The heated and cooled leather seats are another luxurious touch, and they’re both comfortable and supportive, keeping away aches and pains on long journeys while enabling a commanding view for the driver. Second-row passengers are treated to heated seats of their own while they watch the 16.2-inch widescreen that flips down from the ceiling to play movies or video games. That second row also reclines and slides forward to allow access to the third row – a cramped perch best left for the young’uns.

Everyone on board, and indeed most folks within a kilometre radius of an Elite trim MDX can enjoy the tunes belted out of the powerful 546-watt, 12-speaker sound system. With as quiet as the MDX is (thanks to acoustic glass and plenty of insulation), the right musical choice can be thoroughly enjoyed out on the open road.

This system is part of the infotainment unit that includes navigation and a nine-inch display. Very similar to the unit found in a number of contemporary Honda models as well, Acura’s dual-screen-plus-a-rotary-dial controller is far more convoluted to operate than many of the industry’s best systems currently available. Even after several months of a long-term test, Senior Editor Yarkony found it more irritating than intuitive.

Acura also fits a number of active safety tech features found on the flagship RLX models to the MDX, such as Adaptive Cruise Control with Collision Mitigation Braking and Lane Keeping Assist System. These systems deliver on their respective promises, though they are somewhat slower to react than similar systems found in other cars. For instance, when changing lanes to pass slower moving traffic, the MDX will need to be fully in the lane, then assess the situation to make sure the lane ahead is fully clear, then begin to accelerate up to speed. Meanwhile traffic is rapidly approaching from behind. Other systems seem to begin accelerating a little bit quicker in the same situation.

The surround view camera system is a useful addition, especially when backing into tight spots or parallel parking since visibility to the rear and rear quarters is limited. Despite its capacious interior, the MDX does not feel as large to park as one might expect.

One interior quality lapse that reared its head: at the end of its week with Autos.ca, the climate control “buttons” on the touchscreen repeatedly flickered on and off during the trip back to Acura, suggesting that either the MDX was sad to be leaving us, or there was some sort of a software glitch in the system.

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