2022 Lexus NX vs. 2022 Acura RDX

“Lexus NX” by Automobile Italia licensed under CC BY 2.0

In terms of compact luxury crossovers, the 2022 Lexus NX and 2022 Acura RDX are both reliable, quality vehicles that can give you a great deal for your money. If you’re looking for a new ride, you may want to know which one is better for you. At Eskridge Lexus, we want you to make an informed decision any time you purchase a vehicle. Read on to learn more about each vehicle and discover which model ultimately comes out on top in this comparison.

Performance and Handling

With a variety of engine options, both gas and hybrid, you can be sure to find something that matches your exact preferences with the Lexus NX. The base NX 250 comes with a 2.5-liter four-cylinder engine that offers 203 horsepower and 184 pound-feet of torque. It also comes with an eight-speed automatic transmission. With the NX 350, you’ll get a 2.4-liter turbo engine with an eight-speed automatic transmission and all-wheel drive. Also available are the NX 350 hybrid and NX 450 plug-in hybrid engines, both of which use continually variable automatic transmissions. All trims come standard with all-wheel drive except the NX 250, which is available with either front-wheel drive or all-wheel drive.

With the Acura RDX, there is only one engine available. All trims of this vehicle utilize a 2.0-liter, turbocharged four-cylinder engine that offers 272 horsepower and 280 pound-feet of torque. You’ll also get a 10-speed automatic transmission. If you’re interested in all-wheel drive, it’s available across trims, but the standard is front-wheel drive. While the engine of the Acura RDX demonstrates slightly higher power and capability in terms of horsepower and torque, the additional options for the Lexus NX may make this a smart choice if you’d like to customize your driving experience.

Fuel Economy

On average, the Lexus NX can give you 28 mpg of fuel economy, 26 in the city, and 33 on the highway. The Acura RDX, on the other hand, offers 24 mpg on average, 22 in the city and 28 on the highway. If you’re concerned with fuel economy, the hybrid options of the Lexus NX may be a smart choice to offer you the most mileage per gallon.

Features and Options

Even the base 2022 NX 250 offers a variety of features like synthetic leather upholstery, a 10-way power-adjustable driver’s seat, and dual-zone climate control. With the more enhanced trims, you can add luxury features like interior ambient lighting, a panoramic moon roof, leather seating, heated and ventilated front seats, and a head-up display. As the trims advance, you can pick a version that matches your price point and feature preferences.

The Acura RDX also offers a wide range of features to make your drive enjoyable. Some standard features include LED headlights, keyless entry and ignition, a power tilt and slide panoramic roof, dual-zone automatic climate control, simulated leather upholstery, and heated and 12-way power-adjustable front seats. With the vehicle’s five trims, the RDX, Technology, A-Spec, Advance, and A-Spec Advance, you can also add certain feature packages to create your ideal vehicle.

With the A-spec, you can add a sporty appearance package, with a flat-bottom steering wheel, leather or simulated suede seats, heated and ventilated front seats, and a 16-speaker ELS stereo. For the Advance, you can enjoy all-wheel drive, an adaptive suspension, a 360-degree camera system, 16-way power-adjustable front seats, and heated rear outboard seats. Since these options mostly come in packages, you may end up selecting some extra features that you don’t need but may still enjoy.

Safety

All trims of the Lexus NX come standard with Lexus’ Safety System+ 3.0. This includes automatic emergency braking, blind spot monitors, rear cross-traffic alert, lane-keeping assist, pedestrian detection, forward-collision warning, and automatic high beams. These features offer a vast improvement over previous Lexus NX versions.

The Acura RDX offers a similarly impressive list of safety features. You can feel secure with a signature collision mitigation braking system, road departure mitigation, adaptive cruise control with low-speed follow, lane-keeping assist system, pedestrian detection, and traffic sign recognition. Additional add-on driver assistance features include forward-collision warning with automatic emergency braking, blind spot monitoring with rear cross-traffic alert, and adaptive cruise control.

Technology

In its base trims, the Lexus NX offers a 9.8-inch touch screen with wireless Apple CarPlay, Android Auto, and Amazon Alexa. Within the upper trims, you can enjoy a 14-inch infotainment screen and an enhanced sound system to make your ride memorable. The standard Acura RDX infotainment system comes in the form of a 10.2-inch display with wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto integration, Amazon Alexa compatibility, USB-A and USB-C charging ports, and Wi-Fi. With the add-on technology package, you can enjoy front and rear parking sensors, sport seats, leather seating, navigation, a 12-speaker ELS sound system, and wireless charging.

Interior and Cargo Space

The Lexus NX’s interior has advanced from previous versions to offer you a comfortable ride. Besides a better infotainment touch screen, you can enjoy strong visibility and storage space across the seating area. You can also use 22.7 cubic feet of cargo room, along with 38.3 inches of front headroom, and 36.1 inches of rear legroom. While the Lexus NX’s numbers are good for a compact vehicle, the Acura RDX is slightly bigger, offering 29.5 cubic feet of cargo room, 40 inches of front headroom, and 38 inches of rear legroom. With both vehicles, rear storage increases when the seats are folded.

Which Vehicle Is Better?

Both the Lexus NX and the Acura RDX are high-quality vehicles that can offer you what you’re looking for in a compact crossover. The Acura offers slightly more power and cargo space. However, if you want to customize your ideal driving experience and get better gas mileage, the Lexus NX has an edge over the competition.

With more engine options, including two hybrid offerings you’ll get your ideal match without compromise. Individual feature options can help you enhance your vehicle without committing to packages, as with the Acura RDX. To learn more about the Lexus NX, you can explore the Lexus website today.

While you can’t go wrong with the 2022 Lexus NX or the 2022 Acura RDX, we believe the Lexus to be the superior vehicle. If you’d like to learn more about these vehicles or check out any of our other offerings, you can contact us or visit the Eskridge Lexus showroom today. We can’t wait to meet you and to help you select and customize your ideal ride.