Acura MDX or Genesis GV60—the Pros and Cons of Two $70,000 SUVs

Acura makes a rather impressive claim for the MDX: It’s the “bestselling three-row luxury SUV of all time.”

It’s been through four generations, with more than a million sold since its first model in 2001. Typically, it sells about 50,000 units annually. That’s about one-third of Acura’s sales, which were 160,000 in the U.S. last year. It helps that the MDX was designed and engineered at the company’s studio in Torrance, Calif., and designed for the American lifestyle, with plenty of cup holders and storage bins.

The 2024 MDX edition tested is the performance-oriented Type S (the first Acura SUV so designated). It’s powered by a turbocharged V6 producing 355 horsepower and 354 pound-feet of torque, coupled to a 10-speed automatic. Don’t expect great fuel economy from that combination—the car as tested gets 17 mpg in the city and 21 on the highway (19 combined) on premium fuel.

More: Melinda French Gates, Mackenzie Scott, Barry Diller and Diane von Furstenberg Combine Forces to Restore Seattle’s Waterfront

The Type S as tested with the advance package (nine-way massage seats in full Milano leather, head-up display, a heated second row, 1,000 watts of 25-speaker ELS Studio infotainment) lists for US$75,295.

Despite all that power (and potential 5.5-second zero-to-60 times with the new S-Type enhancements), it’s fair to say that this Acura is, as the blues song says, built for comfort, not for speed. It handles and corners well, but it also doesn’t feel breathtakingly fast. You’ll get where you’re going with considerable alacrity, but the overall impression is that the car is very quiet and smooth in operation.

A Sport+ mode is there to quicken performance, offering a faster shift performance. It definitely works, but how many SUV owners really want to drive at the limit? Better to just relax and let the car create an island of calm. With the driver sunk into those leather seats, maybe getting a massage, the onboard air suspension with adaptive shock absorbers is working to smooth out the road ahead.

Even if a tire picks up a nail, you can just keep on driving—self-sealing tires are standard. There’s no spare even if you wanted one. Should an off-road section be encountered, no problem, lift mode will add as much as 50 millimeters of ground clearance up to 37 miles per hour.

The miles pass quickly at the helm of this Acura. The only thing marring the experience is the infotainment. The 12.3-inch screen is not touch sensitive. Acura wants you to place your finger on a small finger pad and zoom to the button you want to engage. This is finicky and distracting from concentration on the road.

That said, Acura went all out on the start-up pizzazz. Engage the start button and a graphics show unfolds on the screen and a sense-of-wonder audio track wails. Otherwise, the Acura MDX is a contender for bigger families, with its three rows. With all of them in place, the load area under the powered rear hatch is not very large (18.1 cubic feet), but enough for two decent-sized bags. With everything down, there’s a big 95 cubic feet.

2023 Genesis GV60

The Acura was tested back-to-back with the 2023 Genesis GV60 Performance. There’s no direct comparison—the Genesis has two rows and an electric powertrain. But it’s a similarly luxurious SUV, and it might appeal to some of the same buyers.

The 60 is also quiet, almost preternaturally so, due to active noise control and battery power, but it also feels faster and accelerates with far more alacrity than the Acura. If anything, its cabin offers an extra level of luxury from its Japanese rival, with high-quality materials throughout and very little from the generic parts bin. Suede and Nappa leather dominate the cabin, and there’s an outstanding Bang & Olufsen sound system.

More: Martha Stewart Talks AI, Sustainable Scallops, and Her Sports Illustrated Cover

Range from the 77.4-kilowatt-hour battery is 235 miles—which could be better. You can get up to 248 miles if you choose the Advanced model instead. But people do tend to get mesmerized by horsepower figures. The drawback with the Advanced is a mere 314 horsepower, while the Performance offers 429 (and 483 with the boost mode engaged) via twin 160-kilowatt motors. No wonder this battery car feels even faster than the MDX S-Type—it can reach 60 mph in less than four seconds. Still, the Advanced is a nice package.

The Genesis has some pizzazz of its own—what appears to be a magician’s crystal ball flips over and becomes the gear selector when the car is turned on. Also, there’s a facial recognition system that enables the owner to leave the keys at home.

The GV60 can be charged 10% to 80% in 18 minutes using a DC fast charger. As tested, the GV60 Performance was US$70,485. It’s definitely a price and performance rival with the performance MDX, but the Acura offers the advantage of that third row—though it’s not large.

Many Americans still aren’t ready to take the EV plunge, and the MDX will work for them. But if they also take the GV60 for a test drive, they’ll find it very tempting.