Acura MDX vs Honda Pilot: Specs Compared

Running cost over five years: at the EPA's 15,000-mile-a-year assumption the Honda Pilot burns about $2,650 of fuel annually against $2,800 for the Acura MDX. 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 20 and 27 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 Honda Pilot with 2 (SIDI, 3.5). Across 39 recorded Acura MDX configurations and 43 for the Honda Pilot, 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 Honda Pilot with All-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 Small Sport Utility Vehicle 2WD 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 388 g/mile for the Honda Pilot. Emissions track fuel consumption almost exactly, so the cleaner vehicle here is also the cheaper one to fuel.