Compare the2024 Buick EnvisionVS 2024 Acura RDX

Safety
Warranty
Reliability
Fuel Economy and Range
Environmental Friendliness
Brakes and Stopping
Suspension and Handling
Chassis
Passenger Space
Towing
Servicing Ease
Ergonomics
Economic Advantages
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 Envision 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.

Over 200 people are killed each year when backed over by motor vehicles. The Envision has standard Reverse Automatic Braking that uses rear sensors to monitor for objects to the rear and automatically applies the brakes to prevent a collision. The RDX doesn’t offer backup collision prevention brakes.

Both the Envision and RDX have rear cross-traffic warning, but the Envision has Rear Cross 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.

Both the Envision and the RDX have standard driver and passenger frontal airbags, front side-impact airbags, driver knee airbags, side-impact head airbags, front seatbelt pretensioners, height adjustable front shoulder belts, four-wheel antilock brakes, all wheel drive, 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 front parking sensors.

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

	Envision	RDX
OVERALL STARS	5 Stars	4 Stars
	Driver
STARS	5 Stars	4 Stars
HIC	175	300
Neck Injury Risk	21.3%	26%
Neck Stress	195 lbs.	262 lbs.
Leg Forces (l/r)	153/386 lbs.	328/464 lbs.
	Passenger
STARS	5 Stars	4 Stars
HIC	223	353
Chest Compression	.6 inches	.6 inches
Neck Injury Risk	23.1%	30%
Neck Compression	61 lbs.	84 lbs.
Leg Forces (l/r)	221/21 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 Buick Envision is safer than the Acura RDX:

	Envision	RDX
	Into Pole
STARS	5 Stars	5 Stars
HIC	249	486
Spine Acceleration	36 G’s	39 G’s
Hip Force	313 lbs.	704 lbs.

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

Warranty

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

There are over 7 times as many Buick dealers as there are Acura dealers, which makes it much easier should you ever need service under the Envision’s warranty.

Reliability

J.D. Power and Associates’ 2023 Initial Quality Study of new car owners surveyed provide the statistics that show that Buick vehicles are better in initial quality than Acura vehicles. J.D. Power ranks Buick fourth in initial quality, above the industry average. With 45 more problems per 100 vehicles, Acura is ranked 27th, below the industry average.

J.D. Power and Associates’ 2022 survey of the owners of three-year-old vehicles provides the statistics that show that Buick vehicles are more reliable than Acura vehicles. J.D. Power ranks Buick second in reliability, above the industry average. With 97 more problems per 100 vehicles, Acura is ranked 28th.

Fuel Economy and Range

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

		MPG
Envision
	2.0 turbo 4-cyl.	22 city/28 hwy
RDX
	2.0 turbo 4-cyl.	21 city/27 hwy
	A-Spec 2.0 turbo 4-cyl.	21 city/26 hwy

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

To lower fuel costs and make buying fuel easier, the Buick Envision uses regular unleaded gasoline (mid-grade octane recommended for maximum performance). The RDX requires premium for maximum efficiency, which can cost on average about 31.4 cents more per gallon.

Environmental Friendliness

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

Brakes and Stopping

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

	Envision	RDX
Front Rotors	12.6 inches	12.4 inches
Rear Rotors	12.4 inches	12.2 inches

The Envision’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.

Suspension and Handling

The Envision’s drift compensation steering can automatically compensate for road conditions which would cause the vehicle to drift from side to side, helping the driver to keep the vehicle straight more easily. The RDX doesn’t offer drift compensation steering.

For a smoother ride and more stable handling, the Envision’s wheelbase is 1.1 inches longer than on the RDX (109.4 inches vs. 108.3 inches).

For better maneuverability, the Envision’s turning circle is .9 feet tighter than the RDX’s (38 feet vs. 38.9 feet).

Chassis

The Envision is 4.7 inches shorter than the RDX, making the Envision easier to handle, maneuver and park in tight spaces.

The front grille of the Envision 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.

Passenger Space

The Envision has .1 inches more front hip room, .6 inches more rear headroom and .9 inches more rear legroom than the RDX.

Towing

Standard Trailer Sway Control (TSC) on the Envision 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.

Servicing Ease

J.D. Power and Associates surveys of service recipients show that Buick service is better than Acura. J.D. Power ranks Buick fifth in service department satisfaction. With a 1% lower rating, Acura is ranked 6th.

Ergonomics

To help drivers see further while navigating curves, the Envision has standard adaptive headlights to illuminate around corners automatically by reading vehicle speed and steering wheel angle. The RDX doesn’t offer cornering lights.

The Envision’s standard rear and side view mirrors have an automatic dimming feature. These mirrors can be set to automatically darken quickly when headlights shine on them, keeping following vehicles from blinding or distracting the driver. The RDX has an automatic rear view mirror, but its side mirrors don’t dim.

The Envision Avenir has standard massaging front seats in order to maximize comfort and eliminate fatigue on long trips. Massaging seats aren’t available in the RDX.

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

The Envision Avenir has a 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 Envision Avenir’s Enhanced Automatic Park Assist can parallel park or back into a parking spot by itself, starting and stopping automatically, with the driver only responsible for switching from reverse to drive. The RDX doesn’t offer an automated parking system.

Economic Advantages

IntelliChoice estimates that five-year ownership costs (depreciation, financing, insurance, fuel, fees, repairs and maintenance) for the Buick Envision will be $2589 to $7307 less than for the Acura RDX.

Recommendations

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

The Buick Envision outsold the Acura RDX by 13% during 2023.

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