Acura MDX vs Ford Explorer: Specs Compared

Running cost over five years: at the EPA's 15,000-mile-a-year assumption the Ford Explorer burns about $2,200 of fuel annually against $2,800 for the Acura MDX. That $600 yearly gap compounds to roughly $3,000 over five years and $4,800 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 Ford Explorer leads in both cycles — 27 mpg city and 29 mpg highway against 26 and 28 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 Ford Explorer with 4 (SIDI, SIDI & PFI, SIDI & PFI; FFV). Across 39 recorded Acura MDX configurations and 102 for the Ford Explorer, 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 Ford Explorer with Part-time 4-Wheel Drive, Rear-Wheel Drive, Front-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 Ford Explorer emits 322 g/mile of CO2 versus 329 g/mile for the Acura MDX. Emissions track fuel consumption almost exactly, so the cleaner vehicle here is also the cheaper one to fuel.