Photo: Acura Press Kit
Watch out, M Division, Acura's been on a Type S frenzy lately, and it looks like they're ready to set their sights on the very same consumer base the Germans used to dominate. So before you bankrupt yourself with a $70,000 X3 M, you might want to consider saving a briefcase full of money and check out the new $60,000 MDX Type S instead.
Pererianally seen as a more affordable alternative to big, German executive luxury vehicles, Acura's come a long way since their second-generation MDX cemented the brand as a mainstay of the luxury SUV market. With the latest MDX Type S, it may be time for Acura to ditch the underdog status and earn its spot among the highest quality performance/luxury SUVs on the market.
In 2007, the second generation MDX wowed buyers with its impressive 3.7-liter J-Series V6 that cranked 300 V-tec horses. That was pretty impressive in its day, but the newest turbocharged V6 engine finds its way into the new Type S makes the old car look even more like a dinosaur.
In those days, Acura's Superhandling All-Wheel-Drive system was in its infancy as an SUV platform. Well, 15 years is a lot of time to improve. And the new MDX Type S's 355 horsepower will be fed through an AWD system that's considered one of the industry's gold standards mentioned in the same breath as Subaru. It's all fed through a ten-speed automatic transmission.
Now, to give some context, the MDX still isn't quite at the same level, at least in raw performance, as the X3 M, which produces an estimated 473 horsepower. But you tell us, in today's economy, with all the chaos of the modern-day, is an extra 100 horsepower or so really worth an extra $10 grand?
Let's remind you that Americans currently carry more auto loan debt than at any point in history. That bubble's going to burst sooner or later. At $60,000 starting price, the MDX Type S is more than enough car for most families of five. That's why the new MDX Type-S has the potential to be a sales smash hit, while the X3 M, might not have it.
In 2007, the second generation MDX wowed buyers with its impressive 3.7-liter J-Series V6 that cranked 300 V-tec horses. That was pretty impressive in its day, but the newest turbocharged V6 engine finds its way into the new Type S makes the old car look even more like a dinosaur.
In those days, Acura's Superhandling All-Wheel-Drive system was in its infancy as an SUV platform. Well, 15 years is a lot of time to improve. And the new MDX Type S's 355 horsepower will be fed through an AWD system that's considered one of the industry's gold standards mentioned in the same breath as Subaru. It's all fed through a ten-speed automatic transmission.
Now, to give some context, the MDX still isn't quite at the same level, at least in raw performance, as the X3 M, which produces an estimated 473 horsepower. But you tell us, in today's economy, with all the chaos of the modern-day, is an extra 100 horsepower or so really worth an extra $10 grand?
Let's remind you that Americans currently carry more auto loan debt than at any point in history. That bubble's going to burst sooner or later. At $60,000 starting price, the MDX Type S is more than enough car for most families of five. That's why the new MDX Type-S has the potential to be a sales smash hit, while the X3 M, might not have it.
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