Compare the2023 Toyota HighlanderVS 2023 Acura RDX

Safety
Warranty
Reliability
Engine
Fuel Economy and Range
Brakes and Stopping
Suspension and Handling
Passenger Space
Cargo Capacity
Payload and Towing
Ergonomics
Recommendations

Safety

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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 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.

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.

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

	Highlander	RDX
	Driver
STARS	4 Stars	4 Stars
HIC	292	300
Leg Forces (l/r)	321/243 lbs.	328/464 lbs.
	Passenger
STARS	4 Stars	4 Stars
HIC	328	353
Chest Compression	.6 inches	.6 inches
Neck Injury Risk	28.4%	30%

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 Toyota Highlander is safer than the Acura RDX:

	Highlander	RDX
	Front Seat
STARS	5 Stars	5 Stars
HIC	55	63
Chest Movement	.3 inches	.6 inches
Abdominal Force	79 lbs.	130 lbs.
	Rear Seat
STARS	5 Stars	5 Stars
HIC	114	124
Spine Acceleration	37 G’s	52 G’s
Hip Force	152 lbs.	462 lbs.
	Into Pole
STARS	5 Stars	5 Stars
HIC	366	486
Hip Force	664 lbs.	704 lbs.

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

Warranty

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.

Reliability

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 2023 Auto Issue reports that Toyota vehicles are more reliable than Acura vehicles. Consumer Reports ranks Toyota first in overall reliability. Acura is ranked 8th.

Engine

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.

Fuel Economy and Range

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

			MPG
Highlander
	FWD	2.4 turbo 4-cyl.	22 city/29 hwy
	AWD	2.4 turbo 4-cyl.	21 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

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.

Brakes and Stopping

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

	Highlander	RDX
Front Rotors	13.3 inches	12.4 inches
Rear Rotors	13.3 inches	12.2 inches

Suspension and Handling

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).

Passenger Space

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.

Cargo Capacity

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

	Highlander	RDX
Third Seat Folded	48.4 cubic feet	n/a
Third Seat Removed	n/a	31.1 cubic feet
Second Seat Folded	84.3 cubic feet	79.8 cubic feet

Payload and Towing

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.).

Ergonomics

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.

Recommendations

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

The Toyota Highlander outsold the Acura RDX by over 9 to one during 2022.