Compare the2024 Kia SeltosVS 2023 Acura RDX

Safety
Warranty
Reliability
Fuel Economy and Range
Transmission
Brakes and Stopping
Suspension and Handling
Chassis
Passenger Space
Ergonomics
Recommendations

Safety

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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 Seltos 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 Seltos and RDX have rear cross-traffic warning, but the Seltos has Rear Cross-Traffic Collision-Avoidance 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 Seltos’ 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 Seltos and the RDX have standard driver and passenger frontal airbags, front side-impact 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, lane departure warning systems, rearview cameras, available all wheel drive, daytime running lights and blind spot warning systems.

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

	Seltos	RDX
	Driver
STARS	5 Stars	4 Stars
HIC	129	300
Neck Injury Risk	24%	26%
Neck Stress	237 lbs.	262 lbs.
	Passenger
STARS	4 Stars	4 Stars
Chest Compression	.6 inches	.6 inches
Leg Forces (l/r)	144/44 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 post at 20 MPH, results indicate that the Kia Seltos is safer than the Acura RDX:

	Seltos	RDX
	Into Pole
STARS	5 Stars	5 Stars
HIC	225	486
Spine Acceleration	33 G’s	39 G’s
Hip Force	433 lbs.	704 lbs.

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

Warranty

The Seltos comes with a full 5-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 1 year or 10,000 miles sooner.

Kia’s powertrain warranty covers the Seltos 4 years and 30,000 miles longer than Acura covers the RDX. Any repair needed on the engine, transmission, axles, joints or driveshafts is fully covered for 10 years or 100,000 miles. Coverage on the RDX ends after only 6 years or 70,000 miles.

There are almost 3 times as many Kia dealers as there are Acura dealers, which makes it much easier should you ever need service under the Seltos’ warranty.

Reliability

J.D. Power and Associates’ 2023 Initial Quality Study of new car owners surveyed provide the statistics that show that Kia vehicles are better in initial quality than Acura vehicles. J.D. Power ranks Kia above average in initial quality. With 37 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 statistics that show that Kia vehicles are more reliable than Acura vehicles. J.D. Power ranks Kia first in reliability, above the industry average. With 99 more problems per 100 vehicles, Acura is ranked 28th.

Fuel Economy and Range

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

			MPG
Seltos
	FWD	2.0 DOHC 4-cyl.	28 city/34 hwy
	AWD	2.0 DOHC 4-cyl.	27 city/31 hwy
		1.6 turbo 4-cyl.	25 city/27 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 Kia Seltos uses regular unleaded gasoline. The RDX requires premium for maximum efficiency, which can cost on average about 82.8 cents more per gallon.

Transmission

The Seltos 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

The Seltos stops much shorter than the RDX:

	Seltos	RDX
70 to 0 MPH	160 feet	180 feet	Car and Driver
60 to 0 MPH	115 feet	133 feet	Motor Trend

Suspension and Handling

The Seltos SX handles at .84 G’s, while the RDX A-Spec AWD pulls only .83 G’s of cornering force in a Car and Driver skidpad test.

The Seltos S AWD executes Motor Trend’s “Figure Eight” maneuver 1 seconds quicker than the RDX AWD (26.7 seconds @ .65 average G’s vs. 27.7 seconds @ .62 average G’s).

For better maneuverability, the Seltos’ turning circle is 4.1 feet tighter than the RDX’s (34.8 feet vs. 38.9 feet).

Chassis

The Kia Seltos may be more efficient, handle and accelerate better because it weighs about 700 to 850 pounds less than the Acura RDX.

The Seltos is 1 foot, 2.8 inches shorter than the RDX, making the Seltos easier to handle, maneuver and park in tight spaces.

Passenger Space

The Seltos has .4 inches more front headroom, .1 inches more rear headroom and 2.9 inches more rear hip room than the RDX.

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

Ergonomics

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

Recommendations

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