Compare the2023 Mercedes E-Class All-Terrain WagonVS 2023 Acura RDX

Safety
Warranty
Reliability
Engine
Fuel Economy and Range
Brakes and Stopping
Tires and Wheels
Suspension and Handling
Passenger Space
Cargo Capacity
Servicing Ease
Ergonomics
Model Availability
Economic Advantages

Safety

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For enhanced safety, the front and second-row seat shoulder belts of the Mercedes E-Class All-Terrain Wagon 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 E-Class All-Terrain Wagon’s pre-crash front seatbelts will tighten automatically in the event the vehicle detects an impending crash, improving protection against injury significantly. The RDX doesn’t offer pre-crash pretensioners.

The E-Class All-Terrain Wagon offers an optional Post 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 E-Class All-Terrain Wagon offers an optional Maneuvering Brake Function 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.

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

Both the E-Class All-Terrain Wagon and RDX offer rear cross-traffic warning, but the E-Class All-Terrain Wagon with Rear Cross-Traffic Alert also has Active Brake Assist (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 E-Class All-Terrain Wagon’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 E-Class All-Terrain Wagon 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, blind spot warning systems, rearview cameras, available lane departure warning systems and around view monitors.

The Mercedes E-Class All-Terrain Wagon weighs 497 to 780 pounds more than the Acura RDX. The NHTSA advises that heavier cars are much safer in collisions than their significantly lighter counterparts.

The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration does 35 MPH front crash tests on new vehicles. In this test, results indicate that the Mercedes E-Class All-Terrain Wagon is safer than the Acura RDX:

	E-Class All-Terrain Wagon	RDX
OVERALL STARS	5 Stars	4 Stars
	Driver
STARS	4 Stars	4 Stars
HIC	190	300
Neck Stress	186 lbs.	262 lbs.
Neck Compression	21 lbs.	23 lbs.
	Passenger
STARS	5 Stars	4 Stars
HIC	204	353
Chest Compression	.4 inches	.6 inches
Neck Injury Risk	29%	30%
Leg Forces (l/r)	257/308 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 Mercedes E-Class All-Terrain Wagon is safer than the Acura RDX:

	E-Class All-Terrain Wagon	RDX
	Rear Seat
STARS	5 Stars	5 Stars
Spine Acceleration	46 G’s	52 G’s
	Into Pole
STARS	5 Stars	5 Stars
Max Damage Depth	11 inches	11 inches
HIC	326	486

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

Warranty

There are over 41 percent more Mercedes dealers than there are Acura dealers, which makes it easier should you ever need service under the E-Class All-Terrain Wagon’s warranty.

Reliability

J.D. Power and Associates’ 2022 Initial Quality Study of new car owners surveyed provide the statistics that show that Mercedes vehicles are better in initial quality than Acura vehicles. With 3 fewer problems per 100 vehicles, JD Power ranks Mercedes 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 Mercedes vehicles are more reliable than Acura With 49 fewer problems per 100 vehicles in the first three years of ownership, J.D. Power ranks Mercedes higher than Acura.

Engine

The E-Class All-Terrain Wagon’s 3.0 turbo 6-cylinder hybrid produces 90 more horsepower (362 vs. 272) and 89 lbs.-ft. more torque (369 vs. 280) than the RDX’s 2.0 turbo 4-cylinder.

As tested in Motor Trend the Mercedes E-Class All-Terrain Wagon is faster than the Acura RDX:

	E-Class All-Terrain Wagon	RDX
Zero to 60 MPH	5 sec	7.1 sec
Quarter Mile	13.7 sec	15.5 sec
Speed in 1/4 Mile	99.7 MPH	90.7 MPH

Fuel Economy and Range

On the EPA test cycle the E-Class All-Terrain Wagon gets better mileage than the RDX:

			MPG
E-Class All-Terrain Wagon
	AWD	3.0 turbo 6-cyl. Hybrid	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

Regenerative brakes improve the E-Class All-Terrain Wagon’s fuel efficiency by converting inertia back into energy instead of wasting it. The RDX doesn’t offer a regenerative braking system.

The E-Class All-Terrain Wagon has 4 gallons more fuel capacity than the RDX (21.1 vs. 17.1 gallons), for longer range between fill-ups.

Brakes and Stopping

For better stopping power the E-Class All-Terrain Wagon’s brake rotors are larger than those on the RDX:

	E-Class All-Terrain Wagon	RDX
Front Rotors	14.2 inches	12.4 inches
Rear Rotors	12.6 inches	12.2 inches

The E-Class All-Terrain Wagon’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 E-Class All-Terrain Wagon stops much shorter than the RDX:

	E-Class All-Terrain Wagon	RDX
70 to 0 MPH	167 feet	180 feet	Car and Driver
60 to 0 MPH	115 feet	133 feet	Motor Trend

Tires and Wheels

For better traction, the E-Class All-Terrain Wagon has larger tires than the RDX (245/45R19 vs. 235/55R19).

The E-Class All-Terrain Wagon’s standard tires provide better handling because they have a lower 45 series profile (height to width ratio) that provides a stiffer sidewall than the RDX’s standard 55 series tires. The E-Class All-Terrain Wagon’s optional tires have a lower 40 series profile than the RDX A-Spec’s 45 series tires.

Changing a flat tire near traffic can be dangerous and inconvenient. The run-flat tires standard on the E-Class All-Terrain Wagon 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

The front and rear suspension of the E-Class All-Terrain Wagon uses air springs for a smoother, controlled ride than the RDX, which uses coil springs. Air springs maintain proper ride height and ride more smoothly.

The E-Class All-Terrain Wagon has a standard automatic front and rear load leveling suspension to keep ride height level with a heavy load or when towing. The E-Class All-Terrain Wagon’s height leveling suspension allows the driver to raise ride height for better off-road clearance and then lower it again for easier entering and exiting and better on-road handling. The RDX doesn’t offer a load leveling suspension.

The E-Class All-Terrain Wagon’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 E-Class All-Terrain Wagon’s wheelbase is 7.4 inches longer than on the RDX (115.7 inches vs. 108.3 inches).

The E-Class All-Terrain Wagon’s front to rear weight distribution is more even (52% to 48%) than the RDX’s (57% to 43%). This gives the E-Class All-Terrain Wagon more stable handling and braking.

The E 450 4MATIC All-Terrain handles at .89 G’s, while the RDX A-Spec AWD pulls only .83 G’s of cornering force in a Car and Driver skidpad test.

The E 450 4MATIC All-Terrain executes Motor Trend’s “Figure Eight” maneuver 1.5 seconds quicker than the RDX AWD (26.2 seconds @ .69 average G’s vs. 27.7 seconds @ .62 average G’s).

Passenger Space

The E-Class All-Terrain Wagon has standard seating for 7 passengers; the RDX can only carry 5.

The E-Class All-Terrain Wagon has .1 inches more front legroom, 4 inches more front hip room, 8.9 inches more rear hip room and .5 inches more rear shoulder room than the RDX.

Cargo Capacity

The E-Class All-Terrain Wagon’s cargo area provides more volume than the RDX.

	E-Class All-Terrain Wagon	RDX
Third Seat Removed	35 cubic feet	31.1 cubic feet

Servicing Ease

The engine in the E-Class All-Terrain Wagon 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

Unlike the driver-only memory system in the RDX, the E-Class All-Terrain Wagon has standard driver and passenger memory, so that when drivers switch, the memory setting adjusts the driver’s seat, steering wheel position and outside mirror angle and the front passenger seat also adjusts to the new passenger’s preset preferences.

The E-Class All-Terrain Wagon’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.

Heated windshield washer fluid is standard on the E-Class All-Terrain Wagon to defrost the washer nozzles and quickly clear ice and frost from the windshield without scraping. The RDX doesn’t offer heated windshield washer fluid.

To help drivers see further while navigating curves, the E-Class All-Terrain Wagon 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 E-Class All-Terrain Wagon offers optional massaging front seats in order to maximize comfort and eliminate fatigue on long trips. Massaging seats aren’t available in the RDX.

The E-Class All-Terrain Wagon 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.

The E-Class All-Terrain Wagon’s optional Active Parking Assist can parallel park or back into a parking spot by itself, starting, stopping and changing direction automatically. The RDX doesn’t offer an automated parking system.

Model Availability

The Mercedes E-Class comes in coupe, convertible, sedan and station wagon bodystyles; the Acura RDX isn’t available as a coupe, convertible or sedan.

Economic Advantages

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

According to The Car Book by Jack Gillis, the E-Class All-Terrain Wagon is less expensive to operate than the RDX because typical repairs cost much less on the E-Class All-Terrain Wagon than the RDX, including $231 less for front brake pads, $46 less for a fuel pump and $162 less for a power steering pump.

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