2014 Acura MDX: Photo Gallery

We first saw the new 2014 MDX debut as a prototype at the recent 2013 Detroit Auto Show. Now Acura has given us a glimpse at the sleek, production-ready 2014 MDX set to go on sale this summer.

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Apart from headlights filled with LEDs and mildly restyled front and rear ends, its new redesign isn't radical looking. Underneath lie all the changes for 2014, as this three-row SUV — now bigger, longer and lower — features a new 3.5-liter V-6, upgraded cabin interior, higher gas mileage and more features.

Check out the photo gallery of the 2014 Acura MDX below. Cars.com photos by Evan Sears.

2014 Acura MDX: Up Close

Acura pulled an infamous Porsche move with its all-new MDX: It doesn't look very different than the outgoing model despite being a significant redesign. Under the skin, it's got an all-new lighter platform and fresh engine. Now riding on a longer-wheelbase chassis, the extra length allowed Acura to squeeze more room from the inside with added dimensions helping third-row passengers.

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Accessing the third row only requires the press of a button to automatically slide the second row forward — a standard feature on all MDXs. Stepping into the third row is easier with an additional 3 inches of width from the rear-door opening and a drop of 2 inches from the step-in height, but it isn't as painless as in other three-row SUVs, like the 2014 Toyota Highlander we just checked out. Against luxury SUVs like the Infiniti JX and Audi Q7, the MDX should be even more competitive with the added dimensions.

2014 Acura MDX at the 2013 New York Auto Show

• Competes with: Infiniti JX35, Lexus GX, BMW X5
• Looks like: The 2013 Acura MDX
• Drivetrain: 3.5-liter V-6 engine with six-speed automatic transmission, front or all-wheel drive
• Hits dealerships: Summer 2013

It may not look like a radical departure from the current MDX, but the 2014 version is entirely new. It has a new chassis, engine, interior, features and improved mileage.

Typically, you wouldn't look under the hood of a crossover first, but the new 3.5-liter V-6 is noteworthy. The direct-injected V-6 also sports cylinder deactivation that helps with fuel economy. Acura says the EPA rating for all-wheel-drive models — still called Super Handling All-Wheel Drive, or SH-AWD — is 18/27 mpg city/highway and 21 mpg combined. That's a 16% improvement over the combined rating of the 2013 MDX, which is only available with SH-AWD.

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Front-wheel-drive versions of the 2014 are rated at 20/28 mpg city/highway and 23 mpg combined. That combined rating is roughly 10% better than Infiniti's front-wheel-drive JX35 — soon to be renamed QX60.

Power is down, though, from 300 horsepower in the outgoing 3.7-liter to 290 hp in the 3.5-liter. Torque is rated at 267 pounds-feet. Despite the lower numbers, the 2014 MDX is faster thanks to its shedding an impressive 275 pounds compared to the outgoing 2013.

Recall Alert: 2004-08 Acura TSX

Honda is recalling 76,253 model-year 2004-08 versions of the Acura TSX compact sedan due to electrical problems, according to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration.

Only cars originally sold in or currently registered in Connecticut, Delaware, Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Kentucky, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, Michigan, Minnesota, Missouri, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New York, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, Vermont, Virginia, West Virginia, Wisconsin and the District of Columbia are affected. In these states, corrosive materials (like salt) are used to de-ice roads. If the material enters the car through a driver's shoe and saturates the carpet over time, it could come in contact with the car's electronic control unit and cause it to corrode. This could lead to the engine stalling.

Honda will start notifying owners on April 11, and dealers will install a waterproof cover on the electronic control unit for free. Owners can call Honda at 800-999-1009 or NHTSA's vehicle safety hotline at 888-327-4236 for more info.

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Honda Accord Still Most Popular Car to Steal

The bad news for Honda Accord owners? It was the most stolen car in 2012. The good news? It was also the most recovered.

LoJack Corp., which manufactures the Lojack Stolen Vehicle Recovery System, today released its fourth annual vehicle-theft recovery report based on statistics from 28 states. The study not only tracks auto-theft trends across the U.S. during the past year, but also serves as a de facto advertisement for the device, which in 2012 helped law-enforcement officials recover nearly $125 million worth of stolen vehicles.

Citing FBI reports, the study notes that a vehicle is stolen every 44 seconds and that the recovery rate is at a 30-year low. Still, vehicles equipped with a LoJack were recovered 94% of the time, the company reported.

"Unlike other location-based systems, LoJack Police Tracking Computers can find vehicles in some of the most secluded locations, including shipping containers that are hidden amongst thousands of others onboard a ship that is about to depart the United States," said Patrick Clancy, vice president of law enforcement for LoJack, in a statement.

Click below for LoJack's top 10 "most stolen and recovered" vehicles for 2012 and here for a list of February's 10 best-selling cars; the Honda Accord ranks high on the list.

Farewell Acura ZDX: Many Gawked, Few Purchased

Depending on whom you ask, Acura's ZDX is either ugly (with an F) or sexy. One fact that isn't up for debate, however, is that the swoopy crossover is a total sales dud and model-year 2013 is its last.

With its high price, tiny backseat and dismal visibility, it's tough to understand the ZDX's appeal, but it's been in Acura's lineup since 2010 — so someone's been buying it. Which begs the question: Who would choose the ZDX over the more comfortable and less expensive MDX, on which it's based?

2013 New York Auto Show Preview: Honda and Acura

Honda will be busy during this year's New York International Auto Show. The automaker plans to unveil a freshened version of its Odyssey minivan and the production version of the MDX crossover from its Acura luxury arm.

An MDX prototype (above) met the public at the North American International Auto Show in Detroit, so it's no surprise that we'll get to see the production model in New York. Honda says the 2014 MDX uses a totally new platform and that the third generation of the seven-passenger crossover is longer than its predecessor. The automaker claims that the new MDX will be roomier, more comfortable and have a more versatile cabin than the outgoing model.

Recall Alert: 182,800 Honda, Acura Vehicles

Honda is voluntarily recalling 182,800 vehicles due to an electronic stability system malfunction, according to a statement from the automaker. Affected vehicles are 101,000 Honda Pilot crossovers, 60,000 Acura MDX SUVs and 21,000 Acura RL sedans, all from model-year 2005; 800 model-year 2006 Acura MDX SUVs are also affected.

According to Honda, if an electrical capacitor on the system's control unit was damaged during the manufacturing process, the system could malfunction and apply a small amount of brake force for a fraction of a second outside the driver's control. If the driver applies the brakes during a system malfunction, a crash could result.

In addition to the recall, 51,000 of the affected Pilot crossovers will be inspected to ensure that an electrical ground bolt for the electronic stability system is properly tightened; a loosened ground bolt may cause a similarly short period of unintended brake activation. According to Honda, no crashes or injuries have resulted from these issues.

Honda will notify owners in mid-April, and Honda and Acura dealers will install a new electrical sub-harness for free. In the 51,000 affected Pilot vehicles, dealers will properly tighten the ground bolt for free. For more info, Honda owners can call 800-999-1009 or go to www.recalls.honda.com, and Acura owners can call 800-382-2238 or go to www.recalls.acura.com.

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Luxury Wagons Work to Woo Families

I'm a wagon lover, and I'm not ashamed to say it. If things went my way, I'd have one of those big, wood-paneled ones in my driveway right now. However, most Americans don't share my enthusiasm for the old-school wagon. They have no idea what they're missing out on because today's wagons are often quite luxurious — and lacking in wood paneling.

With many of today's wagons focusing on luxury, these original grocery-getters have gotten pricey. A short list of wagons — Subaru Outback and Volkswagen Jetta SportWagen — can be had for less than $25,000.

Several luxury automakers are doing their best to woo families with high-end wagons, but they're not always as family-friendly as you'd think:

January's Fastest- and Slowest-Selling Cars

If Toyota's genie-granting Super Bowl XLVII ad got you thinking about the RAV4, you might have to wait for your local dealer to ramp up stock. The automaker's redesigned SUV was January's fastest-selling car, averaging just five days to move. It joins a number of 2013 redesigns: the Ford Fusion Hybrid, Land Rover Range Rover, Mercedes-Benz GL-Class, Toyota Avalon, Toyota Avalon Hybrid and Nissan Pathfinder. All seven cars saw substantial January sales improvements — beyond the industry's 14.2% overall gain, in fact.

Winter months had all-wheel drive in high demand; twelve of January's 18 fastest sellers offered it. Even luxury SUVs like the Mercedes GL-Class and Land Rover Range Rover, whose prices extend into the six-figure range, took little time to sell. January marks the GL's fourth month as a mover, and if that's any indication, the Range Rover, which went on sale in December, will likely stick around for a few months.

On the flip side, the Acura ILX had its fourth month among the losers (in ILX or ILX Hybrid form). Sales for the Civic-based premium sedan outpaced Acura's other sedans last month, but the car sold slower than it took for the Superdome's lights come back on. Buick's competing Verano took 49 days to sell — 44 days less than the Acura. Unsurprisingly, the Verano outsold the ILX by more than a 2-to-1 ratio in January.