RX450h or MDX hybrid?
 

Anyone have experience comparing the RX450h to the MDX hybrid ? I am leaning towards the 2020 RX but There are things about the MDX that are appealing.

I recently drove a 2020 Acura Sport Hybrid, and it will not disappoint. Great power, solid shifting with the dual clutch 7 speed transmission, and a lot better handling than the Lexus. My wife’s car is a 2018 RDX Tech, and it’s a flawless car in terms of drive train, fit and finish. Two complaints though: excessive road noise and poor user interface with the two screen infotainment system. The 2020 MDX won’t match the mpg of the 450h, but having the 7 spd dual clutch with paddle shifters is worth the trade off. The MDX will get a total makeover in 2021.

Agreed with the above, I've had a 2019 mdx hybrid. It's sh-awd puts the sad lexus awd to shame, it is the only mdx with sport plus mode which intensifies the drive. I regret selling it. It's also much bigger, handles better but it's made in Alabama. I prefer a car made in Japan.

I will probably be buying a 2020 Acura MDX Sport Hybrid sometime this year. I’m really getting tired of the RX hesitation, lugging then acceleration and jerking, and the dealer plays dumb as though they’ve never heard of this before. My RX is a 2019 RX350L Luxury and it’s my last Toyota product. Done!

RX450h vs Acura MDX
 

I am planning on replacing my 2016 Acura MDX this year with the 2020 MDX Hybrid. I really like the MDX but am considering the RX450h as Toyota is a leader in hybrid design. One down side of the MDXh is lack of towing capacity. I only have a need for light duty towing but 0 capacity is a negative. The big plus for the MDX is performance. I have read RX reviews which point out sluggish acceleration. Here are the stats on the MDX-h. vs 450h. My question to 450h owners is how to you rate performance?
https://cimg5.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.clu...e332aa2bb6.png

I think both are great and it would be hard to go wrong with either one.

One thing to note in your chart is that the RX450h torque is not published by Toyota, so we don't know what it is. The 247 lb-ft you cite is the gas engine only, excluding the electric motors which offer quite a bit of torque. Also note that most car magazines that tested the RX450h got 0-60mph around 7-7.2 seconds. Still not as fleet as the MDX, but not 7.9 seconds either.

I've never driven an MDX but have driven an RX450h many times. It feels much quicker and more responsive than the numbers would suggest. It's a very enjoyable car to drive due to the hybrid setup. I found it quick in both city and highway driving situations. That said, if sportier driving is your thing, the MDX Hybrid may be more enticing as it has Acura's Super Handling AWD system with torque vectoring and will feel much better in corners than the RX. Like @JDR76 said, I don't think you could go wrong with either one.

If sportiness is what you're looking for, don't forget about the F-Sport RX450H. They are very rare, but you get the adaptive sport suspension, bigger wheels, seats and steering wheel and all the same hybrid goodies.

Depends on how much "light duty towing" you plan on doing. If the MDX has a 0 towing capacity, that might influence your choice, no?

For me sluggish acceleration would not be as much concern as reliability. J D Power has Acura #26 out of 31 in dependability where Lexus has been #1 for eight years in a row. Consumer Reports has Acura #28 out of 31 in reliability and Lexus is #1. They list their ten least reliable cars and the MDX is on the list. Lexus is also #1 in loyalty, customer satisfaction and the lowest in depreciation.

Be aware that the 450H does not use the gas engine in reverse, only the electric motors and only the rear wheels are driven. In some rare situations this may limit the available towing torque in reverse especially up an incline.

compared the 2, but was a super easy decision for me.
never had an issue in reverse..

https://www.fjrowners.com/forums/att...10388480_o.jpg

I was told by Acura that I could put a hitch on the MDX for accessories like a bike rack. That would satisfy 75% of my needs. I never got an explanation as to why light duty towing is not allowed. They are the only manufacturer that does not allow towing. Some have speculated it was due to the dual clutch system. I have a concern that lack of any towing would affect future resale value but that doesn't seem to be the case based on values of prior year models.

I just bet that the dual clutch transmission is not even close to the CVT. Honda’s requires maintenance and all the headaches of normal transmissions. The CVT will go forever without maintenance and is smooth to the point that you will forget it is there. The CVT is bullet proof. I see that Honda still uses VCM with their engines. I had one of those and discovered that there were class action lawsuits because of their problems. I bought a kit that disabled the VCM.

As for performance, I live in the Colorado mountains and have never had any problems with lack of power. I once got into a mini race with a BMW X5 when entering the freeway and stayed even with it to 60 and then let it speed away. I don’t know what the BMW had in it.
I have a 2018 450HL

The real question is do you want to be beta tester for Acura or prefer buying a verified powertrain from lexus? If you dont care, then either way you cant go wrong.

Dealerships and aftermarket will suggest you do what the mfg forbides, but that doesnt make it "ok" since the person whose selling you the hitch, isnt going to be the same person deciding your warranty claim if any in the future