Acura MDX: Is the 2016 or the 2015 model the best choice? - ConsumerReports.org
Even though the current-generation Acura MDX has been on sale for only two model years, significant changes arrive early for the 2016 model year, which is available now. Biggest among them is a shift from a six-speed automatic transmission to a new nine-speed. Based on our experience with an Acura TLX V6 AWD, we’re not sure this new transmission is an improvement. We hope that more time to fine-tune the transmission calibrations for the MDX will bring refinement. Top-trim MDX Advance models will now come with idle stop, which shuts off the engine to save fuel when the car is stopped. The new MDX nine-speed also comes with an electronic shifter, which replaces the conventional shift lever. But both the 2015 and 2016 MDX AWD (without idle stop) are rated at 21 mpg overall by the EPA. More gears sometimes bring acceleration improvements, but then again, the six-speed MDX was no slouch. On the plus side, the AcuraWatch suite of high-tech safety gear is now available on all MDXs, including the base model without the Technology package. Source: www.consumerreports.org
