Wife is looking for a 3rd row SUV but doesn't want a full size and she's settled on these two (she hasn't driven either yet as she's settled on looks thus far). Any insights into either? I've never driven either of these brands but I do like the reliability of Honda better so maybe the Acura is slightly ahead in that regard.

Acura or Lexus

I'd get the MDX for the V-6. Better yet, get the S-Type and have a Turbo 6

I'd take a look at the Genesis GV80 as well

We've had both. Both good/fun vehicles...but my wife loved the MDX more

I think it's easier to see out of as well.

Lexus TX

My mechanic says Toyota, Honda, Lexus, Acura (in that order).

Go a minivan or if it must be an suv, than an mdx. I think the TX looks like a slightly lifted minivan. My personal take would be a Sequoia but that's considered full size.

I've got a slightly older (2016) MDX and frankly, I hate it. Transmission (non-CVT) shifts rough, especially in low gears. Acura/dealership says, "no, that's normal." The display -- non-CarPlay -- is awful. It wouldn't be so bad but ALL the controls, including the AC, are electronic. Piss poor design requiring you to take your eyes off the road to adjust the AC fan or turn on/off the compressor. NOTHING gets done fast and even if I added Carplay, it would only fix a portion of that.

If they've changed any/all that, then maybe, and in fairness, it drives and handles decent to good. It is also reasonably comfortable. I do, however, think Infinity and Nissan make better engines -- at least NA ones -- than Honda but I'd be leery of the new ones with turbos and, of course, the CVT. I regret my purchase and will be looking for something new later this year.

The 2019 and later RX350 is what I'd jump on. I regret not looking seriously at those as I forgot Toyota/Lexus beefed up the engine in 2019 (maybe 18). I think I'm going to replace my wife's Rav4 with that and give her my MDX. I don't think the stuff that bothers me would bother he too much.

I bought my wife a '25 MDX last year. My experience has been the exact opposite of yours, so the newer ones must definitely be an upgrade. I really like it and feel good about my wife driving around.

I just got a 2026 Qx60 Autograph trim.

6 months in here are the highs and lows.

Interior design is super nice.
Exterior re design is also very well done.

These are subjective but the look is incredible and adds to ownership experience.

Handling is surprisingly well done. It is the only electric steering I've driven that feels like a really well tuned hydraulic system.

Interior room is more than adequate for a mid sized SUV. With the third row down there is alot of cargo space.

Third row up there is enough room for a decent grocery run. There is also a handy cargo bin that holds a fair amount of stuff. It is under the floor of cargo area.

Seat comfort is outstanding in front and second row. Massage function works well.

Connectivity is good with no glitchy behavior. It quickly connects to phone and the infotainment is fast.

The autograph has Inifniti's hands free system and a nice heads up display.

I haven't tried this yet. it is a separate subscription but not something I will likely get.

Engine power is adequate. It drives and feels like it is more powerful than 268 HP.

Surprisingly little torque steer.

Fuel economy is right in line with sticker. I'm not a fuel economy shopper so this isn't a factor I scrutinize. Although I will say the first 1000 miles the fuel economy was noticably worse than sticker. Then it improved substantially. I did oil analysis every 500 miles and there was no fuel dilution. Weird...

9 spd transmission is a nice departure from the CVT. That is where we are at in 2026: you are in the bonus column if you simply don't have a CVT.

Fit and finish is excellent. It looks like suv was made by someone who gives a crap. Typical of Japanese manufacturing.

This goes for the whole car. I typically crawl underneath and look for any flaws, loose wires, poorly attached connectors, missing seam sealer, welding quality, etc... no issues found.

Overall it is better than my 2024 suburban and even my 2019 Tundra ( which was surprisngly sloppy). But not quite as good as any of the 5th gen 4runners I've had.

Oil changes aren't a hassle once you get the giant felt bottom cover off ( if you are a diy guy then get some plastic push pin spares and a good tool...this cloth cover has about 1900 pins you have to get off).

9 spd transmission looks easy to service. Radiator has a drain that is easy to get to. Rear diff looks easy to service as well.

The lows

Turbo lag can be intense in specific driving scenarios. This may be more than just simple turbo lag, it almost feels like turbo lag plus transmission related torque management. If you make a turn at neighborhood speeds, and accelerate on to a road with higher speed limit, the lag is intense. Even if you push accelerator harder the lag persists.

Ride is a wee bit more bumpy that I'd prefer. I think this is tire related. It comes with Hankook tires that are "ok". I plan on swapping to some Pirellis soon.

Shifter takes some getting used to. Main issue is you have to engage a thumb button and move shifter forward to engage reverse.

Gorilla in the room: VC Turbo engine. Nissan took 20 years to create and test this thing. There is an actuator that moves a control shaft a specific number of degrees, that also rotates main crankshaft, which in turn lowers compression. Compression goes between 8 and 14 which is a wild swing in compression. THis is obviously premium fuel only. 8 CR is for high boost situations.

This design is complex. An inline 4 cylinder has as more engine bearings as a V8.

It also has EGR, variable cam timing as well.

First iteraitons of this engine were actually well done. Then in 2021 bearing issues crept up and persisted for years. In 2026 Nissan recalled a huge portion of the engines from 2021-2025. The issue was traced to bearing materials.

Recently Nissan also recalled the Rogue which has the 3 cylinder version for oil temperature issue that could lead to a bearing failure.

Here is a good teardown video. This is for an engine that was recalled. The bearings have been changed on newer units and there isn't any widespread bearing issue.

RECALLED! This Nissan / Infiniti VC-Turbo Engine Failure Was CAUGHT EARLY at 98k Miles! - YouTube

Fast forward to 33:30 for the bearings.

This engine has a known sludge issue. Recommended oil service is 7000 miles or 3800 for severe duty. I would not go over 4500 miles on this. So maintenance is going to be at higher frequency.

The battery runs down more than any other car I've had. From a full charge it will drop down to 12.2 in 8-9 days. I checked draw on battery and even with system awake I only got 40-45 mA (in spec for the most part). Not sure what is causing this but is somewhat annoying. My 2024 suburban registered 50-52mA and doesn't lose voltage like this. I have a small trickle charger for this situation. I am sure if driven everyday it would not be an issue.

Recommendations

If you really like the SUV overall I would go for it. I would do some initial oil changes at 500,1000,2000 miles to get the break in debris out of engine. I did this and got oil analysis done at each change and it really helps get the debris out of engine.

I would also do oil changes much sooner than OEM recommendations.

Stay away from the Infinity…we have a QX80 (wife's emotional buy) and aside from great engine…the electronics for inside console were designed by an engineer w/o any forethought on user experience. Hate that damn vehicle and will be unloading it later this year.

91AggieLawyer said:

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I've got a slightly older (2016) MDX and frankly, I hate it. Transmission (non-CVT) shifts rough, especially in low gears. Acura/dealership says, "no, that's normal." The display -- non-CarPlay -- is awful. It wouldn't be so bad but ALL the controls, including the AC, are electronic. Piss poor design requiring you to take your eyes off the road to adjust the AC fan or turn on/off the compressor. NOTHING gets done fast and even if I added Carplay, it would only fix a portion of that.

If they've changed any/all that, then maybe, and in fairness, it drives and handles decent to good. It is also reasonably comfortable. I do, however, think Infinity and Nissan make better engines -- at least NA ones -- than Honda but I'd be leery of the new ones with turbos and, of course, the CVT. I regret my purchase and will be looking for something new later this year.

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My wife's Odyssey is a 2017 and most likely has the same electronics you're talking about, and you're right, it sucks. Hit a button to change a song if you're listening to bluetooth and it has a second or two delay. Also, the screen gets washed out when the sun is shining from the reflection off of the housing, thus making the backup camera useless during the day. Almost everything is buttons for the radio and AC, and navigating it while also driving can be frustrating.

But yes, they did change it. I have a '22 Accord and it's 100x better. Is it the best system out there? Doubt it, but I don't have any issues. The important things are not buttons but knobs, which is much easier and navigating the radio actually makes sense.

3rd Platoon said:

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I bought my wife a '25 MDX last year. My experience has been the exact opposite of yours, so the newer ones must definitely be an upgrade. I really like it and feel good about my wife driving around.

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I think the screen interface changed in 2022 or so. The old dual screen system 91AggieLawyer is referring to did indeed suck. 2025 MY got rid of the touch pad control and went to full touch screen interface, but still with buttons for HVAC, etc.

Thanks for all the insights and it's inline with what I've been thinking but all that is for nought when she test drives.

Yeah, as a multiple honda owner, their technology interface has been pretty poor up until recently.

They've done a good job fixing that so I don't think it's an issue now. I would go with the Acura.

Drove both recently in our search. I was looking at year or two old. Liked the Acura drive and cabin. However, iirc anything prior to 2025 does not have a touchscreen. Have to use the touchpad. Honestly that was a deal killer for me for some reason. Also, if 360 camera is important, you have to get the top trim tech levels.

Have had several Infinitis and drove the QX60 for several weeks at one point as a loaner. Autograph top of the line version. Very nice cabin and ride. However, the tiny turbo 4 cylinder cvt power train is atrocious in my opinion. Constant searching around for power. Yes it will get up and go if you flog it, but sounds like a teenager ricer mobile. Not a luxury feeling drive experience at all. During my search I did not even consider the Infiiniti from that experience. Kind of sad when I think of the great performance of their sedan and coupe that they killed.

We ended up with a Lexus gx460. Very very happy with it.

We have a 2025 MDX base. Straight V6, no turbo. It's not quick but very comfortable. Touch screen.