Compare the2024 Jeep WagoneerVS 2024 Acura MDX

The Wagoneer has standard Active Headrests, which use a specially designed headrest to protect the driver and front passenger from whiplash. During a rear-end collision, the Active Headrests system moves the headrests forward to prevent neck and spine injuries. The MDX doesn’t offer a whiplash protection system.

When descending a steep, off-road slope, the Wagoneer’s optional Hill Descent Control allows you to creep down safely. The MDX doesn’t offer Hill Descent Control.

A passive infrared night vision system optional on the Wagoneer Grand helps the driver to more easily detect people, animals or other objects in front of the vehicle at night. Using an infrared camera to detect heat, the system then displays the image on a monitor in the dashboard. The MDX doesn’t offer a night vision system.

Both the Wagoneer and the MDX have standard driver and passenger frontal airbags, front side-impact airbags, driver and front passenger knee airbags, side-impact head airbags, front seatbelt pretensioners, height adjustable front shoulder belts, four-wheel antilock brakes, traction control, electronic stability systems to prevent skidding, crash mitigating brakes, daytime running lights, blind spot warning systems, rearview cameras, rear cross-path warning, available all wheel drive, lane departure warning systems, around view monitors and driver alert monitors.

The Jeep Wagoneer weighs 1037 to 2160 pounds more than the Acura MDX. The NHTSA advises that heavier vehicles are much safer in collisions than their significantly lighter counterparts.

Jeep pays for scheduled maintenance on the Wagoneer for 3 years and unlimited miles longer than Acura pays for maintenance for the MDX (5/unlimited vs. 2/24,000).

There are almost 9 times as many Jeep dealers as there are Acura dealers, which makes it much easier should you ever need service under the Wagoneer’s warranty.

A hardened steel chain, with no maintenance needs, drives the camshafts in the Wagoneer’s engine. A rubber cam drive belt that needs periodic replacement drives the MDX’s camshafts. If the MDX’s belt breaks, the engine could be severely damaged when the pistons hit the opened valves.

J.D. Power and Associates rated the Wagoneer third among large suvs in their 2023 Initial Quality Study. The MDX isn’t in the top three in its category.

J.D. Power and Associates’ 2023 Initial Quality Study of new car owners surveyed provide the statistics that show that Jeep vehicles are better in initial quality than Acura vehicles. J.D. Power ranks Jeep above average in initial quality. With 16 more problems per 100 vehicles, Acura is rated below average.

J.D. Power and Associates’ 2022 survey of the owners of three-year-old vehicles provides the long-term dependability statistics that show that Jeep vehicles are more reliable than Acura With 43 fewer problems per 100 vehicles in the first three years of ownership, J.D. Power ranks Jeep higher than Acura.

The Wagoneer’s standard 3.0 turbo 6-cylinder produces 130 more horsepower (420 vs. 290) and 201 lbs.-ft. more torque (468 vs. 267) than the MDX’s standard 3.5 SOHC V6. The Wagoneer’s 3.0 turbo 6-cylinder produces 65 more horsepower (420 vs. 355) and 114 lbs.-ft. more torque (468 vs. 354) than the MDX Type S’ standard 3.0 turbo V6. The Grand Wagoneer’s standard 3.0 turbo 6-cylinder produces 155 more horsepower (510 vs. 355) and 146 lbs.-ft. more torque (500 vs. 354) than the MDX Type S’ standard 3.0 turbo V6.

On the EPA test cycle the Wagoneer 4x4 with its standard engine gets better fuel mileage than the MDX Type S 3.0 turbo V6 (16 city/23 hwy vs. 17 city/21 hwy).

Regenerative brakes improve the Wagoneer 5.7 Hemi’s fuel efficiency by converting inertia back into energy instead of wasting it. The MDX doesn’t offer a regenerative braking system.

The Wagoneer has 8 gallons more fuel capacity than the MDX (26.5 vs. 18.5 gallons), for longer range between fill-ups.

For better stopping power the Wagoneer’s brake rotors are larger than those on the MDX:

The Wagoneer’s standard front and rear disc brakes are vented to help dissipate heat for shorter stops with less fading. The rear discs on the MDX are solid, not vented.

For better traction, the Wagoneer has larger standard tires than the MDX (275/55R20 vs. 255/55R19). The Wagoneer’s optional tires are larger than the largest tires available on the MDX (285/45R22 vs. 275/40R21).

For better ride, handling and brake cooling the Wagoneer offers optional 22-inch wheels. The MDX’s largest wheels are only 21-inches.

The Jeep Wagoneer’s wheels have 6 lugs for longer wheel bearing life, less chance of rotor warping and greater strength. The Acura MDX only has 5 wheel lugs per wheel.

The Wagoneer has a standard full size spare tire so a flat doesn’t interrupt your trip. A full size spare isn’t available on the MDX; it requires you to depend on a temporary spare, which has mileage and speed limitations, or roadside assistance and a tow-truck.

For a smoother ride and more stable handling, the Wagoneer’s wheelbase is 9.2 inches longer than on the MDX (123 inches vs. 113.8 inches).

The Wagoneer’s front to rear weight distribution is more even (51% to 49%) than the MDX’s (57.4% to 42.6%). This gives the Wagoneer more stable handling and braking.

For better maneuverability, the Wagoneer’s turning circle is 2.5 feet tighter than the MDX’s (38 feet vs. 40.5 feet).

For greater off-road capability the Wagoneer has a greater minimum ground clearance than the MDX (8.3 vs. 7.3 inches), allowing the Wagoneer to travel over rougher terrain without being stopped or damaged. The Wagoneer Air Suspension’s minimum ground clearance is .6 inch higher than on the MDX Type S (10 vs. 9.4 inches).

The front grille of the Wagoneer uses electronically controlled shutters to close off airflow and reduce drag when less engine cooling is needed. This helps improve highway fuel economy. The MDX doesn’t offer active grille shutters.

The Wagoneer offers optional seating for 8 passengers; the MDX can only carry 7.

The Wagoneer has 40.1 cubic feet more passenger volume than the MDX (179.2 vs. 139.1).

The Wagoneer has 2.8 inches more front headroom, 4.1 inches more front hip room, 4.2 inches more front shoulder room, 1.9 inches more rear headroom, 4.2 inches more rear legroom, 5.2 inches more rear hip room, 4.9 inches more rear shoulder room, 2.8 inches more third row headroom, 7.5 inches more third row legroom, 11 inches more third row hip room and 9.2 inches more third row shoulder room than the MDX.

For enhanced passenger comfort on long trips the Wagoneer’s middle and third row seats recline. The MDX’s third row seats don’t recline.

The Wagoneer’s cargo area provides more volume than the MDX.

Pressing a button automatically lowers the Wagoneer’s optional second row seats and pressing a button automatically lowers or raises the third row seats, to make changing between passengers and cargo easier. The MDX doesn’t offer automatic folding seats.

The Wagoneer’s minimum standard towing capacity is much higher than the MDX’s (6130 vs. 3500 pounds). Maximum trailer towing in the Acura MDX SH-AWD is only 5000 pounds. The Wagoneer offers up to a 10,000 lbs. towing capacity.

The Wagoneer 4WD with optional equipment can be flat towed on all four wheels (dinghy towed), allowing recreational vehicle owners to bring it with them on the road. When they reach their destination, the Wagoneer can be unhitched and driven around locally. The MDX can’t be towed flat on the ground.

The Wagoneer has a much higher standard payload capacity than the MDX (1510 vs. 1173 lbs.).

The Wagoneer has a much higher maximum payload capacity than the MDX (1550 vs. 1173 lbs.).

The engine in the Wagoneer is mounted longitudinally (North-South), instead of sideways, as in the MDX. This makes it easier to service and maintain, because there are no rear spark plugs and the accessory belts are in front.

The Wagoneer’s instruments include an oil pressure gauge and a temperature gauge - which could save your engine! Often ‘idiot lights’ don’t warn you until damage has been done. The MDX does not have an oil pressure gauge.

The power windows standard on both the Wagoneer and the MDX have locks to prevent small children from operating them. When the lock on the Wagoneer is engaged the driver can still operate all of the windows, for instance to close one opened by a child. The MDX prevents the driver from operating the other windows just as it does the other passengers.

To help drivers avoid possible obstacles, the Wagoneer has standard cornering lights to illuminate around corners when the turn signals are activated. The MDX doesn’t offer cornering lights.

The Wagoneer’s standard rear and side view mirrors have an automatic dimming feature. These mirrors can be set to automatically darken quickly when headlights shine on them, keeping following vehicles from blinding or distracting the driver. The MDX has an automatic rear view mirror, but its side mirrors don’t dim.

The Wagoneer has standard front air conditioned seats and the Wagoneer Grand Series III also has them in the second row. This keeps the passengers comfortable and takes the sting out of hot seats in summer. The MDX doesn’t offer air-conditioned seats for the second row.

The Wagoneer has a standard heated steering wheel to take the chill out of steering on extremely cold winter days before the vehicle heater warms up. A heated steering wheel costs extra on the MDX.

The Wagoneer’s optional ParkSense Automated Parking can parallel park or back into a parking spot by itself, with the driver only controlling the transmission and speed with the brake pedal. With its available fully controlled system, the driver just activates it and it parks autonomously, starting, stopping and changing direction automatically. The MDX doesn’t offer an automated parking system.

Motor Trend performed a comparison test in its December 2021 issue and they ranked the Jeep Grand Wagoneer Series III higher than the Acura MDX SH-AWD.

The Jeep Wagoneer outsold the Acura MDX by 1530 units during 2022.