The 2010 Acura MDX SUV moves upmarket to better compete with the BMW X5 it already outsells and undercuts on price. There are more technology bells and whistles in the 2010 MDX such as active cruise control and a rear camera with three different views. The cockpit has plusher leather and wood. And it continues as the vehicle with the most complicated center stack despite having a cockpit control knob that's supposed to reduce button count. Here's what I found on a one-day test drive (after the jump):

2010 Acura MDX Highlights

Active cruise control. MDX gets it for 2010, BMW X5 doesn't have it yet. Acura's version combines ACC with a collision mitigation braking system (CMBS), meaning if you don't slow down enough in an accident-likely situation, CMBS does it for you, possibly enough to avoid the collision, certainly enough to reduce the severity of the crash.

Multi-view rear camera. In addition to the usual view of about 130 degrees, the Sony fisheye camera system also has a 180-degree wide view (useful to spot traffic when backing out of a mall parking space), and a top view for parking right up against a wall, or hitching up a trailer. On the base MDX without navigation (20% of sales), the rear camera LCD is a small part of the rear view; typically these don't work well on sunny days. An Acura product manager says he thinks it works okay. It wouldn't be a problem if Acura made the center stack LCD standard across the line.

Blind spot detection. Acura calls it blind spot information. Either way, radar facing back and to the side warns you if vehicles come up in your blind spots. Don't confuse this with lane departure warning, which the MDX doesn't offer.

Hard disk navigation. The Alpine-based navigation system now uses a hard disk, screen resolution is up to VGA or 640 x 480 (not bad, but others are as much as 1280 x 480), and there's lane guidance, meaning it shows you which are through lanes and which are exit lanes. The satellite radio system now includes real-time weather with three-day forecasts (of course, you could call looking out the windshield to be real time weather, too), weather warnings, and Doppler radio overlays. There's even a customizable wallpaper function in case you want the family dog to be on the LCD screen when the car starts up.

Audio/Video. The MDX now has USB port connectivity (standard) on all except on the base model, Bluetooth for both phone and audio (standard), the hard disk drive, and Song By Voice, which lets you control music more precisely with voice commands, much like Ford Sync. The Bluetooth phone interface is improved with better phonebook download and multiple-user profiles. The rear entertainment system goes to a low-profile widescreen drop-down single LCD, but still not the two LCDs in the backs of the front headrests that allow for two different rear programs, such as playing a DVD and a video off an iPod. Very few cars come with Bluetooth, iPod adapter, and satellite radio standard; Acura has these three standard across the 2010 lineup.

Six-speed automatic. With competitors offering as many as eight speeds, Acura now has gone from five to six on the MDX. It's about time, both for efficiency reasons since each extra gear is good for 3%-5% more mpg, and for competitive reasons. With it comes paddle shifters. The engine remains Acura's rock-solid 300-hp V6 with SH-AWD, or super-handling all-wheel drive, a form of torque vectoring (over-powering the outside wheel in turns) that provides extra stability on icy or snowy roads.

Driving impressions
We loved the second generation Acura MDX when it launched as a 2007 model. (Generation 1 was in 2001.) This upgrade, halfway through the typical six-year Acura model lifecycle, is even more refined and the interior does look classier, which is important in a world where Audi has flawless cockpits and BMW has dropped the somber blacks of the nineties. The Acura front shield, or happy-face, grille remains a very much acquired taste. That's a polite way of saying a lot of people find it butt-ugly but you might, over time, find it endearing.

Center Stack Woes (the 2013 MDX Can't Come Soon Enough)
My biggest concern remains the center stack. It's the worst of all possible worlds. There's a cockpit controller mounted a third of the way up the center stack with meager wrist support (use the gearshift lever or plunk your elbow on the padded center console). Control wheels are supposed to mean fewer buttons and less complexity. Instead, the MDX center stack on navigation-equipped models has 49 knobs and similarly shaped buttons, by my count (I may have missed one or two) and three separate displays. I've counted as many as 63 on other Acuras, so it appears they're trying. Still: Try to find the moving map button if you're in a hurry. The added voice input functionality helps with music functions and, in fairness, you'll grow accustomed to what control goes where after a month or two.

The benchmarks for cockpit controllers are Lexus with the Remote Touch controller, essentially a leather wrapped joystick, for simplicity and idiot-proof usability, and BMW's current generation iDrive for speedy access once you've gotten past the no longer daunting learning curve. Both have fewer, and less confusing, center stack controls than Acura.

Bottom Line: Still the Best Seven-Passenger SUV?
Notwithstanding the underwhelming center stack, this may be your best choice in a medium-large luxury SUV in the seven-passenger class, meaning two rows of decent seating and a third row you wouldn't wish on anyone over five feet tall. Others in the category (not all with third-row seats) are the Infiniti FX35, Lexus RX350 (a bit smaller), six-cylinder BMW X5, Audi Q7, the Mercedes-Benz ML320, possibly the Porsche Cayenne, possibly the Cadillac  SRX. The Acura MDX handles well, looks great inside and out (except from dead ahead), has all the right technology options, and is easy to buy because the options are bundled in a handful of sensible packages. The price will likely start in the low forties when it goes on sale this fall and with all the extra options  the fully equipped price will finally top $50K. Leasing may be a good option since Acuras have great resale value. So is buying used. There are lots of changes with the 2010 MDX but you won't go wrong with a 2007 or 2008 MDX coming off lease.