Compare the2022 Jaguar E-PaceVS 2022 Acura RDX

For enhanced safety, the front and rear seat shoulder belts of the Jaguar E-Pace 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 rear seat belts.

Both the E-Pace and RDX have child safety locks to prevent children from opening the rear doors. The E-Pace has power child safety locks, allowing the driver to activate and deactivate them from the driver's seat and to know when they're engaged. The RDX’s child locks have to be individually engaged at each rear door with a manual switch. The driver can’t know the status of the locks without opening the doors and checking them.

Using vehicle speed sensors and seat sensors, smart airbags in the E-Pace deploy with different levels of force to help better protect passengers of all sizes in different collisions. The E-Pace’s side airbags will shut off if a child is leaning against the door. The RDX’s airbags don’t have smart features and will always deploy full force.

The E-Pace has standard Whiplash Reduction System, which use a specially designed headrest to protect the driver and front passenger from whiplash. During a rear-end collision, the Whiplash Reduction System moves the headrests forward to prevent neck and spine injuries. The RDX doesn’t offer a whiplash protection system.

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

The E-Pace’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-Pace and the RDX have standard driver and passenger frontal airbags, front side-impact airbags, side-impact head airbags, 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 blind spot warning systems, around view monitors and rear cross-path warning.

The E-Pace comes with a full 5-year/60,000-mile basic warranty, which covers the entire truck and includes 24-hour roadside assistance. The RDX’s 4-year/50,000-mile basic warranty expires 1 year or 10,000 miles sooner.

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

Jaguar pays for scheduled maintenance on the E-Pace for 5 years and 60,000 miles. Jaguar will pay for oil changes, lubrication and any other required maintenance. Acura doesn’t pay scheduled maintenance for the RDX.

J.D. Power and Associates’ 2021 Initial Quality Study of new car owners surveyed provide the statistics that show that Jaguar vehicles are better in initial quality than Acura vehicles. J.D. Power ranks Jaguar 19th in initial quality. With 35 more problems per 100 vehicles, Acura is ranked 26th.

The E-Pace 300 Sport’s standard 2.0 turbo 4-cylinder hybrid produces 24 more horsepower (296 vs. 272) and 15 lbs.-ft. more torque (295 vs. 280) than the RDX’s 2.0 turbo 4-cylinder.

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

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

For better stopping power the E-Pace’s brake rotors are larger than those on the RDX:

The E-Pace’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.

For better ride, handling and brake cooling the E-Pace offers optional 21-inch wheels. The RDX’s largest wheels are only 20-inches.

The E-Pace SE handles at .83 G’s, while the RDX A-Spec AWD pulls only .81 G’s of cornering force in a Car and Driver skidpad test.

For better maneuverability, the E-Pace’s turning circle is .7 feet tighter than the RDX’s (38.2 feet vs. 38.9 feet).

The E-Pace is 1 foot, 2.4 inches shorter than the RDX, making the E-Pace easier to handle, maneuver and park in tight spaces.

The E-Pace’s standard towing capacity is much higher than the RDX’s (3968 vs. 1500 pounds).

Standard Trailer Stability Assist on the E-Pace uses the Dynamic Stability Control 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 E-Pace’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 nozzles are optional on the E-Pace SE/300 Sport to prevent washer fluid and nozzles from freezing and help continue to keep the windshield clear in sub-freezing temperatures. The RDX doesn’t offer heated windshield washer nozzles.

To quickly and conveniently keep personal devices charged without cables tangling and wearing out, the Jaguar E-Pace has a standard wireless phone charging system (Qi) in the center console. Wireless charging costs extra on the RDX.