Compare the2024 Acura ZDXVS 2024 Volvo XC40 Recharge

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 XC40 Recharge 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 XC40 Recharge doesn’t offer a front passenger side knee airbag.

Both the ZDX and the XC40 Recharge have standard driver and passenger frontal airbags, front side-impact airbags, driver knee 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 742 to 1599 pounds more than the Volvo XC40 Recharge. The NHTSA advises that heavier vehicles are much safer in collisions than their significantly lighter counterparts.

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 Volvo vehicles. With 43 fewer problems per 100 vehicles, JD Power ranks Acura higher than Volvo.

J.D. Power and Associates’ 2022 survey of the owners of three-year-old vehicles provides the long-term dependability statistics that show that Acura vehicles are more reliable than Volvo With 12 fewer problems per 100 vehicles in the first three years of ownership, J.D. Power ranks Acura higher than Volvo.

From surveys of all its subscribers, Consumer Reports’ January 2024 Auto Issue reports that Acura vehicles are more reliable than Volvo vehicles. Consumer Reports ranks Acura fourth in overall reliability. Volvo is ranked 25th.

The ZDX has more powerful engines than the XC40 Recharge:

The ZDX can travel longer on a full charge than the XC40 Recharge on a full charge:

For better stopping power the ZDX Type S’ brake rotors are larger than those on the XC40 Recharge:

The ZDX’s standard front and rear disc brakes are vented to help dissipate heat for shorter stops with less fading. The rear discs on the XC40 Recharge are solid, not vented.

For better traction, the ZDX has larger standard tires than the XC40 Recharge (265/50R20 vs. 235/50R19). The ZDX Type S’ tires are larger than the largest tires available on the XC40 Recharge (275/40R22 vs. 235/50R19).

The ZDX Type S’ tires provide better handling because they have a lower 40 series profile (height to width ratio) that provides a stiffer sidewall than the XC40 Recharge Ultimate’s 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 XC40 Recharge. The ZDX Type S’ 22-inch wheels are larger than the 20-inch wheels on the XC40 Recharge Ultimate.

The Acura ZDX’s wheels have 6 lugs for longer wheel bearing life, less chance of rotor warping and greater strength. The Volvo XC40 Recharge 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 XC40 Recharge 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 XC40 Recharge 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 XC40 Recharge’s suspension doesn’t offer adjustable shock absorbers.

For a smoother ride and more stable handling, the ZDX’s wheelbase is 15.4 inches longer than on the XC40 Recharge (121.8 inches vs. 106.4 inches).

For better handling and stability, the track (width between the wheels) on the ZDX is 3.2 inches wider in the front and 2.7 inches wider in the rear than on the XC40 Recharge.

For greater off-road capability the ZDX has a greater minimum ground clearance than the XC40 Recharge (7 vs. 6.9 inches), allowing the ZDX to travel over rougher terrain without being stopped or damaged.

The ZDX has .2 inches more front headroom, .5 inches more front legroom, 11.4 inches more front hip room, 2.3 inches more front shoulder room, 3.3 inches more rear legroom, 11.7 inches more rear hip room and 1.7 inches more rear shoulder room than the XC40 Recharge.

For enhanced passenger comfort on long trips the ZDX’s rear seats recline. The XC40 Recharge’s rear seats don’t recline.

The ZDX has a much larger cargo volume with its rear seat up than the XC40 Recharge with its rear seat up (29.7 vs. 16 cubic feet). The ZDX has a much larger cargo volume with its rear seat folded than the XC40 Recharge with its rear seat folded (63 vs. 57.5 cubic feet).

The ZDX’s standard towing capacity is much higher than the XC40 Recharge’s (3500 vs. 2000 pounds).

A Trailer Sway Control is standard on the ZDX, using the Vehicle Stability Assist sensors to detect trailer sway, then uses individual brakes to counteract any swaying and help keep the tow vehicle and trailer steady. A trailer sway program costs extra on the XC40 Recharge.

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

The ZDX has a standard remote vehicle starting system, so the vehicle can be started from inside the driver's house. This allows the driver to comfortably warm up the engine before going out to the vehicle. The climate system will also automatically heat or cool the interior. The XC40 Recharge doesn’t offer a remote starting system.

Unlike the driver-only memory system in the XC40 Recharge, 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 Type S has a standard heads-up display that projects speed, warning, navigation instruction, infotainment and driver assistance information readouts in front of the driver’s line of sight, allowing drivers to view information without diverting their eyes from the road. The XC40 Recharge doesn’t offer a heads-up display.

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 XC40 Recharge 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 XC40 Recharge doesn’t offer rear side window sunshades.

Standard air-conditioned seats in the ZDX keep the driver and front passenger comfortable and take the sting out of hot seats in Summer. The XC40 Recharge doesn’t offer air-conditioned seats.

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 costs extra on the XC40 Recharge.

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 XC40 Recharge 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 XC40 Recharge doesn’t offer an automated parking system.