Compare the2024 Jaguar E-PaceVS 2023 Acura RDX

For enhanced safety, the front and rear seat shoulder belts of the Jaguar E-Pace 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.

Both the E-Pace and RDX have child safety locks to prevent children from opening the rear doors. The E-Pace has power child safety locks, allowing the driver to activate and deactivate them from the driver's seat and to know when they're engaged. The RDX’s child locks have to be individually engaged at each rear door with a manual switch. The driver can’t know the status of the locks without opening the doors and checking them.

Using vehicle speed sensors and seat sensors, smart airbags in the E-Pace deploy with different levels of force to help better protect passengers of all sizes in different collisions. The E-Pace’s side airbags will shut off if a child is leaning against the door. The RDX’s side airbags don’t have smart features and will always deploy full force.

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

Both the E-Pace and RDX have rear cross-traffic warning, but the E-Pace has Rear Traffic Braking (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-Pace’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-Pace and the RDX have standard driver and passenger frontal airbags, front side-impact airbags, side-impact head airbags, four-wheel antilock brakes, traction control, electronic stability systems to prevent skidding, crash mitigating brakes, daytime running lights, lane departure warning systems, blind spot warning systems, rearview cameras, rear cross-path warning and available around view monitors.

The E-Pace 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.

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

Jaguar pays for scheduled maintenance on the E-Pace for 3 years and 36,000 miles longer than Acura pays for maintenance for the RDX (5/60,000 vs. 2/24,000).

J.D. Power and Associates’ 2023 Initial Quality Study of new car owners surveyed provide the statistics that show that Jaguar vehicles are better in initial quality than Acura vehicles. J.D. Power ranks Jaguar above average in initial quality. With 22 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 Jaguar vehicles are more reliable than Acura With 11 fewer problems per 100 vehicles in the first three years of ownership, J.D. Power ranks Jaguar higher than Acura.

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

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

For better stopping power the E-Pace’s front brake rotors are larger than those on the RDX:

The E-Pace’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.

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

For better maneuverability, the E-Pace’s turning circle is .8 feet tighter than the RDX’s (38.1 feet vs. 38.9 feet).

The E-Pace is 1 foot, 2.4 inches shorter than the RDX, making the E-Pace easier to handle, maneuver and park in tight spaces.

The E-Pace’s standard towing capacity is much higher than the RDX’s (3968 vs. 1500 pounds).

Standard Trailer Stability Assist on the E-Pace uses the Dynamic 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 E-Pace’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 nozzles are optional on the E-Pace to prevent washer fluid and nozzles from freezing and help continue to keep the windshield clear in sub-freezing temperatures. The RDX doesn’t offer heated windshield washer nozzles.

To quickly and conveniently keep personal devices charged without cables tangling and wearing out, the Jaguar E-Pace has a standard wireless phone charging system (Qi) in the center console. Wireless charging costs extra on the RDX.