Compare the2023 Infiniti QX50VS 2023 Acura RDX

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

Safety

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For enhanced safety, the front and rear seat shoulder belts of the Infiniti QX50 have pretensioners to tighten the seatbelts and eliminate dangerous slack in the event of a collision. 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 QX50 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.

Over 200 people are killed each year when backed over by motor vehicles. The QX50 has standard Rear Automatic Braking that uses rear sensors to monitor and automatically apply the brakes to prevent a rear collision. The RDX doesn’t offer backup collision prevention brakes.

Both the QX50 and the RDX have standard driver and passenger frontal airbags, front side-impact airbags, driver and front passenger 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, blind spot warning systems, rearview cameras, rear cross-path warning, available all wheel drive and around view monitors.

The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration does 35 MPH front crash tests on new vehicles. In this test, results indicate that the Infiniti QX50 is safer than the Acura RDX:

	QX50	RDX
	Driver
STARS	4 Stars	4 Stars
HIC	236	300
Neck Injury Risk	26%	26%
Neck Stress	245 lbs.	262 lbs.
Leg Forces (l/r)	155/130 lbs.	328/464 lbs.
	Passenger
STARS	4 Stars	4 Stars
HIC	333	353
Chest Compression	.6 inches	.6 inches
Neck Compression	48 lbs.	84 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 Infiniti QX50 is safer than the Acura RDX:

	QX50	RDX
	Rear Seat
STARS	5 Stars	5 Stars
HIC	73	124
Spine Acceleration	25 G’s	52 G’s
Hip Force	227 lbs.	462 lbs.
	Into Pole
STARS	5 Stars	5 Stars
HIC	333	486
Spine Acceleration	39 G’s	39 G’s
Hip Force	339 lbs.	704 lbs.

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

Warranty

The QX50 comes with a full 4-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 10,000 miles sooner.

The QX50’s corrosion warranty is 2 years longer than the RDX’s (7 vs. 5 years).

Infiniti pays for scheduled maintenance on the QX50 for 1 year and 12000 miles longer than Acura pays for maintenance for the RDX (3/36,000 vs. 2/24,000).

Reliability

The RDX’s redline is at 7000 RPM, which causes more engine wear, and a greater chance of a catastrophic engine failure. The QX50 has a 6000 RPM redline.

A reliable vehicle saves its owner time, money and trouble. Nobody wants to be stranded or have to be without a vehicle while it’s being repaired. Consumer Reports rates the QX50’s reliability 15 points higher than the RDX.

J.D. Power and Associates’ 2022 survey of the owners of three-year-old vehicles provides the long-term dependability statistics that show that Infiniti vehicles are more reliable than Acura With 16 fewer problems per 100 vehicles in the first three years of ownership, J.D. Power ranks Infiniti higher than Acura.

From surveys of all its subscribers, Consumer Reports’ January 2021 Auto Issue reports that Infiniti vehicles are more reliable than Acura vehicles. Consumer Reports ranks Infiniti 17 places higher in reliability than Acura.

Engine

As tested in Motor Trend the Infiniti QX50 is faster than the Acura RDX:

	QX50	RDX
Zero to 30 MPH	2.3 sec	2.6 sec
Zero to 60 MPH	6.3 sec	7.1 sec
Zero to 80 MPH	10.5 sec	11.8 sec
Passing 45 to 65 MPH	3.3 sec	3.6 sec
Quarter Mile	14.8 sec	15.5 sec
Speed in 1/4 Mile	93.6 MPH	90.7 MPH

Fuel Economy and Range

On the EPA test cycle the QX50 gets better mileage than the RDX:

			MPG
QX50
	FWD	2.0 turbo 4-cyl.	23 city/29 hwy
	AWD	2.0 turbo 4-cyl.	22 city/28 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

Transmission

The QX50 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

For better stopping power the QX50’s front brake rotors are larger than those on the RDX:

	QX50	RDX
Front Rotors	13 inches	12.4 inches

The QX50’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 QX50 stops much shorter than the RDX:

	QX50	RDX
60 to 0 MPH	121 feet	133 feet	Motor Trend

Tires and Wheels

Changing a flat tire near traffic can be dangerous and inconvenient. The run-flat tires standard on the QX50 can be driven up to 50 miles without any air pressure, allowing you to drive to a service station for a repair. The RDX doesn’t offer run-flat tires.

Suspension and Handling

For a smoother ride and more stable handling, the QX50’s wheelbase is 1.9 inches longer than on the RDX (110.2 inches vs. 108.3 inches).

The QX50 AWD handles at .84 G’s, while the RDX AWD pulls only .81 G’s of cornering force in a Motor Trend skidpad test.

The QX50 AWD executes Motor Trend’s “Figure Eight” maneuver 1 seconds quicker than the RDX AWD (26.7 seconds @ .66 average G’s vs. 27.7 seconds @ .62 average G’s).

For better maneuverability, the QX50’s turning circle is 2.5 feet tighter than the RDX’s (36.4 feet vs. 38.9 feet).

For greater off-road capability the QX50 has a greater minimum ground clearance than the RDX (8.6 vs. 8.2 inches), allowing the QX50 to travel over rougher terrain without being stopped or damaged.

Passenger Space

The QX50 has 1.4 inches more front headroom, .6 inches more front hip room, .8 inches more rear headroom, .3 inches more rear legroom, 3.9 inches more rear hip room and .5 inches more rear shoulder room than the RDX.

For enhanced passenger comfort on long trips the QX50’s rear seats recline. The RDX’s rear seats don’t recline.

Cargo Capacity

The QX50 has a larger cargo volume than the RDX with its rear seat up (31.4 vs. 31.1 cubic feet).

Towing

Maximum trailer towing in the Acura RDX is limited to 1500 pounds. The QX50 AWD offers up to a 3000 lbs. towing capacity.

Ergonomics

To help drivers see further while navigating curves, the QX50 Sensory/Autograph has standard adaptive headlights to illuminate around corners automatically by reading vehicle speed and steering wheel angle. The RDX doesn’t offer cornering lights.

To quickly and conveniently keep personal devices charged without cables tangling and wearing out, the Infiniti QX50 has a standard wireless phone charging system (Qi) for the front seat. Wireless charging costs extra on the RDX.

Economic Advantages

According to The Car Book by Jack Gillis, the QX50 is less expensive to operate than the RDX because it costs $318 less to do the manufacturer’s suggested maintenance for 50,000 miles. Typical repairs cost much less on the QX50 than the RDX, including $245 less for front brake pads and $35 less for a fuel pump.

Recommendations

Consumer Reports® recommends both the Infiniti QX50 and the Acura RDX, based on reliability, safety and performance.