2024 Acura MDX vs 2025 Land Rover Range Rover Sport

The 2024 Acura MDX presented a striking exterior with its large shield grille, rakish headlights, and modern lower bumper design. Inside, the MDX was high-tech but cluttered, with a centre console filled with controls that could be overwhelming at first glance. The vehicle was available in several trims, including the A-Spec and Platinum Elite, with the Type S Ultra offering top-tier features like a 25-speaker ELS sound system and massaging front seats. The interior boasted genuine leather upholstery, ambient lighting, and a panoramic moonroof, providing a luxurious experience despite the busy control layout.

The 2025 Land Rover Range Rover Sport emphasized a sportier aesthetic within the Range Rover family, with a taller stance and athletic appearance. The SV Edition Two trim, the highest-performance model, featured 23-inch carbon-fibre wheels and a carbon-fibre hood. Inside, the minimalist design was complemented by red leather upholstery and sport seats with illuminated inserts. Despite its sporty mission, the interior felt somewhat cramped due to high console and door panels. Material quality was high, but the use of reflective piano black plastic was excessive.

The 2024 Acura MDX was powered by a standard 3.5-litre V6 engine producing 290 horsepower and 267 lb-ft of torque. The Type S Ultra variant featured a twin-scroll turbocharged 3.0-litre V6 engine with 355 horsepower and 354 lb-ft of torque, paired with a 10-speed automatic transmission and Acura’s Super-Handling All-Wheel Drive System. The MDX Type S Ultra offered strong acceleration and a comfortable ride, with adaptive air suspension and Brembo performance brakes enhancing its sporty capabilities. The vehicle's towing capacity reached 2,268 kilograms, and its steering and handling were comparable to a luxury sedan.

The 2025 Land Rover Range Rover Sport offered multiple powertrain options, including a 3.0-litre turbocharged inline-six engine with 395 horsepower and 406 lb-ft of torque. The SV Edition Two trim featured a twin-turbo BMW V8 engine with 626 horsepower, making it the most powerful Range Rover model. The SV Edition Two could accelerate from 0-100 km/h in 3.8 seconds, with a top speed of 290 km/h. The Range Rover Sport excelled in both on-road performance and off-road capabilities, with features like four-wheel steering, brake-based torque vectoring, and the Terrain Response system enhancing its agility and comfort.

The 2024 Acura MDX offered three rows of seating, with the first two rows providing comfort and support, while the third row was more suitable for children. Cargo space was generous, with a maximum of 2,690 litres available when both rear rows were folded. The Type S Ultra trim featured a second-row bench with a fold-down centre console, providing a sense of individual seating. The centre console offered ample storage, but the control layout was cluttered, with a touchpad and drive-mode selector taking up valuable space.

The 2025 Land Rover Range Rover Sport was a two-row, five-seater SUV, offering more room than the Velar but less than the full-size Range Rover. While headroom was comparable to other midsize luxury SUVs, legroom was slightly less than competitors like the Acura MDX and Audi Q7. The Sport provided 835 litres of cargo space behind the second row, expanding to 1,860 litres with the seats folded. The vehicle's towing capacity was impressive, with turbo-six and V8 models capable of towing up to 3,500 kilograms.

The 2024 Acura MDX's infotainment system was a major drawback, with a clumsy interface controlled by a touchpad rather than a touchscreen. Despite this, the MDX offered wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, Amazon Alexa integration, and a Wi-Fi hotspot. The vehicle also featured multiple USB ports, a digital instrument panel, and wireless device charging. However, the unintuitive infotainment system detracted from the overall experience.

The 2025 Land Rover Range Rover Sport featured a 13.7-inch digital instrument cluster and a 13.1-inch touchscreen for infotainment. While the screens were visually appealing, the minimalist design left few physical controls, making some functions less convenient. The Pivi Pro infotainment system was responsive, with natural-language voice recognition and various gauge cluster configurations. The SV Edition Two trim included "Body and Soul Seats" with embedded transducers, offering a unique but somewhat gimmicky experience.

The 2024 Acura MDX came equipped with a comprehensive suite of driver assistance and safety features, including automatic emergency braking, adaptive cruise control, and blind-spot monitoring. The 2022 MDX, which the 2024 model carried over from, received a five-star overall rating from NHTSA and was a 2022 IIHS Top Safety Pick+. However, the infotainment system's design posed a potential distraction for drivers.

The 2025 Land Rover Range Rover Sport included standard driver-assist features such as automatic emergency braking, adaptive cruise control, and blind-spot monitoring. A 360-degree camera system and digital rearview mirror aided parking, though the parking sensors were overly sensitive. At the time of writing, safety ratings from IIHS and NHTSA were not available for the current-generation Range Rover Sport.