Compare the2023 Chevrolet BlazerVS 2023 Acura RDX

For enhanced safety, the front shoulder belts of the Chevrolet Blazer are height-adjustable, and the rear seat shoulder belts have child comfort guides to move the belt to properly fit children. A better fit can prevent injuries and the increased comfort also encourages children to buckle up. The Acura RDX has only front height-adjustable 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 Blazer 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.

Both the Blazer and the RDX have standard driver and passenger frontal airbags, front side-impact airbags, driver knee airbags, side-impact head airbags, front seatbelt pretensioners, 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 Chevrolet Blazer is safer than the Acura RDX:

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 Chevrolet Blazer is safer than the Acura RDX:

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

The Blazer’s corrosion warranty is 1 year longer than the RDX’s (6 vs. 5 years).

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

J.D. Power and Associates rated the Blazer second among midsize suvs in their 2022 Initial Quality Study. The RDX isn’t in the top three in its category.

J.D. Power and Associates’ 2022 Initial Quality Study of new car owners surveyed provide the statistics that show that Chevrolet vehicles are better in initial quality than Acura vehicles. J.D. Power ranks Chevrolet third in initial quality, above the industry average. With 45 more problems per 100 vehicles, Acura is ranked 21st, below the industry 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 Chevrolet vehicles are more reliable than Acura vehicles. J.D. Power ranks Chevrolet above average in long-term dependability. With 21 more problems per 100 vehicles in the first three years of ownership, Acura is rated below average.

The Blazer’s optional 3.6 DOHC V6 produces 36 more horsepower (308 vs. 272) than the RDX’s 2.0 turbo 4-cylinder.

As tested in Motor Trend the Chevrolet Blazer V6 is faster than the Acura RDX:

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

An engine control system that can shut down some of the engine’s cylinders helps improve the Blazer’s fuel efficiency. The RDX doesn’t offer a system that can shut down part of the engine.

The Blazer FWD’s standard fuel tank has 2.3 gallons more fuel capacity than the RDX (19.4 vs. 17.1 gallons), for longer range between fill-ups. The Blazer AWD’s standard fuel tank has 4.6 gallons more fuel capacity than the RDX (21.7 vs. 17.1 gallons).

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

The Blazer stops much shorter than the RDX:

For better traction, the Blazer RS/Premier’s optional tires are larger than the largest tires available on the RDX (265/45R21 vs. 255/45R20).

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

The Chevrolet Blazer’s wheels have 6 lugs for longer wheel bearing life, less chance of rotor warping and greater strength. The Acura RDX only has 5 wheel lugs per wheel.

For a smoother ride and more stable handling, the Blazer’s wheelbase is 4.4 inches longer than on the RDX (112.7 inches vs. 108.3 inches).

For better handling and stability, the track (width between the wheels) on the Blazer is 2.2 inches wider in the front and 1.5 inches wider in the rear than on the RDX.

The Blazer RS 4x4 handles at .87 G’s, while the RDX A-Spec AWD pulls only .83 G’s of cornering force in a Car and Driver skidpad test.

The Blazer RS 4x4 executes Motor Trend’s “Figure Eight” maneuver quicker than the RDX AWD (27.1 seconds @ .65 average G’s vs. 27.7 seconds @ .62 average G’s).

The front grille of the Blazer 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.

The Blazer has 3.8 cubic feet more passenger volume than the RDX (107.8 vs. 104).

The Blazer has .2 inches more front headroom, .6 inches more front hip room, .3 inches more rear headroom, 1.2 inches more rear legroom, 4.3 inches more rear hip room and 2 inches more rear shoulder room than the RDX.

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

Maximum trailer towing in the Acura RDX is limited to 1500 pounds. The Blazer offers up to a 4500 lbs. towing capacity.

The Blazer 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 Blazer can be unhitched and driven around locally. The RDX can’t be towed flat on the ground.

Standard Trailer Sway Control on the Blazer uses the StabiliTrak® 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 Blazer’s instruments include an oil pressure gauge and a temperature gauge - which could save your engine! Often ‘idiot lights’ don’t warn you until damage has been done. The RDX does not have an oil pressure gauge.

In case you lock your keys in your vehicle, or don’t have them with you, you can let yourself in using the Blazer LT/RS/Premier’s available exterior PIN entry system. 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.

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

The Blazer 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.

Insurance will cost less for the Blazer owner. The Car Book by Jack Gillis rates the Blazer with a number “8” insurance rate while the RDX is rated higher at a number “10” rate.

According to The Car Book by Jack Gillis, the Blazer is less expensive to operate than the RDX because typical repairs cost less on the Blazer than the RDX, including $129 less for front brake pads, $163 less for a starter, $24 less for a fuel pump, $90 less for front struts and $83 less for a power steering pump.

IntelliChoice estimates that five-year ownership costs (depreciation, financing, insurance, fuel, fees, repairs and maintenance) for the Chevrolet Blazer will be $5669 to $7249 less than for the Acura RDX.

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

J.D. Power and Associates rated the Blazer second among midsize suvs in owner reported satisfaction. This includes how well the vehicle performs and satisfies its owner’s expectations. The RDX isn’t in the top three.

The Chevrolet Blazer outsold the Acura RDX by almost three to one during 2022.