As a brand, Acura seems to go through ebbs and flows of catering to the enthusiast crowd. With three sporty Type S models and a fourth electric model on the way, Acura’s enthusiast street cred is flowing right now. We recently had a chance to spend a week in a 2024 Acura MDX Type S Advance, driving it from Central Florida to South Florida for some much-needed time off to visit family. During that time, we became enamored with the largest Type S model, both for its practicality and sporty nature.

Power comes from the same 3.0-liter turbocharged V6 found in the TLX Type S, producing an identical 355 horsepower and 354 lb-ft of torque. This is substantially more than the standard MDX, which uses a naturally aspirated V6 that develops 290 horsepower and 267 lb-ft. When we last drove that car, we mentioned that it could use a bit more oomph, especially when it comes to low-end torque. The Type S delivers here.

In fact, the MDX Type S might be one of the first Japanese family SUVs that can dethrone the German luxury brands on fun and performance in our books. After spending a week with it, there is only one thing we’d change.

Exterior: Apex Acura

It’s not easy to make an SUV look “cool,” but Acura’s latest design language lends itself perfectly to the Type S treatment. The sportier MDX gets a more aggressive front end with functional side air inlets, black trim, 21-inch wheels wrapped in self-healing tires, red Brembo brake calipers, and quad exhaust tips. Opting for the Advance Package visually lowers the stance with gloss black wheel arch surrounds and lower body trim. With the air suspension in its lowest height, the MDX Type S sits almost like a wagon.

This is a handsome SUV in any color, but a vibrant palette helps the MDX Type S stand out even more. Our tester came wearing Apex Blue Pearl paint as a $600 option. It looks fantastic and attracted double takes wherever it went. Performance Red Pearl and Tiger Eye Pearl are also available for families that don’t want to blend into the crowd. Acura also offers more subdued colors like Platinum White Pearl, Lunar Silver Metallic, Liquid Carbon Metallic (grey), and Majestic Black Pearl.

Interior: Spacious Luxury

The Type S doesn’t differ too greatly from the standard MDX, but that’s not an issue when the cabin was already decidedly premium. Milano leather seats with Black Ultrasuede inserts come standard on MDX Type S, but the Advance Package upgrades to full Milano leather with a unique quilted pattern and contrast piping. Acura offers Ebony (black), Red, Azurite Blue (Advance only), and Light Orchid (white) interiors, depending on which exterior color you choose.

We loved the Light Orchid interior found in our tester, but worry that it might not stand up to various spills and scuffs that accumulate in a family SUV. Those front seats are heated and ventilated and the Advance Package rolls in a nine-mode massage function.

The technology here is pretty great, though the Acura True Touchpad Interface does have a learning curve. We like how touching a specific portion of the touchpad automatically corresponds to that part of the 12.3-inch screen, but putting on CarPlay or Android Auto changes the functionality to make it more like a computer trackpad. Once accustomed to it, occupants will enjoy Acura’s excellent ELS Studio 3D Signature Edition audio system (part of the Advance Package) with 25 speakers and 1,000 watts of power.

Practicality: Family-Ready

All of the practical features we loved on the standard MDX carry over to the Type S with no detriments. The second-row seats slide and recline, delivering up to 38.5 inches of legroom. Rear passengers get their own climate controls, USB ports, and sun shades, plus heated outboard seats as part of the Advance Package. For further flexibility, Acura made the middle seat, which doubles as an armrest/cupholder, removable. At around 20 pounds, we probably wouldn’t remove and reinstall it on a daily basis, but it’s nice to be able to choose between captain’s chairs or a bench before a family road trip. Unfortunately, the removed middle seat doesn’t fit under the floor in the trunk as it does in the Honda Pilot, so you will have to decide if it’s coming along for the ride before you leave the house.

Getting into the third row is easy thanks to buttons that tip and slide the second-row seats forward. 29.1 inches of legroom is not nearly class-leading for this segment, but it’s manageable for children or smaller adults.

Even with the third row in place, the MDX delivers up to 18.1 cubic feet of space. That doesn’t include additional storage under the floor, which is pretty spacious. Acura even includes a reversible floor in the trunk with a carpeted side and a plastic side that’s easier to wipe down if, for example, you put your kids’ muddy cleats on it. Folding the second row takes two easy latch movements, though we wish Acura offered a power third row like some competitors at this price.

Folding the second row requires you to open the rear doors since there are no buttons or levers to do so in the trunk area. With the third row down, the MDX accommodates up to 48.4 cubic feet and an impressive 95 cubes with the second row folded. With these maximum measurements, the MDX beats the Lexus TX, making it one of the MDX most commodious midsize crossovers in the segment.

Performance: Turbo Fun, Turbo Thirst

The MDX Type S sends 355 hp and 354 lb-ft of torque out through a 10-speed automatic transmission to a Super Handling All-Wheel-Drive (SH-AWD) system. Acura doesn’t quote acceleration times, but the turbocharged V6 scoots this 4,788-pound family SUV to 60 mph in the mid-five-second range, which is about a second quicker than the standard MDX. That’s around a half-second quicker than the Lexus TX 500h F Sport Performance with its four-cylinder hybrid setup, but it’s behind the inline-six-powered BMW X5, despite being up on horsepower. The Type S is not yet a true rival for the AMG and M vehicles of the world, but it’s plenty of performance for most people.

Unfortunately, Acura was not able to boost the power without hurting fuel economy. The Type S is rated at a lackluster 17/21/19 mpg city/highway/combined. Compare that to the standard MDX, which achieves a slightly more palatable 19/25/21 with SH-AWD, and some buyers may decide they don’t need the performance of the Type S. On our long highway stint to South Florida, we barely cracked the EPA rating of 21 mpg. It may be slower in a straight line, but the TX 500h averages a more respectable 27 mpg combined with its hybrid setup. We’d love to see Acura bring back its Sport Hybrid system to combine performance with efficiency.

Driving Impressions: A Sharper MDX

Acura likes to inject driving enjoyment into all of its vehicles, but even more so when it comes to Type S models. The Type S gets retuned electric power steering, which feels slightly video game-like but does encourage spirited driving especially in Sport+ mode. Sport+ mode delivers 30% quicker shifts from the 10-speed automatic as well as rev-match downshifts. We don’t know how many moms and dads are going to paddle shift their three-row SUV, but the Type S is plenty capable if you do feel the urge. This car also gets an electro-servo braking system, like the NSX supercar, which takes some getting used to due to its light pedal feel, but delivers great stopping power when demanded, thanks to the four-piston Brembo brakes with 14.3-inch rotors.

This is the first Acura model to benefit from air suspension system with adaptive dampers, which supply a smooth ride but also keep the MDX’s bulk from ruining the fun in corners. We appreciate that Acura didn’t make the Type S overly stiff like some of the competition from AMG and M.

Acura’s SH-AWD system is excellent as usual with the ability to send up to 70% of the torque to the rear axle and split that up to 100% left-to-right. You can toss the MDX way too fast into a corner, give it a boot full of throttle, then marvel at how the SH-AWD system saves your butt by overdriving the rear.

Pricing & Verdict: German Antidote

The 2024 MDX Type S starts at $68,150, and that price jumps to $73,500 for the Advance Package. We’d say the Advance is well worth the additional $5,350 to get nicer leather, massaging seats, one of the best audio systems available for under six figures, and more.

The Lexus TX 500h F Sport Performance is the closest direct competitor, ranging from $69,350 to $72,650 before options. With options, the Lexus is slightly more expensive. We prefer some aspects of the TX, including the more intuitive touchscreen infotainment and superior hybrid fuel economy. However, we think the MDX is more attractive, more exciting to drive, and the ELS Studio audio system is far more impressive than the Mark Levinson system from Lexus.

Aside from the lackluster fuel economy, we struggled to level any criticism against the MDX Type S. It delivers the driving enjoyment you usually only expect from a German SUV but it has more standard features. If you can live with a few more monthly stops to the gas station, the MDX Type S is easily the best SUV Acura has ever built.