as if trying to shrink its size in the fashion of luxury European brands. A shield-shaped grille stretches into LED headlights that wrap around the sides. Type S and A-Spec models sport a lower grille flanked by chunky air intakes that complement 21-inch wheels for a muscular presence that’s toned down but still present on other grades. The Type S also gets twin dual exhaust pipes around back. 

Inside, the wide and low theme is less cohesive, with a wide center console with a 12.3-inch touchscreen that rises from the dash like an iPad. The center stack is busy, though, with a multi-button gear selector down low, climate controls up high, and a round silver dial to act as a drive mode selector in the middle. Piano black trim invites fingerprints, but the dash is trimmed in available leather and open-pore wood trim.

Is the Honda Pilot a good-looking SUV?

Longer and wider, the Pilot sizes upright, with boxy ends fronted by a honeycomb grille and thin LED running lights and backed by taillights that carve into a tailgate embossed with big Pilot letters. An upturned pair of pillars at the rear and blocky quarter windows mimic the bygone Isuzu Rodeo. 

Honda cleans up the Pilot’s interior, and we wouldn’t blame you if the simpler, cleaner design appeals more than in the busy bling of the MDX. Base models have a 7.0-inch touchscreen that stands atop the dash’s slim band of vents, but upper models adopt a 9.0-inch touchscreen over a thin band of vents and welcome dials and buttons for the climate control. Pockets for smartphones, a wireless charging pad, and twin-needle stitching dress up various versions. 

Advantage: MDX, by a wink.

Pilot vs. MDX size, seating comfort, and cargo capacity

• Both have three rows of seats
• The Acura MDX seats up to seven passengers
• The Honda Pilot seats up to eight passengers
• The Pilot is larger and roomier

How big is the Honda Pilot?

• 18.6 cubic feet behind the third row; 48.5 cubes behind the second row; 87.0 cubic feet with both rear rows folded flat
• Second-row legroom measures 40.8 inches; third-row legroom shrinks to 32.5 inches

It’s big. At 199.9 inches, it’s 1.5 inches longer than the MDX, nearly four inches taller, but it has the same wheelbase. The boxy shape makes it much more utilitarian and practical than the sleeker MDX, and Honda excels at optimizing the interior package. 

The 2023 Pilot can hold up to eight passengers, with a couple of pieces of luggage in tow. Front passengers get supportive seats with power adjustment that, on all but the base version, also come with lumbar support and heating. Leather upholstery is available, and so is a wireless smartphone charger that sits ahead of the shift lever. Honda also molds in a storage shelf in front of the passenger for their smartphone and sunglasses.

In row two the Pilot offers a bench seat split into three sections, but on EX-L trims and above, twin captain’s chairs can be had. Touring and Elite versions have a removable middle seat that stows in the cargo compartment and weighs about 25 pounds, so it’s much less cumbersome than removing the whole seat in say the Honda Odyssey. It enables walk-through access to the third row of seats, where two adults can fit in reasonable comfort.

How big is the Acura MDX?

• Up to 71.4 cubic feet behind the first row, 39.3 cubes behind the second row, and 16.3 cubes behind the third row
• Second-row legroom measures 38.5 inches; third-row legroom shrinks to 29.1 inches

The Acura MDX seats up to seven, with a clever middle seat in the second row that folds down to become a console with cupholders. It’s also removable like in the Pilot.  The MDX comes standard with comfy creature features such as heated front seats with 12-way power adjustability that includes power lumbar support and leather upholstery on all but the base model. That’s better than most entry-level SUVs in this class, and 6-footers have plenty of headroom beneath the standard sunroof.

The middle-row seats slide nearly six inches to better accommodate six passengers, but the third row doesn’t have the same headroom as the Pilot, so it’s best for kids. In both models, push-button second-row seats make getting in back easy. 

Advantage: The Pilot seats more people and swallows more cargo.

MDX vs. Pilot safety

• The last MDX got a five-star crash rating and Top Safety Pick+ from the IIHS
• The Pilot gets five stars and a Top Safety Pick+
• Both come with lots of active safety features

How safe is the Acura MDX?

The revised MDX has yet to be tested, but its structure is unchanged so it should continue with its NHTSA five-star rating. It could also maintain its IIHS Top Safety Pick+ rating, but that agency often changes its criteria.  

The MDX comes standard with  automatic emergency braking front and rear, active lane control, traffic-jam assist, adaptive cruise control, blind-spot monitors with rear cross-traffic alerts, traffic sign recognition, automatic high beams, and a driver attention monitor.Front and rear parking sensors and a surround-view camera system are also available.

How safe is the Honda Pilot?

The NHTSA gives it five stars and the IIHS gives it a Top Safety Pick+ award, the highest honor available. All versions have automatic emergency braking, active lane control, adaptive cruise control, blind-spot monitors, and automatic high beams. The base version doesn’t have front and rear parking sensors, but all other models get them, and a surround-view camera system is also available.

Advantage: Draw.

Which is better: Honda Pilot or Acura MDX?

The Pilot has many strengths, including its boxy style, its roomier interior, and its good standard safety features. Its TCC Rating of 6.8 out of 10 can’t quite match the MDX’s TCC Rating of 7.2 out of 10 for its loaded features, the creature comforts in the cabin, and its superior handling, even without the Type S. (Read more about how we rate cars.) But the $11,000 difference is a big jump, so we’d really have to love it to buy it over the Pilot. Our editorial team is split between the practical and the indulgent, much like many car shopping couples.

Winner: The MDX for its style and loaded feature set.