Compare the2023 Lexus RXVS 2023 Acura RDX

For enhanced safety, the front and rear seat shoulder belts of the Lexus RX 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 RX 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 RX 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 RX offers optional Intuitive Parking Assist with Automatic Braking that uses rear sensors to monitor for objects to the rear and automatically applies the brakes to prevent a collision. The RDX doesn’t offer backup collision prevention brakes.

Both the RX and RDX have rear cross-traffic warning, but the RX offers optional Parking Support Brake (automatically applies the brakes) to better prevent a collision when backing near traffic. The RDX’s Rear Cross Traffic Monitor doesn’t automatically brake.

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

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

J.D. Power and Associates’ 2022 Initial Quality Study of new car owners surveyed provide the statistics that show that Lexus vehicles are better in initial quality than Acura vehicles. J.D. Power ranks Lexus above average in initial quality. With 35 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 Lexus vehicles are more reliable than Acura vehicles. J.D. Power ranks Lexus above average in long-term dependability. With 33 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 2023 Auto Issue reports that Lexus vehicles are more reliable than Acura vehicles. Consumer Reports ranks Lexus second in overall reliability. Acura is ranked 8th.

The RX 350’s standard 2.4 turbo 4-cylinder produces 3 more horsepower (275 vs. 272) and 37 lbs.-ft. more torque (317 vs. 280) than the RDX’s 2.0 turbo 4-cylinder. The RX 500h F Sport Performance’s standard 2.4 turbo 4-cylinder hybrid produces 94 more horsepower (366 vs. 272) and 126 lbs.-ft. more torque (406 vs. 280) than the RDX’s 2.0 turbo 4-cylinder.

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

The RX can travel with zero emissions on a full charge for .6 miles. The RDX can’t move without running its internal combustion engine.

Regenerative brakes improve the RX 350h/500h’s fuel efficiency by converting inertia back into energy instead of wasting it. The RDX doesn’t offer a regenerative braking system.

The RX 350h has a standard continuously variable transmission (CVT). With no “steps” between gears, it can keep the engine at the most efficient speed for fuel economy, or keep it at its peak horsepower indefinitely for maximum acceleration. The RDX doesn’t offer a CVT.

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

The RX’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 RX offers optional 21-inch wheels. The RDX’s largest wheels are only 20-inches.

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

For better maneuverability, the RX 500h F Sport Performance’s turning circle is 3.5 feet tighter than the RDX’s (35.4 feet vs. 38.9 feet). The RX’s turning circle is .1 feet tighter than the RDX’s (38.8 feet vs. 38.9 feet).

The RX has 1.7 inches more front hip room, .3 inches more rear headroom and 6.1 inches more rear hip room than the RDX.

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

Maximum trailer towing in the Acura RDX is limited to 1500 pounds. The RX offers up to a 3500 lbs. towing capacity.

Standard Trailer Sway Control on the RX uses the 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.

J.D. Power and Associates surveys of service recipients show that Lexus service is better than Acura. J.D. Power ranks Lexus first in service department satisfaction. With a 26% lower rating, Acura is ranked 6th.

The RX’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 RX’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.

In poor weather, headlights can lose their effectiveness as grime builds up on their lenses. This can reduce visibility without the driver realizing. The RX Premium+/Luxury/500h F Sport offers available headlight washers to keep headlight output high. The RDX doesn’t offer headlight washers.

To help drivers see further while navigating curves, the RX Premium+/Luxury/500h F Sport 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 RX Premium/Luxury/F Sport has standard front air conditioned seats and the RX Premium+/Luxury/500h F Sport offers them optionally in the rear. This keeps the passengers comfortable and takes the sting out of hot seats in summer. The RDX doesn’t offer air-conditioned seats in the rear.

The RX 350h/500h offers an optional 115-volt a/c outlet in the cargo area, 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 RX Premium/Luxury/500h F Sport’s optional Advanced Park can parallel park or back into a parking spot by itself, starting, stopping and changing direction automatically. Optional Remote Advanced Park will park and retrieve your car remotely: press a button and watch it park itself. This is ideal for tight locations. The RDX doesn’t offer an automated parking system.

Consumer Reports® recommends both the Lexus RX and the Acura RDX, based on reliability, safety and performance.

The Lexus RX outsold the Acura RDX by almost four to one during 2022.