How Much Does It Cost to Own an Acura MDX?

Cost example updated October 24, 2026

The answer first: about $1,365 a month

For a representative example, use a 2025 Acura MDX with the Technology Package and SH-AWD at $59,850 including destination. SH-AWD (Super Handling All-Wheel Drive) is Acura's all-wheel-drive system, power goes to all four wheels instead of just the front two. With 10% down ($5,985), 8% APR (the yearly interest rate on the loan) and 60 months to pay, this example finances $58,955 at $1,195 a month, and the loan costs about $12,769 in interest over five years. Over five years the whole cost is about $81,880, or about $1,365 a month.

The down payment does not make the MDX cheaper; it changes how much you finance (borrow). Replace this starting price with a written quote for the exact trim you are considering, trims run from the base MDX near $52,250 including destination to the Type S with the Advance Package near $76,300 including destination, so the Technology Package sits in the middle of the range.

Start with the price you will actually pay

Acura's own 2025 price list puts the MDX with the Technology Package and SH-AWD at $58,500 plus a $1,350 destination charge, $59,850 in total. Later listings from Kelley Blue Book and Edmunds land $300 higher, at $60,150, which looks like a price increase during the model year; this example uses Acura's $59,850 launch figure and states the $300 gap here rather than settling it. Edmunds lists this exact version, all-wheel drive with the Technology Package, as the most popular MDX, which is why it is the example here rather than the cheaper front-wheel-drive version ($57,650 including destination).

The MDX is a three-row luxury SUV (three rows of seats, room for seven) with a 3.5-liter V6 engine making 290 horsepower. Front-wheel-drive versions tow up to 3,500 pounds; SH-AWD versions tow up to 5,000 pounds when properly equipped.

Fuel: premium gas is part of the price

The SH-AWD MDX is rated 21 mpg combined (19 city, 25 highway, per Acura's EPA ratings). MPG means miles per gallon, how far the car goes on one gallon of gas. At 12,000 miles a year that is about 571 gallons a year. The MDX calls for premium unleaded 91-octane gas (premium is the higher-grade gas at the pump; some dealer pages say it is required, Acura's own specification pages say it is recommended, this example prices premium either way). At a sourced premium price of $5.20 a gallon, the AAA national average for premium in late October 2026, about $5.20, that is roughly $2,971 a year, $14,857 over five years.

The front-wheel-drive MDX is rated 22 mpg combined. At the same premium price it would burn about $14,182 of gas over five years, about $675 less than the SH-AWD example. That is the whole fuel saving from skipping all-wheel drive; it does not by itself pay for the drivetrain difference. The method is the same as in the EV vs. gas guide: miles divided by mpg, times price, times years.

Depreciation is the biggest bucket by far

Depreciation is the value a car loses as it gets older, the gap between what you paid and what it is worth later. CarEdge's MDX curve puts the five-year value loss at about 50.4%, the car keeps roughly half its price. Edmunds' cost-to-own work for this exact SH-AWD Technology version lands very close, at $29,829 of value lost. This example uses the 50.4% rate: on a $59,850 purchase, plan on roughly $29,686 left after five years, about $30,164 of depreciation, roughly $503 a month.

That resale figure is a planning assumption, not a promise. Kelley Blue Book's work on the front-wheel-drive Technology version is more pessimistic, at $33,476 of value lost. Run a second scenario with resale 10% lower than this example, $26,717 instead of $29,686, and the five-year total rises by $2,969 to about $84,848, or about $1,414 a month. If the decision only works with an optimistic used market, it is not a safe decision yet.

Insurance runs luxury-SUV money, not the highest in its class

Full-coverage averages for an MDX cluster between about $180 and $200 a month depending on the source: MoneyGeek puts full coverage at $180 a month ($2,165 a year), while Insuraviz and The Zebra both land at $200 a month for a 2025 MDX. This example uses $200 a month, or $12,000 over five years, the top of that range. One honest gap: Kelley Blue Book's cost-to-own work runs insurance much higher, at $15,240 over five years, about $254 a month. If your quote lands near that figure, add $3,240 to this example's total. Premiums depend heavily on the driver, ZIP code, coverage and insurer, so get a quote on the exact trim with matching deductibles (the amount you pay before insurance pays) and limits before treating any average as yours.

MDX maintenance costs: cheaper than most luxury rivals

Upkeep (maintenance) is the scheduled service, oil, filters, fluids, inspections, plus the repairs that come up. Kelley Blue Book's five-year cost-to-own work for the Technology version puts maintenance at $5,856 and repairs at $1,211, or $7,067 combined. Edmunds' work for the SH-AWD Technology version is a little lower, at $4,878 of maintenance plus $1,130 of repairs, or $6,008 combined. This example allows $1,400 a year, or $7,000 all-in, near Kelley Blue Book's combined figure, above Edmunds'. One set of 20-inch tires inside five years at 60,000 miles is a realistic plan, and tire prices vary enough that a quote for your size is worth getting. Acura covers the basics for 4 years or 50,000 miles, and the powertrain (engine and transmission) for 6 years or 70,000 miles, so most of this example's upkeep falls inside the warranty years, the risk is wear items, not breakdowns.

The full five-year example

Every figure below comes from the site's own calculator math. The stated inputs are: 2025 Acura MDX with the Technology Package and SH-AWD, $59,850 price including destination, 10% down ($5,985), 8% APR, 60 months, 7% sales tax, $900 in title and dealer fees, 12,000 miles per year, 21 mpg, $5.20 per gallon premium gas, $200 per month insurance, $1,400 per year maintenance, $29,686 resale value after five years.

• Depreciation: $30,164 ($59,850 minus $29,686 resale)
• Insurance: $12,000 ($200 x 60 months)
• Fuel: $14,857 (12,000 / 21 x $5.20 x 5 years)
• Maintenance: $7,000 ($1,400 x 5 years)
• Tax, fees and interest: $17,859 ($4,190 sales tax, $900 fees, $12,769 loan interest)

That totals roughly $81,880, or about $1,365 a month. Notice what that says about the $1,195 payment: on this vehicle the payment is not the whole story, it is about 88% of the average month's true cost, and during the loan years the cash actually going out is the payment plus insurance, fuel and upkeep, about $1,760 a month combined.

Formula

The five-year total is the sum of five buckets: depreciation, insurance, fuel, maintenance, and tax, fees and interest. Depreciation is the $59,850 price minus the $29,686 resale value after five years, which is $30,164. Insurance is $200 a month times 60 months, which is $12,000. Fuel is 12,000 miles a year divided by 21 miles per gallon, times $5.20 a gallon, times 5 years, which is about $14,857. Maintenance is $1,400 a year times 5 years, which is $7,000. Tax, fees and interest is 7% sales tax on $59,850, which is $4,190, plus $900 in title and dealer fees, plus about $12,769 of loan interest, which is $17,859.

Added together, $30,164 plus $12,000 plus $14,857 plus $7,000 plus $17,859 equals $81,880, or about $1,365 a month. The amount financed is the $59,850 price plus $4,190 sales tax plus $900 in fees, minus the $5,985 down payment, which is $58,955. At 8% APR over 60 months, the payment on $58,955 is $1,195 a month, and the loan costs about $12,769 in interest over five years.

Why MDX buyers should think past year five

Three-row SUVs are keepers, families run them a decade or more, and that is where the economics can improve: the loan ends at year five, and the value-loss curve flattens. The costs that arrive in years six through ten are the wear-and-repair years: a second tire set, suspension work, and out-of-warranty items. The keep it 10 years guide shows how to extend this same math honestly.

Shopping the MDX against other three-rows? The Car Showdown runs any two vehicles through the same five buckets side by side.

Calculation transparency

Jurisdiction. United States. Sales tax, titling, registration and insurance rules are set by your state, so your exact numbers depend on where you buy and register the car. The 7% sales tax and $900 in fees in this example are planning figures, not any one state's actual rates.

Rules and time period. Five years, 12,000 miles a year, premium gas at $5.20 a gallon (AAA national average, late October 2026), 8% APR, 60 months, 10% down. The resale value is a planning assumption, not a forecast.

Scope and limitations. Educational estimate only. Insurance and maintenance are planning figures, not quotes. Get a real quote for the same trim, coverage and loan before you decide.

Source links checked November 6, 2026. Figures: CarEdge MDX five-year value loss, about 50.4%; EPA combined fuel economy, 21 mpg; The Zebra 2025 MDX full-coverage average, $200 a month.

Primary sources: CarEdge, Acura MDX cost of ownership; fueleconomy.gov, EPA fuel economy ratings; The Zebra, Acura MDX insurance costs. How the numbers are calculated is written down on the methodology page, and every source is listed on the sources page.

Definitions

Depreciation. The value a car loses over time. On this page, the $59,850 price minus the $29,686 resale value after five years, which is $30,164.

Resale value. What the car is worth after five years in this example, $29,686. A planning assumption, not a forecast.

APR. Annual percentage rate, the yearly cost of borrowing before fees. This example uses 8%.

Down payment. The cash paid up front. Here it is 10%, or $5,985.

Destination charge. The fee to ship the car to the dealer. It is $1,350 on the MDX in this example, included in the $59,850 price.

Combined mpg. The EPA city and highway ratings blended into one figure. It is 21 for the SH-AWD MDX and 22 for the front-wheel-drive version.

Full coverage. Insurance that covers damage to your own car as well as damage to others. This example uses $200 a month.

Premium gas. Higher-octane gasoline. Acura specifies premium unleaded 91-octane gas for the MDX, and this example prices it at $5.20 a gallon.

Questions people actually ask

How much does it cost to own an Acura MDX per month?

About $1,365 a month over five years in the example above, $81,880 in total for a 2025 MDX with the Technology Package and SH-AWD. The loan payment alone is $1,195 a month; insurance, premium gas and upkeep make up the rest.

Does the Acura MDX require premium gas?

Acura specifies premium unleaded 91-octane gas for the MDX, some dealer pages call it required, Acura's own specification pages call it recommended. Either way, this example prices premium gas, at $5.20 a gallon, because that is what most MDX owners will actually put in the tank.

How many miles per gallon does an Acura MDX get?

The SH-AWD MDX is rated 21 mpg combined (19 city, 25 highway). The front-wheel-drive version is rated 22 mpg combined. The Type S version is rated lower, at 19 mpg combined.

Does an Acura MDX hold its value?

Reasonably well for a luxury SUV: about half its price after five years, roughly 50.4% lost according to CarEdge's MDX curve, with Edmunds' work landing very close. Kelley Blue Book's work is more pessimistic, so treat the resale figure as a planning assumption, not a promise.

How much does Acura MDX insurance cost per month?

Full-coverage averages cluster between about $180 and $200 a month, MoneyGeek at $180, Insuraviz and The Zebra at $200. This example uses $200 a month. Kelley Blue Book's cost-to-own work runs higher, near $254 a month, so get a quote on your exact trim.

Related: Compare the Lexus RX and the BMW X5, see whether a 3-row SUV fits your family, or browse all models.

Buying in Texas? Texas adds its own layer to these numbers, a 6.25% sales tax, its own fees, and some of the highest insurance in the country. See the true cost of a car in Texas.

Comparing SUVs? See the true cost of the Infiniti QX60 and the Genesis GV80, run through the same five-year math.