Price
Winner: 2018 Honda CR-V
The Honda CR-V starts at $24,150, which sounds like a bargain, but it’s a bit more expensive than many competitors and is sparsely equipped at that price.
The Acura RDX starts at $35,800, which is considerably more expensive. However, the RDX is more competitively priced within its own class than the CR-V.
Still, the CR-V is the absolute price winner in this category.
Reliability
Winner: 2018 Acura RDX
There is no J.D. Power reliability information available yet for these 2018 models. However, there are no major changes between the 2017 and 2018 versions of these vehicles, so we can consider reliability ratings from last year. Both of these 2017 compact SUVs score 3.5 out of a possible five on J.D. Power’s scale, which indicates reliability that is a little better than average.
The 2018 Honda CR-V is backed by a three-year/36,000-mile basic warranty and a five-year/60,000-mile powertrain warranty. The 2018 Acura RDX comes with a four-year/50,000-mile basic warranty and a six-year/70,000-mile powertrain warranty.
With its superior powertrain warranty, the RDX squeaks by with a win in this category.
Seat Comfort
Winner: 2018 Honda CR-V
The Honda CR-V and Acura RDX both feature very nice interiors with comfortable seats. However, the Honda CR-V punches above its weight, providing better seating than many competitors in its class, while the Acura RDX is actually a little less comfortable than some of its competitors.
The CR-V comes standard with cloth upholstery, and can be upgraded with leather seats, a 12-way power-adjustable driver’s seat, a four-way power-adjustable passenger seat, and heated front seats.
The RDX includes leatherette upholstery, a 10-way power driver’s seat, and heated front seats. Available upgrades in the RDX include leather upholstery, ventilated front seats, and sport seats.
Cargo Space
Winner: 2018 Honda CR-V
The Honda CR-V’s cargo space is excellent, while the Acura RDX’s is above average. The CR-V features 39.2 cubic feet behind the rear row, which can be folded down to open up a total of 75.8 cubic feet. The RDX checks in with a cargo area measuring 26.1 cubic feet and a total of 61.3 cubic feet. A power liftgate is standard in the RDX and optional in the CR-V.
Interior Quality
Winner: 2018 Honda CR-V
Both vehicles feature sophisticated cabin designs, lots of soft-touch materials throughout, and high build quality. While these characteristics are a bonus in the compact SUV class, they’re par for the course amongst luxury compact SUVs. Again, the Honda CR-V earns a point for exceeding expectations at its price point, while the Acura RDX is good, but not exceptional, compared to the rest of its class.
Interior Features
Winner: 2018 Honda CR-V
The Honda CR-V gets very basic standard equipment, such as a 5-inch display, Bluetooth, and a rearview camera. Buyers must shell out extra for an infotainment system with a 7-inch touch screen, Apple CarPlay, Android Auto, push-button start, a proximity key, a moonroof, satellite radio, and active safety features. Though the touch-screen infotainment system is a little sluggish, it’s easy to use.
The Acura RDX includes more standard interior features than the Honda CR-V. The base RDX comes equipped with an infotainment system with a 5-inch display, Bluetooth, a USB port, Pandora internet radio, satellite radio, a seven-speaker audio system, a rearview camera with adjustable settings, a power moonroof, push-button start, and a proximity key. The RDX’s options include an upgraded infotainment system and several active safety features.
The RDX is better equipped, but the CR-V’s infotainment system is much easier to use. The upgraded infotainment system in the RDX is comprised of two screens, which can often distract the driver. Additionally, the touch-screen interface is not incredibly responsive.
Because you can upgrade the CR-V to get most of the features that come standard in the RDX (for about the same amount of money), and the CR-V’s infotainment system is much easier to use, it gets the win here.
Acceleration
Winner: 2018 Acura RDX
The Acura RDX is offered with just one engine, a 3.5-liter V6 that makes 279 horsepower and comes paired to a six-speed automatic transmission. This setup provides smooth acceleration and is more powerful than either of the CR-V’s available engines.
The base Honda CR-V comes with 184 horsepower from its 2.4-liter four-cylinder engine. You can upgrade to 190 horsepower from a turbocharged 1.5-liter four-cylinder engine. Both come paired to a continuously variable automatic transmission. The base powertrain is adequate, but the optional turbocharged engine provides better acceleration.
Fuel Economy
Winner: 2018 Honda CR-V
The turbocharged version of the Honda CR-V is the most efficient of these vehicles, earning fuel economy ratings of 28 mpg in the city, 34 on the highway, and 30 combined. The base 2.4-liter CR-V is next, with ratings of 26 mpg in the city, 32 on the highway, and 28 combined. The Acura RDX, with its V6 engine, is a distant third. The RDX’s EPA ratings come in at 20 mpg in the city, 28 on the highway, and 23 combined.
Ride and Handling
Winner: 2018 Acura RDX
Buyers who choose the Acura RDX over the Honda CR-V will be rewarded with a much more engaging driving experience. The RDX features precise steering and a balanced suspension system that keeps passengers comfortable during spirited driving. The CR-V is also comfortable, but its handling characteristics are much less athletic.
Both SUVs come standard with front-wheel drive and offer all-wheel drive as an upgrade.
Safety
Winner: Tie
The Acura RDX and Honda CR-V have identical crash test scores. Both earn an overall rating of five stars (out of a possible five) from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration and Good ratings on all five tests from the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety.
Both SUVs come standard with a rearview camera. There are lots of optional safety features available with both vehicles, such as blind spot monitoring, adaptive cruise control, automatic emergency braking, rear cross traffic alert, lane departure warning, and parking sensors.
The Winner Is …
2018 Honda CR-V
The Honda CR-V and Acura RDX are similar in a lot of ways, but the CR-V’s much lower price cements its status as a better value. Both available powertrains of the CR-V also get much better fuel economy than the RDX, which will save you even more money down the road, and you’ll be as comfortable as you would be in the RDX, if not more so.
The RDX has significant advantages in terms of performance, and it is worth considering for buyers who prioritize acceleration and handling. Otherwise, for most shoppers, the Honda CR-V is the better vehicle.
If you’re set on a luxury brand, but you like the CR-V’s lower price, you could also consider getting a used Acura RDX.
More Shopping Tools From U.S. News & World Report
If you need more information about these Acura and Honda SUVs, you should check out our reviews. If you would like to learn about competing models, you’ll see more of your options in our compact SUV rankings and luxury compact SUV rankings.
When you’re ready to buy, be sure to use our U.S. News Best Price Program to find the dealership with the best prices near to you. Shoppers who use the program save an average of $3,279 off their new car purchase.
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RDX vs. CR-V: Worth the Upgrade?
From the outside, there doesn’t appear to be much difference between the Honda CR-V and Acura RDX. In fact, the 2018 RDX is based on the platform of the older 2012-to-2016-era CR-V, and there’s definitely a family resemblance between these two compact SUVs.
However, the 2018 CR-V currently sits at the top of our compact SUV rankings, while the 2018 RDX comes in just above mid-pack. It’s tempting to go for the luxury option if you can afford it, but the RDX starts at about a third more than the CR-V.
With scoring data from U.S. News reviews, we compared these two models in the categories that matter the most to potential buyers of compact SUVs. After reading this comparison, you should be able to decide whether the Acura RDX or Honda CR-V is the better choice for you.