Canada
09-21-2010, 09:04 PM
#1
Safety Car
Thread Starter
Canada
Acura crosses ZDX up in style
It’s a study in contrasts, this ZDX. The MDX-derived crossover ute is all about styling and it ladles up good looks and a squat, linebacker-esque stance that commands attention.
Flaring fenders and big wheels (19-inch alloy rims in the case of my Autonet tester) make it an imposing figure; with chrome-trimmed, narrow side windows beneath a relatively low roof (the ZDX is actually not as tall as its near-doppelganger from parent company Honda, the Accord Crosstour) and the squinting, angry headlamps that make it appear a formidable road warrior.
Riding on super-handling all-wheel drive (SH-AWD, for those who read the Acura-acronym cheat sheet before beginning this story) and powered by a larger engine than the Crosstour (3.7 litre V6), the vehicle brings a fair bit of horsepower and very good traction to the platform.
It needs it, mind you, as the ZDX is a fairly heavy carlike utility vehicle at over 2000 kilos; and might feel awfully sluggish if it came with less than the 300 ponies and 270 lb.-ft. of torque with which Acura has equipped it.
As it is, the engine gets the vehicle up to speed capably, if not with an exhilarating whoosh; but accelerator response is very good, with little lag. Handling is likewise very good in the low-slung, wide-bodied marque.
A power-assisted rack-and-pinion steering rig provides good feedback despite being something of a light-touch affair, and any steering input gets results (which is a long-winded way of saying there isn’t a lot of play in the wheel).
The ZDX uses a 6-speed automatic transmission, with the sport mode/paddle shift inclusion found on pretty much any current Acura vehicle I can think of; and while I’m not a big paddle-shift fan, I find it works well enough. For the most part, I am leaving it in straight-up ‘automatic’ mode, and it’s delivering smooth shifts that always seem pretty intuitive for the driving conditions.
The cabin is upholstered in stitched leather, and keeps the stylish motif going with a dash treatment of black-on-black (leather and plastic surfaces) highlighted with plastic that has a brushed aluminum look.
Acura has always loved to deck its product out in technology, and so it is with my test car. While mine is a base model, lacking a navigation system, it still brings a button covered steering wheel that allows operation of the hands-free communication system and cruise/stereo controls.
A 6-CD stereo (with XM satellite receiver) provides the entertainment and, in my tester’s case, the backup camera is displayed in the rearview mirror.
The driver’s seat is mighty comfortable indeed, and I’ve always said Acura makes one of the best driver’s seats available - full range of adjustment and well-bolstered to hold a driver upright in ‘sporty’ driving situations, but with the padding still compliant enough that the seat doesn’t put your legs to sleep on longer, more relaxed jaunts.
While the seat surfaces are comfortable throughout, the ZDX suffers from a lack of interior roominess, which is surprising for a car that is as bulky on the outside. It ain’t no Ford Taurus, put it that way, and taller people (including myself, and I’m not especially tall) are finding it lacking headroom in either row. It’s mitigated somewhat by the indent for the 2-panel panoramic moonroof, but its still a tight cabin.
That aside, my major disappointment with the ZDX thus far is that for its price point it lacks a couple features that I expect to see in a ute selling above the 50 grand mark: keyless start and a digital speedometer display.
It seems a bit of a glaring exclusion in this day and age, frankly. For me, if I’m paying this kind of money I don’t want to have to take the key out of my pocket.
Summary:
Year/Make/Model
2010 Acura ZDX
Price as tested
$55,990
Trim level
base
Price range
$55,990
Freight
$1,895
Options
none
EnerGuide fuel economy ratings
12.7 L/100km city; 8.8 L/100km hwy
Observed fuel economy
13.9 L/100km combined
Warranty (basic)
4 years/ 80,000 km
Warranty (powertrain)
5 years/ 100,000 km
Competitors
BMW X6; Infiniti FX35
Strong Points
* - well finished interior
* - eye-catching exterior
* - quiet ride
Weak Points
* - poor visibility to sides and rear
* - high price
* - faux trim scratches easily
Editors Rating:Year/Make/Model
2010 Acura ZDX
Price as tested
$55,990
Trim level
base
Price range
$55,990
Freight
$1,895
Options
none
EnerGuide fuel economy ratings
12.7 L/100km city; 8.8 L/100km hwy
Observed fuel economy
13.9 L/100km combined
Warranty (basic)
4 years/ 80,000 km
Warranty (powertrain)
5 years/ 100,000 km
Competitors
BMW X6; Infiniti FX35
Strong Points
* - well finished interior
* - eye-catching exterior
* - quiet ride
Weak Points
* - poor visibility to sides and rear
* - high price
* - faux trim scratches easily
Fuel consumption: 1.5*, in a word, poor
Value for price: 2.5*, there's a hefty premium for style
Styling: 3.5*, somewhat unique exterior, nicely put together interior
Comfort: 3* tight cabin for larger passengers, good driver's seat
Performance: 3.5*, the engine moves it around competently, if not excitingly
Overall: 3*, a so-so exercise in style over substance that comes with a luxury-car price tag
09-22-2010, 01:54 PM
#2
Safety Car
Thread Starter
Blerg
I meant to post this in the reviews thread ... sorry!
09-23-2010, 01:47 PM
#3
Well the reviewer seemed to be upset about the price of the ZDX.
They have been offering $7000 Cash Back nation wide for most of this month and as of this morning Acura Canada added an additional $5000 to make it a whopping $12000 Cash Back Incentive
With tons of ZDX stock up here and dealers cant seem to give them away this should really help move them. The only thing next I would worry about would be resale value though.
They have been offering $7000 Cash Back nation wide for most of this month and as of this morning Acura Canada added an additional $5000 to make it a whopping $12000 Cash Back Incentive
With tons of ZDX stock up here and dealers cant seem to give them away this should really help move them. The only thing next I would worry about would be resale value though.
09-26-2010, 09:45 PM
#4
Drifting
I think that Acura really screwed up the pricing and equipment options for the ZDX in Canada - there is a huge price difference between the US and Canadian models that are similarly equipped, and you cannot get the "Advance" level of equipment up there. It is all very ironic since the ZDX is actually made in Ontario, and yet it's disproportionately more expensive with fewer options up in Canada. No wonder why they have to offer these huge incentives to sell them in Canada now.
04-12-2013, 09:41 PM
#5
2nd Gear
Join Date: Apr 2013
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Well the reviewer seemed to be upset about the price of the ZDX.
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