Compare the2023 Hyundai Kona NVS 2022 Acura RDX

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 Kona N 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.

The Kona N’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 Kona N and the RDX have standard driver and passenger frontal airbags, front side-impact airbags, side-impact head airbags, front seatbelt pretensioners, front wheel drive, height adjustable front shoulder belts, 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, blind spot warning systems, rearview cameras and rear cross-path warning.

The Kona N 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.

Hyundai’s powertrain warranty covers the Kona N 4 years and 30,000 miles longer than Acura covers the RDX. Any repair needed on the engine, transmission, axles, joints or driveshafts is fully covered for 10 years or 100,000 miles. Coverage on the RDX ends after only 6 years or 70,000 miles.

The Kona N’s corrosion warranty is 2 years longer than the RDX’s (7 vs. 5 years).

Hyundai pays for scheduled maintenance on the Kona N for 3 years and 36,000 miles. Hyundai will pay for oil changes, lubrication and any other required maintenance. Acura doesn’t pay scheduled maintenance for the RDX.

There are over 3 times as many Hyundai dealers as there are Acura dealers, which makes it much easier should you ever need service under the Kona N’s warranty.

J.D. Power and Associates’ 2022 Initial Quality Study of new car owners surveyed provide the statistics that show that Hyundai vehicles are better in initial quality than Acura vehicles. With 7 fewer problems per 100 vehicles, JD Power ranks Hyundai higher than Acura.

J.D. Power and Associates’ 2022 survey of the owners of three-year-old vehicles provides the statistics that show that Hyundai vehicles are more reliable than Acura vehicles. J.D. Power ranks Hyundai third in reliability, above the industry average. With 96 more problems per 100 vehicles, Acura is ranked 28th.

From surveys of all its subscribers, Consumer Reports’ January 2021 Auto Issue reports that Hyundai vehicles are more reliable than Acura vehicles. Consumer Reports ranks Hyundai 22 places higher in reliability than Acura.

The Kona N’s 2.0 turbo 4-cylinder produces 4 more horsepower (276 vs. 272) and 9 lbs.-ft. more torque (289 vs. 280) than the RDX’s 2.0 turbo 4-cylinder.

As tested in Car and Driver the Hyundai Kona N is faster than the Acura RDX:

The Kona N offers a standard sequential manual gearbox (SMG). With no clutch pedal to worry about and a fully automatic mode, an SMG is much more efficient than a conventional automatic but just as easy to drive. The RDX doesn’t offer an SMG or a conventional manual transmission.

The Kona N’s launch control uses engine electronics to hold engine RPM’s precisely in order to provide the most stable and rapid acceleration possible, using all of the available traction. The RDX doesn’t offer launch control.

For better stopping power the Kona N’s brake rotors are larger than those on the RDX:

The Kona N’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 Kona N stops shorter than the RDX:

The Kona N’s tires provide better handling because they have a lower 40 series profile (height to width ratio) that provides a stiffer sidewall than the RDX’s standard 55 series tires.

The Kona N handles at .95 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 Kona N’s turning circle is .6 feet tighter than the RDX’s (38.3 feet vs. 38.9 feet).

The Hyundai Kona N may be more efficient, handle and accelerate better because it weighs about 450 to 750 pounds less than the Acura RDX.

The Kona N is 1 foot, 9.5 inches shorter than the RDX, making the Kona N easier to handle, maneuver and park in tight spaces.

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

The Kona N was chosen as one of Car and Driver’s “Top Five/10Best Trucks” in 2019. The RDX has never been a Car and Driver “Top Five/10Best Truck” pick.