Compare the2026 Buick EnclaveVS 2026 Acura MDX

Safety
Warranty
Reliability
Engine
Fuel Economy and Range
Environmental Friendliness
Brakes and Stopping
Tires and Wheels
Suspension and Handling
Chassis
Passenger Space
Cargo Capacity
Payload and Towing
Ergonomics

Safety

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The Enclave has a standard front seat center airbag, which deploys between the driver and front passenger, protecting them from injuries caused by striking each other in serious side impacts. The MDX doesn’t offer front seat center airbags.

In a Vehicle-to-Vehicle Frontal Crash Prevention 2.0 test conducted by the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS), the Buick Enclave achieved a “Good” rating - the highest possible - in forward collision warning and automatic braking systems, outperforming the Acura MDX, which scored only an “Acceptable” in these critical safety features.

Both the Enclave and MDX have rear cross-traffic warning, but the Enclave has Rear Cross Traffic Braking (automatically applies the brakes) to better prevent a collision when backing near traffic. The MDX’s Rear Cross Traffic Monitor doesn’t automatically brake.

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

The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration does 35 MPH front crash tests on new vehicles. In this test, results indicate that the Buick Enclave is safer than the Acura MDX:

	Enclave	MDX
OVERALL STARS	5 Stars	4 Stars
	Driver
STARS	5 Stars	4 Stars
HIC	165	244
Neck Injury Risk	20.1%	29%
Neck Stress	178 lbs.	304 lbs.
Neck Compression	2 lbs.	59 lbs.
Leg Forces (l/r)	32/13 lbs.	463/521 lbs.
	Passenger
STARS	4 Stars	4 Stars
HIC	234	288
Chest Compression	.7 inches	.7 inches
Neck Compression	48 lbs.	75 lbs.
Leg Forces (l/r)	160/266 lbs.	392/458 lbs.

New test not comparable to pre-2011 test results. More stars = Better. Lower test results = Better.

The Insurance Institute for Highway Safety does 40 MPH moderate front offset crash tests on new cars. In this updated test, results indicate that the Enclave is safer than the MDX:

	Enclave	MDX
Overall Evaluation	GOOD	ACCEPTABLE
Structure	GOOD	GOOD
	Driver Injury Measures
Head/Neck Rating	GOOD	GOOD
Chest Rating	GOOD	GOOD
Thigh/hip Rating	GOOD	GOOD
Thigh Forces L/R	67/90 pounds	225/180 pounds
Leg/foot Rating	GOOD	GOOD
Thigh Forces L/R	67/90 pounds	225/180 pounds
Restraints	GOOD	GOOD
	Rear Passenger Injury Measures
Chest Rating
Thigh Rating	GOOD	GOOD
Restraints	ACCEPTABLE	POOR

The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration does side impact tests on new vehicles. In this test, which crashes the vehicle into a flat barrier at 38.5 MPH and into a post at 20 MPH, results indicate that the Buick Enclave is safer than the Acura MDX:

	Enclave	MDX
	Front Seat
STARS	5 Stars	5 Stars
HIC	64	107
Chest Movement	.6 inches	.6 inches
Abdominal Force	73 lbs.	105 lbs.
	Rear Seat
STARS	5 Stars	5 Stars
HIC	113	142
	Into Pole
STARS	5 Stars	5 Stars
HIC	346	549

New test not comparable to pre-2011 test results. More stars = Better. Lower test results = Better.

The Buick Enclave achieved a “Top Safety Pick” rating from the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS) for the 2026 model year. This recognition was based on its impressive performance in the small overlap frontal crash test, updated moderate overlap front crash test, updated side impact crash test, headlight evaluations, pedestrian crash prevention testing, and vehicle-to-vehicle crash prevention testing. The MDX is not a “Top Safety Pick” for 2026.

Warranty

The Enclave’s corrosion warranty is 1 year longer than the MDX’s (6 vs. 5 years).

There are almost 3 times as many Buick dealers as there are Acura dealers, which makes it much easier should you ever need service under the Enclave’s warranty.

Reliability

A hardened steel chain, with no maintenance needs, drives the camshafts in the Enclave’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’ 2025 Initial Quality Study of new car owners surveyed provide the statistics that show that Buick vehicles are better in initial quality than Acura vehicles. J.D. Power ranks Buick above average in initial quality. With 15 more problems per 100 vehicles, Acura is rated below average.

J.D. Power and Associates’ 2025 survey of the owners of three-year-old vehicles provides the statistics that show that Buick vehicles are more reliable than Acura vehicles. J.D. Power ranks Buick second in reliability, above the industry average. With 106 more problems per 100 vehicles, Acura is ranked 29th.

Engine

The Enclave’s 2.5 turbo 4-cylinder produces 38 more horsepower (328 vs. 290) and 59 lbs.-ft. more torque (326 vs. 267) than the MDX’s standard 3.5 SOHC V6.

As tested in Motor Trend the Buick Enclave is faster than the Acura MDX V6:

	Enclave	MDX
Zero to 60 MPH	7.4 sec	7.5 sec
Quarter Mile	15.6 sec	15.8 sec
Speed in 1/4 Mile	91.9 MPH	88.6 MPH

Fuel Economy and Range

On the EPA test cycle the Enclave AWD gets better fuel mileage than the MDX Type S 3.0 turbo V6 (20 city/24 hwy vs. 17 city/21 hwy).

To lower fuel costs and make buying fuel easier, the Buick Enclave uses regular unleaded gasoline. The MDX requires premium for maximum efficiency, which can cost on average about 84.9 cents more per gallon.

The Enclave FWD’s standard fuel tank has almost a gallon more fuel capacity than the MDX (19.4 vs. 18.5 gallons), for longer range between fill-ups. The Enclave AWD’s standard fuel tank has 3.2 gallons more fuel capacity than the MDX (21.7 vs. 18.5 gallons).

Environmental Friendliness

In its Green Vehicle Guide, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) rates the Buick Enclave higher (6 out of 10) than the Acura MDX (4). This means the Enclave produces up to 12.1 pounds less smog-producing pollutants than the MDX every 15,000 miles.

Brakes and Stopping

The Enclave’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.

The Enclave stops much shorter than the MDX:

	Enclave	MDX
70 to 0 MPH	164 feet	184 feet	Car and Driver
60 to 0 MPH	109 feet	133 feet	Motor Trend

Tires and Wheels

For better ride, handling and brake cooling the Enclave has standard 20-inch wheels. Smaller 19-inch wheels are standard on the MDX. The Enclave’s optional 22-inch wheels are larger than the 21-inch wheels on the MDX Type S.

The Buick Enclave’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.

Suspension and Handling

For a smoother ride and more stable handling, the Enclave’s wheelbase is 7.1 inches longer than on the MDX (120.9 inches vs. 113.8 inches).

For better maneuverability, the Enclave’s turning circle is 1.5 feet tighter than the MDX’s (39 feet vs. 40.5 feet).

Chassis

The front grille of the Enclave 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.

Passenger Space

The Enclave has 4.1 inches more front headroom, 2.7 inches more front legroom, .3 inches more front shoulder room, 1.9 inches more rear headroom, 3 inches more rear legroom, .7 inches more rear hip room, 1.8 inches more rear shoulder room, 2.1 inches more third row headroom, 3 inches more third row legroom, 7.9 inches more third row hip room and 2.6 inches more third row shoulder room than the MDX.

Cargo Capacity

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

	Enclave	MDX
Behind Third Seat	22.9 cubic feet	18.1 cubic feet
Third Seat Folded	57.1 cubic feet	48.4 cubic feet
Second Seat Folded	97.5 cubic feet	95 cubic feet

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

Payload and Towing

The Enclave’s standard towing capacity is much higher than the MDX’s (5000 vs. 3500 pounds).

The Enclave has a much higher standard payload capacity than the MDX (1636 vs. 1173 lbs.).

The Enclave has a much higher maximum payload capacity than the MDX (1661 vs. 1173 lbs.).

Ergonomics

The Enclave’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 Enclave and the MDX have locks to prevent small children from operating them. When the lock on the Enclave 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.

The Enclave’s standard Keyless Access allow you to unlock the doors from any outside door handle, open the cargo door, and start the engine, all without removing the key from pocket or purse. Keyless Access System standard on the MDX doesn’t offer a sensor on the rear doors, so you’ll have to reach a front handle to unlock the rear doors.

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

To shield the driver and front passenger’s vision over a larger portion of the windshield and side windows, the Enclave has standard extendable sun visors. The MDX doesn’t offer extendable visors.

The Buick Enclave has power folding mirrors that offer unparalleled convenience while maneuvering in tight places or parked. With the mirrors folded it’s easier to walk past and help prevent parking damage. The mirrors can be quickly unfolded when the driver is ready to leave. Power folding mirrors costs extra on the MDX.

The Enclave 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 is only available on the MDX Advance/Type S.

The Enclave’s optional Enhanced Automatic Parking Assist can parallel park or back into a parking spot by itself, starting, stopping and changing direction automatically. The MDX doesn’t offer an automated parking system.

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