WAMBA, Texas - Blame it on the cowbirds.
I was rolling down a gravel road in an all-wheel-drive 2020 Acura MDX when a flock of them took off from a nearby pasture.
I was mulling how a stocky white heron, native to Africa, had thrived and spread so well across this continent that it was now commonplace, yet somehow exotic, strange, and certainly beautiful. Indeed, it was ruh-roh.
In that instant, I realized the road ahead was a 90-degree turn and I was going waaay to fast. Visions of skid tracks through a fence flashed across my conscience.
Still, an eclectic mind is a good thing. Mine recalled that I was driving an MDX A-Spec model, which includes Acura's SH-AWD, a full-time, fully-automatic traction and handling system that uses the stability control system to distribute torque not only front-to-rear but also left-to-right.
I did something that was completely counter-intuitive. I pointed the MDX' nose at the apex and gunned the throttle. The front began to slip ever so slightly, prompting the system to send power to the rear outside wheel, sort of like a running back planting a foot before a cut, to stabilize the car. The same wheel also turned slightly faster than the other three, helping to rotate the MDX into the turn.
The system continued to push torque to the wheels with the most traction rear and outside, according to an indicator in the dash cluster and, lickety-splittly, we were through the curve and rocketing down the road straight as an angel in flight. I don't really know how straight angels fly, but in that second I was pretty sure there was one looking over my shoulder.
Meet the MDX
In a nutshell, that's the Acura MDX: Solid, safe, durable, competent. It doesn't do everything as well as it does the AWD thing, but it doesn't do anything poorly, either.
Brought to these shores in 2000, two years before its less toney but mechanically identical cousin, the Honda Pilot, the three-row MDX was a pioneer of the midsize luxury segment. Honda, Acura's parent, likes to point out that it is the best-seller ever in the category, with more than 750,000 units sold. It does not note, however, that for the past two years the Lexus RX has outsold the MDX two-to-one.
Both are the clear value leaders in a segment that includes estimable competitors like the Audi Q7, Mercedes GLE-Class, Porsche Cayenne and BMW X5. All score higher with the various rating services, but all have starting prices that are $10,000 to $20,000 more than the RX and MDX, which start around $44,000.
Both come fulsomely equipped, including a full suite of driver-assist safety technology. Both get around 21 mpg, good for the segment. Both are famous for being bullet-proof machines that will easily last for decades with minimal problems.
MDX or RX?
A quick look at their differences may be helpful for those shopping this segment. In our opinion, those are mostly cosmetic, which goes to show how important style is in the buying decision. The Acura has an earthy look made more common by only minor styling changes over the decade. The latest version has been on the road since 2014.
When the fourth-generation Lexus RX rolled into showrooms as a 2015 model it featured more sharply etched lines, a sweeping, gull-wing hood and a massive "Spindle Grille," now a Lexus styling cue. Afraid to take sides or offend anyone, critics called the bold look "polarizing." The sales numbers say most folks like it just fine.
The differences continue inside, where the layout of gauges and switches is more thoughtful, the materials are better, and fit-and-finish is superb. Paying attention to, literally, a thousand touch points of quality is Lexus being Lexus.
From a buyer's perspective, then, when one walks around the car on the lot and sits in it, the Lexus looks and feels like the more substantial car, and that brings up Acura's biggest problem across its product line: It doesn't differentiate itself from its very good Hondas nearly as well as Lexus separates itself from its very good Toyotas.
Equip one of these nicely and you're soon north of $50,000. The Lexus RX looks and feels like its worth that kind of money. The Acura MDX will leave you wondering if you might have been wiser buying a very well equipped, AWD Honda Pilot for $44,000.
Appearance, purpose matter
By the numbers, there is little difference between and RX and MDX. Scan the specifications for engines, drivetrains, horsepower and torque, cargo capacity, towing capacity and it's hard to slip a toothpick between them.
Both ride and drive well, unless one opts for Lexus' F-Sport package, which makes the RX jittery and rough on uneven roads. Frankly, I like the way the MDX drives better. It feels comfortable in its skin. It knows it's built to be a family hauler and does so superbly. The ride is compliant and the cabin whisper-quiet.
That the MDX has a third row says a great deal about its perceived mission. The rear seats are designed for kids, as is the whole cabin, with tons of storage places and durable materials throughout. This is a car for soccer practices and long vacations.
The RDX, with only five seats, apparently fits a different niche, whether it's more mature families or empty-nesters, or folks transitioning from the former to the latter.
Bottom line: If I wake up one morning and see either of those in my driveway with a big bow on it, I ain't sending it back.