Compare the2023 Toyota HighlanderVS 2022 Acura RDX

For enhanced safety, the front and second-row seat shoulder belts of the Toyota Highlander 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 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 Highlander 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 Highlander has a standard Secondary Collision Brake, which automatically applies the brakes in the event of a crash to help prevent secondary collisions and prevent further injuries. The RDX doesn’t offer a post collision braking system: in the event of a collision that triggers the airbags, more collisions are possible without the protection of airbags that may have already deployed.

Over 200 people are killed each year when backed over by motor vehicles. The Highlander Limited/Platinum has a standard Parking Support Brake that use rear sensors to monitor and automatically apply the brakes to prevent a rear collision. The RDX doesn’t offer backup collision prevention brakes.

The Highlander’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 Highlander and the RDX have standard driver and passenger frontal airbags, front side-impact airbags, driver knee airbags, side-impact head airbags, 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, rearview cameras, available all wheel drive, blind spot warning systems, around view monitors and rear cross-path warning.

Toyota pays for scheduled maintenance on the Highlander for 2 years and 25000 miles. Toyota will pay for oil changes, lubrication and any other required maintenance. Acura doesn’t pay scheduled maintenance for the RDX.

There are almost 5 times as many Toyota dealers as there are Acura dealers, which makes it much easier should you ever need service under the Highlander’s warranty.

J.D. Power and Associates’ 2022 Initial Quality Study of new car owners surveyed provide the statistics that show that Toyota vehicles are better in initial quality than Acura vehicles. J.D. Power ranks Toyota above average in initial quality. With 20 more problems per 100 vehicles, Acura is rated below average.

J.D. Power and Associates’ 2022 survey of the owners of three-year-old vehicles provides the long-term dependability statistics that show that Toyota vehicles are more reliable than Acura vehicles. J.D. Power ranks Toyota above average in long-term dependability. With 34 more problems per 100 vehicles in the first three years of ownership, Acura is rated below average.

From surveys of all its subscribers, Consumer Reports’ January 2021 Auto Issue reports that Toyota vehicles are more reliable than Acura vehicles. Consumer Reports ranks Toyota second in overall reliability. Acura is ranked 28th.

The Highlander’s 2.4 turbo 4-cylinder produces 30 lbs.-ft. more torque (310 vs. 280) than the RDX’s 2.0 turbo 4-cylinder.

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

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

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

For a smoother ride and more stable handling, the Highlander’s wheelbase is 3.9 inches longer than on the RDX (112.2 inches vs. 108.3 inches).

For better handling and stability, the track (width between the wheels) on the Highlander is 1.1 inches wider in the front and .7 inches wider in the rear than on the RDX.

For better maneuverability, the Highlander’s turning circle is 1.5 feet tighter than the RDX’s (37.4 feet vs. 38.9 feet).

The Highlander has standard seating for 8 passengers; the RDX can only carry 5.

The Highlander has 37.8 cubic feet more passenger volume than the RDX (141.8 vs. 104).

The Highlander has 1.6 inches more front headroom, .4 inches more front legroom, 2.2 inches more front hip room, 1.1 inches more rear headroom, .3 inches more rear legroom and 7.1 inches more rear hip room than the RDX.

For enhanced passenger comfort on long trips the Highlander’s middle and third row seats recline. The RDX’s rear seats don’t recline.

The Highlander’s cargo area provides more volume than the RDX.

The Highlander’s standard towing capacity is much higher than the RDX’s (5000 vs. 1500 pounds).

Standard Trailer Sway Control (TSC) on the Highlander uses the Enhanced Vehicle 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 Highlander has a much higher standard payload capacity than the RDX (1330 vs. 838 lbs.).

The Highlander has a much higher maximum payload capacity than the RDX (1390 vs. 838 lbs.).

To help drivers see further while navigating curves, the Highlander Platinum has standard adaptive headlights to illuminate around corners automatically by reading vehicle speed and steering wheel angle. The RDX doesn’t offer cornering lights.

The Highlander Limited/Platinum 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 Toyota Highlander outsold the Acura RDX by almost five to one during the 2021 model year.