With its 3.7-liter 300-horsepower V6 engine and five-speed automatic with manual shift control, the MDX scoots off the line and keeps accelerating hard. Power goes to all four wheels through the Super Handling All-Wheel Drive system, and the transmission snaps off shifts smoothly and effortlessly. Shift for yourself and you’re rewarded with quick upshifts and mostly smooth downshifts from the responsive console-mounted lever. It even managed a respectable 19.5 mpg in mixed driving. While the linear power delivery was praised, some of us miss Acura’s hallmark power surge when the VTEC variable-valve timing kicks in. Also, some of the MDX’s competitors have transmissions with more gears. This is primarily a marketing advantage, and we see no need for extra gears.