Acura MDX Luggage Test: How much fits behind the third row?

The Acura MDX shares its platform with the Honda Pilot, but that fact is really only obvious when you look at their rear seat floor plans. Both offer the unique, removable second-row middle seat, which means that buyers don’t have to decide whether they want max capacity and a second-row bench, or the pass-through convenience of second-row captain’s chairs. Both also boast a two-level cargo floor behind the third row, which is always a benefit here in Luggage Test land. But! The MDX does not have nearly as much room back there, regardless of whether you take advantage of the two-level floor’s lower level (why wouldn’t you?). 

The MDX has two cargo volume specs for behind the third row: 16.3 and 18.1 cubic-feet. I think it’s safe to assume the expanded number is with the floor in its lower position. The Pilot has 18.6 with the floor in place, and either 22.4 or 21.8 with the lower position. The latter’s is the Pilot TrailSport’s, which is what I conducted the luggage test on. Meanwhile, in the three-row luxury SUV realm, the current king of the castle is the Lexus TX. Telling you right now, the MDX ain’t cracking that nut, but what about everything else I’ve tested? Let’s see.

Here is the space in question. Note that the floor does not need to be removed; it actually slides down, tucked just below that plastic trim, and rests upon the lower floor. Now, this obviously does raise the bottom floor by an inch versus removing the floor board entirely, so much like cargo covers in two-row vehicles, I decided to test with and without the floor inside.

As with every Luggage Test, I use two midsize roller suitcases that would need to be checked in at the airport (26 inches long, 16 wide, 11 deep), two black roll-aboard suitcases that just barely fit in the overhead (24L x 15W x 10D), and one smaller green roll-aboard that fits easily (23L x 15W x 10D). I also include my wife’s fancy overnight bag just to spruce things up a bit (21L x 12W x 12D).

Well, I can safely say that the MDX’s cargo area is narrower than the Pilot’s (above right). I could not fit the same bags* head-to-head in the MDX as I could in the Pilot (* green bag is the blue bag’s equally sized replacement). The underfloor area seems to be the same length, but it is considerably narrower. 

As such, it’s obvious the MDX won’t be able to hold as many bags, or at least the same bags, as the Pilot could. 

First, with the floor stored in its lower position inside the MDX.

Two options. Above left are my three biggest bags plus the fancy bag. Above right is one of the big bags upright plus two mediums and the fancy bag. 

This is what the Pilot could manage: all bags but the fancy bag. You can see that the Pilot also has a height and boxiness advantage higher up in its cargo area. 

OK, now let’s see if the inch-or-so gained by removing the floor makes a difference.

It does! Basically, I could fit the green roll-aboard instead of fancy bag. That’s a notable difference. 

OK, so where does this place the MDX in its segment?

Well, the TX can swallow all the bags, so that’s off the table. The Volvo XC90 only managed the four smallest bags, the Cadillac XT6 could only squeeze blue/green and a black roll-aboard, and the Mazda CX-90, which I think is a fair comparison, matched the Volvo. There’s also the Lexus GX, which exceeded expectations, but still is pretty lousy. 

Basically, the MDX is now a solid No. 2 for the segment. Not bad.