The Acura people speak of the MDX's "athletic" appearance. True enough if you have in mind a linebacker rather than a 100-meter sprinter. A casual look reveals a sturdy, stable-appearing machine with a wider, firmer stance than its competitors. Limited overhang gives it a denser, compact air. Large taillights also add to the straightforward sense of a strong presence.The MDX does not draw a gasp for unique design or beauty of line. Rather it is like Emily in "Our Town" who asked her mother if she were pretty. Remember the scene? The motherly answer: pretty enough for all "normal purposes."
What isn't obvious except in a body-off view is the duality of the construction of the MDX. It is both unibody and body on frame! This Centaur-like approach gives uncommon rigidity and strength gained from the longitudinal rails with eight box-section cross members. This is the thinking engineers' path to making a car/truck both a car AND a truck whichever is appropriate to the occasion.
Oh yes, something else evident when the chassis is "naked": there's a vent tube for the differential so that water won't get into it when you are bumper deep (actually up to 18 inches) in a creek.