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Acura MDX: Tires General Information and Specs

Picking out new tires for your Acura MDX can be a headache, as there a ton of brands to choose from that vary tremendously in price. Here's some helpful information to know about your MDX's tire specifications.

By Jeffrey Bausch - May 6, 2016

This article applies to the Acura MDX.

Looking for new tires for your Acura MDX, but have no idea where to start? Picking new tires can be tedious. Not only are there a million brands to choose from, they all vary a great deal in price. Before you get started, consider these questions so that you can go into the tire store with a clearer picture of what you need and how much you should spend.

Should All Tires Be Replaced at Once?

Tires affect the performance of your MDX, so to assure your car drives optimally, all tires should be identical and therefore, replaced at the same time. If your tires don't match, it's possible that one part of your vehicle won't respond as well as the other side of the car; this can adversely affect the performance of the vehicle. Should one tire have more wear than the other three, replace it with a tire that matches the others exactly – brand, line, size, and speed rating. If two tires have worn, but the other two are fine, replace them with a pair that is as close as possible to matching your existing tires.

Figure 1. Having all four tires replaced at the same time is the best option.

What's the Correct Tire Size?

A tire's basic requirement is that it needs to be able to support the weight of the car. If this capability is "overworked," it will have little reserve capacity to react to an emergency turn or stop. The other size consideration is tire diameter. Most of the MDX's functions are computerized, and maintaining accurate speed data going into the vehicle's computer assures accurate instructions coming out. Directly impacting this data is the diameter of the tire.

For 2001-2006 MDXs, the tires are fitted to 17-inch rims, and recommended size is 235/65R17. In 2007, the company grew the car's rims to 18 inches, and so the tire rec is 255/55R18. 2008 introduced the 19-inch rim, which came with a 245/55R19 option. From this year on to 2016, both 18 and 19-inch rim options are available to choose from; the same tire sizes still exist to this day.

Figure 2. Make sure you buy the right size.

What's More Important – Price or Value?

The most important thing to consider is "how much mile" each tire will cost. So, if you are going to drive 30,000 miles and one set is $100 per tire, and there's another similar brand at $90 each, then the difference between the two is technically .1 cents per mile (1.3 cents vs. 1.2 cents per mile). Take this formula over the course of two years, and the difference between the two is $40.

Figure 3. Assess price vs. long term value when looking at tire brands.

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