Compare the2025 Honda CR-VVS 2024 Acura RDX

For enhanced safety, the front and rear seat shoulder belts of the Honda CR-V have pretensioners to tighten the seatbelts and eliminate dangerous slack in the event of a collision. The Acura RDX doesn’t offer pretensioners for its rear seat belts.

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 CR-V 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.

Using vehicle speed sensors and seat sensors, smart airbags in the CR-V deploy with different levels of force or don’t deploy at all to help better protect passengers of all sizes in different collisions. The CR-V’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.

Over 200 people are killed each year when backed over by motor vehicles. The CR-V EX-L/Sport-L/Sport Touring has a standard Low-Speed Braking Control 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.

The CR-V’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 CR-V and the RDX 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, plastic fuel tanks, four-wheel antilock brakes, traction control, electronic stability systems to prevent skidding, crash mitigating brakes, daytime running lights, lane departure warning systems, rearview cameras, available all wheel drive, blind spot warning systems, rear parking sensors and rear cross-path warning.

There are almost 4 times as many Honda dealers as there are Acura dealers, which makes it much easier should you ever need service under the CR-V’s warranty.

J.D. Power and Associates’ 2024 Initial Quality Study of new car owners surveyed provide the statistics that show that Honda vehicles are better in initial quality than Acura vehicles. J.D. Power ranks Honda above average in initial quality. With 12 more problems per 100 vehicles, Acura is rated lower.

J.D. Power and Associates’ 2024 survey of the owners of three-year-old vehicles provides the long-term dependability statistics that show that Honda vehicles are more reliable than Acura With 10 fewer problems per 100 vehicles in the first three years of ownership, J.D. Power ranks Honda higher than Acura.

On the EPA test cycle the CR-V gets better mileage than the RDX:

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

The CR-V has a standard continuously variable transmission (CVT). With no “steps” between gears, it can keep the engine at the most efficient speed for fuel economy, or keep it at its peak horsepower indefinitely for maximum acceleration. The RDX doesn’t offer a CVT.

The CR-V stops much shorter than the RDX:

The CR-V EX-L AWD handles at .84 G’s, while the RDX pulls only .81 G’s of cornering force in a Motor Trend skidpad test.

For better maneuverability, the CR-V’s turning circle is 1.6 feet tighter than the RDX’s (37.3 feet vs. 38.9 feet).

The Honda CR-V may be more efficient, handle and accelerate better because it weighs about 150 to 550 pounds less than the Acura RDX.

The front grille of the CR-V 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.

The CR-V has .4 inches more front headroom, .6 inches more front hip room, 2.6 inches more rear legroom and 2.7 inches more rear hip room than the RDX.

For enhanced passenger comfort on long trips the CR-V’s rear seats recline. The RDX’s rear seats don’t recline.

The CR-V has a much larger cargo volume than the RDX with its rear seat up (39.3 vs. 31.1 cubic feet).

The CR-V is available in both front-wheel drive and four-wheel drive configurations. The RDX doesn’t offer a two-wheel drive configuration.

The CR-V will cost the buyer less in the long run because of its superior resale value. The IntelliChoice estimates that the CR-V will retain 57.72% to 58.67% of its original price after five years, while the RDX only retains 53.7% to 55%.

IntelliChoice estimates that five-year ownership costs (depreciation, financing, insurance, fuel, fees, repairs and maintenance) for the Honda CR-V will be $12115 to $15479 less than for the Acura RDX.

Consumer Reports® recommends both the Honda CR-V and the Acura RDX, based on reliability, safety and performance.

The CR-V was chosen as a Car and Driver’s “5Best Trucks/10Best” for 2024 and 4 more times in the last 23 years. The RDX has never been chosen by Car and Driver in their “10Best” issue.

Motor Trend selected the CR-V as their 2018 Sport Utility of the Year. The RDX has never been chosen.

The Honda CR-V outsold the Acura RDX by over 9 to one during 2023.