Today I'll be comparing the 2020 Acura RDX A-Spec to the 2020 Lexus NX300 Luxury and 2019 Audi Q5 Premium. I am comparing these cars at the low $40,000 price point in seven different categories, ranked on a scale from one to ten. Total points at the end of the comparison determine a winner. If you'd like to see the video for this comparison test, click on the thumbnail below.
Let's start with value. The 2020 Acura RDX A-Spec starts at $43,800. For that price, the exterior of the Acura comes with a panoramic moonroof, ‘Jewel Eye’ LED headlights, taillights, fog lights, daytime running lights and unique 20-inch gray wheels. Additionally, the A-Spec is different from other RDX trims with special front and rear bumpers, exhaust tips, and dark molding where chrome would normally be. On the interior, the A-Spec also has unique seats that come with premium Milano leather with contrasting stitching and suede inserts. The front two captain’s chairs are power-folding 12 different ways, and they’re both heated and ventilated. The interior temperature is controlled by a dual-zone climate control unit. A feature that sounds like an April Fool’s joke is the GPS linked climate control, which uses GPS to determine the location of the sun relative to the RDX and adjusts interior temperature accordingly. The RDX also has keyless access that unlocks the doors and sets driver preferences (like music, seat position and climate control) as they approach the car. Moving a foot under the rear bumper or pressing a button will activate the power tailgate. Then, obviously, they’re able to the start the car with a push of a button. On the leather-wrapped A-Spec steering wheel are controls for the voice recognition software, Bluetooth, and other multimedia interfaces. To change gears in the RDX, simply push the button of the gear you would like to be in on the center console. Automakers use this style to increase the usable room in the front of new cars, but some people don’t like it as much as a traditional shifter. Interior lighting in the A-Spec is red, and it has an auto-dimming, frameless rearview mirror. The A-Spec gets a fantastic 16-speaker 710-watt ELS 3D audio system. SiriusXM, HD Radio, and USB ports add to the audio entertainment. The touchpad on the center console corresponds directly to the 10.2-inch screen centered on the dashboard like a laptop computer mouse, except instead of dragging, you just press on the touchpad where the button on the screen would be. The gauges in the A-Spec are unique, but all RDX’s have a seven-inch color multi information display. For the smartphone savvy, the RDX has mobile hotspot capability, Siri Eyes Free, and Apple CarPlay support but not Android Auto. The final big-ticket feature of the RDX is the navigation system that runs on the screen in the dashboard.
 |
| The 2020 Lexus NX300 Luxury, via allcarseveryday |
The 2020 Lexus NX300 Luxury has a nearly identical starting price of $43,810. The exterior features roofrails, auto-dimming and power-folding heated outside mirrors, a power sunroof, LED DRLs, foglights and taillights, rain-sensing windshield wipers and 18-inch alloy wheels. On the inside, the Lexus has a WiFi hotspot, HD radio, Apple CarPlay and Amazon Alexa, voice command, Bluetooth and a variety of USB ports. The audio system, while not as good as in the RDX, is still decent with ten speakers. The climate control system doesn’t have the gimmicky GPS link, but it is dual-zone as in the Acura. The steering wheel and shift knob are leather as is the rest of the interior. Like in the Acura, there is a SmartAccess system that includes push-button start. The front seats are heated and ventilated, and the rearview mirror dims automatically. There is a memory function at this trim level that allows the driver's seat, mirrors, and steering column to remember where their position should be depending on who is driving. Like the Acura, the keyless access system allows you to wave a foot under the rear bumper to open the rear hatch. The Luxury trim line also adds the navigation package standard, which not only adds navigation to the vehicle but upgrades the eight-inch screen to a 10.3-inch unit. Finally, the Luxury package makes sure that the steering wheel is heated and there is black wood trim in the interior.
 |
| The 2019 Audi Q5 Premium, via allcarseveryday |
Let’s take a peek at the Audi, which happens to be the cheapest of the group at $42,950. Exterior features include LED DRLs and taillights, but the headlights remain Xenon. The exterior mirrors are heated but not power-folding, and the tailgate is powered as well. The five spoke wheels are 18-inches in diameter and the windshield wipers and headlights turn on when it starts to rain. The steering column in manually adjustable, whereas the Lexus has a powered one. The front seats are powered and heated, and the interior is leather and has wood inlays. The Audi is the only vehicle with a tri-zone climate control system and 40/20/40 rear seats, whereas the other vehicles only fold 60/40. The Audi has a seven-inch touchscreen in the center console and another seven-inch screen behind the steering wheel as the gauge cluster. The Q5 has a 180-watt sound system playing through ten speakers. Two USB ports are also part of the infotainment system, and the Audi supports both Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, despite technically being the oldest model here in terms of when the Q5 last had a major update. Naturally, Bluetooth and push-button start also find their way into the Audi. The Acura gets a nine out of ten for value, as it has a very good sound system, 20-inch wheels and navigation. No other vehicle has that type of audio system standard, nor does any other vehicle have wheels that big. The Lexus also comes with lots of features standard, but not quite as many as the A-Spec, so I’ll give it an eight out of ten in this category. I think Audi in general is a slightly more premium brand than Lexus or Acura, so even though the Q5 is priced like the other two, it is missing a lot of features, like driver seat memory, a sunroof, power-folding mirrors, and SiriusXM. It does remain the least expensive of the group however, so it still manages a seven out of ten in the value segment.
 |
| The 2020 Acura RDX A-Spec, via allcarseveryday |
Safety: The 2020 Acura RDX is rated as a Top Safety Pick Plus from the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety scoring ‘Good’ in every category, but headlights vary from ‘Acceptable’ to ‘Good’. I’m sure the A-Spec trim gets a ‘Good’ rating, however, because it has the best headlights in the RDX lineup. The active safety features on the RDX are as follows: a collision mitigation braking system, adaptive cruise control with low-speed follow, lane keeping assist, road departure mitigation, forward collision warning, lane departure warning, parking sensors, blind spot monitoring, a rear cross-traffic monitor, and automatic high-beams.
The 2020 Lexus NX earns good ratings in every category from the IIHS but is not a Top Safety Pick. Strangely, the Lexus had earned that rating in years past, but must have fallen behind the times as the model aged. Standard on every Lexus NX is Safety System+ 2.0, which has a pre-collision system with pedestrian detection, lane tracing assist, lane departure alert with steering assist, road sign assist, all-speed dynamic radar cruise control, intelligent high beams, and a blind spot monitor with rear cross traffic alert.
The 2019 Q5 is rated ‘Good’ in all categories by the IIHS except headlights, where depending on the trim they are either rated ‘Marginal’ or ‘Poor’. The Audi comes with Pre-Sense Basic and city, which is a fancy term for pedestrian detection and automatic braking. As far as I can tell, there is no rear cross traffic assist, blind spot monitoring or lane keeping assist. It looks like these features come in the Premium Plus and Prestige models. In the safety segment, the two Japanese vehicles again take the cake, with the Acura performing phenomenally in both IIHS ratings and with standard active safety features. Ten for that, eight point three for the Lexus, which didn’t score as well and doesn’t have as many safety features, and seven for the Audi for missing the safety features and scoring poorly on headlights.
Powertrain and performance: Though Acura is a Honda brand, even the RDX comes with a turbocharged engine, displacing two liters with its four cylinders. The A-Spec is supposed to be slightly sportier than the other trims, but that’s mostly a façade, as it makes the same 272 horsepower and 280 pound-feet of torque as the other trims. This power is routed through a modern 10-speed automatic that gives the driver the ability to shift their own gears using shift paddles. Front wheel drive is standard, though all wheel drive is an option. The front wheel drive model is good for a 7.1-second 0-60 run.
The Lexus also has a turbocharged, 235 horsepower 2.0-liter inline four cylinder that makes 258 pound-feet of torque. It runs through a more dated six-speed automatic transmission, but the combination is still good for a 7.2 second 0-60 time. The 2019 Audi Q5 has—you guessed it—a 2.0-liter turbocharged four-cylinder making 248 horsepower and 273 pound-feet of torque.
The Audi comes standard with all-wheel drive, which is a huge advantage. It also has a seven-speed dual clutch transmission, and in total the Audi blows the doors off the other two reaching 60 miles per hour in 5.9 seconds. Eight point five for the Acura for having lots of power and a good transmission, seven point three for the Lexus for matching the Acura even with an older trans and less power, and ten for the Audi for the all-wheel drive and speed.
Reliability: According to Consumer Report’s extensive testing, the 2020 RDX is rated as ‘Average’ reliability, the 2020 NX is rated as ‘Better than Average’ and the 2019 Audi Q5 is also rated the same as the Lexus. A step up or down in Consumer Report’s rankings is worth a point and a half each, so the Audi and Lexus get a seven point five and the Acura gets a six.
Fuel Economy: The RDX A-Spec and Q5 Premium both get 22 miles per gallon in the city and 27 on the highway. The Lexus gets 22 again in the city but bumps up the highway figure one mpg to 28 on the highway. Eight for the RDX and Q5, 8.2 for the Lexus.
Styling: The RDX is my favorite of the group on the exterior, I think it looks brawny and good looking even though it has no actual sporting pretension beyond other RDX trims, at least powertrain wise. This particular red really accentuates some of the finer body angles, and I think the 20-inch rims in smoked gray are fantastic. There are certain angles where I see the Honda CR-V shine through, like at the rear where the taillights meet the C-pillars, but I think the untrained eye won’t notice a thing. The Audi, while elegant looking, doesn’t stand out at all unless buyers pony up to the SQ5, which puts the ‘Sport’ in sport utility vehicle. Otherwise, the Q5 is sort of a wallflower, but thankfully it isn’t as ‘polarizing’ as the NX. Lexus is still in the beta phase of developing its spindle grille that started with the LC500 concept car, and I think they need to go back to the drawing board. In profile, the front looks like a weird insect, and I also am not a fan of the LED DRLs that make a sort of Nike swoosh under the main headlight. The rear isn’t as busy as the front, but I just can’t get over what looks like a complete disarray of styles. On the interiors, the A-Spec tries too hard to remain sporty where Acura should have just accepted that A-Spec buyers don’t care if the inside of their RDX looks like an S2000. The gauge cluster, while unique to this trim, is tacky and out of character with the rest of the car. The seats are busy, and the two-tone color scheme seems too boy racer and not enough upper-middle class empty nester, like it should. The Lexus clearly has the most dated interior, and I felt that way immediately when I stepped inside. Furthermore, having owned many a Toyota, I could tell some of the switchgear in the Lexus was taken from the corporate parts bin, which could be upsetting to NX buyers that have ever stepped foot in a late model Corolla. The analog clock placement, steering wheel design and tiering of the dashboard make me think it’s time for an update. Also, I have never seen the push to start button in such a sore spot. However, I still like the general design. The Audi has the best interior, by a lot. It’s clean, modern, and the TFT instrument cluster is executed perfectly. I think the shifter is beautiful, the steering wheel is perfect, and the woodgrain cuts through the otherwise somewhat drab feeling interior nicely. I’ll give the Acura an eight point five for styling, the Audi an eight-point four, and the Lexus a seven.
Usability: The usability of each vehicle is how well the vehicle is packaged, and how well it seems put together, especially for a luxury car. The Acura RDX has 31 cubic feet of storage space with all seats up and 79.8 when down, and it has a low belt-line which makes it feel spacious in the interior. The Audi Q5 has the most luxurious back seat, but at the expense of cargo capacity, which is 25.1 with the seats up and 53.1 with the seats down. The NX has even less space with 17.7 cubes behind the rear seats, a number that some midsize sedans can achieve. With the seats down, there is a maximum of 54.6 cubes. The Acura has better storage space up front for phones, pens, purses and the like than the other two, which is beneficial to any family. The Lexus has this removable piece in the center stack is perplexing. Seems like something that would get lost. The volume knob in the Audi is a reach for the driver, as it’s on the passenger side of the bottom of the center console...a weird trend I have noticed in German vehicles. I’ll give the Acura an eight for the extra cargo capacity and real-world usable space, the Audi a seven point three and the Lexus a six-point eight.
Final scores? The Acura gets a 58, the Lexus got a 53.1, and the Audi got a 55.2. The Acura dominated the group this year, dethroning the previous winner, the Q5. If you’re looking for quiet speed to cruise in understated style, the Q5 remains your vehicle. If you’re looking to turn heads for better or worse, grab the Lexus keys. But there is not a better proposition than an Acura RDX A-Spec out of these three, and it is our new king. Cadillac, BMW, and Infiniti are next.
No comments:
Post a Comment