Acura MDX vs Dodge Durango: Specs Compared

Running cost over five years: at the EPA's 15,000-mile-a-year assumption the Acura MDX burns about $2,800 of fuel annually against $2,950 for the Dodge Durango. That $150 yearly gap compounds to roughly $750 over five years and $1,200 over eight — often more than the price difference between two trims of the same vehicle, and the single largest running-cost line item separating these two.

City and highway economy: the Acura MDX leads in both cycles — 26 mpg city and 28 mpg highway against 19 and 26 mpg — so its fuel-efficiency advantage holds whether you commute in traffic or cover long highway miles.

Powertrain choice: the Acura MDX is recorded with 4 distinct engine configurations (SIDI, Hybrid, 3.0), the Dodge Durango with 4 (6.4, 6.2, 5.7). Across 39 recorded Acura MDX configurations and 65 for the Dodge Durango, the wider the engine spread the more the real-world fuel efficiency depends on which version you actually buy, so check the specific model year and drivetrain rather than the headline number.

Drivetrain and class: the Acura MDX is offered with All-Wheel Drive, Front-Wheel Drive, the Dodge Durango with All-Wheel Drive, Rear-Wheel Drive, 4-Wheel Drive. All-wheel drive typically costs one to two mpg combined against the same vehicle in front- or rear-wheel drive, which is worth remembering when the gap between these two is small. The EPA classes them as Small Sport Utility Vehicle 4WD and Standard Sport Utility Vehicle 4WD respectively — the class drives the interior volume, cargo space and passenger space each one is measured against.

Tailpipe emissions: at their cleanest configurations the Acura MDX emits 329 g/mile of CO2 versus 414 g/mile for the Dodge Durango. Emissions track fuel consumption almost exactly, so the cleaner vehicle here is also the cheaper one to fuel.