Acura MDX Type S Long Term Impressions 

Your honesty and transparency is the main reason why i'm following this channel and i hope it will never change. Great duo putting out amazing content, video quality is incredible too.

"The more I've driven this, the more I've had buyers remorse on my X7" - That's a HELL of a compliment to Honda/Acura and what they've done here.

Jack isn’t wearing Patagonia today, is he ok?

Mercedes, Audi, and BMW used to have an issue just like this when accelerating hard out of a turn with cars that had limited slip differentials. The issue was caused by the awd system and the ECU putting the drivetrain into "limp" mode for protection. The ECU would detect wheel spin and axle rotation ratios that were not compatible with each other and would put the car into limp mode until the car was stopped and allowed proper time for the drivetrain ratios to readjust(or when shifted out of drive). Putting it into neutral automatically readjusts the ratio. It's the same stress release you feel when your cars comes out of drive and goes into neutral or park. It's common on cars with torque vectoring. This issue is pretty much trying to prevent the damage that can occur to a drivetrain similar to taking your 4wd truck with locked diffs and driving in tight circles around a parking lot. You will blow your transfer case or diffs.

it is good to see a review that discusses actual problems and issues. That "neutral" gear thing could cause an accident. The coverage from vids like this will prompt acura to fix it asap. I've loved all the acuras I've owned, way back to a 1990 Integra! Glad to see the company keeping it up!

With the HDR enabled, I could see the Acura engineers in the background testing the gearbox. Normally they'd be hidden in the shadows, thanks SG

This car ROCKS. Coming from someone who traded in my $130k 2020 S-Class for this (just needed an SUV, and was tired of the MB electronic issues and over-engineering the simplest things)... I love this car more than my previous 3 MBs!! (2011 E350, 2014 S550 & 2020 S560).

As you pointed out, my old complaint with the MDX (and RDX) is the center stack design and infotainment control. I wish Acura would incorporate the cleaner and more functional design found in my Honda Accord. Other than that, I think Acura delivering a lot of value for the dollar.

Ive had my TLX Type S for over a year now and never experienced the transmission issue, and I’ve driven it hard, especially out of corners and from a stop. The only thing I hate is the automatic up shift in manual. Info system you get used to, but it’s not ideal. Fuel economy is garbage as well, otherwise I love the car and never see myself coming the other way.

I appreciate the honest reviews. It will be interesting to hear what Acura does about the transmission fading out.

Once again, excellent. The quality of your content is light years ahead of most other automotive journalists.

We are getting close to a year with our MDX Type S Adv. We had an issue with the air strut but got it taken care of by honda. It is the best vehicle I have owned and love getting to drive my family in it. I haven’t experienced the transmission issue and I have driven it hard many times.

Thank you for pointing out the service issues. My experiences with Honda dealers are extremely similar - almost apple levels where they just tell you it's something you're doing wrong and the car is fine.

This drives so much smaller and handles like a sedan. The interior in spacious and the third row fits my mother in law perfectly 😂. The remote start also turns on your AC, heated seats, steering wheel and mirror defroster if it’s cold outside. I would love the type s power train but I couldn’t justify paying $70k.

Hey guys - I have a TLX Type S, purchased brand new with only 3,000 miles now. I started taking it in to the dealer with 2,000 miles on it for that transmission issue. My dealer 100% agreed that it was an issue and wanted to fix it, but Acura told them that it required “dangerous driving” to occur and for them to not diagnose further.

Honestly, that dealership experience is up to par with what I experienced with my old Honda Accord. It had a steering issue that put the wheel slightly out of alignment with the direction of the car, but whenever I told the dealership about it, their response was just “meh, we don’t see it,” or “meh, we test drove it and it’s fine.” Understandably, the dealership considers themselves the experts on the car-especially when they get a lot of consumers who don’t know anything at all. They aren’t used to car owners coming in wanting to be educated about their vehicle. They also aren’t used to having to spend more than the minimum amount of time on what they consider a “niche” issue. There’s no care like that anymore when they have tons of cars to go through in a day.

These guys are amazing. This is the only channel where you'll get totally unbiased reviews.

Acura: “We made the Type-S for people who like to give it the beans!” Customer: “The transmission slips into neutral when I give it the beans😡” Acura: “Stop giving it the beans and you’ll avoid this ‘so called problem!’ Now go away!” 😂

Savageese is top notch guys I watch every single video.please never change your format, especially interior impressions first. You guys are great

It is really refreshing seeing people that are great at what they do. Keep it up guys. Great work.

re: transmission, I haven't had that issue after 5000 miles on an MDX Type S. I suspect what you've experienced is pre-production transmission programming that's already been corrected.

Ever since the Type S launched ive been wanting to get one but the 3.0T is so new that I wanted to see how well it would do long term compared to the legendary J series motor. I did drive one for a week and it was an amazing experience. Although if im dropping $70k I want it to be a smart investment. Thank you for this and I look forward to the next update!

This video was one of the deciding factors in buying my type-s. Excellent work guys, you do car videos for real people and not just speedy bois.

Honest review as always..love it...can you also start including the sound level numbers inside the cabin as well...that will be awesome..

I’ve had my MDX Type S for 9k Miles and I have not had the transmission issue you guys are having! Love the videos!

im glad you bring awareness to these defects because its tiring as a consumer to have no pull to get manufacturers to listen to us

Thank you, the explanation is easy to understand. Thanks bro

As an MDX owner myself I actually found the touchpad infotainment to be pretty intuitive after a while.

Here is a fun fact, the first ever production Magnetorhertoerilogical Struts ever used, were in the Ferarrrrri 599 and the .... 07 MDX. Glad to see they nailed the lead to Air ride too, probably rides like a Ferrrari lol!

***TESTING FOR SHIFTING ISSUE: My wife and I have attempted to replicate the shifting issue of accelerating at full throttle after turning from a stop. Never has it skipped a beat and is very consistent and smooth every time. It was built in Dec 22

Savage Geese has me looking forward to Monday mornings, and these long term reviews are good.

I have a new 2023 - and I have not encountered ANY transmission issues reported in this review. I use the wireless Apple Car Play 100% of the time. It links flawlessly without any cables and I appreciate the wireless charging. I have zero issues with the trackpad interface - I think it works perfectly well, and I never have to reach up to touch any screens and take my eyes off the road. As the reviewer stated, if you are using the Car Play - there is nothing wrong with this interface. The drivetrain is strong, the handling is amazing for an 3 row SUV, and the ergonomics are first rate. I agree with the reviewer - that it is truly a bargain compared the other 3 row luxury SUVs out there. Spectacular "Liquid Carbon" optional paint - far superior than the recent MB and INFINITIs we've had. Typical ACURA flawless fit and finish, and great styling. The ELS sound system is in a class by itself. I highly recommend the new MDX to anyone wanting a 1st class luxury SUV. You will not regret it. Last note - free maintenance for 2 years is a nice feature.

Great content. Just noticed that the color grading on HDR video looks a bit weird on Pixel 7 (normal mode, not night light mode). The beginning was like back and white grey-ish. In the driving test the white hoodie looks to have a blue hue.

I appreciate the honesty in your reviews and the technical analysis. Keep up the great work!

Your reasoning for the transmission logic issues is actually pretty accurate. Working for a medical transport company did fleet technician & we had lifted Dodge Caravans 2016+ and they would do the samething at half or more throttle is turning more than 10° despite being able to corner very well for the added height (highway ramps or curved entry ramps). Basically dropping into neutral and then once straight, accelerates like a soccer late for pickup. Probably programmed for it.

GREAT DETAILED REVIEW KEEP IT UP

Yes same here, my rdx has funky software, I dont like the trans shifting, Acura needs to look into this

completely agree with the infotainment. in an RDX the trackpad is such a pain. Would've loved a more forward touch screen.

I have known multiple people who had TL Type S cars back in the day, and every single one of them had very early transmission issues with their automatics. Everyone of them loved their cars, but everyone single one of them had to get rid of their car earlier than they would have liked due to transmissions issues. As a Honda loyalist this is very troubling.

We own a 2022 MDX and absolutely love it. We get 20mpg on mid grade, mixed driving. The car is a touchscreen away from being perfect

Honest, objective as usual. That transmission problem would do my head in though 🤯

I got to drive the 2023 MDX fwd Saturday and fell in love with the vehicle, didn’t feel at all like a minivan.

A transmission error that is so easy to replicate and consistently wrong should be easy for an engineer to solve. All it requires is effort.

Somethings never seem to change. My 93' Acura Legend sedan 5spd manual was a great car, owned it for 14 years. But from day one new, the clutch would often shudder. Drove me nuts and dealer deemed it normal! A co-worker bought the same year Legend sedan with the automatic and he complained of weird, jerky shifting. I've known Honda Accord owners who had serious issues with their automatics.

Wow, that 2-3 shift issue is horrible! The MDX S was on my short list, and I suspect I would not have noticed that issue on a test drive. However I do like to accelerate fast, and I have several "turn and GO" intersections on my daily semi-rural-and-into-the-city route. 😨

THAT transmission malfunction, right there, is a deal breaker. I'm not gonna purchase a product with a known default before they properly fix it. Otherwise like you two said, the car is great!

90% of dealers either: -Blame you for the problem, especially if you drive anything approaching sporty. "oh this is what happens when you drive "insert your sports car here" too fast" -Tell you it's "normal". "well it's 100 degrees and sunny, no car can keep up in this weather" -When the problem is too obvious and you tell them a car shouldn't break at 20,000 miles, then "every car will have some issues". Choose carefully who you support financially, because every time they get away with it reinforces the behavior.

You can get really sideways in this. Do the pedal dance and put it in VSA maintenance mode.. it will slide without stability control interference.

Thanks for this review. A great one!

This is the best real world car review channel hands down.

Thank you for the informative review. Does the regular MDX have the same transmission issue?

My family has been a Honda family since 1984 and my parents have been driving Acura exclusively since they got their first Acura Legend in 1995. My wife and I just recently went from Honda to Acura and the MDX was our first purchase. What an incredible machine. We went with the Venerable and reliable 3.5 L V6 and we have no regrets. This new body style is just fantastic.

I got a base awd 23 because it was a really good deal for me. Honestly, I wish I could have afforded a type s, but it would have doubled my car payment which didn't seem logical to me. I really wish someone would do a head to head race with the base 3.5 and the type s just to see how far off it actually is.

Thank you for this video👍🏼! It’s nice to see that you not curry favor with manufacturer. By being honest in critics you help Acura to improve! Completely agree that there should be improvements for Type-S:transmission settings improvements to avoid this pause in neutral after acceleration, fuel economy improvement, infotainment system- touch screen adding, normal gear box selector instead of buttons, no piano black plastic as it makes car feel cheaper. And maybe turbo lag issue improvements

I like how the driving impression section come second instead saved for the end.

20k views in 6 hours. Incredible. Keep it up Mark.

Dude. You are the ONLY test driver that wears out the bottom of the gas pedal. MDX w/SH-AWD are really fun to toss around. That is the main reason my wife does not want me to drive hers.

I had a similar problem with my 2017 Mdx. I complained constantly to the dealer until the transmission eventually failed. It had less than 50k miles on it. It was replaced under warranty. But, the stall is back in the new transmission. The dealer is saying they can't replicate it. Great car except for the unresolved problem with the transmission.

Hi I am from Canada 2023 mdx types. The issue I have is my foot gets rly cold here no matter what setting I choice(tried all heat mode and area). It feels like the cold wind is blowing on my leg directly. It is a nightmare to drive for long trip in winter canada. Also found my door is not aligned since the purchase. It is been 3 month they told me to wait to get it adjusted. And there is a strange noise like the sand is hitting the bottom of the car sometimes and it is really loud. Love your video！

Appreciate calling out that 2-3 neutral drop. Sad to see the Acura dealership give you typical Honda service.

That transmission issue would easily get me killed or kill someone else unlucky enough to be behind me when I merge onto a fast road. This is absolutely going to get someone hurt or killed. I have fast roads by me where we have to turn left and there are trucks coming from the right. Fast acceleration is imperative.

I have 8k miles on my ‘23 MDX Type S. And I second everything you’ve said. Love the car overall. That said, the slipping into neutral thing happens to me often, because I have to jump out onto a fast moving street leaving my residential street. The street I jump onto is also a steep slope, and I notice it only does it when going downhill. If I turn the other way. I can jam up the hill with none of the high rev neutral thing.

Very honest, Awsome review!!!!!

Still cannot wait for a CX-90 review from you guys. Cx-90 vs MDX comparison? Like the 3 and Integra?

Great review!

Regarding the transmission problem, that could be considered a safety issue. My guess is it is likely software related. When you do that specific action to make it repeatable, it just happens to be a scenario that wasn't programmed into the controller. I would take the service tech for a drive and show him yourself (since you know the exact sequence to replicated it every time). That way, they can feed that back to Acura.

I've had one of these (the "base" type s) for about a year now and put about 10k miles. Haven't encountered the transmission issue but I likely don't drive it as hard as these guys. It has been comfortable, sporty enough and practical for hauling 2 kids around. Overall very happy with it. Complaints are below: * The infotainment is shit, still get annoyed by it every day. * The transmission I am not particularly fond of the way it shifts. Not even talking about that neutral issue mentioned in the video. It is just annoying somehow. * The lane keep assist seems to be get confused sometimes which is annoying. * Oh there is one issue with a steering judder on start up when it drops into the setting. It is apparently a known issue and they will be replacing the steering column when I take it in. * I wish the seats were more supportive on the sides. * The wipers seems to have a mind of their own. Lot of lag responding to changes and either too fast or too slow.

Here because i have a 22' highlander xse red/red last of the natural 6, local dealer has a used 22 mdx type s white/red. You help me make my decision. Great review!

i like this channel! buy a 2023 subaru wrx, their sales are down 40% compared to last year!

Loving that mclaren gulf special hoodie on Jack, hopefully he wont despair if they cant deliver this season of F1

Completely agree with their opinion, it's why I have one. Some of the best value for dollar out there

Funny, when i lived in chicago i used to go to the Westmont Mcgrath acura and they always couldn't replicate the issue either. Then i made a video and they believed it. I did have a great service advisor though, Edwin. So i think i may have been the exception.

I've been always interested in the Acura products and this channel satisfying my curiosity A LOT. Thanks for the long term review.

Really good point about the dealer experience. I’m on my second Acura so obviously I like the products, but the service department is awful. This is a huge difference between Acura and true luxury brands. My buddy who has a BMW is treated like a king when he gets his car serviced. Acura doesn’t even try to make the experience “premium” or even good. For instance I purchased the service contract on my current vehicle and they ALWAYS try to charge me. Then I have to explain I have the service contract, they have to double check, etc. Totally unacceptable.

I love the hdr videos!!

Type-S owner here! The trans issue is a huge issue in the community, of our NJ Type-S community ~40% of the owners in the chat (45 Type-S’s total) are experiencing the same exact issue! I have experienced it since Dec 2021 when I got it and the only thing Acura has done is a new ecu flash for the fuel economy.

Transmission issue is a show stopper. Any comment on the VCM?

Great review, as always! For those that have a need for a performance hatch/SUV for the space, but don’t need the third row. What else would you recommend on the market?

If there is a transmission calibration update it would've taken maybe 15 minutes at the dealership to do with their factory scan tools. They either didn't check, or there isn't any updates available.

How's the 3rd row in the summer time without air vents? and 275/40r21 tires are not cheap to replace.

Thanks for your great videos as always. What has been the average range that you have gotten on 1 tank of gas? I know you mentioned miles per gallon but it's not always clear what the usable size of the tank is. It'd be more helpful for a regular consumer looking at this car to know "real-world" how often they'll have to fill up for their specific commute each week. Thanks!

I had (and still have, technically) an issue with my 2017 hybrid MDX where it makes a high frequency whine when the battery is warm. It's very noticeable to me, and I could demonstrate it for the techs using audio equipment. They had it in a few times, and wrote it off as "this is normal", even though I was needing to wear headphones while driving it was so bad. I 100% feel the "dealership ignoring the problems" experience with Acura.

That transmission issue is interesting, I had an RDX A-Spec, and that same thing happened to me merging out of a line of trucks into the fast lane 70-75MPH, I turned into the passing la jumping in front of another 18 wheeler and the car choked, I almost got crushed. I actually had to pull off the road and shut the car down completely. I traded it in the next day. The car, with only 49k miles on. it a 2021 had displayed some electric issues as well. I had this MDX on order, but Acura is so bad at the dealer level I bailed on the brand. I've had 3 Acuras over the years. I hope they get their act together.

Another great review

6:12 this is very similar to a common issue found on Kia stingers. Floor it from a dig, rev hits 4K rpm and no power for 3 to 5 seconds then gearbox upshifts, rpm drops then power is recovered. For the stingers it was the fuel pump. It’s sucks balls a performance suv can’t even go full throttle.

Savage GOAT 🐐. Haha thanks for the great reviews. Best on RU-vid.

Love my 2022 MDX Advance package!!

Wanted to provide an update here. My Type-S has an issue with the steering. Lots of clicking and creaking when turning the wheel - in for a cable reel replacement. Hopefully that fixes it. Brilliant car otherwise.

Throttle response is so important, even at lower hp cars… incase of emergency situations it can be really dangerous

My old 08 RDX with a 2.3T 4 cylinder i-Vtec actually had improved mpgs the colder it got and I felt a touch more power on the butt dyno. I did add Hondata reflash and a larger ETS top mounted intercooler to my RDX. Acura really should have made the 3.0T MDX Type-S a Sport Hybrid with the 7DCT and +420 hp/tq. They could have even used the old 14-20 N.A. 3.5L RLX Sport hybrid powertrain with 377hp/341tq. The mpgs would have been around 23-25 for city/combined/hwy. It was only $1500 more for the MDX Sport Hybrid powertrain compared to 3.5L+sh-awd for the 17-20 tech or Adv MDX.

Transmission on my 2020 Honda Passport does the same thing. It's not new or specific to the Acura MDX. Dealer gives me the same response as well.

I own a 2022 MDX platinum, bought the car within weeks of launch. The MDX replaced a 2012 Mercedes which had reliability issues that cost a fortune to fix. Great car so far, my biggest complaint is the chrome trim, it is garbage, the grille surround needs to be replaced and door trims take a lot of work to remove road grime stains. Other than that I'm very happy.

I experienced the acceleration stall several times at high-speed cornering, and it's not only disappointing but actually dangerous. I think it's a built-in safety net by Acura in order to protect you from yourself. It's not a deal breaker for me, as I really enjoy my Type S otherwise. ☺️

Great review.

Is it possible the rev-hang is a feature? Akin to some "sport" modes where they do it for throttle response/sporty driving? We have a 2018 Mazda CX-9, and we cross shopped MDX. At the time Mazda's infotainment layout was better with the knob/touchscreen and screen location and CarPlay was available with a retrofit. No creaks/rattles on ours. CX-9 good for loafing around, and still fun when pushed (for an SUV and definitely a momentum vehicle). Certainly the new MDX Type-S is a league ahead, but I'm excited for the CX-90 and think it will once again be better value than the MDX. My bros. in law's 2017 MDX eats rear brakes, maybe a feature of the SH-AWD. I really hope you guys get to sit down with Mazda to go over the technical details of the CX-90. Really love hearing the interviews and details of how they make decisions (like making a smaller torque converter and using a multi-plate clutch for sportier feel, g-vectoring, etc).

Definitely agree with the negative in mpg. I wonder why it is so low compare to the Germans, not just Acura, all Japanese V6s. It wasn’t a huge deal a few years ago, but gas price is in the rise, I wish Acura and do better on mpg

I'd bet good money that the service department didn't have the stones to follow your procedure, i.e. they didn't go full throttle. If they even test drove it at all. Someone else with this same issue that posted here had their dealer willing to look into it but was told by corporate to *not* look into it because it was "unsafe driving" (to make a 90 degree turn at full throttle.) I'm glad that Acura said they'd look into it for you. Hopefully they actually drive your vehicle, and even better yet, that they have you demonstrate the problem. I'm interested in buying this same vehicle, so I'm very grateful you're on the case. Sincere thanks! p.s. I realize the '23 Pilot is not a Type S but I assume it didn't have this problem (if you did the same maneuver)?

Thanks! Again, you've got bills to pay but if I had that kind of $ I'd be in my dream 981 Cayman since that's just short of GTS money.

My 2021 Honda Ridgeline does the exact same thing with the ZF 9 Speed

Between the black plastic, the “infotainment” shortfall, the drive-train issue you mention, the MPG and the fact that I don’t want a “sporty” drive, you’ve just reconfirmed me in my recent purchase of a 2023 Lexus GX460 Premium for $60,000-largely influenced by Savage Geese, I might add. Trouble-free driving forever. And I’ll put the $10,000 or so I’ve saved toward gas and good times.