2019 Acura MDX Sport Hybrid vs 2019 Toyota Highlander Hybrid: Which is Best?

2019 Acura MDX Hybrid Toyota Highlander Hybrid HERO1 ・ Photo by Toyota / Acura

Hybrid gasoline-electric technology hasn’t really taken deep root in the three-row crossover class, but two of the current leaders are the 2019 Acura MDX Sport Hybrid and the 2019 Toyota Highlander Hybrid.

The Highlander Hybrid was one of the pioneers, first arriving as a 2006 model. Now in its third generation of production, the Toyota Highlander Hybrid soldiers on, happily reaching a new sales landmark last year. The MDX has been around since 2001, a luxury three-row crossover that shares a platform with the Honda Pilot. The Acura MDX Sport Hybrid joined the third-generation MDX lineup as a 2017 model.

The question today is which is best, the Acura MDX Sport Hybrid or the Toyota Highlander Hybrid?

Design

The 2019 Acura MDX Sport Hybrid is a luxury crossover from stem to stern. Its front fascia is very striking, with Acura’s Diamond Pentagon grille flanked by the beautiful horizontally arrayed Jewel Eye LED headlights lending a serious visage. Twenty-inch alloy wheels are standard and fit the muscular wheel arches well. Inside, handcrafted natural wood accents mix with real metal trim, standard leather upholstery, and a crisp, elegant layout.

The 2019 Toyota Highlander Hybrid has a wide face, accentuated by horizontal design details and a grille that joins the headlights together. Crisp body lines give the sides of the Highlander a tailored appearance, while still hinting at rugged capability. Inside, the emphasis is more on utility than beauty, with ample storage space and smart ergonomics.

Acura MDX Sport Hybrid

Photo by Acura

Engine

Acura and Toyota take similar, though slightly different approaches to the hybrid equation. Both have battery packs that store the energy to run electric motors, and they're recharged by the vehicles' gasoline engines and regenerative braking systems. 

The 2019 Acura MDX Sport Hybrid uses a 3.0-liter gasoline V6 engine and a three-motor electric drive system (one front/two rear) that pack a combined system rating of 289 horsepower and 289 lb-ft of torque, and a lithium-ion battery pack. The 2019 Toyota Highlander Hybrid uses a 3.5-liter gasoline V6 engine and a three-motor (one generator/one front-wheel drive/one rear-wheel drive) electric drive system with a combined system rating of 306 hp, with no quoted torque figure, and a 45-kW nickel-metal hydride battery pack.

Toyota Highlander Hybrid

Photo by Toyota

Transmission/Drivetrain

Both MDX and Highlander take advantage of the hybrid setup to offer all-wheel drive as a standard feature. The MDX uses twin motors in the rear, one for each wheel, while Highlander uses a single rear motor that drives both rear wheels. Thanks to the side-to-side separation, the MDX is capable of delivering torque vectoring, which helps with handling and turn-in feel on cornering.

The Highlander’s transmission is an electronically controlled continuously variable automatic transmission, a gearless setup that adjusts the ratio to keep the engine in the power band at all times. The MDX uses a seven-speed dual-clutch automatic transmission with paddle shifters, which a sportier experience with its visceral stepped shifting pattern.

Acura MDX Sport Hybrid

Photo by Acura

Comfort/Amenities

It should be no surprise that the MDX has an advantage here, as it's more expensive than the Highlander and comes from a luxury brand. As such, the MDX comes with standard leather seating, real wood and metal trim, two-person seat memory, a power moonroof, tri-zone climate control, and a flexible center console. Access to the third row of seats is simple and easy, with a one-touch sliding second row.

The Highlander comes with a decent level of equipment on its LE and XLE models, to near-luxury levels on Limited and Limited Platinum. You don’t get real wood or metal trim, though; you get woodgrain accent and metallic trim (read: plastic). You get one memory setting on the power driver’s seat, along with available perforated leather with heat and ventilation on the front seats, and heated second-row captain’s chairs with a side table.

Acura MDX Sport Hybrid

Photo by Acura

Cargo/Towing

Because the 2019 Acura MDX Sport Hybrid has a sliding second row and reclining third-row seats, it’s challenging to get an exact measurement of cargo space. We recognize this flexibility as a strength, though — you can never predict how you’re going to need to use your cargo space in an SUV. Acura gives measurements with the rear seat reclined and the second row slid rearward. Luggage space behind the third row is 15.0 cubic feet; behind the second row, it’s 38.4; behind the front seats, 68.4.

The 2019 Toyota Highlander Hybrid can handle 13.8 cubic feet of luggage behind the third row; 42.3 behind the second row; and 83.7 behind the front seats. The Highlander Hybrid is rated to tow up to 3,500 lbs with a maximum tongue weight of 350 lbs, while Acura does not recommend towing with the MDX Sport Hybrid.

Toyota Highlander Hybrid

Photo by Toyota

Infotainment/Technology

Once again, the 2019 Acura MDX Sport Hybrid has an inherent advantage as a premium vehicle. It comes with standard navigation, AcuraLink, Apple CarPlay, Android Auto, Siri Eyes Free, SMS/MMS text message and email capability, Bluetooth hands-free and audio streaming, USB ports for all three rows, and more.

The 2019 Toyota Highlander Hybrid LE comes with the Entune multimedia bundle, which does not include native navigation. It does include Bluetooth and Siri Eyes Free. The XLE and above trim levels add navigation, advanced voice recognition, and more, but Apple CarPlay and Android Auto are not available. Toyota’s premium audio option is from JBL, while Acura’s is from Acura/ELS Studio.

Acura MDX Sport Hybrid

Photo by Acura

Safety/Driver Assistance

The 2019 Toyota Highlander Hybrid includes the Toyota Safety Sense P suite of driver-assistance features as standard equipment: a pre-collision system with pedestrian detection, a lane-departure alert with steering assist, automatic high beams, and adaptive cruise control. A full array of airbags, LATCH connections on outboard second-row seats, a tire pressure monitoring system, and hill-start assist are also standard.

The 2019 Acura MDX Sport Hybrid comes standard with the AcuraWatch system, which includes a forward collision warning, collision-mitigating braking, a lane-departure warning, lane-keep assist, road-departure mitigation, blind-spot monitoring, a rear cross-traffic alert, adaptive cruise control with low-speed following capability, and multi-view backup camera with dynamic guidelines. The MDX also includes the full array of airbags plus a driver’s knee airbag, tire pressure monitoring system, hill-start assist, automatic high beams, and more.  

Acura MDX Sport Hybrid

Photo by Acura

Driving Experience

Both 2019 Acura MDX Sport Hybrid and 2019 Toyota Highlander Hybrid get good fuel economy for three-row crossovers. The EPA rates the MDX at 26 mpg in the city, 27 mpg on the highway, and 27 mpg combined. The base Highlander Hybrid achieves 30 mpg city, 28 mpg highway, and 29 mpg combined, while higher-trim models lose 1 mpg. It’s likely that each vehicle could have been set up to get even better fuel economy, but each uses its electric motors to boost performance as well as efficiency.

Notably, the MDX’s dual-clutch transmission delivers a more engaging experience than Highlander’s CVT. The MDX also handles a little better than Highlander, thanks to its dual rear motor setup and torque vectoring, but both vehicles are a bit porky. The MDX weighs in at 4,486 lbs, while Highlander comes in at 4,398 to 4,861 lbs depending on the trim level. All that weight must be managed, which is tough on suspension systems and brakes.

Acura MDX Sport Hybrid

Photo by Acura

Pricing

The 2019 Toyota Highlander Hybrid is available in four trim levels: LE (starting at $37,320), XLE (starting at $42,380), Limited (starting at $45,860), and Limited Platinum (starting at $48,980). All-wheel drive is standard on all trim levels. No options packages are available for Highlander Hybrid, just dealer-installed accessories.

The 2019 Acura MDX Sport Hybrid is available in two trim levels: Sport Hybrid with Technology Package (starting at $52,795) and Sport Hybrid with Advance Package (starting at $60,545). All-wheel drive is standard on both trim levels.

Toyota Highlander Hybrid

Photo by Toyota

Recommendations

Both the 2019 Toyota Highlander Hybrid and 2019 Acura MDX Sport Hybrid are excellent vehicles with long histories of reliability and overall quality. The choice between them may come down to budget for many buyers, as the Highlander Hybrid has a significantly lower price.

That said, you do get what you pay for. The MDX is more luxurious, more attractive, and, thanks to its dual-clutch transmission and dual rear motors, more fun to drive. If you can stretch your budget to get into the premium category, you’ll be rewarded every time you drive.

Acura MDX Sport Hybrid

Photo by Acura