For most of 2024, the average new car shopper has paid close to $50,000 for their new vehicle. That’s a luxury car’s price. Some midsize luxury SUVs can be found within a few percent of that total.
The Buick Enclave, for instance, is a step up from mainstream SUVs – a little more refined and known for its quiet, comfortable ride. The Acura MDX is the flagship of Honda’s luxury division. It has the quality you’d expect of Honda’s banner carrier, with a sportier look and slightly sportier manners than the Enclave.
And each starts around the price of the average new car. That could change the math of car shopping for many people. Enclave Prices can push past $60,000 fully equipped, and the maxed-out MDX costs over $70,000, putting these two more firmly into luxe territory.
Let’s see how these two compare.
2025 Acura MDX
The 2025 Acura MDX is a well-balanced machine that brings a little of everything to the 3-row luxury midsize SUV segment. It offers smooth power and, with the optional Super Handling All-Wheel Drive (SH-AWD) system, can be downright sporty to drive. But it seats up to seven in luxurious surroundings and offers the build quality Acura is famous for. For 2025, the MDX gets a freshened exterior and several cabin enhancements, including a new 12.3-inch infotainment touchscreen. New options include 16-way massaging front seats, two Bang & Olufsen audio upgrades, and AcuraWatch 360, Acura’s semi-autonomous advanced driver-assist technology.
Acura MDX Highlights
Excellent safety rating: The MDX took home the highest score – 5-Stars – in government crash testing. The 2024 Acura MDX earned the highest award – Top Safety Pick+ – in insurance industry testing, and we expect it to do so again for 2025.
Assertive styling: The MDX may not be the most dramatically styled luxury SUV, but improvement this year to the grille and front bumper help it look a bit more distinctive. Its sharp lines look athletic, and Acura paints it in beautiful jewel tones that you’ll still appreciate in year four or five.
Available Type S package: You’ll have to spend significantly more to make the MDX into a sharp performance car, but Acura offers a package that does it. The Type S package adds Acura’s SH-AWD system. It makes the vehicle safer in snow and ice but also uses torque vectoring to make it more fun to drive on a clear day. More significantly, the Type S gets a 355-horsepower turbo V6, an adaptive air suspension, high-performance Brembo brakes, and high-luxe touches like massaging seats.
Read our Acura MDX Expert Review or see 2025 Acura MDX models for sale near you.
2025 Buick Enclave
Buick vehicles offer a step up in luxury from Chevrolet models without the full price premium of a high-end Cadillac. The 2025 Buick Enclave is all new this year, arriving with a more sophisticated exterior design, more features, and improved ride and handling. Under the hood, a new turbocharged 2.5-liter 4-cylinder engine replaces last year’s V6. But not to worry; there’s still plenty of power but with improved fuel economy. The Enclave matches the MDX feature for feature and even tops its luxury rival with such standard items as a 30-inch display screen and a 12-speaker Bose sound system. GM’s Super Cruise hands-free driving assistant is available on all three trims, whereas Acura only offers its best driver-assist system on the top trim.
Buick Enclave Highlights
Exceptional cargo space: If you know you’ll use every inch of your midsize SUV, the Enclave is your best bet. It bests most competition in every cargo measurement, with seats up or folded.
Spacious third row: Some midsize SUVs are built with the third row as an afterthought, clearly meant for occasional use. The Enclave is made with the expectation that you’ll fill it with people often. Its third row is larger than the MDX’s in every measurement.
Super Cruise: GM’s hands-free semi-autonomous driving aid removes the worry from long road trips. The system works on over 750,000 highway miles in the U.S. and Canada. It’s available on all three Enclave trims.
Read our Buick Enclave Expert Review or see 2025 Buick Enclave models for sale near you.
Similarities
Similar luxury features, identical towing capacity, seating for seven.
Conclusion
The Acura MDX can be anything from a comfortable luxury car that is not much more expensive than the average new car to an extraordinary performance machine that drives like a smaller vehicle but still seats seven. It brings top safety scores and handsome looks.
But it will cost you more, especially as you start climbing the trim ladder.
The Buick Enclave is a serene highway cruiser with more cargo room than almost any competitor and comfort for adults in its third row. It costs less than the MDX, particularly as you move into better-equipped trim levels.
But it lacks the Acura’s sportiness and name cache.
We can see an argument for either one, but these two have undeniably different spirits.
Which set of traits appeals to you?
New 2025 Acura MDX Prices
|
Retail Price
|
Fair Purchase Price (92620)
|
|||
|---|---|---|---|---|
$52,550 |
$48,030 |
|||
$54,750 |
$50,298 |
|||
$57,950 |
$53,371 |
|||
$60,150 |
$55,837 |
|||
$63,150 |
$58,533 |
|||
$67,650 |
$62,285 |
|||
$69,650 |
$64,182 |
|||
$76,600 |
$71,230 |
New 2025 Buick Enclave Prices
|
Retail Price
|
Fair Purchase Price (92620)
|
|||
|---|---|---|---|---|
$46,495 |
$43,440 |
|||
$48,995 |
$45,913 |
|||
$59,595 |
$56,591 |
The Kelley Blue Book Fair Purchase Price for any individual used vehicle can vary greatly according to mileage, condition, location, and other factors. The prices here reflect what buyers are currently paying for New 2025 Acura MDX vehicles and New 2025 Buick Enclave vehicles in typical condition when purchasing from a dealership. These prices are updated weekly. The manufacturer’s suggested retail price (MSRP) quoted includes the destination fee, but does not include tax, license, document fees, and options.
Specifications
| 2025 Acura MDX | 2025 Buick Enclave | |
| Popular Powertrains | ||
| Engine | 3.5-liter V6 | 2.5-liter 4-cylinder |
| Horsepower | 290 hp @ 6,200 rpm | 328 hp @ 5,500 rpm |
| Torque | 267 lb-ft @ 4,200 rpm | 326 lb-ft @ 3,500 rpm |
| Transmission | 10-spd automatic | 8-speed automatic |
| Fuel Economy | 22 mpg (19 city/26 hwy) | 20 city/27 highway/23 combined mpg |
| Towing capacity | 5,000 pounds | 5,000 pounds |
| Specs | ||
| Basic warranty | 4 years/50,000 miles | 3 years/36,000 miles |
| Powertrain Warranty | 6 years/70,000 miles | 5 years/60,000 miles |
| NHTSA Overall Safety Rating | 5 stars | Not rated |
| Max Seating Capacity | 7 | 7 |
| Wheelbase | 113.8 inches | 120.9 inches |
| Overall Length | 198.4 inches | 207.6 inches |
| Width | 78.7 inches | 79.6 inches |
| Height | 67.1 inches | 70.9 inches |
| Turning Diameter | 40.5 feet | NA |
| Headroom, Front | 38.5 inches | 42.6 inches |
| Headroom, Rear | 38.1 inches | 39.9 inches |
| Headroom, 3rd Row | 36.2 inches | 38.3 inches |
| Legroom, Front | 41.6 inches | 44.3 inches |
| Legroom, Rear | 38.5 inches | 41.5 inches |
| Legroom 3rd Row | 29.1 inches | 32.1 inches |
| Shoulder Room, Front | 61.9 inches | 62.2 inches |
| Shoulder Room, Rear | 60.3 inches | 62.1 inches |
| Shoulder Room, 3rd Row | 55.2 inches | 57.8 inches |
| Cargo Volume | 16.3/39.1/71.4 cubic feet | 22.9/57.1/97.5 cubic feet |
