The competition is stiff across the luxury crossover market, and two that are near the top are the Acura MDX and Lexus RX.

These two models compete in the midsize class to be the perfect size to give you room for your family to enjoy a high-quality ride on any road. Both models are offered on platforms that have a proven reputation for quality driving, giving you the right build, right size, and right feeling when you’re behind the wheel. Let’s take a look and see which one of these luxury SUVs will be right for you.

Cabin Area

If we look at the MDX first, we see there is plenty of headroom in all three rows to make seating easy for tall passengers. Front-seat passengers receive 41.6 inches of legroom, while the second row gives you 38.5 inches for your comfort. The third row of this SUV should probably be reserved for kids because it only offers 29 inches of legroom for those that will spend time in this area.

Looking at the Lexus RX, you’ll find a similar story. There’s plenty of headroom for everyone to ride along comfortably. The legroom offered is44.1 inches for the front seat, 38.0 inches in the second row, and a third row that has 23.5 inches of legroom in the L trim. This area is tighter in the 350 and 450 models of this Lexus.

You’ll find a roomier cabin with more space for all passengers when you choose the Acura MDX instead of the Lexus RX.

Cargo and Towing Capabilities

Behind the rear seats of the Acura SUV, you’ll find 18.1 cubic feet of space. This area expands to 48.4 cubic feet with a folded third row and to 95 cubic feet when both rear rows are folded flat. You can tow up to 3,500 pounds in FWD models and 5,000 pounds when you opt for AWD.

The cargo area of the RX is tiny, with only 7.5 cubic feet behind the third row of seats. You’ll find 23 cubic feet when you fold the rear row down and 58.5 cubic feet with both rear rows in the lower position. Towing reaches a maximum of 3,500 pounds, and you have to choose AWD to be able to tow anything at all.

Once again, the Acura MDX outperforms the Lexus RX to give you more cargo and towing when you want to carry and pull stuff to where you need to go.

Powertrains Taking You on the Road

We no longer see a hybrid version of the MDX, but we do have a good powertrain to help this SUV handle your driving needs. You’ll find a 3.0-liter V6 engine that makes 355 horsepower and 354 lb.-ft. of torque for the drive in the Type S model. Other trims use a 3.5-liter V6 engine that makes 290 horsepower and 267 lb.-ft. of torque. Both of these engines are mated to a ten-speed automatic transmission.

There is a hybrid option for the Lexus SUV to give us a fuel-saving model to drive. The only engine offered is a 3.5-liter V6 model that makes 295 horsepower and 268 lb.-ft. of torque for the 350 models.

The L trim has less power, with both numbers dropping by five. The 450 trims are the hybrid models and AWD. You’ll have two electric motors to give you 308 horsepower combined for this SUV.

This is the first category where we see the Lexus RX perform better than the Acura MDX, but that’s only with the hybrid powertrain.

Fuel Mileage Numbers

Fuel numbers for the MDX are pretty easy to understand, with 19 city/26 hwy mpg for the drive. If you have an AWD version of this SUV, you’ll see a reduction of one mpg for each of those numbers.

Without a hybrid option, the MDX doesn’t give you much of a range for this category.

Looking at the RX and what it brings, you see the FWD model of the non-hybrid models returns 20 city/27 hwy while the AWD versions give you 19 city/26 hwy mpg during your time on the road. Move to the hybrid model, and you’ve got 31 city/28 hwy mpg to give you a more efficient drive.

As you can easily see, the hybrid version of the Lexus RX outperforms the Acura MDX, as does the base model, when it comes to the fuel mileage conversation.

Technology and Features

You’ll find features you want in the Acura SUV that has 12-way power front seats with memory functionality, a 12.3-inch digital instrument cluster, a 12.3-inch touchscreen, a Wi-Fi hotspot, wireless Apple CarPlay/Android Auto, and tri-zone climate controls. You’ll also find a nine-speaker audio system and wireless charging in this SUV. This is a comfortable and complete SUV with the tech features you’re looking for. This SUV also brings you a strong package of driver assistance items to keep you out of trouble on the road.

Looking at the RX, you’ll find fewer standard features than what you see in the MDX. The Lexus gives you an eight-inch touchscreen, Apple CarPlay, Android Auto, a head-up display, a power moonroof, wireless charging, and a Mark Levinson audio system. You’ll have an excellent package of standard safety features in this SUV, giving you the items that help you stay alert and where you need to be on the road.

The comparison is tough in this category, but the Acura MDX has more features and tech than the Lexus RX when you’re looking at the bottom line.

Which Midsize Luxury SUV Should You Drive?

Unless you absolutely need to have the hybrid powertrain and the fuel mileage offered, the choice is pretty clear. When looking at the Acura MDX vs. Lexus RX conversation, the results aren’t close at all. You should be driving the Acura SUV, and that means a ride over to your local dealer to find the model that will be the right one for you to start your luxury driving experiences today.