Acura ZDX Type-S test drive.

Last Updated: September 1, 2024

I saw the new Acura ZDX in person for the first time at the Los Angeles Auto Show last year and was pretty impressed. And it does not disappoint t in the real world.

The design is clean and modern, as well as quite upscale. (As it should be since my test car was priced at $ 76,450 including destination.)

The proportions are great and the 22-inch wheels included in the Type S trim look fantastic. I also appreciate the lack of a huge fake front grille. I just think the whole thing looks great and actually did get many compliments from friends as well as strangers about the design. People seem to notice the ZDX and have plenty of questions about it.

The interior looks fine. (Although it is probably much nicer in another color combo in my humble and unprofessional opinion…).

But it doesn’t really look and feel much nicer than the very nice Honda Prologue interior. Which could be a problem since the ZDX is much more expensive. Both the Prologue and ZDX use the exact same steering wheel and stalks. As well as the climate controls.

I think GM did a good job differentiating the Chevrolet Blazer EV interior from the more upscale Cadillac Lyriq. Cadillac made sure no visible interior parts were shared with the cheaper Chevrolet.

But Acura missed an opportunity to make the ZDX truly more upscale than the Prologue.

The 18-speaker Bang & Olufsen sound system sounds great, but not as perfect as the 31-speaker unit in the similarly priced MDX Type-S I drove a few weeks ago. While using Carplay, the software limits you to “recent playlists” as soon as the car is in motion. Something you experience in most GM cars. A feature that is as annoying in the ZDX as in these other GM cars. (Something I didn’t notice in the Prologue for some reason)

I also noticed the touch screen quickly got very hot. And the phone charger can be quite finicky. Heating up the phone without really charging it from time to time. Which is the usual for many car phone pads…

For a true Las Vegas strip show-like experience, the Acura ZDX features the popular Ambient Lighting feature kids like so much these days. Something I am not a fan of and try to avoid using. But I noticed the trim strip on top of the dashboard doesn’t light up for some reason. A strange cost-cutting feature in a luxury car.

The seats are comfortable and roomy, front and back. And the cargo area is big enough to carry anything you’ll ever need. But again, no real advantage over the Prologue.

The ZDX Type-S drives great. Even with its large 22-inch wheels, the ride is still very smooth in the “Comfort” mode. And firms up a bit in “Sport”. The car is extremely quiet and comfortable around town and on the freeway. However, the steering doesn’t firm up that much in the esports mode and never really feel “sporty”.

The Type S has around 500HP, and you really feel it in the Sport mode. However, the Comfort mode felt very similar to the AWD Proplgue Elite I drove earlier.

The Type-S also comes with air suspension and adaptive dampers. And yet the drive was, again, very similar to the Prologue Elite. Which ios not a bad thing.

The ZDX Type-S is rated at 278 miles, with other versions getting over 300 miles. I truly think you can still get over 300 miles in the Type-S since I had over 154 miles left after a 165-mile trip.

I think the Acura ZDX Type-S is excellent. A fast, comfortable solid, and great-looking EV. However, it faces great competition, mainly from its cousin, the Cadillac Escalade.

The Type -S trim in general is a big premium over other Acura models. In the ZDX, the Type-S trim comes with a $5000 premium over the A-Spec AWD trim, for not that much more.

If 358HP is enough for you (and trust me, in an EV it’s more than enough for most people), the base RWD trim is even more affordable at $64,500. While cheaper, all these are very pricey and still more than the equivalent Cadillac Lyriq.

I think an EV should be leased and not bought. The ZDX A-Spec officially starts at $499 a month with $6000 down. Just spend 2 1/2 minutes online and you can find much better lease deals on the ZDX. Like $319/month for 27 months with $5000 down. Yes, $319 a month for a $76,000 car.

The ZDX Type-S at over $76,000 might be overpriced. But an A-Spec trim for $319 a month is a fantastic car.

I’ve also heard people mention Acura’s next EV based on Honda’s upcoming platform. The “Performance Concept” we saw a few days ago is probably smaller than the ZDX, and will also be cheaper and probably replace the RDX. And will therefore slot below the current ZDX.

If you can find a good lease deal, the Acura ZDX is a fantastic new EV. Something anyone looking for a family EV should put on their list.

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