Nimble Acura MDX is a station wagon, it's no SUV

The Acura MDX SH-AWD is a station wagon, albeit a pricey one with leather seats and every conceivable electronic device, including a "super-handling all-wheel-drive" (SH-AWD) system that improves turning precision by automatically varying power to the rear drive wheels in curves.

Ride, handling, acceleration:
The MDX gets excellent marks in all three categories. It drives, feels, handles and accelerates in the manner of a much smaller, tighter vehicle--on paved roads.

Head-turning quotient:
Flowing, elegant lines. I love its interior--rich, ergonomically sensible, comfortable--the perfect passenger cabin for a long road trip.

Body style/layout:
The 2007 Acura MDX is a front-engine, all-wheel-drive, mid-size luxury wagon with a rear lift-gate. It is a work of unitized body construction on a mid-size car platform.
Engine/transmission: The Acura MDX SH-AWD comes with a 3.7-liter, 24-valve, V-6 engine that develops 300 horsepower at 6,000 revolutions per minute and 275 foot-pounds of torque at 5,000 rpm. The engine is mated to a five-speed automatic transmission that also can be shifted manually.

Capacities:
There is seating for seven with the rearmost foldable seats suitable only for small people. Cargo capacity is 15 cubic feet with three rows of seats up and 84 cubic feet with second and third rows folded. The MDX can be equipped to tow a trailer weighing 5,000 pounds. Fuel capacity is 21 gallons of required premium unleaded gasoline.
Mileage: I averaged 20 miles per gallon in highway driving. My assistant averaged 15 mpg in city-suburban commuting.

Safety:
Impressive. Improved rear-end crash protection, side and head air bags, antilock brakes, and electronic stability and traction control make the MDX one of the safest wagons available in North America.

Price:
Base price for the 2007 Acura MDX SH-AWD with the sport and entertainment package is $47,795. Dealer invoice price on the base model is $43,326. There are no options for this one at this writing. Add a $670 transportation charge. Price as tested is $48,465. Dealer's price as tested is $43,996.

Purse-strings note:
It's an excellent, albeit expensive, wagon. Compare with BMW X-5, Buick Enclave, GMC Acadia, Honda Pilot, Hyundai Veracruz, Lexus RX 350 and Mercedes-Benz M-Class.

Complaints:
End the misleading silliness. Stop calling the Acura MDX and similar vehicles SUVs. They're not. They're wagons. The buying public has no problem accepting them as wagons. Automotive marketers need to grow up.