A towing figure is only useful if it belongs to your vehicle as built, pulling your trailer, with the people and cargo you actually carry. Several limits apply at once, and the lowest of them governs what you may hitch.
Find the figures that belong to your build
The owner's manual lists towing capacity, and the certification label on the driver's door frame lists weight ratings and payload. Ratings change with equipment such as the engine, the axle ratio, the tow package, and the tire size. Look up the figure for your exact configuration by vehicle identification number, from the manufacturer or a dealer, rather than relying on the model name alone.
Count the payload that rides with you
Passengers, cargo, and the weight the trailer places on the hitch all draw on the payload limit on the label. Add them before you trust the towing figure. A trailer can be within its own rating and still exceed what the vehicle can carry once its tongue weight is counted.
Check the hitch and the trailer
Compare the vehicle's towing and payload limits with the hitch's rating and class, and with the trailer maker's loaded weight and tongue weight range. Ask whether the trailer needs its own brakes and what controller the vehicle requires. Trailer brake rules differ by place, so check the requirement with your state's motor vehicle agency rather than relying on a general rule.
Compare models with the same yardstick
If you are comparing model lines, use the same method for each: the manual figure for the build you would buy, the label figure for that build, and the hitch figure. The model-year record for a line on this site is a place to check published model data, such as the Acura MDX model-year record, but the manual for the exact build is the document that settles the question.