Compare the2023 Subaru OutbackVS 2023 Acura RDX

Safety
Warranty
Reliability
Engine
Fuel Economy and Range
Transmission
Brakes and Stopping
Tires and Wheels
Suspension and Handling
Chassis
Passenger Space
Cargo Capacity
Towing
Servicing Ease
Ergonomics
Economic Advantages
Recommendations

Safety

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For enhanced safety, the front and rear seat shoulder belts of the Subaru Outback 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 Outback 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 Outback has standard Whiplash-Reducing Front Seats, which use a specially designed seat to protect the driver and front passenger from whiplash. During a rear-end collision, the Whiplash-Reducing Front Seats system allows the backrest to travel backwards to cushion the occupants and the headrests move forward to prevent neck and spine injuries. The RDX doesn’t offer a whiplash protection system.

Over 200 people are killed each year when backed over by motor vehicles. The Outback (except Base/Premium) offers optional Reverse Automatic Braking that use rear sensors to monitor for objects to the rear and automatically apply the brakes to prevent a collision. The RDX doesn’t offer backup collision prevention brakes.

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

The Outback’s optional 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 Outback 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, lane departure warning systems, rearview cameras, available blind spot warning systems, rear parking sensors and rear cross-path warning.

The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration does 35 MPH front crash tests on new vehicles. In this test, results indicate that the Subaru Outback is safer than the Acura RDX:

	Outback	RDX
OVERALL STARS	5 Stars	4 Stars
	Driver
STARS	5 Stars	4 Stars
HIC	158	300
Neck Injury Risk	26%	26%
Leg Forces (l/r)	230/249 lbs.	328/464 lbs.
	Passenger
STARS	4 Stars	4 Stars
HIC	241	353
Chest Compression	.6 inches	.6 inches
Neck Compression	51 lbs.	84 lbs.
Leg Forces (l/r)	161/137 lbs.	362/441 lbs.

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

The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration does side impact tests on new vehicles. In this test, which crashes the vehicle into a flat barrier at 38.5 MPH and into a post at 20 MPH, results indicate that the Subaru Outback is safer than the Acura RDX:

	Outback	RDX
	Front Seat
STARS	5 Stars	5 Stars
HIC	28	63
Chest Movement	.5 inches	.6 inches
Abdominal Force	101 lbs.	130 lbs.
	Rear Seat
STARS	5 Stars	5 Stars
HIC	116	124
Spine Acceleration	51 G’s	52 G’s
	Into Pole
STARS	5 Stars	5 Stars
HIC	146	486
Hip Force	674 lbs.	704 lbs.

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

Warranty

There are over 2 times as many Subaru dealers as there are Acura dealers, which makes it much easier should you ever need service under the Outback’s warranty.

Reliability

The RDX’s redline is at 7000 RPM, which causes more engine wear, and a greater chance of a catastrophic engine failure. The Outback has a 6000 RPM redline.

J.D. Power and Associates’ 2022 Initial Quality Study of new car owners surveyed provide the statistics that show that Subaru vehicles are better in initial quality than Acura vehicles. With 1 fewer problems per 100 vehicles, JD Power ranks Subaru higher than Acura.

J.D. Power and Associates’ 2022 survey of the owners of three-year-old vehicles provides the long-term dependability statistics that show that Subaru vehicles are more reliable than Acura With 18 fewer problems per 100 vehicles in the first three years of ownership, J.D. Power ranks Subaru higher than Acura.

From surveys of all its subscribers, Consumer Reports’ January 2023 Auto Issue reports that Subaru vehicles are more reliable than Acura vehicles. Consumer Reports ranks Subaru 1 place higher in reliability than Acura.

Engine

As tested in Motor Trend the Outback XT/Wilderness 2.4 turbo 4-cylinder is faster than the Acura RDX:

	Outback	RDX
Zero to 30 MPH	2.5 sec	2.6 sec
Zero to 60 MPH	5.9 sec	7.1 sec
Zero to 80 MPH	9.9 sec	11.8 sec
Passing 45 to 65 MPH	2.8 sec	3.6 sec
Quarter Mile	14.6 sec	15.5 sec
Speed in 1/4 Mile	95.9 MPH	90.7 MPH

The flat cylinder configuration of the boxer engine in the Outback lowers its center of gravity, enhancing handling stability (That’s why Porsche uses boxer engines.). The RDX doesn’t offer a boxer engine configuration.

Fuel Economy and Range

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

			MPG
Outback
	AWD	2.5 DOHC flat-4	26 city/32 hwy
		XT 2.4 turbo flat-4	22 city/29 hwy
RDX
	FWD	2.0 turbo 4-cyl.	22 city/28 hwy
		A-Spec 2.0 turbo 4-cyl.	22 city/27 hwy
	AWD	2.0 turbo 4-cyl.	21 city/27 hwy
		A-Spec 2.0 turbo 4-cyl.	21 city/26 hwy

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

The Outback has 1.4 gallons more fuel capacity than the RDX (18.5 vs. 17.1 gallons), for longer range between fill-ups.

Transmission

The Outback 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.

Brakes and Stopping

The Outback’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 Outback stops shorter than the RDX:

	Outback	RDX
60 to 0 MPH	125 feet	133 feet	Motor Trend

Tires and Wheels

The Outback Wilderness/Onyx XT has a standard full size spare tire so a flat doesn’t interrupt your trip. A full size spare isn’t available on the RDX; it requires you to depend on a temporary spare, which has mileage and speed limitations, or roadside assistance and a tow-truck.

Suspension and Handling

The Outback Wilderness executes Motor Trend’s “Figure Eight” maneuver quicker than the RDX AWD (27.2 seconds @ .63 average G’s vs. 27.7 seconds @ .62 average G’s).

For better maneuverability, the Outback’s turning circle is 2.8 feet tighter than the RDX’s (36.1 feet vs. 38.9 feet).

For greater off-road capability the Outback has a greater minimum ground clearance than the RDX (8.7 vs. 8.2 inches), allowing the Outback to travel over rougher terrain without being stopped or damaged. The Outback Wilderness’ minimum ground clearance is 1.3 inches higher than on the RDX (9.5 vs. 8.2 inches).

Chassis

The front grille of the Outback 2.5i uses electronically controlled shutters to close off airflow and reduce drag when less engine cooling is needed. This helps improve highway fuel economy. The RDX doesn’t offer active grille shutters.

Passenger Space

The Outback has 5 cubic feet more passenger volume than the RDX (109 vs. 104).

The Outback has .5 inches more front headroom, 1.2 inches more front legroom, .5 inches more front hip room, .8 inches more rear headroom, 1.1 inches more rear legroom, 4.9 inches more rear hip room and .8 inches more rear shoulder room than the RDX.

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

Cargo Capacity

The Outback has a much larger cargo volume than the RDX with its rear seat up (32.6 vs. 31.1 cubic feet).

Towing

The Outback’s standard towing capacity is much higher than the RDX’s (2700 vs. 1500 pounds). Maximum trailer towing in the Acura RDX is only 1500 pounds. The Outback offers up to a 3500 lbs. towing capacity.

Servicing Ease

The engine in the Outback 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.

Ergonomics

In case you lock your keys in your vehicle, or don’t have them with you, you can let yourself in using the Outback’s available exterior PIN entry system (not available on Outback Base). The RDX doesn’t offer an exterior PIN entry system, and its AcuraLink can’t unlock the doors if the vehicle doesn’t have cell phone reception or the driver can’t contact the service.

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

Economic Advantages

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

The Outback will cost the buyer less in the long run because of its superior resale value. The IntelliChoice estimates that the Outback will retain 52.14% to 55.07% of its original price after five years, while the RDX only retains 47.35% to 49.21%.

According to The Car Book by Jack Gillis, the Outback is less expensive to operate than the RDX because typical repairs cost much less on the Outback than the RDX, including $48 less for a water pump, $249 less for a muffler, $245 less for front brake pads, $101 less for a starter, $43 less for fuel injection, $98 less for a fuel pump and $902 less for a power steering pump.

IntelliChoice estimates that five-year ownership costs (depreciation, financing, insurance, fuel, fees, repairs and maintenance) for the Subaru Outback will be $13793 to $14795 less than for the Acura RDX.

Recommendations

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

The Subaru Outback outsold the Acura RDX by almost six to one during 2022.