Detroit — Dinner in Motown, Wings game, paddle tennis, shopping, Bocce ball, dinner, snow, snow and let it snow. Just your typical jam-packed Thanksgiving weekend for the Payne family six-pack of mom, dad, two boys and their wives.

Good thing we had a three-row, six-seat SUV to negotiate it all.

This week’s test mule was a 2024 Acura MDX SH-AWD Type S, the halo model in the brand’s lineup now that the NSX supercar has been retired. Gone but not forgotten. Though the second-generation hybrid NSX didn’t achieve the critical (or sales) acclaim of the original 1989 NSX (blessed by the legendary F1 star Ayrton Senna himself), it inspired a new generation of Acura interiors.

The NSX’s unique trigger shifter ‘n’ Drive Mode dial is replicated in the MDX, and I rotated the dial to SPORT mode as we entered an S-turn in Oakland County. The V6-fired MDX has also inherited the NSX’s sporty DNA, and the mid-size ute is surprisingly nimble through the twisties. I flicked the MDX left then right, followed by generous throttle on exit onto an uphill straightaway.

“VRRROOM!” growled the 355 horses up front.

“HEEEEYY!” came the cry from the third row.

“Yes, yes. Just having a little fun!” I protested. “Not bad for a three-row family SUV, yes?” With that I got universal agreement, and I settled back into my primary duties: chauffeuring the family to a downtown Red Wings game.

The MDX’s red leather interior — available on all Acura models — not only matched our Wings-colored shirts and sweaters, but drew high praise from the family. Especially my son, Henry, who owns a similarly equipped Mazda3 Turbo. Red is rad and Acura makes good use of it throughout its lineup.

Picking straws for who got to sit in the third row was less popular. Competitors Mazda CX-90, Jeep Grand Cherokee L and Infiniti QX60 boast three rows that are so roomy that, at 6’5”, I can sit behind myself sitting behind myself in the last row. Impressive. Not so the MDX, where I would have to remove my legs to sit in the back. In the MDX, the third row requires planning on who sits there.

Be sure to put your smallest passenger in the back — in our case, my 5’5” wife and daughter-in-law Erica. Once seated, they felt a bit claustrophobic — which is where the MDX’s ambidextrous second-row middle seat comes to the rescue.

Honda brands have always been creative with seats (see the ridiculously capable Magic Seat in the late Honda Fit), and the MDX is no different. Check out the cool middle seat. If we had seven in our party — say a grandchild — then we would have utilized it. But with just two in the middle row, we folded the middle seat back down — exposing twin cupholders for use between the occupants. Or you can just remove the middle seat entirely with a pull on the strap poking out from the base, creating a middle aisle for the third-row passengers.

Our crew opted for the cupholder option — which also opened a sightline for the third-row gals. Together with the panoramic roof, it kept claustrophobia at bay.

The Type S is stuffed like a turkey with the latest equipment — blind-spot assist, adaptive cruise control, head-up display — all of which I used liberally on our Lodge commute to the game.

Some would say overstuffed.

In addition to the trigger shifter and fat Drive Mode knob, Acura also decided to innovate a console mousepad on the MDX, complete with hand-rest to steady your fingers during operation. The effect is inefficient console space once you include a phone charger (which sits below the mouse hand-rest) and cupholders. The MDX would be better off with a good ol’ touchscreen.

Or, for those who prefer BMW-like remotely-operated screens, the latest Mazda CX-90’s rotary dial is more intuitive. Indeed, the MDX’s luxury play — Bimmer X5-like nimble-handling but for $15K less — has been eclipsed by the larger, lovelier Mazda’s even more ambitious premium proposition: BMW-like, inline-6 cylinder wrapped in an athletic chassis and lush interior for 10 grand less than the Acura. Zoom zoom.

Truck-based three-row cruise ships like the Cadillac Escalads and Lincoln Navigator may have more interior room than the MDX, but I didn’t envy them parking downtown in tight lots for the game. We entered a jammed surface lot adjacent to Little Caesars Arena, parked effortlessly and were on our way to dinner.

The arena doesn’t allow purses inside (what th-?) and Mrs. Payne was thankful for the MDX’s clever sub-storage under the rear cargo floor, where she stowed her bag.

That cargo space is also big enough to pick up four people at the airport with four carry-on bags (fold one of the third-row seats down, seat three people in the second row), or pack with gifts after a big day at the mall.

For all their interior room, three-row utes can often be intimidating to drive given their size and ample blind spots. But on the way back from a spirited game of Bocce ball in Auburn Hills, my daughter-in-law Amanda warmed quickly to the Acura’s tight handling and spirited engine.

She merged with authority onto I-75, was impressed by the big ute’s tight chassis, then set adaptive cruise control to 80 mph to create a cocoon around her. Her review didn’t include snow, but after the family had taken to the friendly skies Saturday to return to Seattle and New Jersey, the heavens buried us with snowflakes on Sunday.

MDX comes standard with front-wheel-drive, but the Type S puts the power down efficiently (zero-60 in 5.5 seconds, or, ahem, the same time as Senna’s old NSX) with torque-vectoring all-wheel-drive that throws the power to the wheel that’s needed – including accelerating the outside rear wheel for good corner rotation. That same torque-vectoring aids traction in slippery conditions, and I spent Sunday running errands.

A pity Acura has left some tech at the curb. MDX doesn’t follow Ford, Mercedes and Tesla in offering a self-park feature. Acura also ditched its NSX-inspired, hybrid, AWD system in 2022 — complete with rear electric motor just like the supercar. Such tech would have impressed younger generation tech-savvy Paynes.

I suspect the hybrid bit the dust because of its towing limitations — Acura didn’t even recommend a tow number. In its stead is the Type S with a 5,000-pound tow rating and compelling acceleration.

With its wide stance and angular features, the MDX has an aggressive design to match its Type S aggression. Just give the third-row passengers warning before you start carving apexes.

Next week: Detroit News Vehicle of the Year

2024 Acura MDX

Vehicle type: Front-engine, all-wheel-drive five-passenger SUV

Price: $51,045 including $1,195 destination fee ($75,296 Type S Advance model as tested)

Powerplant: 3.5-liter V-6; 3.0-liter turbocharged V-6

Power: 290 horsepower, 267 pound-feet torque (V-6); 355 horsepower, 354 pound-feet torque (turbo V-6)

Transmission: 10-speed automatic

Weight: 4,741 pounds (Type S as tested)

Performance: 0-60 mph, 5.5 seconds (Car and Driver); 5,000 pounds

Fuel economy: EPA est. mpg: 19 city/25 highway/21 combined (AWD V-6); 17 city/21 highway/19 combined (AWD turbo-V6)

Report card

Highs: Nimble handling for a big SUV; easy third-row access

Lows: Crowded console; tight third row

Overall: 3 stars

Henry Payne is auto critic for The Detroit News. Find him at hpayne@detroitnews.com or Twitter @HenryEPayne.