The Car Connection Expert Review
Likes
- Sleek, wagon-like looks
- 313-mile range
- Roomy interior
- New infotainment interface
- Choice of 3 home-charging options
Dislikes
- Not the sportiest Acura
- No front trunk
- Curious rear quarter windows
- Choosing strong regen takes extra steps
Buying tip
features & specs
Related to the Cadillac Lyriq, the 2024 Acura ZDX adds an electric vehicle to the brand’s growing SUV lineup.
What kind of vehicle is the 2024 Acura ZDX? What does it compare to?
Acura’s first electric vehicle, the 2024 ZDX is comparable in size to the three-row Acura MDX but sits five people in two rows of seats. Rivals range from the related Cadillac Lyriq to the Audi Q8 E-Tron and Tesla Model Y electric crossovers.
Is the 2024 Acura ZDX a good SUV?
Our first drive in April was promising; the ZDX is hardly the sportiest Acura, but it’s roomy, comfortable, and good-looking. The premium electric crossover debuts a new infotainment system for Acura (no touchpad!), and offers range-minded powertrains built on GM’s Ultium platform. EPA range ratings vary from 278 miles for the hot-rod Type S trim to 313 miles for the base A-Spec with rear-wheel drive. Our TCC Rating is 8.4 out of 10, though that may change if we get safety ratings from the NHTSA and/or IIHS. (Read more about how we rate cars.)
What's new for the 2024 Acura ZDX?
The entire vehicle is new except for the ZDX name, last used a decade ago for a coupe-like gas crossover that tried and failed to compete with the BMW X6.
The 2024 ZDX is built alongside the Cadillac Lyriq and shares the same platform and 102-kwh battery pack. It represents Acura’s first battery-electric vehicle, launched in the popular midsize crossover segment.
Every ZDX uses a 102-kwh battery pack with a single, rear-wheel-drive A-Spec model rated at 358 horsepower and estimated to have a 313-mile range; a dual-motor all-wheel drive option rated at 490 hp with a 304-mile range; or an AWD Type S model with 499 hp and a range of 278 miles. The ZDX is car-like in how it handles, thanks in part to a low center of gravity and a multi-link suspension upgraded to an air suspension and adaptive dampers on the performance Type S model.
In size, its footprint is similar to the Acura MDX three-row SUV, but it’s 3 inches lower and rides on a wheelbase 8 inches longer, at 121.8 inches. That translates to a roomy interior for up to five passengers.
Standard safety features include automatic emergency braking front and rear, adaptive cruise control, active lane control, blind-spot monitors, and a driver attention monitor, while forthcoming options include a limited hands-free drive system called Hands Free Cruise similar to GM’s Super Cruise.
How much does the 2024 Acura ZDX cost?
The Acura ZDX A-Spec with rear-wheel drive starts at $65,850 before the $7,500 federal tax credit, which can now be applied at the point of sale to lower its cost. The ZDX comes well equipped with an 11.0-inch digital instrument cluster with an 11.3-inch touchscreen that has wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto. The operating system will run on Google built-in, but unlike the Cadillac, it will have Apple CarPlay and Android Auto compatibility. The ZDX Type S starts at $75,850, again before the $7,500 point-of-sale credit. Both prices include a mandatory $1,350 delivery fee. Once the credits are applied, prices are $58,350 and $67,350.
Where is the 2024 Acura ZDX made?
In GM’s Spring Hill, Tennessee factory, where the Cadillac Lyriq is built.
2024 Acura ZDX Styling
The 2024 ZDX is instantly identifiable as an Acura, but it’s sleeker than the brand’s other SUV offerings.
Is the Acura ZDX a good-looking car?
The long nose, raked windshield, and abrupt tail look as much like a tall wagon as the Cadillac Lyriq. The ZDX has the proportions of a classic rear-wheel-drive SUV, which makes it distinctive and definitely more upmarket than lesser FWD models.
The high shoulders of the hood dip down into flat headlights that hug the corners. A solid grille plate bedazzled with Acura’s frozen motion spray fills the middle. The horizontal design of the lower grille includes large intakes, and the body and rocker panels sport a two-tone silver design to reduce visual height. The Type S model rides on 22-inch wheels flickering with yellow Brembo calipers up front.
Taut accent lines and flat sides give the ZDX sophistication, but at the rear, the design changes. A chrome-like strip arching over the windows ends two-thirds of the way over the rear quarter windows, a polarizing effect—observers either loved it or hated it. The integrated rear roof spoiler extends down the sides of the rear glass, like a hood. It angles steeply into the lower tailgate, which is vertical.
The interior uses a new touchscreen interface that’s far easier and more intuitive to operate than the cumbersome console touchpad of previous Acura models. It sits proud of the dash, which includes a climate panel with dials and buttons below the screen.
2024 Acura ZDX Performance
The large, heavy 2024 ZDX is more of a family hauler than a corner carver.
With planted, car-like handling and sharp acceleration honed to whip-like speeds in the Type S, the Acura ZDX earns a point each for those traits to a 7.
Is the Acura ZDX 4WD?
Acura offers the ZDX A-Spec with a choice of rear- or all-wheel drive; AWD is standard on the Type S.
How fast is the Acura ZDX?
Acura didn’t provide 0-to-60-mph acceleration times, saying only that the Type S reaches that speed in “less than 5.0 seconds,” and that it’s the quickest SUV Acura has ever sold.
Every ZDX uses a 102-kwh battery pack, with a choice of three powertrains. The Acura ZDX A-Spec has a single, 358-horsepower motor on the rear axle as standard, quoted at 324 lb-ft of torque. Dual-motor all-wheel drive is optional on the A-Spec, rated at 490 hp and 437 lb-ft. The RWD version is EPA-rated at 313 miles; AWD brings that down to 304 miles. It rides on a multi-link suspension, and rolls on 20-inch aluminum alloy wheels. The weight distribution is near 50/50.
The performance-oriented ZDX Type S comes standard with all-wheel drive and an output of 499 hp and 544 lb-ft though the estimated range drops to 278 miles. Performance upgrades for the Type S include Brembo brakes with 6-piston calipers and 15.6-inch rotors up front, plus an adjustable air suspension, adaptive dampers, and 22-inch wheels.
In a few hours of driving in and around Santa Barbara, our ZDX Type S test car offered sprightly performance and a comfortable ride in its Normal suspension setting. The Sport setting produced some more power, with lighter, quicker steering, at the cost of a slightly harsher ride. But the ZDX is hardly an Integra; this is a 3-ton electric luxury SUV, and it drives like one.
Despite the size, the ZDX can feel almost car-like behind the wheel—at least until you have to park it in a tight space. The battery under the cabin keeps the weight low, and the long wheelbase smoothes out road imperfections, meaning it’s smooth, quiet, and comfortable in its normal mode. The ZDX Type S we tested came with standard adaptive air suspension, while the lower-line A-Spec models don’t.
2024 Acura ZDX Comfort & Quality
Sized similarly to the MDX three-row SUV, the 2024 ZDX is roomy inside for a two-row SUV.
The 2024 Acura ZDX has good front seats, ample rear legroom of 39.4 inches, lots of cargo space, and a fit and finish we couldn’t criticize in any way—all adding a point, for a total of 9. A 6-foot driver will have no trouble fitting in the rear seat behind themselves, and the flat rear floor and 58 inches of shoulder room in the second row makes the center position there much less of a penalty box than in other SUVs.
But shoppers need to know the ZDX is one big, heavy SUV. It’s almost 198 inches long, with a long wheelbase, meaning it’s the size of Acura’s MDX three-row SUV with seven seats. It also weighs 5,400 to 6,000 pounds, depending on trim level.
While it reads as an SUV, its low dash and available interiors in something other than the predictable black make the interior light and airy.
Cargo volume in the A-Spec versions is 30 cubic feet with the second row up, 63 cu ft with it folded down. The Type S shaves off one cubic foot in each dimension.
2024 Acura ZDX Safety
The 2024 Acura ZDX hasn’t been crash-tested.
How safe is the Acura ZDX?
The 2024 Acura ZDX hasn’t yet been crash-tested by either of the U.S. safety agencies. When either the IIHS or NHTSA puts the SUV through its standard suite of safety evaluations, we will be able to assign the ZDX a safety score—though at a projected volume of 20,000 to 30,000 a year, that may not happen for a while.
Standard safety features in the ZDX include (but are not limited to) automatic emergency braking, automatic high beam headlights, blind-spot monitors, adaptive cruise control, a surround-view camera system, and active lane control. The cameras in particular compensate a bit for lousy outward vision to the rear, caused by the small window opening in a thick rear pillar.
Acura offers a “Hands Free Cruise” system on the Type S model, but we were unable to test it on the launch drive. Presuming it’s GM Super Cruise under another name, it should be quite good.
2024 Acura ZDX Features
The 2024 Acura ZDX offers a nice suite of standard features that’s competitive with electric SUVs from premium brands.
With points for standard and available features, a good infotainment system, and a solid 4-year/50,000-mile basic warranty with two years/24,000 miles of scheduled maintenance included, the Acura ZDX scores a 9 in our ratings system. All versions include luxury features like perforated Milano leather power seats, along with an 18-speaker Bang & Olufsen audio system. There is also wifi hotspot capability.
Standard features are an 11.0-inch digital instrument cluster with an 11.3-inch touchscreen that includes wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto. We tested both; they work fine. The Type S gets a head-up display as well. Google Assistant in the dash is by far the best voice-control system we know of, and its navigation is linked to the EV’s battery charge and other data, to allow it to route the ZDX among charging stations and recommend how long drivers stay.
Another new feature: three options for home charging. ZDX buyers can opt for a Level 2 home charging station; a $500 credit toward installation; and $100 in public charging credits. Or, those who don’t want to install a permanent home charger can choose a portable charging cord, with $250 toward installation and $300 in charging credits. Finally, users who can’t charge at home at all may want $750 in public-charging credits. Acura doesn’t offer the “unlimited” public-charging credits other EV makers have adopted.
Which Acura ZDX should I buy?
Our sensible side recommends the standard A-Spec model for $65,850—unless you must have the Type S appearance goodies for an additional $10,000—with standard rear-wheel drive, or AWD if you need it, for $4,000 more.
How much is a fully loaded Acura ZDX?
A fully loaded 2024 Acura ZDX Type S runs right around $80,000, though its base price just squeaks under the maximum for the $7,500 federal incentive. At Acura dealers that have done the paperwork to qualify, that means the $7,500 can come right off the purchase or lease price.
2024 Acura ZDX Fuel Economy
The 2024 ZDX is Acura’s only EV; its range and efficiency ratings are respectable for electric SUVs in the segment.
Is the Acura ZDX good on fuel?
The RWD version of the 2024 Acura ZDX is EPA-rated at 313 miles; adding AWD brings that down to 304 miles. The performance Type S version, with larger wheels, falls to 278 miles. The non-Type S versions offer good range and efficiency for a larger, luxurious model, given its 102-kwh battery pack. The base ZDX is rated at 90 MPGe (miles per gallon equivalent) on the EPA cycle, and it averages 2.7 miles per kwh, which is not bad for a large, heavy electric SUV. That qualifies it for a 9 here.
How fast does the Acura ZDX charge?
Acura says the ZDX battery can be charged at up to 190 kw on a CCS DC fast-charging connector, allowing up to 77 miles of range in about 10 minutes. That’s under ideal circumstances, of course, at a low state of battery charge—and with optimal temperatures and other factors. A more realistic scenario: it will fast-charge from 10 to 80 percent of battery capacity in 42 minutes at an appropriately powerful charging station.
The onboard AC charging unit in the ZDX allows up to 29 miles per hour of 240-volt Level 2 charging, assuming it’s plugged into a powerful 60-amp charging station.
