Compare the2022 GMC TerrainVS 2022 Acura RDX

For enhanced safety, the GMC Terrain’s rear seat shoulder belts have child comfort guides to move the belt to properly fit children. A better fit can prevent injuries and the increased comfort also encourages children to buckle up. The Acura RDX doesn’t offer comfort guides on its rear seat belts.

In the past twenty years hundreds of infants and young children have died after being left in vehicles, usually by accident. When turning the vehicle off, drivers of the Terrain are reminded to check the back seat if they opened the rear door before starting out. The RDX doesn’t offer a back seat reminder.

Both the Terrain and the RDX have standard driver and passenger frontal airbags, front side-impact airbags, side-impact head airbags, front seatbelt pretensioners, front-wheel drive, plastic fuel tanks, four-wheel antilock brakes, traction control, electronic stability systems to prevent skidding, crash mitigating brakes, daytime running lights, lane departure warning systems, rearview cameras, available all-wheel drive, blind spot warning systems, around view monitors and rear cross-path warning.

The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration does 35 MPH front crash tests on new vehicles. In this test, results indicate that the GMC Terrain is safer than the Acura RDX:

New test not comparable to pre-2011 test results. More stars = Better. Lower test results = Better.

The Terrain’s corrosion warranty is 1 year longer than the RDX’s (6 vs. 5 years).

There are over 6 times as many GMC dealers as there are Acura dealers, which makes it much easier should you ever need service under the Terrain’s warranty.

A reliable vehicle saves its owner time, money and trouble. Nobody wants to be stranded or have to be without a vehicle while it’s being repaired. Consumer Reports rates the Terrain’s reliability 23 points higher than the RDX.

J.D. Power and Associates’ 2021 Initial Quality Study of new car owners surveyed provide the statistics that show that GMC vehicles are better in initial quality than Acura vehicles. J.D. Power ranks GMC 17th in initial quality. With 36 more problems per 100 vehicles, Acura is ranked 26th.

From surveys of all its subscribers, Consumer Reports’ January 2021 Auto Issue reports that GMC vehicles are more reliable than Acura vehicles. Consumer Reports ranks GMC 12 places higher in reliability than Acura.

On the EPA test cycle the Terrain gets better mileage than the RDX:

To lower fuel costs and make buying fuel easier, the GMC Terrain uses regular unleaded gasoline. The RDX requires premium for maximum efficiency, which can cost 20 to 55 cents more per gallon.

In its Green Vehicle Guide, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) rates the GMC Terrain higher (7 out of 10) than the Acura RDX (6). This means the Terrain produces up to 1.1 pounds less smog-producing pollutants than the RDX every 15,000 miles.

For better maneuverability, the Terrain w/17” wheels’ turning circle is 1.5 feet tighter than the RDX’s (37.4 feet vs. 38.9 feet).

The GMC Terrain may be more efficient, handle and accelerate better because it weighs about 350 to 400 pounds less than the Acura RDX.

The Terrain is 5.1 inches shorter than the RDX, making the Terrain easier to handle, maneuver and park in tight spaces.

The front grille of the Terrain offers available electronically controlled shutters to close off airflow and reduce drag when less engine cooling is needed. This helps improve highway fuel economy. The RDX doesn’t offer active grille shutters.

The Terrain has .4 inches more front headroom, .2 inches more rear headroom, 1.3 inches more rear legroom and 1.9 inches more rear hip room than the RDX.

For enhanced passenger comfort on long trips the Terrain’s rear seats recline. The RDX’s rear seats don’t recline.

Standard Trailer Sway Control on the Terrain uses the StabiliTrak® sensors to detect trailer sway, then uses individual brakes to counteract any swaying and help keep the tow vehicle and trailer steady. The RDX doesn’t offer electronic trailer sway control.

The Terrain’s instruments include an oil pressure gauge and a temperature gauge - which could save your engine! Often ‘idiot lights’ don’t warn you until damage has been done. The RDX does not have an oil pressure gauge.

The Terrain offers an optional 115-volt a/c outlet on the center console, allowing you to recharge a laptop or run small household appliances without special adapters that can break or get misplaced. The RDX doesn’t offer a house-current electrical outlet.

The Terrain Denali’s optional Automatic Parking Assist can parallel park or back into a parking spot by itself, with the driver only controlling speed with the brake pedal. The RDX doesn’t offer an automated parking system.

According to The Car Book by Jack Gillis, the Terrain is less expensive to operate than the RDX because typical repairs cost much less on the Terrain than the RDX, including $94 less for front brake pads, $95 less for a starter, $108 less for front struts and $471 less for a power steering pump.

IntelliChoice estimates that five-year ownership costs (depreciation, financing, insurance, fuel, fees, repairs and maintenance) for the GMC Terrain will be $8273 to $10083 less than for the Acura RDX.

The GMC Terrain outsold the Acura RDX by 16% during the 2021 model year.