Dear 2012: it’s been fun. As all good things of this past year come to and end, so does my hands-on experience with the entire 2012 line-up of Acura cars and I couldn’t be more nostalgic about it (I have always been vocal about my love for the brand and Honda in general). Today the topic of discussion is Honda’s stab at SUV luxury with the 2012 MDX, which just so happens to also be my favorite ride of the entire fleet. So, as I await my turn in a few of the redesigned 2013 Acura’s (RDX review coming next week), below are my impressions of the 2012 MDX after just over a week of enjoying every second of the ride.

First Impressions:

Comfortable, convenient, and intuitive; finally an SUV that doesn’t feel like a monstrous box to get into and maneuver. You sit inside and are seemingly swallowed by the big, hand-stitched leather seats, and highly-intuitive center console. The media console - as with all Acura’s - is super easy to setup with your phone, and within 5 minutes I was ready for calls and music.

Among the several SUV’s that I have driven, far and wide, the MDX is my favorite performance, fuel, and usability-wise. With a comfortable cabin, impressive safety features, and just a hint of ruggedness on the pavement, the MDX gives you what you want - and need - in a luxury SUV.

Let’s get one thing clear: you won’t mistake the MDX for anything but luxury; Honda has made sure of this. Not only do they focus on interior details, but they’ve gone above and beyond with the audio system, infotainment, and adaptive suspension, not to mention: leather upholstery; power windows, locks and mirrors; heated power front seats; a rearview camera system; a three-zone automatic climate control system with humidity control and air filtration; a power tailgate; 18-inch wheels; a six-disc in-dash changer and XM Satellite Radio; a auxiliary audio jack; steering-wheel audio and phone controls; and a Bluetooth hands-free calling interface - all which come standard even with the base model MDX.

Overall:

This SUV, at a sub 55k price point, leaves every other SUV in its class in the dust. There really isn’t a single feature about it that I didn’t enjoy, and if it weren’t for this weeks experience in the 2013 RDX, I’d opt to say that this was my SUV of choice when the time is right (you know, family and stuff).

You can learn more about the 2013 Acura MDX via Acura here

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