Compare the2022 Mercedes E-Class All-Terrain WagonVS 2022 Acura RDX

For enhanced safety, the front and middle seat shoulder belts of the Mercedes E-Class All-Terrain Wagon have pretensioners to tighten the seatbelts and eliminate dangerous slack in the event of a collision and force limiters to limit the pressure the belts will exert on the passengers. The Acura RDX doesn’t offer pretensioners for the middle seat belts.

The E-Class All-Terrain Wagon’s pre-crash front seatbelts will tighten automatically in the event the vehicle detects an impending crash, improving protection against injury significantly. The RDX doesn’t offer pre-crash pretensioners.

To provide maximum traction and stability on all roads, All-Wheel Drive is standard on the E-Class All-Terrain Wagon. But it costs extra on the RDX.

The E-Class All-Terrain Wagon’s driver alert monitor detects an inattentive driver then sounds a warning and suggests a break. According to the NHTSA, drivers who fall asleep cause about 100,000 crashes and 1500 deaths a year. The RDX doesn’t offer a driver alert monitor.

Both the E-Class All-Terrain Wagon and the RDX have standard driver and passenger frontal airbags, front side-impact airbags, driver knee airbags, side-impact head airbags, height adjustable front shoulder belts, four-wheel antilock brakes, traction control, electronic stability systems to prevent skidding, crash mitigating brakes, daytime running lights, blind spot warning systems, rearview cameras, available lane departure warning systems, around view monitors and rear cross-path warning.

The Mercedes E-Class All-Terrain Wagon weighs 475 to 767 pounds more than the Acura RDX. The NHTSA advises that heavier cars are much safer in collisions than their significantly lighter counterparts.

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

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

There are over 41 percent more Mercedes dealers than there are Acura dealers, which makes it easier should you ever need service under the E-Class All-Terrain Wagon’s warranty.

J.D. Power and Associates’ 2021 Initial Quality Study of new car owners surveyed provide the statistics that show that Mercedes vehicles are better in initial quality than Acura vehicles. J.D. Power ranks Mercedes 25th in initial quality. With 7 more problems per 100 vehicles, Acura is ranked 26th.

From surveys of all its subscribers, Consumer Reports’ January 2021 Auto Issue reports that Mercedes vehicles are more reliable than Acura vehicles. Consumer Reports ranks Mercedes 8 places higher in reliability than Acura.

The E-Class All-Terrain Wagon’s 3.0 turbo 6-cylinder hybrid produces 90 more horsepower (362 vs. 272) and 89 lbs.-ft. more torque (369 vs. 280) than the RDX’s 2.0 turbo 4-cylinder.

As tested in Car and Driver the Mercedes E-Class All-Terrain Wagon is faster than the Acura RDX:

On the EPA test cycle the E-Class All-Terrain Wagon gets better mileage than the RDX:

Regenerative brakes improve the E-Class All-Terrain Wagon’s fuel efficiency by converting inertia back into energy instead of wasting it. The RDX doesn’t offer a regenerative braking system.

The E-Class All-Terrain Wagon has 4 gallons more fuel capacity than the RDX (21.1 vs. 17.1 gallons), for longer range between fill-ups.

For better stopping power the E-Class All-Terrain Wagon’s brake rotors are larger than those on the RDX:

The E-Class All-Terrain Wagon’s standard front and rear disc brakes are vented to help dissipate heat for shorter stops with less fading. The rear discs on the RDX are solid, not vented.

The E-Class All-Terrain Wagon stops much shorter than the RDX:

For better traction, the E-Class All-Terrain Wagon has larger tires than the RDX (245/45R19 vs. 235/55R19).

The E-Class All-Terrain Wagon’s standard tires provide better handling because they have a lower 45 series profile (height to width ratio) that provides a stiffer sidewall than the RDX’s standard 55 series tires.

Changing a flat tire near traffic can be dangerous and inconvenient. The run-flat tires available on the E-Class All-Terrain Wagon can be driven up to 50 miles without any air pressure, allowing you to drive to a service station for a repair. The RDX doesn’t offer run-flat tires.

The front and rear suspension of the E-Class All-Terrain Wagon uses air springs for a smoother, controlled ride than the RDX, which uses coil springs. Air springs maintain proper ride height and ride more smoothly.

The E-Class All-Terrain Wagon has a standard automatic front and rear load leveling suspension to keep ride height level with a heavy load or when towing. The E-Class All-Terrain Wagon’s height leveling suspension allows the driver to raise ride height for better off-road clearance and then lower it again for easier entering and exiting and better on-road handling. The RDX doesn’t offer a load leveling suspension.

The E-Class All-Terrain Wagon’s drift compensation steering can automatically compensate for road conditions which would cause the vehicle to drift from side to side, helping the driver to keep the vehicle straight more easily. The RDX doesn’t offer drift compensation steering.

For a smoother ride and more stable handling, the E-Class All-Terrain Wagon’s wheelbase is 7.4 inches longer than on the RDX (115.7 inches vs. 108.3 inches).

The E-Class All-Terrain Wagon’s front to rear weight distribution is more even (52% to 48%) than the RDX’s (57% to 43%). This gives the E-Class All-Terrain Wagon more stable handling and braking.

The E 450 4MATIC All-Terrain handles at .89 G’s, while the RDX A-Spec AWD pulls only .81 G’s of cornering force in a Car and Driver skidpad test.

The E 450 4MATIC All-Terrain executes Motor Trend’s “Figure Eight” maneuver 1.5 seconds quicker than the RDX AWD (26.2 seconds @ .69 average G’s vs. 27.7 seconds @ .62 average G’s).

The E-Class All-Terrain Wagon is 6.8 inches shorter in height than the RDX, making the E-Class All-Terrain Wagon much easier to wash and garage and drive (lower center of gravity).

The E-Class All-Terrain Wagon has standard seating for 7 passengers; the RDX can only carry 5.

The E-Class All-Terrain Wagon has .1 inches more front legroom and .5 inches more rear shoulder room than the RDX.

The E-Class All-Terrain Wagon’s cargo area provides more volume than the RDX.

The engine in the E-Class All-Terrain Wagon is mounted longitudinally (North-South), instead of sideways, as in the RDX. This makes it easier to service and maintain, because the accessory belts are in front.

Unlike the driver-only memory system in the RDX, the E-Class All-Terrain Wagon has standard driver and passenger memory, so that when drivers switch, the memory setting adjusts the driver’s seat, steering wheel position and outside mirror angle and the front passenger seat also adjusts to the new passenger’s preset preferences.

The E-Class All-Terrain Wagon’s rain-sensitive wipers adjust their speed and turn on and off automatically based on the amount of rainfall on the windshield. This allows the driver to concentrate on driving without constantly adjusting the wipers. The RDX’s standard intermittent wipers change speed with vehicle speed, but can’t turn on and off or change speed based on changing rainfall.

Heated windshield washer fluid is standard on the E-Class All-Terrain Wagon to defrost the washer nozzles and quickly clear ice and frost from the windshield without scraping. The RDX doesn’t offer heated windshield washer fluid.

To help drivers see further while navigating curves, the E-Class All-Terrain Wagon offers optional adaptive headlights to illuminate around corners automatically by reading vehicle speed and steering wheel angle. The RDX doesn’t offer cornering lights.

The E-Class All-Terrain Wagon offers optional massaging front seats in order to maximize comfort and eliminate fatigue on long trips. Massaging seats aren’t available in the RDX.

The E-Class All-Terrain Wagon has a 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 E-Class All-Terrain Wagon’s optional Active Parking Assist can parallel park or back into a parking spot by itself, starting, stopping and changing direction automatically. The RDX doesn’t offer an automated parking system.

The Mercedes E-Class comes in coupe, convertible, sedan and station wagon bodystyles; the Acura RDX isn’t available as a coupe, convertible or sedan.

Insurance will cost less for the E-Class All-Terrain Wagon owner. The Car Book by Jack Gillis rates the E-Class All-Terrain Wagon with a number “5” insurance rate while the RDX is rated higher at a number “10” rate.

According to The Car Book by Jack Gillis, the E-Class All-Terrain Wagon is less expensive to operate than the RDX because typical repairs cost much less on the E-Class All-Terrain Wagon than the RDX, including $231 less for front brake pads, $46 less for a fuel pump and $162 less for a power steering pump.

The E 450/E 53 was chosen as one of Car and Driver’s “Top Ten” for 2 of the last 4 years. The RDX has never been a Car and Driver “Top Ten” pick.