Compare the2024 GMC TerrainVS 2023 Acura RDX

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 Terrain 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 Terrain and the RDX have standard driver and passenger frontal airbags, front side-impact airbags, side-impact head airbags, front seatbelt pretensioners, front wheel drive, 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 GMC Terrain 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 post at 20 MPH, results indicate that the GMC Terrain is safer than the Acura RDX:

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

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

There are over 6 times as many GMC dealers as there are Acura dealers, which makes it much easier should you ever need service under the Terrain’s warranty.

J.D. Power and Associates rated the Terrain second among compact suvs in their 2023 Initial Quality Study. The RDX isn’t in the top three in its category.

J.D. Power and Associates’ 2023 Initial Quality Study of new car owners surveyed provide the statistics that show that GMC vehicles are better in initial quality than Acura vehicles. J.D. Power ranks GMC above average in initial quality. With 40 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 GMC vehicles are more reliable than Acura With 52 fewer problems per 100 vehicles in the first three years of ownership, J.D. Power ranks GMC higher than Acura.

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

To lower fuel costs and make buying fuel easier, the GMC Terrain uses regular unleaded gasoline. The RDX requires premium for maximum efficiency, which can cost on average about 82.8 cents more per gallon.

In its Green Vehicle Guide, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) rates the GMC Terrain higher (7 out of 10) than the Acura RDX (6). This means the Terrain produces up to 1.1 pounds less smog-producing pollutants than the RDX every 15,000 miles.

For better maneuverability, the Terrain w/17” wheels’ turning circle is 1.5 feet tighter than the RDX’s (37.4 feet vs. 38.9 feet).

The GMC Terrain may be more efficient, handle and accelerate better because it weighs about 350 pounds less than the Acura RDX.

The Terrain is 5.1 inches shorter than the RDX, making the Terrain easier to handle, maneuver and park in tight spaces.

The front grille of the Terrain offers available 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 Terrain has .4 inches more front headroom, .2 inches more rear headroom, 1.3 inches more rear legroom and 1.9 inches more rear hip room than the RDX.

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

Standard Trailer Sway Control on the Terrain 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 Terrain’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.

The Terrain 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 Terrain Denali’s optional Automatic Parking 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.

According to The Car Book by Jack Gillis, the Terrain is less expensive to operate than the RDX because typical repairs cost much less on the Terrain than the RDX, including $94 less for front brake pads, $95 less for a starter, $108 less for front struts and $471 less for a power steering pump.

The GMC Terrain outsold the Acura RDX by over three to one during 2022.