Compare the2023 Ford EdgeVS 2023 Acura RDX

Safety
Warranty
Reliability
Engine
Fuel Economy and Range
Brakes and Stopping
Tires and Wheels
Suspension and Handling
Chassis
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 Ford Edge 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.

The Edge has standard Post Collision Braking, which automatically apply 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.

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

The Edge’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 Edge 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, 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 and available front and rear parking sensors.

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

	Edge	RDX
OVERALL STARS	5 Stars	4 Stars
	Driver
STARS	5 Stars	4 Stars
HIC	212	300
Neck Injury Risk	22.4%	26%
Neck Stress	229 lbs.	262 lbs.
Neck Compression	21 lbs.	23 lbs.
Leg Forces (l/r)	165/596 lbs.	328/464 lbs.
	Passenger
STARS	5 Stars	4 Stars
HIC	282	353
Chest Compression	.4 inches	.6 inches
Neck Compression	44 lbs.	84 lbs.
Leg Forces (l/r)	145/201 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 Ford Edge is safer than the Acura RDX:

	Edge	RDX
	Front Seat
STARS	5 Stars	5 Stars
Hip Force	192 lbs.	217 lbs.
	Rear Seat
STARS	5 Stars	5 Stars
HIC	103	124
Spine Acceleration	41 G’s	52 G’s
	Into Pole
STARS	5 Stars	5 Stars
HIC	257	486
Spine Acceleration	38 G’s	39 G’s
Hip Force	425 lbs.	704 lbs.

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

Warranty

There are over 11 times as many Ford dealers as there are Acura dealers, which makes it much easier should you ever need service under the Edge’s warranty.

Reliability

The Edge has a standard “limp home system” to keep drivers from being stranded if most or all of the engine’s coolant is lost. The engine will run on only half of its cylinders at a time, reduce its power and light a warning lamp on the dashboard so the driver can get to a service station for repairs. The RDX doesn’t offer a lost coolant limp home mode, so a coolant leak could strand you or seriously damage the truck’s engine.

J.D. Power and Associates’ 2022 Initial Quality Study of new car owners surveyed provide the statistics that show that Ford vehicles are better in initial quality than Acura vehicles. J.D. Power ranks Ford above average in initial quality. With 25 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 Ford vehicles are more reliable than Acura vehicles. J.D. Power ranks Ford above average in long-term dependability. With 4 more problems per 100 vehicles in the first three years of ownership, Acura is rated below average.

Engine

The Edge ST’s standard 2.7 turbo V6 produces 63 more horsepower (335 vs. 272) and 100 lbs.-ft. more torque (380 vs. 280) than the RDX’s 2.0 turbo 4-cylinder.

As tested in Motor Trend the Edge ST 2.7 turbo V6 is faster than the Acura RDX:

	Edge	RDX
Zero to 60 MPH	6.1 sec	7.1 sec
Quarter Mile	14.7 sec	15.5 sec
Speed in 1/4 Mile	93.4 MPH	90.7 MPH

Fuel Economy and Range

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

			MPG
Edge
	AWD	2.0 turbo 4-cyl.	21 city/28 hwy
RDX
	AWD	2.0 turbo 4-cyl.	21 city/27 hwy
		A-Spec 2.0 turbo 4-cyl.	21 city/26 hwy

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

Brakes and Stopping

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

	Edge	RDX
Front Rotors	13.6 inches	12.4 inches
Rear Rotors	12.4 inches	12.2 inches
Opt Rear Rotors	13.6 inches

The Edge ST’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 Edge stops much shorter than the RDX:

	Edge	RDX
70 to 0 MPH	175 feet	180 feet	Car and Driver
60 to 0 MPH	108 feet	133 feet	Motor Trend

Tires and Wheels

For better traction, the Edge has larger standard tires than the RDX (245/60R18 vs. 235/55R19). The Edge ST’s optional tires are larger than the largest tires available on the RDX (265/40R21 vs. 255/45R20).

The Edge ST’s optional tires provide better handling because they have a lower 40 series profile (height to width ratio) that provides a stiffer sidewall than the RDX A-Spec’s 45 series tires.

For better ride, handling and brake cooling the Edge ST offers optional 21-inch wheels. The RDX’s largest wheels are only 20-inches.

Suspension and Handling

The Edge’s drift compensation steering can automatically compensate for road conditions which would cause the vehicle to drift from side to side, helping the driver to keep the vehicle straight more easily. The RDX doesn’t offer drift compensation steering.

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

The Edge ST handles at .88 G’s, while the RDX AWD pulls only .81 G’s of cornering force in a Motor Trend skidpad test.

The Edge ST executes Motor Trend’s “Figure Eight” maneuver 1.7 seconds quicker than the RDX AWD (26 seconds @ .7 average G’s vs. 27.7 seconds @ .62 average G’s).

Chassis

The front grille of the Edge 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 Edge has 9.9 cubic feet more passenger volume than the RDX (113.9 vs. 104).

The Edge has .6 inches more front headroom, 1 inch more front legroom, .9 inches more front hip room, .6 inches more front shoulder room, 2 inches more rear headroom, 2.2 inches more rear legroom, 7.6 inches more rear hip room and 3.9 inches more rear shoulder room than the RDX.

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

Cargo Capacity

The Edge has a much larger cargo volume than the RDX with its rear seat up (39.2 vs. 31.1 cubic feet).

Towing

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

The Edge ST can be flat towed on all four wheels (dinghy towed), allowing recreational vehicle owners to bring it with them on the road. When they reach their destination, the Edge can be unhitched and driven around locally. The RDX can’t be towed flat on the ground.

Optional Trailer Sway Control on the Edge (except SE) uses the AdvanceTrac® 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.

Ergonomics

Consumer Reports rated the Edge’s headlight performance “Very Good,” a higher rating than the RDX’s headlights, which were rated “Good.”

To help drivers see further while navigating curves, the Edge Titanium/ST 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 Edge (except SE) offers an optional 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 Edge Titanium/ST’s optional Active Park Assist can parallel park or back into a parking spot by itself, with the driver only controlling speed with the brake pedal. The RDX doesn’t offer an automated parking system.

Economic Advantages

According to The Car Book by Jack Gillis, the Edge is less expensive to operate than the RDX because it costs $54 less to do the manufacturer’s suggested maintenance for 50,000 miles. Typical repairs cost much less on the Edge than the RDX, including $121 less for a water pump, $193 less for front brake pads, $383 less for a starter, $31 less for fuel injection, $151 less for a fuel pump, $14 less for front struts and $321 less for a power steering pump.

IntelliChoice estimates that five-year ownership costs (depreciation, financing, insurance, fuel, fees, repairs and maintenance) for the Ford Edge will be $3561 to $9646 less than for the Acura RDX.

Recommendations

The Ford Edge has won recognition from these important consumer publications:

	Edge	RDX
Consumer Reports® Recommends	TRUE	TRUE
Car Book “Best Bet”	TRUE	TRUE

The Ford Edge outsold the Acura RDX by over three to one during 2022.

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