Sticking to Sporty in a Changing World: 2025 Acura MDX Type S Advance Review

Finding myself alone as I enter the roundabout-style freeway on-ramp, I stab the throttle and start to slide around the partially wet patch of pavement. The 2025 Acura MDX Type S Advance holds the road remarkably well, as the SH-AWD system transfers torque in various ways to all four corners and keeps it tracking true, which allows me to accelerate onto the interstate at car chase speeds. Good fun!

Mechanically speaking, this experience rightly feels just like the 2022 Acura MDX Type S did, as virtually nothing changed. But this Type S now has Advance at the end of the name, which adds several comforts, not least of which includes nine-way massaging seats. It also includes heated and ventilated seats up front, a heated steering wheel, heated second-row seats, and more driving aids.

I spent a few days in cold and snowy southeast Michigan to see how all these comforts affect my sensibilities of what a Type S is and how it’s supposed to feel. Did Acura’s updates keep the Type S as a relevant three-row performance crossover? Or is the competition moving too fast? 

In short: The 2025 Acura MDX Type S Advance nicely combines performance and luxury in a three-row crossover SUV package. Courtesy of advanced suspension technology and a muscular engine, the Type S engages the driver and delights through a nice series of corners. The Type S, like all MDX trims, falls short in adult comfort in the second and third rows. It also delivers underwhelming fuel economy. But, enthusiasts with a family will find these drawbacks well worth looking past.

2025 Acura MDX Type S Advance

(Photo/Robin Warner)

7.4

How we rate products ⓘ

Specifications

• Vehicle: 5-door, 7-seat, crossover SUV
• Dimensions: 198.4" L x 78.7" W x 67.9" H, 113.8" wheelbase
• Cargo area (behind 3rd/2nd/1st rows): 16.3/39.1/71.4 cu. ft.
• Powertrain: Turbocharged 3.0L V6
• Power: 355 hp, 354 lb.-ft.
• Transmission/Driven wheels: 10-speed automatic transmission/all-wheel-drive
• MPG: 17 city, 21 hwy, 19 cmb
• MSRP base price: $76,600 (including $1,350 destination charge)
• MSRP as tested: $77,200

Pros

• Fast-shifting, quick-reacting transmission, keeps fun factor high
• Fantastic suspension, drives as well as anything under Porsche prices
• "Advance" means all the luxury, including massaging seats
• Much improved, easy-to-use center display

Cons

• Fuel economy numbers, unchanged, underperforms the competition
• Engine asks for premium fuel, making for expensive fill-ups
• Not enough second-row space for this size crossover and seat bottom is to low
• Smaller badge on the front grille, please

Robin Warner

2025 Acura MDX Type S Advance Review

What Acura Changed for 2025

To start, Acura tweaked the styling of the front fascia, changing the mesh pattern of the grille and giving the front bumper a new, more aggressive look. While looking at a 2024 versus a 2025 model back-to-back makes the changes clear, you’re excused from not noticing otherwise.

In profile, the body maintains the same lines, though striking new 21-inch wheels with black accents stand out and show off the four-piston Brembo calipers more clearly than before. A new paint color, Urban Gray Pearl, shows the lines of the body in a different way as well. If you go with a non-Type S MDX, Acura offers a second new paint color: Canyon River Blue Metallic.

Inside, the MDX carries on with two 12.3-inch screens, one for the instrument cluster, and the other for the center display. But Acura implemented a new user interface to operate the center display (ditching the old touchpad), which works more intuitively than before. Moreover, Google Built-in (Assistant, Maps, and Store) as well as wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto now come as standard equipment for the MDX.

Oh, and Acura moved the wireless smartphone charged next to the cupholders and upgraded the sound systems offered, too.

What Makes a Type S Advance?

Perhaps most significantly, Acura did away with the Advance package for the MDX Type S, and instead making it standard equipment and renaming the trim Type S Advance. That largely explains the $8,705 increase in base price from the 2022 Type S. But it also means a much more luxurious performance SUV.

You get 16-way power-adjusting seats upholstered in Milano leather. Those seats are also heated, ventilated, and massaging. In fact, you choose from nine different massage types and three different intensity levels. My personal favorite is Shiatzu on high intensity. Second-row seats, except for the middle seat, offer heat as well.

Back in the driver’s seat, the Type S Advance keeps your hands warm courtesy of a heated steering wheel — and you get pertinent information via a head-up display.

Finally, a 31-speaker Bang & Olufsen sound system belts out music — or podcasts in my case. Mid-level MDXs get a 19-speaker version, the base model makes do with 11 speakers.

Mechanically Speaking

Aside from some new garnish and toys inside, the MDX Type S largely remains the same. Under the hood still lies a turbocharged 3.0L V6 that delivers 355 horsepower and 354 pound-feet of torque and sends power through a 10-speed automatic transmission before heading to all four wheels.

And it’s a torque vectoring AWD system, which Acura named SH-AWD or Super Handling, all-wheel-drive. SH-AWD will transfer as much as 70% of total torque to the rear axle and 100% of that to the outside wheel, if driving conditions merit it.

Unfortunately, fuel economy didn’t change either: 17 mpg in the city, 21 on the highway, and 19 mpg combined. That’s less efficient than a V8-powered BMW X5 M60i, let alone the new Toyota Grand Highlander and much of the rest of the family crossovers on the market.

In regards to chassis, the MDX carries on with a double-wishbone front suspension geometry and a multilink rear, four-wheel independent. And the Type S still replaces steel springs with an adjustable air setup. That allows the driver to really firm up the entire chassis in the Sport plus driving mode and have way more fun than you’d expect in a three-row crossover.

By the way, the standard MDX also remains unchanged. It receives power from a naturally aspirated 3.5L V6, which churns out 290 horsepower and 267 pound-feet of torque.

Driving Joy

Just as it did in 2022, the MDX Type S Advance drives phenomenally well. Yes, this is a nearly 200-inch-long, 68-inch-tall, almost 4,800-pound three-row crossover. And yet, everything about this machine caters to the driver. Especially in the sport plus driving mode, which stiffens and lowers the air suspension, firms up the steering, and encourages more torque sent to the rear axle.

Couple that with the better-than-average front-to-rear weight distribution for an SUV (57% front/43% rear), and you have a responsive front end. And, front-to-rear chassis balance stays much closer to neutral than you’d expect.

The MDX understeers at the limit — especially on a damp freeway on-ramp at sub-freezing temperatures — but courtesy of SH-AWD, the rear-end rotates on power and tracks your desired path brilliantly.

Acura also maintains feel through the steering and your backside. Furthermore, while it’s not a drag car, the 10-speed automatic shifts quickly and keeps you in the power band to deliver strong pull into triple-digit speeds.

Freeway Cruising With More Driving Aids

After you complete your on-ramp shenanigans and enter the freeway, the Acura updated its suite of driving aids for cruising. The Type S Advance makes use of new sensors and cameras to increase the systems vision of the road. That led to a new name, AcuraWatch 360, instead of merely AcuraWatch. You also get additional driving aids: Front Cross Traffic Warning, Lane Change Collision Mitigation, and Active Lane Change Assist.

Similar to Hyundai’s Highway Driving Assist, Acura inches closer to sustained hands-free driving without yet reaching anything like GM’s Super Cruise tech. Baby steps.

No matter, I like driving. And I find the seats comfortable and supportive. Type S Advance models especially provide lots of bolstering in the seats to hold you snugly in place. And now you can enjoy a massage too.

Unfortunately, second-row passengers deal with less legroom and lower seat bottoms than much of the family-size crossover competition, making it uncomfortable for adults on a road trip. The MDX seems more built for a young family than a group of adults.

2025 Acura MDX Type S Advance Review: Summary

The starting price for a 2025 Acura MDX Type S Advance is $76,600, which gets you well into BMW X5 territory and even within striking distance of a Porsche Cayenne. Stiff competition, to be sure. And yet, it holds its own. For the money, you get a truly enjoyable driver’s car dressed up to look like a family-sized crossover SUV. And 99 times out of 100, it will successfully fool the masses.

Acura’s update kept the technology march up to date and sweetened the pot when it comes to luxury appointments, which ultimately only enhanced the overall driving experience. You still get all the driving fun, but also more comfort for the times you simply need to make it from point A to point B. 

The issue for the MDX is that more large crossovers entered the market. And existing ones saw big improvements. That exposes the MDX’s weaknesses more than before. Accepting 21 mpg on the interstate is a tougher sell these days. And, if family needs outweigh a fun driving experience, the MDX Type S has an uphill climb to reach buyers.

On the other hand, for the driving enthusiast who needs the space, the 2025 MDX Type S Advance is still the one to beat.

2024 Mazda CX-90 Review: Hybrid, AWD, and a Blast to Drive

We drove the 2024 Mazda CX-90 and came away impressed by the driving feel and economy but scoffing at the lack of cargo space and the hefty price. Read more…

2025 Hyundai Ioniq 9 SUV Is a Roomy, Well-Equipped Electric Family Hauler

With three rows, up to seven passengers, and more cargo space than key competitors, the Ioniq 9 is Hyundai's biggest of the batch. Read more…

The 11 Best 7-Seater SUVs of 2025

The growing number of three-row SUVs is overwhelming. Review our list of the best seven-seater SUVs and learn about the top options. Read more…