When I did a recent video review of the 2025 Acura MDX, one of my viewers commented that no one was discussing Acura’s discontinuation of the in-car SiriusXM Radio app. And, um, I’ll be honest (cough), I didn’t realize it was gone until I read that comment.
So, I reached out to Acura to verify that SiriusXM was indeed removed (it was), and why. Here’s what I know.
What is SiriusXM?
Let’s back up a second. For those who haven’t bought a new car recently, you might be thinking SiriusXM what? Well, in addition to FM and AM radio bands, a lot of newer vehicles offer a satellite radio service called SiriusXM. It’s essentially an in-car app that you can scroll through when selecting the radio source, and yes, it comes with a subscription fee. Usually, there is a three-month free trial – or almost free trial. The website says you get three months for $1. Then depending on how many stations you want access to (there are more than 425 total), you’ll pay a per-month fee of $29.12, $23.05 or $16.98. These monthly fees allow both in-car and phone-app access.
Stations include various music genres, talk radio, sports networks and comedy stations – plus a lot more. People like Howard Stern have essentially built their careers on the backs of SiriusXM Radio.
When I’m not listening to podcasts in the car, I’m tuned into Hits1 on SiriusXM. It’s a great feature. And now it’s gone in both the Accord and MDX. Kind of.
Why did Acura discontinue in-car SiriusXM?
The reason I got and the real reason are probably two different things, but here’s the official line I received from an Acura spokesperson:
“MDX offers owners a personalized music experience through its standard Google built-in and wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto connectivity. Owners who want to listen to SiriusXM will download that app to their phones and connect to the vehicle wirelessly. This experience has been well received by Accord buyers.”
While this may be true, I think there might also be some competitive angst involved. SiriusXM is a subscription-based “radio” app. But this “personalized music experience” through Google built-in likely comes through other approved radio apps like Spotify, which is also subscription-based if you don’t want ads.
The good news, however, if you do still want SiriusXM, you can download the app to your phone and play it in-car via Apple CarPlay. You’ll have access to all 425+ stations, and you’ll pay a lot less – just $9.99. In comparison, a premium Spotify subscription is $11.99.
The bottom line
There are always going to be some grumpy customers when an automaker removes a feature from its offerings (like when General Motors removed Apple CarPlay from EVs), but if you don’t know any different, it may not matter. And if you can get the same thing for less money, and it’s easy to use, that could actually be a win.
