23 Type S owner here. Tiger Eye Pearl. 20k miles. It's an excellent vehicle. I also have a 21 TLX S.

So far has been extremely reliable. With one exception. About 2 months ago, I got it the vehicle and every warning light came on, wouldn't go off, and it said take it immediately in for maintenance. Long story short, the control panel had went out. Took them 4 days to get the part in and fix it. Was under warranty.

Negatives for the vehicle? Gas mileage SUCKS. The only good thing about the MPG is that it's better than the TLX. The other negative is it could use a little more horsepower.

Other than that--all positives from me. These are the first Acuras I've ever purchased and I am beyond happy with both.

2025 MDX Aspc. No issues at 15000 k. Highway mpg around 24-25 mpg. Very responsive during a 3500 k trip. Seats quit comfortable for long trips. Good to drive 500 miles before needing a break. One quirk...cannot turn off the system that tells you to "steer" even when driving with full attention system activates indicating to steer and if you don't it will shutdown the ACC cruise control....very annoying. Overall, a pleasure to drive.

Own a 23 for over a year now at 10k miles. Love it and has not giving me any issues. Yeah mpg is awful, especially being in the city. Took it to a 1k mile road trip with 1 yo in the back and it felt like a breeze.

I've had my '25 for 6 months. It's been perfect so far and I really enjoy it a ton. Zero issues at 6,100 miles, which is to be expected. Someone with an older one can comment about those wear items. Computer says I've gotten 20.2 mpg during that time, and I regularly hit 23-24 on highway trips. My only complaint is the fuel range is low 300s but that's minor.

I’m going to add my experience just as a warning. I could be unlucky, but I’m not the only one with this issue at my dealer and it seems someone has identified the problem on a TLX forum and warned it is a design flaw for MDX/TLX models with adaptive dampers.

My car is currently in for a $10k fix. I have a 2022 Type S advanced with tow package added.

I had a horrible experience with the dealer - after signing all paperwork on the loan and purchase, found out they had damaged it on arrival (I ordered the car 6 months prior). Took forever to get them to fix and obviously not the car’s fault so won’t go into detail there.

About a year into owning it - intercooler inlet tube popped off while on the highway. Car maxed out at about 15mph, which thankfully was enough to get me off my exit. Said everything was wrong, would not turn back on. Towed to dealer, they had it for 2 months because replacement parts were backordered - protocol was to replace even though nothing appeared wrong with the parts themselves. They didn’t install correctly, popped off again on my way home the day I picked it up. Fixed it again and haven’t had that issue again. My husband is convinced they had to remove this tube in the first place to install the fan for the tow package, so all issues up to this point might be dealer inflicted.

Now to the current - adaptive damper/air suspension problem. Apparently there is a sensor/plug that is designed so poorly water can get inside, freeze, expand, damage and corrode and require the entire wiring harness and the sensor to need to be replaced. Hence the $10k since they have to tear apart the entire car. This happened to me at 53k miles. So warranty is expired. 2 other 2022 MDXs were getting this repair at my dealer on the day I came in with the issue. They were still under warranty. American Honda has agreed to cover 80% of the fix. I did find someone who just posted the warning about the design flaw on the forum on March 30 as I was trying to determine how to prevent this issue from recurring.

I’m genuinely sad about the car and my experience. This was my first Acura and I bought it thinking I’d have reliability. Instead it feels like a very expensive mistake. I love everything about the car when it’s not breaking in some way. I don’t want another car, but am worried I might have to get one or risk shelling out thousands every 3 years to replace some catastrophic failure.

Had an 18 mdx that had trans issues so I had to trade out of it. Luckily the 2020 model year fixed the tcm so it actually shifts correctly. I’d still have that truck if it wasn’t for that issue. When my finances allow I’d get the new body style of the mdx it looks so good. Your mdx looked exactly like mine I still miss it.

I used to have a 1990 Acura Integra sold that at 321,000 kms. Then I had a 2004 Acura EL, that car went to car heaven as I got veered off the road by a semi. Drove a 2003 Toyota Echo afterwards for awhile. Now I Drive a 2010 Honda Pilot. I want to go back to Acura but man they are pricy. Also I hate car shopping. LMAO

Great car! My 2019 has a 1/4 million miles no issues

Sweet! Acura for life my guy!

I bought a used 2010 TL in 2023 and loved it immediately. It had 50,000/m. I went up north last year and a deer flew out from the side of the road and hit the front passenger door. I keep up on fluid changes and oil. There's always been some odd noise and somebody told me it was my wheel bearings so I took it in and it was the transmission. I had to have it rebuilt . That was in May. $4330!  Two weeks later I needed struts all around. I just made an appointment to have a new timing kit installed. The mileage is now 104,430. If I would have given up on the car I probably would have only been able to afford a Nissan. I'm much safer in the Acura and to be honest I love the way it rides and I love the technology package. I go up north quite often (600 miles round-trip) so I'll get a rental. I'm 70 years old and this will probably be my last car. I love the way it rides  and it honestly looks just a sharp as a new Honda Accord. I'm glad I bought it and it was worth the repairs!

75k is approaching the break-in point for a Honda, you're about 25% there until you can say it's high mileage.

Glad to see it’s no garage queen. Let us know how well that suspension holds up at 150k.

That's not high mileage. Come back in 100k miles

Ok

Ok

I have yet to hear about any of these issues, specifically the 10 Speed Autos failing at 25k miles. Just do the required maintainence at the right intervals then everything should be fine.

Terms of reliability, its a honda. All the acura owners including me have known about smaller issues that doesn't really affect the car as much, but all are still running well. And the difference in transmissions between the Type-s and the lower trim models for the TLX and MDX are essentially the same besides maybe more built to handle the extra power and torque from the V6 Turbo.

Where are you seeing repeated issues with the TLX Type S transmission failures? I don’t think I’ve seen one instance of this, and I’m in a FB group specifically for the 2nd gen TLX. Can you share links to these transmission failures?

My Acura dealer has fixed everything I’ve brought to their attention.

I have a 23 Type S advance and the only issues I’ve had are the sunroof and drivers side window motors go. They were both replaced under warranty. It’s our 4th MDX and our favorite by far. Never any reliability issues with any of them

2021 tlx owner here with 36k miles and loving the reliability of acura so far. Everyone I know with acuras don’t have any significant issues vs other makes either.

Not true. Not a trend with this 10speed.

MPG is the biggest issue with the current MDX (in both normal and Type S trims). A hybrid system would really go a long way towards making this a more competitive (and faster) vehicle.

Glad to hear you like the touchpad. I too prefer it to a touchscreen 99% of the time. About the only time it stinks is when I’m having to input an address in Google Maps, but in that case I’ll just do it on my phone.

It’s a shame Acura is moving away from it, instead of leaving it and just making the screen touchscreen for those who love to complain about it.

How many miles on it in that 1.5 years? We picked up my wife's '24 MDX-S Advance in November 2023. It just rolled over 9k miles. Average mpg over that time is 19.1mpg with about 50/50 highway/city driving.

I have driven it more than her since I typically drive when we go out together. I consider myself having a pretty heavy foot.

Just sharing my thoughts on my 2023 Type-S advanced. Has been a great family car so far, just a few minor complaints. Mainly the horrible mileage (16.3 mpg). Only one minor issue with interior lighting going out that was fixed under warranty within the first months of delivery. About to take it in for my second oil change at about 11k miles.

I actually like the touchpad, and slightly prefer it to the touchscreen in my other cars mainly to avoid fingerprints.

Other than PPF, ceramic, and tint, have not done much other than replacing with black emblems and otherwise debadging. Got the tuxmats which are way better than stock mats.

Nice MDX-S is that your 911 in the background too?

Oh many you’re living the life! I would love to daily my TLX-S with a 911 Turbo or GTS for the weekender. My bank account says I need to sell my Type-S and be happy with a M3 or M5 and daily drive a cheap ass Honda from 2001 haha😭

Same here. No issues with my ‘22.. just getting 17mpg 🫤

I'm 22 mdx aspec sport trim. No message seats but, aint complainin'. Just hit 10k. Its fun to drive. Rattling in passenger door from my need of bass, sucks big balls for $63k. Not happy at all about that. Going to spend a few dollars on dynomatt. If that doesn't work, im selling it. Big deal breaker for me. I need quality audio. Especially for 63k

Looking clean! Whats a pro and con you have after the 1st year?

Love the massage seats!

It's gorgeous

Super cleannn

I lease my vehicles. Currently in a 25 MDX. I went with the model that had the best payment. I don't care what it is, in 3 years it's gone. When I do buy any vehicle, I stick to the base models. I find that all the extras the higher ends models bring just becomes useless after a while if ownership. I love a Type S but it's a family suv, to me I don't see the point. Eventually you get use to the HP and your like ah, it ok. Been there, done that.

The Type S is a very, very nice vehicle. If you test drove both the same day the difference would be noticeable. If you are a person that has retrospective regret (like myself) and you will not be putting your family in a bad place spending the extra money, I’m going with the Type S. The overall cost of ownership will likely be higher long term (gas and insurance) so that’s something to keep in mind.

We bought a 2024 MDX Advance Type S for the better ride, massage seats and bigger engine. We drive on long trips so comfort was the main reason. If you don’t need a larger engine, air suspension or massage seats, the MDX AWD Advance is also a great choice. The True Touchpad Interface (TTI) takes a while to get used to and it is a bit quirky at times. Overall, we are very happy with the Advance Type S.

If it’s stretching your budget, it’s probably not worth it. For me, the most tempting part is the massage seats. The turbo engine is great, but the base engine is solid for everyday driving and a bit of fun.

I would’ve just bought a 25’ advance for a stellar deal. They have massage seats and everything else you could need

We've had a type s advance for just under 3 years. It's actually our slowest SUV ( we also have a supercharged '19 jaguar f-pace s, and a '22 x5m50i, all were purchased new) but we like it the best because it does everything so well. The Jaguar is by far the most fun to drive, the Acura does the most things the best overall, and honestly we're not real big on the M50.

Unfortunately the Acura has been the most problematic of the three even though we've had it the least amount of time. I will tell you we had a base MDX for about 2 weeks when the infotainment system fried itself in our type s. I'm not a speed demon, even though we have very fast cars, but it was very difficult driving a car that had no bottom end torque. It also got worse mileage on the highway than the type s. I would absolutely buy a top trim pilot before I bought a mid trim or lower MDX.

The big issue is, and you have to answer this question yourself, is can you afford 77k? It's a lot of money for a non luxury brand car. And a lot of people want a fancy badge at that price point. If you're stretching your budget, just don't do it. Or buy CPO for a lot less. But don't make yourself car poor. I think you also have to get some kind of external cooler on the type S if you want to tow with it if I'm not mistaken. I think it's more involved than just getting a hitch.

Personally, I have no issue of spending more for the type s. It doesn't impact my budget or finances in any way shape or form, so it wasn't an issue for us. But for somebody who's pushing their limit, I think they really need to think about it. In the end it's just a car.

And another thing I would 100% look at is the cx-90. In the top trim it's a very impressive vehicle and I would buy that every single time over the base engine mdx, even the advance model or whatever the top trim is called now. And at under 60k for the top trim new, and under 50K CPO if you look a little bit, it's a relative bargain. I could not believe how good the driving Dynamics were on it when I rented one from Turo when I was on a trip, and it was with the base engine, not even the higher output engine.

Have had my ‘22 Type-S for 3 years now and have loved it. No issues. Just about at 50k miles. Fun as hell to drive. I have a heavy foot. Purchased a Pilot for a family member recently and have driven it a bit. It’s fine if you want no joy in your life from driving. Had an MDX Tech prior and really enjoyed that as well but I just love the extra oomph of the Type-S.

Love ours. It’s literally the best product Acura sells and feels that way.

I am contemplating the exact same thing. The two things other than the obvious reliability that bother me are the type S is $7700 more with and has no rebates no incentives .where are the a spec. you can pick up for a deal. And is insane as this may sound I’m thinking I’m going to wait for the 26 because the MDX seems to be the only model that does not have satellite radio and I want to be able to travel with this vehicle and want my satellite radio.

One thing I don’t ever see mentioned is that the Type S has a far superior lane centering option. We had loaner Mdx that was an A-spec and driving it home the car was just bouncing from one line to the other. Where the Type S actually keeps you centered without the bouncing. (Loaner was for my wife’s ZDX just fyi)

As someone who drives mostly highway/interstate I would easily pay the 7700 again just for this system

Listen for rear end noise. The wheel bearings are known to go on the first gen MDX and pilots.

Check when the timing belt was last done. If they don't know assume it needs to be done

Check when the rear diff and transmission fluid was last done and make sure it was Honda fluid in the rear diff. Assume you need to change it if they don't know

If it doesn't start up immediately when you turn the key assume it'll need new spark plugs soonish as well.

The engine will tick. Unless you can hear it in the cab don't worry about it. The J series doesn't have hydraulic valve adjustment and it needs to be done manually every once in a while.

Check for rust on the under carriage and by the front and rear subframes

Check if it has a transmission cooler. If it doesn't put one on right away and bypass the one in the radiator. This is late enough in the production run that this isn't as much of an issue though.

Other than that your typical used car checks.

I’m in Canada but is it just me or does it seem awfully expensive for a 1st gen MDX? (granted it’s the last year of that gen)

I’m guessing you’re in the US but I’ve always thought you guys have a far better used market than we do due to supply. For example, 2nd gen MDX models from 07-09 go for about $6-$8k CAD.

Not being familiar with these vehicles, my biggest worry is that it’s had a transmission replacement.

I would avoid early 2000s Honda/Acura V6 automatic models. Their transmissions are known to grenade themselves.

Easily gonna last 300k miles with good maintenance

10-12 years with what mileage? The type s power train is relatively new, so we don’t know about long term reliability, obviously I give Honda benefit of doubt because they’ve made turbo engines for decades, but keep that in mind. Also, things like the air suspension are nice, but on literally every over luxury car they fail, usually around 80-100k miles, sometimes even earlier. Again, it’s Honda, but they never made air suspension before, so god knows really. But honestly it’s been pretty solid from what I’ve seen. If you want to play safe, I’d get a regular Mdx advance. 

Also, the 3rd row in the Mdx is not that big, fine for kids, but small for teens and adults. For reference I’m 5 10, and I’ve sat back there for 2 hours once, and it wasn’t pretty. One cigarette charge port, NO air vents or anything, so it can get toasty too. Plus little cargo room behind the 3rd row. I’m saying this because you have 6 people, and you’d probably use the 3rd row often. For short trips, it’s fine, but you’d want to keep that odyssey around for long trips. 

36k miles in 1.5 years on our 23 MDX Type S and no issues. If you think about it, 355hp out of a turbo 3 liter is nothing by modern standards. This thing is build to last.

For what it's worth I have a 22 type s with over 60k miles on it and it's been rock solid. Just fluid changes and tires. It's still tight and doesn't rattle. It's been a phenomenal vehicle thus far.

I have a 2014 MDX tech package with 180k on it, no repairs required, just maintenance.
I also have a 2022 MDX type S advance with 60k miles on it and no repairs required at all. YMMV 😀

I have a '23 MDX Type S, I agree that it is lacking in power compared to the stronger German models. But it's fast enough for middle-aged me, maybe not young me. The luxury is more important to me now, at my age. The 3DS audio is amazing, suspension in comfort mode is like riding on a memory foam mattress, the massage seats are god-tier. It's comfy and responsive, and is also damn good-looking. I'd love another hundred horses, but it works just fine for me, as is. Glad you found one that works for you.

I think people are missing the point. Both those who are praising it and those who are panning it. I completely understand OP's sentiments and they exactly mirror mine. Nobody should expect the MDX Type S to drive like a car just because it is a Type S.. we understand it is an SUV. Also we ain't complaining that it is slow. The main problem it faces is that it is not that much better than the non Type S. It is far from high revving and visceral Type S's of the past.. it doesn't need to be and nobody should expect that from an MDX. But when you stick a Type S badge to anything - even if it an MDX, it needs a bit of that X factor. As an example, MB and BMW introduced the AMG lite/M Sport models like the GLE53 or the X5 M50i. They are not full fledged AMG or M cars but they provide a thrilling experience although at a level lower than the full blown AMG and M cars while still feeling a level above the base non AMG/M versions. I think Acura should've done something similar to the AMG Lite/M Sport experience with the MDX type S instead it is a bit of a neither here nor there experience. Again before people jump on and say "oh it costs way less than the AMG Lite and you shouldn't compare them", again that's not the point and I am not comparing them. I am only comparing the differences between the base vs sportier versions of Acura and MB/BMW and pointing out what's missing in the Type S

Yep, unrealistic expectations. No matter what, it’s a decently big SUV so it’s not going to drive like a little sports car. I love mine and it’s way more fun to drive than most SUVs I’ve had a chance to drive in a ‘fun’ way lol

I think it was the Car Care Nut channel that mentioned the front suspensions are $1,700 per corner just in parts, with the rear corners costing $700 each, plus the labor.

We'll see how durable this first generation air suspension will be from Honda. For us, this will primarily be a road trip car, so the annual mileage will remain below 5k. Age, rather than normal wear, will probably determine the replacement interval.

Idk I’m pretty impressed with my 2022 type s…but then again I’m a mom of 2 coming from a cx5 🤪

A 5 minute dealer test drive around the block really won't tell you much about a car's performance unless you're only interested in straight line acceleration. You have to live with it for a while, probing the limits on a variety of roads, assessing its strengths and weaknesses to see if it meets your current needs and lifestyle.

I went to the Acura dealership earlier this year with an eye on the MDX Advanced. It would be our long distance cruiser in retirement, and the Advanced seemed to be the sweet spot in the MDX lineup. Having owned a Macan S and a Cayenne S, we also wanted something easier on the wallet when it came to maintenance.

After a satisfactory drive in the Advanced, I shouldn't have driven the Type S, but I did, and those Brembo brakes and air suspension lured me into paying the premium. I had both features on my Cayenne, and it really transforms the MDX, particularly on twisty roads.

Is it as lively, capable and fun as my 20 year old S2000 on canyon roads? Of course not, but neither can a roadster carry us and our two dogs in quiet comfort over any terrain without spitting the bit. At our last service, the dealer lent us an MDX Type A. After several days of spirited driving over the usual roads, any lingering doubts about spending more for the Type S quickly dissipated. YMMV.

Well it's about 12 grand, actually now only about 11 grand more than the regular advance since they bumped the price of the regular mdx...

I have one on order but not because it's an all out performance machine. I want something that's comfortable, has good Tech, should be reliable, and the 25 spkr ELS should be awesome!! And it's still fun to drive... Those were my requirements. I have an X5M50 when I want to go hardcore.

So to me it represents a great combination of what should be pretty good performance, along with a lot of nice luxury touches, and Acura reliability. I've always liked how acuras/Honda's drive. I look at it as a high performer in all areas, although maybe not the best in any one category. I think that's how you have to look at this particular model.

Plus it should still be running fine in 3 and a 1/2 years when my daughter gets her license and inherits it.She already knows the X5 is not going to be hers.

If it’s not worth it then don’t get Type-S Advanced 🤷🏽‍♂️ I think the Type-S is good enough advanced is just giving you everything and beyond abit. It’s up to you if you want to spend almost $100k on a SUV 🤷🏽‍♂️

Depending on how soon you need the car, you might get a non Type S faster. Production on the Type S has seem to come to a halt and no updates have been provided on our orders.

I do think the Advance (non Type S) in carbon, with black wheels and a chrome delete would look pretty slick. Definitely would go that route over an A-Spec if not for my Type S reservation.

Can’t you combine The a spec and advance packages together like you can on the RDX?

I have the Type S Advance, and I love it so much. What an absolutely insane car. But my NSX makes me an Acura fanboy already, maybe it's the bias haha

14K on mine already. Aside from Acura app not showing correct mileage and range on app, I have no issues with that car.

I know especially when its a Japanese car. Go on MDX forum you would think that these cars are riddled with issues

Same with my Passport. You have to refresh it to get the right numbers half the time. And it's fairly slow because it has to 'ping' the car to get the info. Is what it is.

You shouldn’t have a single issue with any brand new car…

Life is too short to be driving in comfort mode

Reliability shouldn't be any different than the regular MDX. Now turbo engines for the most part don't go as long as a N/A engine. Also depends on how you drive, obviously. Shouldn't really cost anymore to maintain than a regular MDX. I am sure it uses premium, so that plus the less MPG is probably the only money difference. I just leased a 25 MDX. So far, best SUV I have owned. Turned in a 23 RDX. Fun to drive with the SH-AWD but I didn't like the 4cyl engine noise. 4cyl should stay in compact cars. But it's seem everyone is going smaller while the vehicles get bigger.

Id imagine it would be reliable. Its a j series engine that been around in one form or another for the last 30 years...

Look up reliability of the tlx type-s (same engine) and see how that goes. If it can withstand being driven hard, driving a family around should be a walk in the park.

There was someone here not that long ago that picked up a new MDX and was upset with the mpg. Something like 18mpg hwy! Iirc.

I have a 2024 MDX Type S. I have put about 14,000 miles on it. Just finished a 1700 mile trip. Avg 23mpg on that trip. Mixture of 93 octane and 89 octane fill ups. 23 mpg on the road doing 75-80mph is what it will do. Around town about 19mpg. I love this car. Handles like a dream and can get up and go when needed. Very helpful when passing on two lane roads. The Mazda may cost less to drive, but no way will it be as enjoyable. If your billfold can handle it, you can’t beat the Type S.

No idea gas mileage on cx90 but like others have said, really really sucks on the MDX type S. I don’t drive it that hard and do 70% city = 17/18 MPG and 290/300 miles a tank. Really think Acura would benefit bringing back a hybrid engine.

I thought the CX-90 was quite desirable, popular, and reliable. I wonder what the reliability issues are.

Owned a 2012 Pilot Touring and currently own a 2019 MDX Elite. They are similar in terms of engine and drivetrain reliability. I agree with others who say that sticking with base model will save you some grief. I have had issues with my MDX related to corrosion in electrical harnesses that are exposed. They put a lot of road salt where we live.

Hondas and Acuras are basically the same. Both are above average in reliability.