New 2007 Acura MDX Safety Review [ 2009 , 2008 ]
Acura MDX Safety Review
Safety - 9.8 (Excellent)
Reviewers by and large feel that the MDX is a safe way to get on the highway, and government crash test scores confirm that view. In fact, the Insurance Institute of Highway Safety named the 2007 model a "Top Safety Pick" for its good performance in front side, and rear tests and for its standard electronic stability control.
Accident Avoidance
Accident prevention features on the MDX include Vehicle Stability Assist, which keeps the vehicle from rolling over, Trailer Stability Assist, which passes this feature along to whatever you may be towing, a four-wheel antilock braking system, a tire-pressure monitoring system, and Xenon High-Intensity Discharge (HID) headlights.
Crash Protection
The 2007 Acura MDX's large set of crash protection features includes dual-stage, dual-threshold front air bags (SRS), front side air bags with passenger-side occupant position detection system (OPDS), side curtain air bags with rollover sensor, front three-point height-adjustable seat belts with load limiters and pretensioners, second-row and third-row three-point seat belts, active front head restraints, and impact-absorbing crumple zones in front and rear.
There are also specially designed hood, hinges, fenders and windshield wiper arms for protection in case the unthinkable happens and the car hits a pedestrian. New Car Test Drive says, "Safety equipment on the new MDX is as complete a package as there is in the industry." But the Detroit News finds a flaw: "[T]here is an omission in the slate of safety features, which is puzzling given Honda's sterling reputation in this area. While such items as stability control, traction control, antilock brakes and side curtain air bags that protect all three rows are standard on MDX, you can't get side air bags that protect the torsos of second- and third-row passengers."
"Like pretty much every car manufacturer," observes Autobytel, "Acura designs its vehicles to get five-star crash-test ratings from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) and the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS). The difference is that Acura posts the results of these crash tests on its window stickers at the dealership, so it's extra-invested in making sure the actual results match its rosy computer-modeled predictions." In government crash tests, NHTSA gave perfect five-star ratings to the 2007 Acyra MDX in both front and side tests (though it received a four-star rollover rating), as well as perfect ratings of "good" from the Insurance Institute of Highway Safety (IIHS) in frontal offset and side impact tests.
