Compare the2024 Acura RDXVS 2023 Lincoln Corsair

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

Both the RDX and the Corsair have standard driver and passenger frontal airbags, front side-impact airbags, driver and front passenger 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, lane departure warning systems, blind spot warning systems, rearview cameras, rear cross-path warning and available around view monitors.

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 Acura RDX is safer than the Lincoln Corsair:

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

Side impacts caused 23% of all road fatalities in 2018, down from 29% in 2003, when the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety introduced its side barrier test. In order to continue improving vehicle safety, the IIHS has started using a more severe side impact test: 37 MPH (up from 31 MPH), with a 4180-pound barrier (up from 3300 pounds). The results of this newly developed test demonstrates that the Acura RDX is much safer than the Corsair:

Instrumented handling tests conducted by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration and analysis of its dimensions indicate that the RDX is 1.9% to 2.4% less likely to roll over than the Corsair.

For its performance in IIHS driver-side and passenger-side small overlap frontal, moderate overlap frontal, updated side impact, headlight, daytime pedestrian crash prevention, and nighttime pedestrian crash prevention testing, the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety grants the RDX its highest rating: “Top Safety Pick Plus” for 2023, a rating granted to only 36 vehicles tested by the IIHS. The Corsair last would have qualified as only a standard “Top Safety Pick” for 2019.

Acura pays for scheduled maintenance on the RDX for 2 years and 24,000 miles. Acura will pay for oil changes, tire rotations, air filter replacements, cabin filter replacement, brake fluid replacement, inspections, and any other required maintenance. Lincoln only pays for the first scheduled maintenance visit on the Corsair.

J.D. Power and Associates’ 2023 Initial Quality Study of new car owners surveyed provide the statistics that show that Acura vehicles are better in initial quality than Lincoln vehicles. With 1 fewer problems per 100 vehicles, JD Power ranks Acura higher than Lincoln.

From surveys of all its subscribers, Consumer Reports’ January 2023 Auto Issue reports that Acura vehicles are more reliable than Lincoln vehicles. Consumer Reports ranks Acura 2 places higher in reliability than Lincoln.

The RDX’s 2.0 turbo 4-cylinder produces 22 more horsepower (272 vs. 250) and 5 lbs.-ft. more torque (280 vs. 275) than the Corsair’s standard 2.0 turbo 4-cylinder. The RDX’s 2.0 turbo 4-cylinder produces 6 more horsepower (272 vs. 266) than the Corsair Grand Touring’s standard 2.5 DOHC 4-cylinder hybrid.

As tested in Motor Trend the Acura RDX is faster than the Lincoln Corsair turbo 4 cyl.:

The RDX has 6 gallons more fuel capacity than the Corsair Grand Touring’s standard fuel tank (17.1 vs. 11.1 gallons), for longer range between fill-ups. The RDX has almost a gallon more fuel capacity than the Corsair’s standard fuel tank (17.1 vs. 16.2 gallons).

The RDX has a standard locking fuel door which locks and unlocks with the power locks. The fuel filler door is not lockable on the Corsair. A locking fuel door helps prevent fuel theft and vandalism, such as sugar in the tank.

A 10-speed automatic is standard on the Acura RDX, for better acceleration and lower engine speed on the highway. Only an eight-speed automatic is available for the Corsair.

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

The RDX stops much shorter than the Corsair:

For better traction, the RDX has larger standard tires than the Corsair (235/55R19 vs. 225/60R18). The RDX A-Spec’s tires are larger than the largest tires available on the Corsair (255/45R20 vs. 245/45R20).

The RDX’s standard tires provide better handling because they have a lower 55 series profile (height to width ratio) that provides a stiffer sidewall than the Corsair Standard’s standard 60 series tires.

For better ride, handling and brake cooling the RDX has standard 19-inch wheels. Smaller 18-inch wheels are standard on the Corsair Standard.

The RDX has a standard easy tire fill system. When inflating the tires, the vehicle’s integrated tire pressure sensors keep track of the pressure as the tires fill and tell the driver when the tires are inflated to the proper pressure. The Corsair doesn’t offer vehicle monitored tire inflation.

For a smoother ride and more stable handling, the RDX’s wheelbase is 1.6 inches longer than on the Corsair (108.3 inches vs. 106.7 inches).

For better handling and stability, the track (width between the wheels) on the RDX is 1.6 inches wider in the front and 1.3 inches wider in the rear than on the Corsair.

The RDX A-Spec handles at .82 G’s, while the Corsair Standard AWD pulls only .79 G’s of cornering force in a Motor Trend skidpad test.

The RDX executes Motor Trend’s “Figure Eight” maneuver quicker than the Corsair Standard AWD (27.2 seconds @ .64 average G’s vs. 27.7 seconds @ .67 average G’s).

The RDX has .1 inches more front headroom, 2.6 inches more front shoulder room and .3 inches more rear shoulder room than the Corsair.

The RDX has a much larger cargo volume with its rear seat up than the Corsair with its rear seat up (31.1 vs. 27.6 cubic feet). The RDX has a much larger cargo volume with its rear seat folded than the Corsair with its rear seat folded (79.8 vs. 57.6 cubic feet).

J.D. Power and Associates surveys of service recipients show that Acura service is better than Lincoln. J.D. Power ranks Acura 6th in service department satisfaction (above the industry average). With a 17% lower rating, Lincoln is ranked 12th.

The Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS) conducts detailed tests on headlights for their range both straight ahead and in curves and to be certain they don’t exceed acceptable amounts of glare to oncoming drivers. The RDX’s headlights were rated “Good” by the IIHS, while the Corsair’s headlights are rated “Acceptable” to “Poor.”

When the RDX is put in reverse, both rearview mirrors tilt from their original position. This gives the driver a better view of the curb during parallel parking maneuvers. Shifting out of reverse puts the mirrors into their original positions. The Corsair’s mirrors don’t automatically adjust for backing.

According to The Car Book by Jack Gillis, the RDX is less expensive to operate than the Corsair because it costs $336 less to do the manufacturer’s suggested maintenance for 50,000 miles. Typical repairs cost much less on the RDX than the Corsair, including $93 less for a water pump, $196 less for a muffler, $129 less for fuel injection, $48 less for a fuel pump, $11 less for front struts and $644 less for a timing belt/chain.

The Acura RDX has won recognition from these important consumer publications: