For enhanced safety, the front seat shoulder belts of the Acura RDX are height-adjustable to accommodate a wide variety of driver and passenger heights. A better fit can prevent injuries and the increased comfort also encourages passengers to buckle up. The BMW X5 doesn’t offer height-adjustable seat belts.
Both the RDX and the X5 have standard driver and passenger frontal airbags, front side-impact airbags, driver and front passenger knee airbags, side-impact head airbags, front seatbelt pretensioners, four-wheel antilock brakes, traction control, electronic stability systems to prevent skidding, crash mitigating brakes, daytime running lights, lane departure warning systems, blind spot warning systems, rearview cameras, rear cross-path warning, available all wheel drive and around view monitors.
The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration does 35 MPH front crash tests on new vehicles. In this test, results indicate that the Acura RDX is safer than the BMW X5:
|
RDX |
X5 |
|
Driver |
|
STARS |
4 Stars |
4 Stars |
Neck Injury Risk |
26% |
34% |
Neck Stress |
262 lbs. |
308 lbs. |
Neck Compression |
23 lbs. |
112 lbs. |
Leg Forces (l/r) |
328/464 lbs. |
636/584 lbs. |
|
Passenger |
|
STARS |
4 Stars |
4 Stars |
Chest Compression |
.6 inches |
.8 inches |
Neck Injury Risk |
30% |
35% |
Neck Stress |
99 lbs. |
220 lbs. |
Neck Compression |
84 lbs. |
91 lbs. |
Leg Forces (l/r) |
362/441 lbs. |
527/418 lbs. |
New test not comparable to pre-2011 test results. More stars = Better. Lower test results = Better.
The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration does side impact tests on new vehicles. In this test, which crashes the vehicle into a flat barrier at 38.5 MPH and into a post at 20 MPH, results indicate that the Acura RDX is safer than the BMW X5:
|
RDX |
X5 |
|
Front Seat |
|
STARS |
5 Stars |
5 Stars |
HIC |
63 |
72 |
Chest Movement |
.6 inches |
.6 inches |
Abdominal Force |
130 lbs. |
130 lbs. |
Hip Force |
217 lbs. |
279 lbs. |
|
Rear Seat |
|
STARS |
5 Stars |
5 Stars |
Hip Force |
462 lbs. |
584 lbs. |
|
Into Pole |
|
STARS |
5 Stars |
5 Stars |
Max Damage Depth |
11 inches |
14 inches |
Spine Acceleration |
39 G’s |
44 G’s |
Hip Force |
704 lbs. |
796 lbs. |
New test not comparable to pre-2011 test results. More stars = Better. Lower test results = Better.
For its top level performance in IIHS driver and passenger-side small overlap frontal, moderate overlap frontal, side impact, roof strength and head restraint tests, its standard vehicle-to-vehicle front crash prevention system, its standard vehicle-to-pedestrian front crash prevention system, and its standard headlight’s “Good” rating, the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety grants the RDX its highest rating: “Top Pick Plus” for 2021, a rating granted to only 76 vehicles tested by the IIHS. The X5 is only a standard “Top Pick” for 2021.