Compare the2024 Acura ZDXVS 2024 Volkswagen ID.4

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 ZDX are reminded to check the back seat if they opened the rear door before starting out. The ID.4 doesn’t offer a back seat reminder.

The Acura ZDX has standard driver and front passenger side knee airbags mounted low on the dashboard. These airbags helps prevent the driver and front passenger from sliding under their seatbelts or the main frontal airbags; this keeps them better positioned during a collision for maximum protection. Knee airbags also help keep the legs from striking the dashboard, preventing knee and leg injuries in the case of a serious frontal collision. The ID.4 doesn’t offer knee airbags.

Both the ZDX and the ID.4 have standard driver and passenger frontal airbags, front side-impact airbags, side-impact head airbags, front and rear seatbelt pretensioners, 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 Acura ZDX weighs 544 to 1735 pounds more than the Volkswagen ID.4. The NHTSA advises that heavier vehicles are much safer in collisions than their significantly lighter counterparts.

The ZDX’s corrosion warranty is unlimited miles longer than the ID.4’s (unlimited vs. 100,000 miles).

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 Volkswagen vehicles. With 42 fewer problems per 100 vehicles, JD Power ranks Acura higher than Volkswagen.

From surveys of all its subscribers, Consumer Reports’ January 2024 Auto Issue reports that Acura vehicles are more reliable than Volkswagen vehicles. Consumer Reports ranks Acura fourth in overall reliability. Volkswagen is ranked 27th.

The ZDX has more powerful engines than the ID.4:

The ZDX can travel longer on a full charge than the ID.4 on a full charge:

For better stopping power the ZDX Type S’ brake rotors are larger than those on the ID.4:

The Acura ZDX has standard four-wheel disc brakes for better stopping power and improved directional control in poor weather. Only rear drums come on the ID.4. Drums can heat up and make stops longer, especially with antilock brakes that work much harder than conventional brakes.

For better traction, the ZDX has larger standard tires than the ID.4 (265/50R20 vs. 235/55R19). The ZDX Type S’ tires are larger than the largest tires available on the ID.4 (275/40R22 vs. 235/50R20).

The ZDX A-Spec’s standard tires provide better handling because they have a lower 50 series profile (height to width ratio) that provides a stiffer sidewall than the ID.4 Standard’s standard 55 series tires. The ZDX Type S’ tires have a lower 40 series profile than the ID.4 Pro S Plus’ 45 series front tires.

For better ride, handling and brake cooling the ZDX A-Spec has standard 20-inch wheels. Smaller 19-inch wheels are standard on the ID.4 Standard. The ZDX Type S’ 22-inch wheels are larger than the 21-inch wheels on the ID.4 Pro S Plus.

The Acura ZDX’s wheels have 6 lugs for longer wheel bearing life, less chance of rotor warping and greater strength. The Volkswagen ID.4 only has 5 wheel lugs per wheel.

The ZDX 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 ID.4 doesn’t offer vehicle monitored tire inflation.

Having a flat tire is dangerous, inconvenient and expensive. The self-sealing tires standard on the ZDX can automatically seal most punctures up to 3/16 of an inch, effectively preventing most flat tires. The ID.4 doesn’t offer self-sealing tires.

The ZDX offers an available driver-adjustable suspension system. It allows the driver to choose between an extra-supple ride, reducing fatigue on long trips, or a sport setting, which allows maximum control for tricky roads or off-road. The ID.4’s suspension doesn’t offer adjustable shock absorbers.

For a smoother ride and more stable handling, the ZDX’s wheelbase is 13 inches longer than on the ID.4 (121.8 inches vs. 108.8 inches).

For better handling and stability, the track (width between the wheels) on the ZDX is 3.8 inches wider in the front and 4.7 inches wider in the rear than the average track on the ID.4.

For greater off-road capability the ZDX has a greater minimum ground clearance than the ID.4 (7 vs. 6.8 inches), allowing the ZDX to travel over rougher terrain without being stopped or damaged.

The ZDX has .3 inches more front legroom, 11.7 inches more front hip room, 1.5 inches more front shoulder room, 1.8 inches more rear legroom, 19.6 inches more rear hip room and 2.1 inches more rear shoulder room than the ID.4.

For enhanced passenger comfort on long trips the ZDX’s rear seats recline. The ID.4’s rear seats don’t recline.

The ZDX’s standard towing capacity is much higher than the ID.4’s (3500 vs. 2200 pounds).

J.D. Power and Associates surveys of service recipients show that Acura service is better than Volkswagen. J.D. Power ranks Acura 6th in service department satisfaction (above the industry average). With a 38% lower rating, Volkswagen is ranked 28th.

Unlike the driver-only memory seat and mirrors in the ID.4 S/S Plus, the ZDX Type S has a passenger memory, so that when drivers switch, the memory setting adjusts the driver’s seat and the front passenger seat also adjusts to the new passenger’s preset preferences.

The ZDX’s standard Keyless Access System allows you to unlock the doors from any outside door handle, open the cargo door, and start the vehicle, all without removing the key from the pocket or purse. KESSY Keyless Access standard on the ID.4 doesn’t offer a sensor on the rear doors, so you’ll have to reach a front handle to unlock the rear door.

To shield the driver and front passenger’s vision over a larger portion of the windshield and side windows, the ZDX has standard extendable sun visors. The ID.4 doesn’t offer extendable visors.

Manual rear side window sunshades are available in the ZDX to help block heat and glare for the rear passengers. The ID.4 doesn’t offer rear side window sunshades.

The ZDX has a standard heated steering wheel to take the chill out of steering on extremely cold winter days before the vehicle heater warms up. A heated steering wheel is only available on the ID.4 S/Plus.

The ZDX Type S 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 ID.4 doesn’t offer a house-current electrical outlet.

The ZDX Type S’ Automatic Parking Assist can parallel park or back into a parking spot by itself, starting, stopping and changing direction automatically. The ID.4’s automatic parking system requires operating the brakes and transmission to safely park.