Compared: 2024 Acura MDX vs. 2024 Honda Pilot

These trusty three-row midsize SUVs share a lot beneath their skin.

Chris O'Neill | 

Aug 21, 2024 | 3 min read

Acura | Honda

Acura serves as Honda's luxury brand the way Lexus does for Toyota and Infiniti does for Nissan. Given this, it may come as no surprise that the two brands' midsize three-row crossovers, the Honda Pilot and Acura MDX, are closely related.

Both were redesigned fairly recently — the MDX for 2022 and the Pilot for 2023. Here's a look at how they stack up in terms of price, features, and fuel economy.

Acura

The MDX's Pricing Tops the Pilot's

A base front-wheel-drive 2024 Honda Pilot LX starts around $38,000 and comes with 18-inch wheels, a 7.0-inch touchscreen infotainment system, and walk-away automatic locking.

The Pilot TrailSport adds some rugged bits, such as all-terrain tires and an off-road-tuned suspension, for about $50,000.

The Elite trim represents the most expensive Pilot at about $54,000 and comes with a 10.2-inch digital gauge cluster, heated and ventilated front seats, a head-up display, and more.

Honda

The 2024 Acura MDX has a starting price of nearly $52,000 for a front-wheel-drive base model, which has three rows of seats and amenities including a moonroof and 12.3-inch center infotainment display. Prices jump quickly from there.

A mid-tier all-wheel-drive (AWD) Technology model, which offers features such as navigation, leather seating, and a premium audio system, costs a little over $58,000, while the sporty A-Spec costs around $62,000. The performance- and tech-focused MDX Type S Advance starts around $75,000, representing the most expensive MDX.

Acura

The Pilot Offers Space and the MDX Offers Tech

While both the 2024 Honda Pilot and 2024 Acura MDX are categorized as midsize crossovers, the Pilot offers a little more in the way of cargo space, with 18.6 cubic-feet behind its third row, or 48.5 cu-ft with its third row folded.

By comparison, the MDX has 16.3 cu-ft with the third row in place and 39.1 with it folded flat.

Thanks to a third row that seats three across, the Pilot offers room for up to eight occupants, while the MDX, whose third row has room for only two, can carry up to seven people.

Both vehicles feature a removable second-row middle seat, and the Pilot offers a designated storage spot for that seat under its rear cargo floor.

Every MDX comes with a 12.3-inch widescreen infotainment system. The Pilot's two bottom trims get a 7.0-inch screen, while upper trims get a 9.0-inch unit, both of which use touchscreen controls. The MDX has wireless Apple CarPlay and wireless Android Auto connectivity on all trims.

Honda

The Pilot's LX and Sport trims require a cable for CarPlay and Android Auto, with wireless functionality starting with the EX-L. The MDX's available 25-speaker ELS Studio 3D premium audio system is significantly more expansive than the Pilot's available 12-speaker Bose system.

With four years or 50,000 miles of overall coverage and six years or 70,000 miles of powertrain coverage, the MDX has a better warranty than the Pilot, which offers three years or 36,000 miles of overall coverage and five years or 60,000 miles of powertrain coverage.

Acura

The MDX and Pilot Return Similar Fuel Economy

The 2024 Honda Pilot comes exclusively with a 3.5-liter V6 making 285 horsepower. Front-wheel-drive models see 19/27/22 mpg in city/highway/combined driving, while most AWD models return 19/25/21 mpg. The TrailSport trim, which comes exclusively with all-wheel drive, is rated at 18/23/20 mpg.

Honda

Base 2024 Acura MDXs use a 290-hp 3.5-liter V6. Front-wheel-drive versions return 19/26/22 mpg while AWD models see 19/25/21 mpg. The MDX's performance trim, the Type-S, has a 355-hp turbocharged 3.0-liter V6 and is rated at 17/21/19 mpg.

All vehicle pricing includes MSRP plus destination charges (set at the time of publication), and will be rounded to the nearest thousand.

Chris O'Neill

I am an auto-industry veteran and a current MBA candidate at the University of Utah. After moving to Utah in October 2015 and being fascinated by the unique car culture of the region, I started an Instagram project highlighting the rare and distinctive vehicles I see in the Mountain West region. I enjoy sharing with others my unique perspective and passion for all things automotive. In my free time, when I’m not thinking and writing about cars, I enjoy photography, toying with my 2011 Volkswagen GTI and 1999 Toyota Land Cruiser, and exploring Utah with my girlfriend and two dogs.