MotorTrend

MotorTrend 1st Drive

Acura calls the new ZDX "a provocative new four door sports coupe", but it's hard to feel shocked or outraged that anyone would attempt to pass off an SUV as a sports car. In the context of vehicles like Caddy's Escalade, Porsche's Cayenne, Infiniti's FX and BMW's X6, trying to define exactly what an SUV is these days is like trying to explain the differences between a Corvette and a Camry to a caveman.

The reality is the Acura ZDX is about as sporty as you'd expect a 4400lb all-wheel drive truck with 300hp, an automatic transmission, wide tires, and a relatively high center of gravity to be: A well-driven V-6 Camry SE sedan will blow its doors off on a winding back road. But with ZDX sportiness has nothing to do with function. It has everything to do with form.

The ZDX's sheetmetal is the work of 25 year old Acura designer Michelle Christensen, and looks remarkably close to her original theme sketches. Turning those sketches into the real thing required some serious rule-breaking by American Honda engineers. The sharply creased, broad shouldered rear quarter panel required a draw twice as deep as Honda regulations allowed, for example, and the development of a new phosphate coating so the metal would slip cleanly in the die. The fully glazed upper -- glass runs from the base of the windshield over the roof and down to the taillights -- raised concerns over weight and cost.

The interior shows the same dedication to form over function. Designer Michael Wiedeman's swooping concave feature lines, which arc across the dash, linking the center console and the doors, take more than an hour and a half to hand finish in leather. Honda can assemble almost a tenth of a whole Civic in the same time.

Yet there is a practical side to the ZDX. It will accommodate five, though the rear doors are relatively narrow, and that swooping roofline means visibility is limited. The rear load space might look compact, but there's a hidden under-floor compartment for extra storage, and side panels that can be removed to allow golf bags to be stowed crossways. The rear seats fold forward to create a near flat area that reaches forward to the B-pillar and offers 55.8 cubic feet of cargo space.

Under the hood is Honda's 3.7-liter V-6, which develops 300 horsepower at 6400 rpm, and 270 pound-feet of torque at 4600 rpm. The engine drives through a new six speed automatic transmission, and the latest iteration of Honda's complex but effective SH-AWD system. Like many Honda engines, the V-6 feels light on torque; a sensation not helped by the ZDX's mass and the widely spaced ratios in the transmission.

Left to its own devices the ZDX feels a tad lethargic, particularly when overtaking on two lanes. The good news, however, is the transmission offers both a sport mode (revised mapping typically keeps the transmission in the lower four ratios, and locks out sixth gear) and full manual control via steering wheel mounted paddles. A quick double tap on the downshift paddle allows the transmission to skip from sixth to fourth, fifth to third, fourth to second, if needed. Put some effort into your driving, and the ZDX responds accordingly.

Standard suspension is by way of MacPherson struts up front, and a multi-link rear axle, both anchored by beefy sub-frames. Top-of-the-range ZDXs get magneto-rheological shocks as part of what Acura calls its Integrated Dynamics System (IDS). Controlled via a large knob on the center console, IDS switches both damper and steering rates between "comfort" and "sport" settings. On our early-build tester (one of two ZDXs that are by now crumpled heaps of metal in Honda's crash lab) the sport setting's damper rates felt a touch too firm mooching around town, while the comfort setting's steering felt too light. Acura engineers have subsequently confirmed production ZDXs will get more steering feel in the comfort setting, which seems the ideal compromise.

Standard equipment is lavish. The base ZDX comes equipped with the all-glass roof, leather interior, power tailgate, backup camera, and 19in wheels and tires. The Technology Package adds sat nav with real time traffic and weather, Acura/ELS audio, keyless access and a multi-view rear camera. The Advance Package includes a sport steering wheel, ventilated seats, adaptive cruise control, collision mitigation braking system, the aforementioned IDS, and blind spot monitors, which really ought to be standard across the range.

If you want an Acura for family road trips, buy an MDX. The ZDX is designed for couples -- trendy youngsters or fifty-something empty nesters -- who want a vehicle that not only stands out in the valet line at a hip hotel, but is a comfortable and capable ride for quick getaway trips, regardless of the weather or the road surface.

 

Press Release

New 2010 Acura ZDX Four-Door Sports Coupe Delivers Style, Performance, Luxury and Refinement ​

The all-new 2010 Acura ZDX four-door sports coupe will arrive this winter at Acura dealerships with dramatic styling, outstanding performance and the latest in advanced technology. The segment bending ZDX features stunning coupe-like styling with the added benefit of a commanding presence and flexible utility. Staying true to the prototype model that debuted at the 2009 New York International Auto Show in April, the production ZDX will feature the key design highlights of a panoramic glass roof, hidden rear door handles and bold fender flares.

"The ZDX is like nothing you have ever seen before from Acura," said Jeff Conrad, vice president of Acura sales. "It combines the best attributes of a coupe, a sedan and a sport utility – all wrapped in a beautifully sculpted package – that will attract an entirely new luxury customer to the Acura brand."

Designed, developed and manufactured entirely in North America, the ZDX breaks new ground for Acura in many ways. The ZDX is the first vehicle to be styled from start to finish in the new, dedicated Acura Design Studio in Torrance, CA, allowing exterior and interior designers to work closely together throughout the entire design process. Staying true to the original sketch from Acura's first female designer, Michelle Christensen, the ZDX features sensuous curves, deeply sculpted shoulders and strong character lines.

Inside, the ZDX exhibits the highest levels of refinement and sophistication ever offered from Acura. Every ZDX interior will feature Acura's first hand-stitched leather dashboard, door panels and sculpted center console. The rich leather appointments give the ZDX a warm and inviting feeling while creating an intimate cockpit for the driver and front passenger. The cabin is well lit thanks to extensive use of LED lighting along with the light from the unique moonroof that is an integral design aspect of the longest glass roof in the industry. The panoramic glass roof has dual automatic sunshades that open and closes at the touch of a button.

The luxurious cockpit gives way to generous cabin that provides comfortable seating for up to 5-passengers. The ZDX's flexible utility allows it to be a perfect weekend getaway vehicle, allowing for 26.3 cubic feet of space behind the second row seats and a total of 55.8 cubic feet when the seats are folded flat. The cargo area can also be expanded to accommodate longer objects (such as golf bags) by removing side panels in the cargo-compartment sidewalls. As an added bonus, there is an integrated under-floor storage area which provides 2.2 cubic-feet of secure space.

The all-new ZDX not only boasts head-turning style but also outstanding performance. The 3.7-liter SOHC V-6 all-aluminum engine generates 300 horsepower and 270 lb-ft of torque for immediate acceleration response, outstanding low- and mid-range torque and superior high-rpm power. The all-new 6-speed automatic transmission with steering wheel mounted paddle shifters gives the ZDX excellent acceleration while also enhancing fuel economy. EPA estimated city/highway fuel mileage of 16/22 mpg* and a large 21-gallon fuel capacity allow for the ZDX to have a long cruising range. Plus, the ZDX complies with the latest EPA TIER 2 – BIN 5 and CARB LEV II ULEV emissions standards.

Standard on the ZDX is Acura's exclusive Super Handling All-Wheel Drive™ (SH-AWD®) system. SH-AWD® expands the ZDX's appeal by providing outstanding handling as well as excellent all-season capability. Standard on the ZDX are 19x8.5-inch 7-spoke aluminum alloy wheels- the largest standard wheel in the Acura lineup.

Adding to the dynamic capabilities of the ZDX is the available Integrated Dynamics System (IDS), which tailors the fully independent suspension's Active Damper System and speed-sensitive steering together to suit the driver's preference for a more comfortable or a more sporting ride – all available for easy change at the turn of a dial. Comfort mode prioritizes road isolation and reduced passenger fatigue, while Sport mode favors crisp handling response, heightened vehicle body control and maximum traction.

Befitting its "sports coupe" design, the 2010 ZDX is longer, lower, wider and has a significantly wider track than its primary market competitors. The ZDX rides on a 108.3-inch wheelbase with an overall length of 192.4 inches, it has an overall width of 85.6 inches with a 67.7-inch track front and rear, and it stands 62.8 inches tall. These dimensions allow the ZDX to offer a driving character that is as confident as its appearance is dramatic.

When the ZDX goes on sale this winter, customers will have the choice of three distinct trim levels: ZDX, ZDX with Technology Package and the ZDX with Advance Package. Like all Acura models, the ZDX will come generously equipped. The panoramic glass roof with moveable sunshades, hand-stitched leather interior, Bluetooth® HandsFreeLink® connectivity, power tailgate and a high powered audio system with CD player, AM/FM radio, XM® Satellite Radio and USB audio connectivity with iPod® integration are all standard features.

The ZDX with Technology Package adds several key features including an Acura Navigation System with Voice Recognition™, an Acura/ELS Surround® premium audio system and a new multi-view rear camera. The Advance Package boasts additional customer enhancing technologies like a blind spot information system, a Collision Mitigating Braking System™ (CMBS™) and Adaptive Cruise Control (ACC).

When the ZDX goes on-sale, it will bring a new level of prestige to the Acura lineup. The ZDX will be positioned and priced between the MDX luxury SUV and the RL luxury performance sedan. ZDX pricing and additional details will be released at a later date.

Powertrain
The all-new ZDX is equipped with a new generation of the 3.7-liter SOHC V-6 engine that continues Acura's longstanding mission to provide V-8 level horsepower and torque with the size and fuel efficiency of a V-6. The all-aluminum engine develops 300 horsepower and 270 lb-ft of torque for immediate acceleration response, outstanding low- and mid-range torque and exciting high-rpm power.

Helping broaden the powerband while simultaneously improving fuel efficiency of the latest 3.7L V-6 is a new 2-rocker arm design VTEC® (Variable Valve Timing and Lift Electronic Control) system applied to the intake valves. In addition, special high-lift camshaft specs during VTEC® operation, a dual-stage induction system and an electronic Drive-by-Wire™ throttle system team to improve engine performance.

Performance and fuel economy are further enhanced by the ZDX's all-new Sequential SportShift 6-speed automatic transmission that is designed to satisfy the most discerning enthusiast drivers. EPA estimated city/highway fuel mileage of 16/22 mpg* and a large 21-gallon fuel capacity allow for the ZDX to have a long cruising range. Plus, the ZDX complies with the latest EPA TIER 2 – BIN 5 and CARB LEV II ULEV emissions standards.

Standard on the ZDX is Acura's exclusive Super Handling All-Wheel Drive™ (SH-AWD®) system, which is tuned for real-world driving conditions and has been performance proven on Germany's famed Nürburgring road course. Setting new standards for power delivery and handling response, SH-AWD® actively varies the torque distribution first between front and rear axles, and then between the left and right rear wheels, to maximize available traction under most driving situations. This "torque vectoring" operates automatically and seamlessly, and allows SH-AWD® to overdrive the outside rear wheel up to 1.7-percent faster than the front wheels- thus creating a "yaw moment" that allows the ZDX to better rotate around a corner while minimizing vehicle understeer.

Chassis
The ZDX chassis was tuned to provide an ideal balance of handling precision, road isolation and damping. In front, MacPherson struts team with coil-over springs and forged-aluminum lower control arms for precise handling with generous wheel travel, while hydro-compliance suspension bushings and a front subframe that "floats" on rubber mounts provide superb road and engine isolation. The ZDX's multi-link rear suspension mounts on a separate steel subframe and employs aluminum uprights for reduced unsprung weight; the coil springs, dampers and anti-roll bar are tuned for optimum ride and handling.

Included with the available Advance Package, the new Integrated Dynamics System (IDS) tailors the ZDX's fully independent suspension's Active Damper System and speed-sensitive steering to suit the driver's preference for a more comfortable or a more sporting ride – available at the touch of a switch. Comfort mode prioritizes road isolation and reduced passenger fatigue, while Sport mode favors crisp handling response, heightened vehicle body control and maximum traction.

The heart of the ZDX's Active Damper System is its electronically-controlled Magneto-Rheological shock absorbers, which can individually adjust from minimum to maximum damping force in as little as five milliseconds (0.005 sec.). Along with the active dampers, the speed-sensitive hydraulic steering assist is automatically adjusted according to the driver's choice of Comfort or Sport modes: lighter steering effort is generated in the Comfort mode, while firmer effort results when in Sport mode.

Body
The exterior design goal for the ZDX was to merge the emotional appeal of a sports coupe with excellent all-season ability and good ground clearance to allow for moderate off-highway use. The unique design of the wide rear fenders and aerodynamic cabin give the ZDX a decisive and powerful appearance, while the panoramic glass roof provides occupants with a breathtaking view of the world around them.

The unique moonroof design teams with the surrounding glass structure to make for the longest glass roof in the automotive market- stretching from the leading edge of the windshield to the trailing edge of the tailgate glass. In the front section of the glass roof is the moonroof that tilts and slides up and back along the outside of the roof. This opening design helps to preserve maximum interior headroom while also retaining the dramatic and personal "sports coupe" design of the cabin greenhouse. A fixed glass panel over the rear seat area further brightens the cabin. Dual motorized sunshades cover both the front and rear glass panels should the ZDX occupants choose to reduce sunlight entering the interior, while a mesh fabric pop-up air deflector achieves a new standard for wind-noise performance when compared to a traditional blade-type wind deflector.

Cargo
Opening the power-actuated tailgate reveals an impressively detailed rear cargo area that offers a total of 26.3 cubic feet of space behind the rear seats. Lined with premium loop-style carpet, the rear cargo area also offers a cleverly hidden 2.2 cubic-feet cargo bin positioned under the floor. Hidden behind removable side panels are additional storage areas in the cargo-compartment sidewalls. Like the under-floor access panel, the removable side panels have satin-metal release handles, and can be stored in the under-floor cargo bin to generate a wide load space designed to accommodate up to four golf bags. With the second-row seats folded, the ZDX offers a fully carpeted near-flat load floor and a total of 55.8 cubic feet of cargo space.

Interior
Combining premium materials with a new standard of attention-to-detail and craftsmanship, the ZDX interior takes its place as the ultimate expression of Acura interior design. Following the "2+Freedom" design concept, the ZDX interior emphasizes the needs of the driver and passenger, while also offering the loading freedom to easily accommodate a weekend golfing trip or a piece of bulky cargo. For occasional use, the ZDX's second-row seats can comfortably accommodate two full-size adults, or three passengers for shorter rides.

New manufacturing processes allow top-grade leather to precisely follow complex, flowing shapes on the instrument panel, center console and door panels. LED interior lighting and a striking center instrument panel that blacks out when not in use give the ZDX a clean, technical feel.

Standard ZDX interior features include leather seating surfaces, a supportive 10-way adjustable power driver seat and an 8-way adjustable power passenger seat. Also standard is the panoramic glass roof, power tailgate and a dual-zone, dual-mode automatic climate control system with automatic humidity control and rear seat vents. Additional standard equipment includes a powerful 8-speaker audio system with 6-disc CD changer, AM/FM tuner, XM® Radio, Bluetooth® Audio, USB port connectivity (for items such as iPod®, iPhone®, or removable USB mass storage devices) and AUX jack interface (for portable MP3 music players).

The ZDX auto day/night rearview mirror includes an integrated rear view camera display, while Tech and Advance models display camera information on the navigation system's full VGA color display.

Advanced Technology
An available Technology Package increases both connectivity and comfort. The package starts with a Keyless Access System with push-button start, luxurious full-grain Perforated Milano Premium Leather for the seating surfaces and an Acura Navigation System with Voice Recognition™. The system has an 8-inch full VGA high-resolution color display, uses navigation data stored on a built-in 60 GB hard disk drive (HDD) for impressively quick operation and includes AcuraLink Real-Time Traffic with Traffic Rerouting™ along with the AcuraLink Real-Time Weather™ with weather radar image maps. For the ultimate in connectivity, the AcuraLink® Satellite Communication System allows direct communication between the ZDX and Acura, including the ability to make automated appointments for vehicle service.

The Technology Package also features Acura's renowned Acura/ELS Surround® premium audio system with a 435-watt Digital Sound Processor amplifier, a 10-speaker surround sound array and a built-in 15-gigabyte hard disk drive (HDD) media storage system that allows the ZDX owner to download and store about 3,500 up to songs† for later playback. The Acura/ELS Surround® premium audio system offers DVD-Audio (with 500-times higher resolution than traditional CD audio), DTS™, CD, AM/FM tuner, XM® Radio, Bluetooth® Audio, plus USB and AUX jack connectivity.

The available Advance Package includes everything in the Technology Package, and adds premium brushed tricot headliner material, ventilated front seats, a sport steering wheel and additional LED ambient lighting. The Advance Package also includes Acura's Collision Mitigating Braking System™ (CMBS™), Adaptive Cruise Control (ACC), a blind spot information system and the Integrated Dynamics System (IDS) that controls the Active Damper System and speed-sensitive steering.

Safety
Acura's acclaimed Advanced Compatibility Engineering™ (ACE™) body structure and a comprehensive array of active and passive safety features help the 2010 ZDX offer a high level of passenger safety. The ACE™ body structure more evenly distributes collision forces throughout the vehicle and also helps maintain the integrity of the passenger cabin in the event of a severe frontal collision.

Passive safety features include a dual-stage, multiple-threshold front airbag Supplemental Restraint System (SRS), dual-chamber side airbags with a passenger side Occupant Position Detection System (OPDS), front seats with active head restraints, knee bolsters for front occupants, side curtain airbags with rollover sensor and front seatbelts with an automatic tensioning system with integrated load limiters.

Numerous standard "active safety" features that help the ZDX driver minimize the risk of collision include Vehicle Stability Assist™ (VSA®) along with an anti-lock braking system (ABS) with Electronic Brake Distribution (EBD) and Brake Assist.

An additional active safety feature included in the available Advance Package is the Collision Mitigating Braking System™ (CMBS™) which helps the driver reduce the likelihood of a collision by alerting the driver to potential collision situations and activating the brakes if the system determines a collision likely is unavoidable.

Although the ZDX has not yet been tested by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) or Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS) as of press time, Acura internal testing projects the ZDX to achieve top ratings in NHTSA** frontal and side impact testing, as well as earn GOOD ratings from the IIHS.

Along with every other new Acura, the 2010 ZDX is covered by a comprehensive 4-year/50,000 mile bumper-to-bumper limited warranty and a 6-year/70,000 miles powertrain limited warranty. Additional benefits of ownership include Acura Total Luxury Care (TLC), which provides free 24-hour roadside assistance, concierge service and trip routing.

Acura
Acura offers a full line of technologically advanced performance luxury vehicles through a network of 270 dealers within the United States. The 2010 Acura lineup features six distinctive models including the RL luxury performance sedan, the TL performance luxury sedan, the TSX sports sedan, the turbocharged RDX luxury crossover SUV, the award-winning MDX luxury sport utility vehicle and the all-new ZDX four-door sports coupe.

 

Acura has totally lost me.

 

at least the interior's nice.

 

All the effort they put in to a POS. Guess this is what they call Acura "Advance".

 

It's the Acura Aztek.

 

Woof woof

 

@ $44K base, let's look at comparables:
- $56K base for BMW X6 35i;
- $37K base for Lexus RX or $48K for GX;
- $35K base for Buick Enclave;
- $42K base for Infiniti FX;
- $45K base for Porsche Cayenne (290hp, not the 300-550hp versions)
- $45K base for Mercedes M-Class
- etc, etc.

going to be interesting to see how Acura does in a very competitive environment. Never test driven these as I was never in the market for SUVs or CUVs.

in terms of design, it's not going to be everybody's cup of tea. I think it looks cool. very futuristic, especially with those front lights. interior's nice. by looks alone I'd probably go with the FX. Owning a Porsche would be nice as well.

 

x6

@ $44K base, let's look at comparables:
- $56K base for BMW X6 35i;
- $37K base for Lexus RX or $48K for GX;
- $35K base for Buick Enclave;
- $42K base for Infiniti FX;
- $45K base for Porsche Cayenne (290hp, not the 300-550hp versions)
- $45K base for Mercedes M-Class
- etc, etc.

I think of that list only the x6 is the only true competitor ... MAYBE the FX. Both of those cars are very different looking & have rather low sales. I expect the ZDX to sell less than <500/mo, just like these vehicles.

The other CUVs on the list are more traditional & better gauged against the MDX.

Still a mystery to me why Acura decided to attack this niche market instead of say a coupe or even a full size sedan.

 

Well when you put it that way, and since a large chunk of luxury car drivers lease... I'd rather lease a german car (get the best trouble free years before letting some other sucker over pay on the lease return) than any Acura (let alone an ugly $44K Acura).

Considering a poseur 323i has way more cache than all Acura's combined, I can't see very many people willing to take a chance on this, even if it's just a lease. >_< Of course I am not a millionaire Honda board member either, so I am sure they have some faith in this vehicle hehe

 

Flagship

The 2009 TL is still a mid-size sedan, as is the RL. When I said full size sedan, I meant more along the lines of a flagship ... something like a 7 Series or S Class fighter. Granted, I guess it would be hard to pull off a fullsize flagship w/out a v8 but Acura could do a v6 turbo since that is the trend lately.

 

What Honda has to figure out is a way to increase Acura's brand power and recognition.

It's not easy, they've made a lot of progress, but they can't seem to take the next step. They've made the TL too affordable, and the TSX too expensive, and they're releasing ugly ass pointless vehicles like the ZDX.

Of course a lot of this can be fixed by making their cars look a lot nicer. Ugly beak or not, the TSX would look a lot nicer if the beak was colour matched. And an MSRP of $3-4K less than it is now. And their "sports" sedan should come with a much lower stance (1 inch fender gap from the factory plz), with tighter suspension, and more bracing from the factory.

Anyone displeased with that can go for the TL instead, which is more of a luxury cruiser anyway.

 

Colorado Wheels

Acura ZDX - Aesthetics Unencumbered

If you were unencumbered by traditional realms of aesthetics, what would you design? Phillip Johnson imagined a glass house, Frank Lloyd Wright waded through Falling Water, and Ludwig Mies van der Rohe brought Germany’s famed Bauhaus stateside. They pushed the boundaries and changed our perception of home and habitat. Great stylists like Gordon Buehrig, E.T. Gregorie, and Raymond Loewy did the same for automobiles, styling beautiful Duesenbergs, Cords, Lincolns, and Studebakers. Those cars were also engineering marvels ? like the Acura ZDX.

Get a load of that rump! Rear views are exotic wide, fabulously chunky, and look like something out of Demolition Man with its Hurst Olds-intimidating twin exhaust outlets and metrosexually body-smooth taillamps. From the front, ZDX looks like any other contemporary Acura with its satin silver shield grille design, cats-eye headlamps, and muscular fenders. The side profile is absolutely fab with a rear-sloping roofline, upturned rear side window, and doorhandles hidden in the window trim. I love the big fat rear fenders with subtle humps to accentuate the beefy 19″ alloy wheels.

Acura calls the ZDX a four-door sports coupe. Although the car rides crossover high, getting inside is much like crawling aboard a luxurious two-door. You kinda wedge yourself under the steering wheel, careful not to bump your head on the roof. Rear passengers will rehearse their contortionist routines as they shimmy up and behind the doorframe while ducking. Kids can do it better. If you want a big gaping crossover, go buy an RDX or MDX. There’s something intimate and special about riding in the ZDX. LED cabin lighting shines on a gallery of stitched leather dash and door coverings, ultra lovable leather-wrapped steering wheel, and cavernous sculpted center console.

Once inside, you’ll want for nothing. Supportive heated and cooled leather seats seemingly grip all of the way to your groin while treating your lower back brilliantly on long drives. Bluetooth hands-free calling, XM Satellite Radio, USB connectivity for full iPOD integration, and Acura Navigation System with Voice Recognition confirm your arrival in the future. A panoramic glass roof, power tailgate, multi-view rear camera, blind spot warnings, adaptive cruise control, and Collision Mitigating Braking System align all of the electrons and photons for your driving pleasure. Everything feels and smells like a ten-star hotel with enough electronic toys to inspire Best Buy to better good.

If you need extra space for your Louis Vuittons, pop down the rear seats, open the glass dome of a rear hatch, and free up 55.8 cubic ft. Crafty little critters that they are, Acura’s designers created removable side panels in the rear compartment to fit golf bags even with four aboard. Under floor storage works great for smaller objects that you do not want spied.

Acura’s 3.7-litre V6 is a beauty in its own right. Producing 300 horsepower and 270 lb.-ft. of torque, the SOHC aluminum engine moves this fashion show along faster than a caffeine-strung Christian Siriano and hits its stride like Lance Armstrong humping through France. The six-speed automatic transmission with paddle shifters seems to read your wishes and shifts on-cue. Fuel economy ratings of 16/23-MPG aspire to V8-powered BMWs, requiring a 21-gallon fuel tank to make substantial progress. Acura might want to put the ZDX on a diet or crib sister Honda’s hybrid tech.

Some of the ZDX’ razzle-dazzle takes place under the drapery. Super Handling All-Wheel Drive? (SH-AWD), and ample ground clearance for snow and crud, provides excellent all-weather capability. However, Acura goes further by actively shifting torque for an active steering affect and sometimes a rear-power bias for spirited performance. Adding to the fun is the available Integrated Dynamics System (IDS), which connects the four-wheel-independent suspension system to active dampers and speed-sensitive steering for a relaxed demeanor in “Comfort” mode or ripped and ready when switched to “Sport” mode. With the switch, steering becomes more aggressive and the suspension becomes firmer.

Go ahead, deride the ZDX if you must. You might take a glance at Buehrig’s Cord 812 Beverly, Gregorie’s 1940 Lincoln Continental, or Loewy’s Studebaker Avanti before you do. All of those cars were thought of as odd or ugly in their day, were technically advanced, and are now considered works of art. None come close to the engineering barrage brought to bear against the BMW X5, Mercedes ML, or Cadillac SRX. Be prepared for the $56,855 as tested sum to melt your kryptonite card.

 

AskMen Canada

AskMen Canada
Acura ZDX Total ScoreA: 86​

The AM Take

The ZDX is based on the MDX SUV platform, has an MDX-like 7.9 inches of ground clearance, four doors and a rear lift gate -- but don’t dare call it an SUV. Acura insists that the ZDX is a sports coupe designed for two.

Acura all but ignores talk of backseat occupants to focus on how the space aft of the front seats is right-sized for a couple’s vacation luggage. Acura is also quick to point out that the rear bench folds flat and flush to allow for even more cargo-swallowing capability.

But is the ZDX any good? Acura gave us a first drive so that we could find out for ourselves.

Performance
A measure of this car's ride and power, relative to its price
AskMen.com score: 80

The Acura ZDX is a bit of a contradiction, and we’re not talking about its design or marketing team-created classification. It’s a sports coupe designed for two, but Acura also wants it to isolate occupants from the tedium of driving. Though Acura says the ZDX was tuned to deliver an exhilarating driving experience, we feel that the car is more of a cruiser.

Powering the ZDX is a 3.7-liter, 300-horsepower V6. This engine is mated to a six-speed Sequential SportShift automatic transmission and Acura’s Super Handling-All Wheel Drive system. It’s a solid powerplant that provides a good kick in the pants when it wants to; the challenge is convincing the ZDX to give you that kick. It’s like the e-throttle has been tuned for smoothness rather than response, meaning it seems to take forever to get the Acura to move with any sense of urgency.

The steering feels lighter and lazier than we’d like. Step up to the Advance Package and one can select a “sport” setting for the steering, which artificially makes the steering feel heavier, but otherwise doesn’t make much of a difference. However, the big Acura does turn in well and it can tackle a challenging twisty with relative ease. We credit this cornering capability to a robust chassis and a very stiff suspension.

Rated similarly
* BMW 128i 82
* 2010 Acura RDX SH-AWD 82
* 2010 Mercedes-Benz C300 4Matic 81
* Lexus IS F 80
* Infiniti FX50 80
* Aston Martin DB5 80​

Design
A measure of this car's aesthetic appeal, relative to its price
AskMen.com score: 91

We know that this Acura doesn’t look that great in pictures, but trust us when we say that it’s much more appealing in person. Acura says that the ZDX is the first vehicle to fully feature its “Keen Edge” design language, and design nerds will talk endlessly about the tension seen in the surfaces and how the lines seem to pull at one another.

The only thing we took away from the design lecture was the Acura ZDX features the deepest rear quarter panel in the company’s history. It’s massively flared, and it does look good. In fact, the ZDX is downright sexy when viewed from the rear or a rear three-quarter angle. From the front, well, let’s just say that the long nose has yet to grow on us.

Acura has definitely hit a homerun with the ZDX’s interior. The interior boasts a stunning design thanks to its dual “pod” layout, sculpted concave surfaces and angular, blacked-out “monolith” center stack. Many of the surfaces are wrapped in hand-selected full-hide premium leather, and to steal an idea from the Acura PR spiel, this interior really does remind one of a high-end luxury hotel. Everything inside the ZDX is pleasing to the eye and to the touch.

Acura equates “technology” with “luxury,” and the ZDX has just about every electronic gadget you can think of, including blind spot warning systems, wide view rear cameras, radar-guided cruise control, and a voice-activated sound system. One new technology seen in the ZDX is the active noise-canceling speaker system. Just like a pair of Bose headphones, the ZDX uses its speakers to cancel out unwanted noise-causing frequencies. This system is on at all times -- even when the stereo is off. Noise was never an issue in the ZDX’s cabin, so we guess that this system works rather well.

We probably should complain about the cheap-feeling exterior rear door handles, the lack of passenger room in the back or the horrid view out the rear, but our time in the car was short, so we’ll save the complaints for when we do a full review of the ZDX.

Rated similarly
* Ford F-150 Lariat 93
* BMW 128i 92
* Aston Martin DBS 92
* Ferrari 599 GTB Fiorano 91
* Porsche 911 91
* Porsche Cayman S 91​

 

Luxist

Luxist Drives the Acura ZDX
Replies "Y-E-S"

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Well this was unexpected: we spent a week in the Acura ZDX and it was terrific. We hadn't given any thought to the quizzical SUV-meets-flying-saucer-looking ride, and that emptiness of mind continued right up to the moment we opened the front door and realized that the roof of the ZDX sits above the driver's seat almost like the roof on the Aston Martin DBS Carbon Black we were just in. Except for the cabin being about a foot higher off the ground, which completely screwed up our reference points. But even though we're still not exactly sure of what it is, we know we liked it, and that's what this thing called life is really all about, no?

Let's start by piecing the ZDX together from the inside, out, starting with its very well done cabin – perhaps Acura's finest cabin to date. The company has created a dual cockpit without gimmickry. There is no angled center console; rather, gunwales along the center tunnel run into twin arcs that curve across the dash and into the doors, embracing both the driver and passenger. In other instances this kind of thing is attempted with an angled center console, which actually creates a feeling of having a driver's cockpit and a place for some dead weight next to him. In the ZDX, there really is a sense of a cabin for two.

Acura went all the way on detailing for the effect as well: hand-stitched leather wraps multi-dimensional contours, so that both the leather colors and sheer relief stand out from the other panel elements. Lighter colors reveal the seams in the well bolstered seats, and with a fleeting glance the bucket area of the seats resembles the pocket of a baseball mitt, which is not a bad association.

Behind those front seats are two smaller chairs, best left to those who don't exceed 5' 11". It has 35.3 inches of rear headroom, about two inches less than the BMW X6 and an 1.5 inches less than the BMW 328i Coupe. We'll get to this later, but it's the latter number that's more important, because the Acura wants you to think of the ZDX as a sports coupe.

The ZDX has about 2.5 inches less legroom in the back than the 3 Coupe as well, but don't let the number deceive: we're 5' 11" and with the front seat in our preferred driving position, there was still a good couple of inches between our knees and the back of the front seat. Would we want to ride in the back of the ZDX to our Spring Break hotel in Daytona Beach? No. But we wouldn't want to do that in a 328 Coupe or an X6, either, if we could help it.

And Acura doesn't pitch the car that way, the same way BMW doesn't stress the 3 Coupe having seating for four. The ZDX is aimed at you "DINK"s – Dual Income No Kids – who don't need to carry extra people but want a decent spot of room when that duty calls. Although Acura says the ZDX is a five-seater, it can seat five, but with those deeply scalloped sides eating up three-wide shoulder room in back, if you can put that fifth person somewhere other than that middle seat you might want to think about it.

On another marketing note, the ZDX is for DINKs to go on "Passionate Getaways," which, in the words of Acura, is "the idea that the car is perfect for two people who want to get away for the weekend. Enough cargo space for their luggage and whatever they buy along the way." You'll want to save the passion for your hotel room, though – certain other frivolities are no-can-do in the ZDX.

While there might be no room for passion, there will be plenty of room for luggage: 26.3 cubic feet of swallow-space with the rear seats up, 56 cubic feet with them flat, both those numbers just slightly less than you'll find in the BMW X6.

In front of that cabin is a 3.7-liter, all-aluminum six-cylinder VTEC with 300 horsepower and 270 foot-pounds of torque. At 4,452 pounds those 300 horses won't snap your neck when you mash the gas, but they're certainly brisk enough to give you the right answer to "Can I squirt into that gap in traffic?" Those horses really need the spurs to get going, but once they know you mean it the six-speed transmission will drop as many gears as necessary to get you where you want to go.

Underneath that cabin is Acura's Super Handling-All Wheel Drive (SH-AWD). There's a ton of science and engineering and physics involved, but we can spare that lecture here. All you need to know is that it sends torque to the proper outside wheel to counteract understeer, that it's fantastic, and that Acura should get a lot more credit and a lot more press for its achievement.

On top of that, our car had the Integrated Dynamic System with active dampers, which meant that as the ZDX was sharply steering its way through tight, fast corners it remained flat and level. It drives like a properly sorted, sporty sedan – not at all like a tall, heavy SUV.

Now to the main event: the item wrapped around that cabin. That would be the body, and that is what has caused people to look at the ZDX and Acura and wonder, "Uh... wut?"

First, there's Acura's design language. We have never heard anyone yet describe it as "meh." You dig it totally. Or you don't. At all. You can make your own decisions, but we do believe that this is the best application of the language that was introduced on the 2009 TSX. Given the size, space and complimentary curves to properly coalesce, the aesthetics have a clear voice and we understand those who dig it totally.

Second is the design itself, outside of the shield surfacing. It was penned by 25-year-old Michelle Christensen, an American, at the Acura Design Studio in Los Angeles, and her intent was to sketch out the combination of an SUV and a sports coupe. This kind of genetic recombination, still in its infancy, is of course going to produce something new to the eye, and the ZDX presents all kinds of new aspects from various angles.

From the front it's wide, cut up by numerous angles, and you can sense its intensely protruding curvature coming at you. From the side it's long in front, truncated in the rear. From the back it's narrow up top, sliding swiftly and decisively outward into width and strong haunches that anchor the base of the vehicle. It's half an inch longer and half an inch wider than an X6, but the X6 is four inches taller. The three-quarter view is probably the closest you'll get to anything "normal," but even then you need to turn your head and squint a bit.

If due to a sudden cataclysm it left some sort of fossil-like imprint on a rock, we could see archeologists in the distant future asking, "Was it some kind of dinosaur?" Nothing else looks like it, not only in the automotive world, but anywhere.

Acura's VP of sales said this about their creation: "The ZDX is truly a luxury performance coupe – plus." It's that "plus" part that's kept folks guessing. The floor of the ZDX sits high, but the driver's seat sits low. You get in expecting to hoist yourself up into an SUV-level throne, but then take a position somewhere between a sedan and an SUV. Meanwhile, the roof is pulled taut over the cabin, so close to your follicles that the first thing you'll think is, "Oh, hey, that's the roof... right there." With the high door sill, low seat and low roofline, it really is like climbing inside a jacked-up sports car – which, again, was the point. Imagine getting in a Porsche 911 with a ten-inch lift, that's what the cabin is like.

But what... is it?

As far as we're concerned, there's no guessing to be done with this vehicle. It is a ZDX, and we think any honest answer should stop there. Stories on Acura's latest always get around to the 'It's odd and we don't really know where it belongs or who buys it' issue. Some suggest it's not practical, that it doesn't have enough space, that rear headroom is dear, that it isn't... well, what is it again?

We think that's the wrong question. We could answer "It is a vehicle with solid pep, a hot cabin, great handling and plenty of room for two-plus and oodles of gear."

But beyond that, a categorical answer is irrelevant. Who cares what you want to call it or what category it might or might not fit into. It is the ZDX. It has enough headroom, space, and practicality for the ZDX. If you need more space, then you should check out the MDX or the TSX SportWagon.

But a blanket statement like "The ZDX isn't practical" is the same as saying "A Komodo Dragon isn't practical." Isn't practical for what? If you looking for cuddly company that might make a great excuse to meet your hot neighbor, then no, a Komodo Dragon isn't for you. If you're an Indonesian forest and you need something to get rid of rampant buffalo and deer, then a Komodo Dragon is exactly what you need. Practicality, space, headroom, and yes, Komodo Dragons, they're all relative.

What you like, on the other hand, isn't.

And once you know this is a ZDX, the only other question should be, "Do I like it?" If the answer is "Yes," then damn the torpedoes. And the Komodo Dragons. You know what to do.

 

I saw a white one in the neighborhood recently and I gotta say it looks quite good with the black roof and the acura grill doesn't look hideous...here's a pic I found off google.

 

Cnet

CNET Reviews ​

o CNET editors' rating: 3.5 stars Very good
Detailed editors' rating
Comfort : 8.0
Performance : 7.0
Design : 8.0
Overall score: 7.7 (3.5 stars)
o Average user rating: 0 stars Write review

The good: Suspension and all-wheel-drive technology give the 2010 Acura ZDX excellent cornering ability. The powerful audio system produces very good sound, and iPod integration lets you request specific songs by voice command.

The bad: The navigation system doesn't have 3D maps. Access to the rear seats is tight.

The bottom line: The 2010 Acura ZDX cuts a distinct figure, and a solid suite of cabin and driver aid technology proves quite useful, especially as a road trip car.​

As a new style of car, most people won't take to the 2010 Acura ZDX at first glance. Its sleek body styling says sports car, but hefty dimensions and big wheels suggest an SUV. But we grew to like the looks after successive viewings, if not the practicality of the design.

As we showed the car to friends and relatives, they inevitably harrumphed with approval about the luxurious cabin from the front seat, but then noted the low door sill, sometimes with a head butt, on getting into the back seats. We merely mumbled that, as the ZDX is something like a sports car, nobody is really supposed to sit in the back.

The broad fenders on the ZDX make the overall design work, giving it a sports car look.​

Weird styling aside, there is very little difference between the underpinnings of the ZDX and the 2010 Acura MDX. And there was a lot we liked about the latest MDX.

Notably, the ZDX gets a feature called Song By Voice as part of its iPod integration. Similar to Ford's Sync technology, you can tether an iPod to the ZDX's USB port, and then say the name of an artist or album to start playback.

We hooked up an iPhone to the car, and after it took a minute to index the music library, we were able to say "Play The Clash" to get songs by this band playing. The system worked well, even with more-difficult band or album names.

Other audio sources in the ZDX include satellite radio, Bluetooth streaming audio, a single-disc player that can read DVD-audio discs and MP3 CDs, along with 15GB of music storage space on the car's own hard drive, the disc player serving as a ripper to save music to the drive.

With voice command you can request music from an iPod by artist and album.​

The sound system through which music plays, branded as an ELS system, uses 10 speakers, including a subwoofer and centerfill, and a 435-watt amp. We found the audio quality to be powerful and crisp, the system producing a strong sound with hard edges. The subwoofer delivers bass that you can feel in your chest, without shaking the door panels. Some people might prefer a warmer sound, but we appreciated the clarity of the reproduction.

The rest of the cabin tech in the ZDX is also similar to what you find in the MDX, which means a hard-drive-based navigation system that shows traffic, but doesn't have 3D maps. We were a little disappointed with the maps, as the scale between maximum zoom and the next level up was too great, making it difficult to navigate in a dense, urban environment.

We were also given a weird and not very efficient route by the navigation system on one trip, when it told us to take a highway instead of the perfectly good freeway running parallel. The system doesn't offer choices of fastest or shortest route amongst its preferences, a common feature with most navigation.

The navigation system lacks 3D maps and a zoom level between 1/20th and 1/8th of a mile.​

However, we do like that Acura incorporates weather data into the navigation system, along with forecasts. There is also a neat feature that lists a number of scenic roads around the country, to which the system will guide you.

A Bluetooth phone system rounds out the cabin tech suite. It offers all the features we would expect from a high-tech car, such as importing a paired phone's contact list and showing recent calls on the LCD. But it doesn't let you dial contacts by name with voice command, a feature becoming more common with competitors.

The ZDX and MDX also drive similarly, both getting an adaptive suspension with comfort and sport modes, and Acura's Super Handling All Wheel Drive (SH-AWD). The combination of these two suspension technologies makes the bulky ZDX rotate nicely during hard cornering.

As we tested the ZDX on mountain roads, powering through corners at speeds you wouldn't normally take a vehicle that sits up high like an SUV, the active suspension pushed back against body roll, keeping the car relatively flat. At the same time, SH-AWD transferred torque across the rear axle, sending more power to the outside wheel to help push the car around the turn.

The weak link for this type of driving in the ZDX, and the MDX, is the power train. The ZDX uses a 3.7-liter V-6 with Acura's variable valve timing technology, putting its output at 300 horsepower and 270 pound-feet of torque. That engine made a delightful sound when we punched the gas, but technically it is pretty average for this segment. BMW's X6, with a turbocharged 3-liter straight six, gets substantially more torque.

A dial in front of the shifter switches the suspension between Sport and Comfort modes.​

Likewise, the six-speed automatic transmission in the ZDX doesn't go above and beyond. It is a perfectly fine transmission for trundling around cities and rolling down the freeway, but it didn't snap crisply from gear to gear as we threw the car into the turns. It features both Sport and manual shift modes, but the former isn't particularly aggressive, merely keeping the engine speed above 3,000rpm. For manual mode shifting, there are paddles on the steering wheel, but we could mentally track the time between paddle pull and gear change.

Maneuvering on city streets, the steering radius proved adequate for some fairly tight U-turns. But the dimensions of the vehicle, with its wide sides and long nose, make it difficult to judge the space around it. The ZDX has a backup camera, an essential feature on this car, with two different views and static distance lines. But sideview cameras would also be useful.

The rearview camera shows distance lines, and can be switched between two different views.​

The suspension's Comfort mode isn't all that comfortable. It gives the suspension longer travel and a soft feeling, but doesn't let the ZDX ride over potholes unruffled. That long suspension travel also leads to up and down oscillation on the freeway. We generally preferred leaving the suspension in Sport mode.

Those little critiques aside, the ZDX feels solid, with the luxurious cabin and easy driving character make it a comfortable road trip car. EPA fuel economy is 16 mpg city and 23 mpg highway, making it a car you might want to reserve for longer trips, as opposed to errands around town. In our driving, we just eked out 18.2 mpg, which felt a little low.

The ZDX has a few tech tricks that help it out on the freeway. The Advance trim version comes with adaptive cruise control, which matches speed with slower traffic ahead. We cruised for miles and miles without touching gas pedal or brake.

The radar for the adaptive cruise control also enables the Collision Mitigation Braking System, which, when sensing an impending crash, pretensions the seatbelts and applies the brakes. A few times, as we closed in on slow traffic ahead, this system flashed a sign on the instrument cluster warning us to brake.

Blind-spot detection in the vehicle lights up icons in the A pillars alerting you to traffic in the lane next to the ZDX. This system has a narrow field of detection, only lighting up when other cars are almost out of view of the sideview mirror.

In sum
We ended up liking the unique look of the 2010 Acura ZDX, but didn't find it all that practical, as rear seat access and the cargo area is compromised by the sloping roof. The interior styling is very good, giving the ZDX the kind of luxury feel that past Acuras have lacked. The cabin tech interface design also contributes to its design score, as we found it quite easy to access different car functions. We also appreciate that Acura has reduced the number of buttons on the dashboard from some more extreme quantities on other models.

The drivetrain was merely average; we've seen countless V-6es mated to six-speed automatics, and the performance numbers are not exceptional. But the cornering abilities boost the ZDX's performance tech score.

It achieves an excellent score for cabin tech, too. Although the maps for the navigation system could be better, there were a lot of features we liked. The stereo, with its voice command iPod integration, helps raise the score significantly. And driver aid features also give it a boost.

Spec box
Model 2010 Acura ZDX
Trim Advance
Power train 3.7-liter V-6
EPA fuel economy 16 mpg city/23 mpg highway
Observed fuel economy 18.2 mpg
Navigation Hard-drive-based with traffic
Bluetooth phone support Standard
Disc player MP3 compatible single DVD/CD player
MP3 player support iPod integration
Other digital audio 15GB onboard hard drive, USB drive, Bluetooth audio, Sirius Satellite Radio
Audio system ELS 10 speaker 435 watt system
Driver aids Adaptive cruise control, blind-spot warning, rearview camera
Base price $56,045
Price as tested $56,905​

 

Walkaround

2010 Acura ZDX: Suspension WalkAround

I know what you're thinking. "Acura ZDX? Didn't you just do a walkaround on the Honda Accord Crosstour, Honda's other sloped-back hatchback crossover thingamabob? Aren't they badge-engineered twins?"

I know this because I assumed it myself when I first saw the ZDX some months back. I know this because a Honda employee I know asked approximately the same question just two days ago. OK, he works for the motorcycle division, but still...

It's an easy mistake to make. I mean, who would go to the expense of engineering two totally different but similar-looking versions of a car for a segment that doesn't yet exist? No one really knows if people will buy five-door hatchback crossovers with all-wheel drive because the jury isn't merely out, it hasn't even been empanelled yet.

Nevertheless, Honda came out with two cars with this odd form-factor at about the same time, and it turns out they couldn't be more different under the skin.

Let's have a look, already.

Right off the bat, we're seeing a huge difference. The Accord Crosstour uses double-wishbone front suspension, but the ZDX's front end is suspended by MacPherson struts.

In addition to the strut, there's an aluminum lower control arm and a 2-piston sliding brake caliper. The stabilizer bar and its long, slender link (yellow) attach to the strut body in a direct-acting fashion.

Just like every other strut that came before it, the upper end of the ZDX's coil-over strut bolts to reinforced "shock towers" in the unibody via a Lazy-Susan top mount above the spring so the whole assembly can rotate as the wheels are turned.

Here's a close-up of the L-shaped aluminum control arm. The main component of most road impacts is vertical, and these loads generally go straight up into the spring and damper without much effect on the arm. But the fore-aft load component, which can be significant, goes straight into these bushings.

The forward bush and its heavily-reinforced mounting pocket are designed to tackle the fore-aft component, head on. But since the source of the load is far outboard at the ball joint, this bush also acts as a pivot around which the arm tries to twist back. Enter the rear bush, which is optimized to absorb the resulting in-out loads.

Because the ZDX has a transverse-mounted engine, the steering rack (green) does its work from behind the front axle centerline. It would take fewer words to say "rear-steer" but some of you might start thinking about forklifts. We can't have that.

Meanwhile, the front stabilizer bar (yellow) sneaks behind the lower control arm on its way to its connecting link.

Obvious high-pressure hydraulic lines (yellow) are a hallmark of hydraulically-assisted rack-and-pinion steering. But this low-pressure line (green) is far less universal. So, where does it go?

It goes to a power-steering cooler. There isn't a whole lot of heat to get rid of, so a single-pass heat exchanger (yellow) is enough to do the trick.

Here's another look at the 2-piston sliding brake caliper and the ventilated one-piece brake rotor it squeezes.

Moving to the rear, we once again see that the Acura ZDX shares nothing whatsoever with its similar-looking crossover-hatchback cousin, the Honda Accord Crosstour. If you remember, the Crosstour used a Honda Accord multilink setup featuring three lower links, an upper wishbone and a coil-over shock.

We don't see any of that here. The ZDX instead borrows from the Honda Pilot SUV, and as such its multilink setup uses a trailing arm (yellow), a pair of lower links (white and orange), and a single upper camber link (green). There's no coil-over spring in sight.

Instead of a coil-over, the ZDX's spring operates below the body, where it's cradled about halfway along the swollen lower link at something like a 0.5:1 motion ratio. The shock and stabilizer bar attach at points further out. In our Crosstour, all of these attached directly to the outboard knuckle for a 1:1 ratio, a move that allowed them to be lighter. Not so here.

The plus side of this arrangement is less intrusion into the cargo area. But the ZDX's Pilot roots show up in the ride quality -- the suspension doesn't "breathe" nearly as much as the Crosstour. This could be a result of an intentional tuning strategy designed to give the ZDX a sportier feel. Whatever the reason, the Acura has a more stiff-legged ride than the Crosstour.

Here's another view of the ZDX's rear spring and the urethane bump-stop contained within its coils.

Let's see those links and arms again. There's the main trailing arm (yellow) that locates the wheel in the fore-aft direction. Down below we have two lateral links, a larger and longer main one (orange) and a shorter toe-link (white). Up top, the camber link (green) defines the camber axis at the top end.

The trailing arm is bolted rigidly to the knuckle, though the nuts themselves are hidden on the back side.

The ZDX has single-piston sliding calipers, solid-disc rear rotors and a drum-in-hat parking brake.

Compared to the Crosstour and its 225/60R18 rubber, the Acura ZDX rides on significantly larger P255/50R19 Michelin Latitude Tour all-season tires. They weigh 62.5 pounds when mounted, some 8 pounds apiece heavier than the Crosstour's shoes.

This transfer-case-that-looks-like-a-PTO is the first ZDX component that looks remotely similar to the corresponding Crosstour piece.

Once we get to the business end at the back, however, the similarities end.

Instead of the Crosstour's single hydraulically-engaged clutch on the input end that turns rear-wheel drive on and off based on front/rear axle speed differential, the Acura ZDX has permanent all-wheel drive regulated by two computer-controlled electromagnetic wet clutches, one each on the left and right sides of the differential.

That PTO we saw before overdrives the rear axle so it spins 1.7-percent faster than the front, and that means there's always a little bit of slip in these clutches. But this offset also allows the clutches, when fully engaged in unison, to deliver significantly more than 50-percent of the overall drive torque to the rear wheels. Fine control of the left-right clutch offset is used to create a limited-slip effect through the otherwise open differential, but the system also can create large left-right offsets to send as much as 100% of the rear-wheel torque to the outside wheel during aggressive cornering, something we call torque-vectoring but Acura calls Super-Handling All-wheel Drive.

Actually, they call the whole thing SH-AWD, but the torque vectoring trick is the "Super-Handling" part.

So, there you have it. Even though it looks like a badge-engineered brother to the Crosstour, the 2010 Acura ZDX is another animal entirely.

But did the market really need two of these (three, if you include the BMW X6)? Honda saw fit to develop two entirely different cars around the concept, so we can only assume they recorded some slam-dunk focus group results in product development clinics before they green-lighted these projects.

 

needs Mugen kit, 20's, and a proper drop!

All kidding aside, still on the fence on this car (like most new Acura's), but what an amazing interior in the ZDX!

 

i think i've seen one of these on the road or a parking lot somewhere, and it didn't look too bad.

anyone see the very end of iron man 2? dude drives up in an acura zdx with all the badges blanked out.

 

navigation system is outdated like hell.. I was just in an audi q5 at the dealer and it's gorgeous and 3D.. AND cheaper!

 

CrossTour & ZDX Review

Review: Acura ZDX & Honda Accord CrossTour

I was prepared to dislike both the Honda Accord Crosstour, the chubby wagonish crossover based on the Accord, and its more upscale cousin, the Acura ZDX, the highly sculpted crossover based on the minivanish MDX.

Instead, I’ve come to some degree of understanding for these two highly niche products—with reservations. I’ve also been pleasantly surprised with some of what’s going on with these respective wagons—though you still can’t help but wonder what might’ve been in each case. What follows is a look at both, rather than a comparison, since cross-comparing these Honda/Acura products will happen very rarely in the real-world marketplace.

Meat + Potatoes

The Honda Crosstour is anything but cheap. My 4WD EX-L NAV tester ran $36,930; $30,380 is the sticker for the base model with FWD. And while this may be billed as a more useful car than the Accord sedan, the Honda Fit, a car that’s three feet shorter than the Accord Crosstour, and over 1,000 lbs. lighter, has more cubic feet of storage — 51.3 for the Crosstour vs. 57.3 for the Fit, rear seats folded flat in both.

And you could buy two Fits for the price of one Crosstour.

But numbers don’t always tell the whole story. The Crosstour buyer would be rewarded with far greater passenger room, especially for rear seat occupants, where shoulder, hip, and knee room are far more generous in the Crosstour than the Fit. Likewise, the longer Crosstour is a very comfortable highway cruiser; the Fit is jumpier, especially for passengers.

Also, because the Crosstour is so much longer than the Fit, long loads are more easily stowed inside; a trip to the lumber yard was no sweat, and I brought back several eight-foot two-by-fours (that stretched from tailgate to dash, front seat reclined all the way). Another trip to the garden center (see photo) and the Crosstour swallowed eight bags of pine bark mulch and several more of potting soil plus a few pots and assorted supplies. One nifty feature: beneath the cargo floor there’s a tilted, washable plastic bin. It’s big enough to swallow several grocery bags and is deep enough to keep them from shifting during driving.

Ah, yes, driving.

The Crosstour, happily, isn’t built on a truck chassis. While its six inches of ground clearance is decidedly un-SUV-like, especially vs. competition like the high-riding Subaru Outback (8.7 inches), and that might make it less of a snow plow come winter (Subaru buyers in Vermont will never switch), the all-wheel drive system is really more of a back-up plan anyway. If the front tires slip, power is sent to the rears, but otherwise this is a front driver and that makes it reasonably fuel efficient (17 city/25 highway); we got about 21 mpg on a mix of urban and rural motoring, which included some semi harrowing darting through stop-and-go gridlock in the Bronx.

Speaking of which, the Crosstour does even that sort of dance with reasonable alacrity; you can muscle around double-parked cars and mash the gas to dart into an opening in traffic and response from the 271hp V-6 is decently muscular. Incidentally, that motor has a cylinder deactivation system to save fuel, and during cruising can run on four or three cylinders. An “ECO” light in the console lets you know the system is working, but otherwise there’s zero sense of increased vibration or shuddering when you get back on the throttle.

Aggressive driving isn’t this big Honda’s forte. Steering feel is a tad sedated, and the tall, 225/60/R18 Michelin Latitude tires mush around corners, scrubbing and howling if you decide to play. The Crosstour is just agile enough, but no sports sedan.

There is a bit of the Teuton in this car though, in the interior, where function is king. The front seats are firm but totally comfortable; the nav system continues to be one of the best in the business, recalculating when the driver zigs instead of zags without delay; and iPod integration is likewise excellent, mirroring the menu organization of the Apple device so it's more intuitive to the owner of said player.

Would that Honda had also carried some of this form-following-function logic to the tail of the Crosstour, where the aft view is decidedly poor (big C pillars are the issue). Get the backup camera option or you’ll ding your Crosstour the first time you visit the supermarket.

Gawk or Gaze?

There’s an ad on TV that features the Acura ZDX and we see a stylish woman having her head turned by the crossover rolling by. We see the ZDX from the front very briefly, then from the side. Somehow, the woman is floored. But you have to wonder what’s she’s thinking, because the nose of this vehicle is decidedly odd. A friend said the visage of the ZDX reminded him of a Japanese cartoon character’s face, and he wasn’t referring to the endearing Hello Kitty! that little girls love.

Then again from behind the wheel the ZDX is fairly glorious. A tower of buttons wraps around a shield-like center console; dual eyebrows of leather curve off to the left and right, starting at the driver and passenger’s knees, bending around beneath the dash and back around toward the doors. This is a dramatically rendered space, with curves and arcs and intersections of metal and softer fabrics -- Frank Gehry would approve. And, from the outside, looking at the car side-angle on, you could say the same thing — there’s a lot of drama in the surface, and a tautness that looks exciting. You don’t have to love it, but it’s not boring no matter what you think.

But, like the BMW X6 and the Infiniti FX, there’s a question of who exactly needs a tall crossover shaped like a coupe. And with the ZDX that question continues to crop up regardless of what you think of the styling.

For one thing, second-row ingress and egress are egregiously restrictive -- you have to duck very carefully to climb aboard, and unless you’re under 5’ 10” there’s no way you’re riding back here. Unlike with the Crosstour, you can’t argue that this is a well packaged vehicle for utility: there’s less rear seat legroom than in the Honda Fit, a mere 31.1 inches, and the cargo hold, even with the rear seats down, is still two cubic feet short of what that tiny Fit offers. Now recall that the ZDX is based on the MDX, which offers nearly 30 cubic feet more cargo room than the ZDX and seats seven, and you just have to scratch your head in wonder.

On the plus side, again because like the Crosstour this is a long hatchback, you can make use of that length and carry home eight-foot pieces of lumber.

Not a Sports Sedan….but

The ZDX is styled as if it were a tall sports sedan. This isn’t quite what you’re getting, and unlike, say, the TL, this Acura rides high and is about 500 lbs. heavier.

The roughly 4,400 lb. (depending on the model) ZDX can feel somewhat agile, especially in sport mode — our ZDX came with the Advance package, which includes an adjustable suspension that uses a magnetic-fluid damper system to instantly firm the suspension as a computer senses increased yaw or pitch. It also comes with Super Handling all-wheel drive, one of the better adaptive all-wheel systems on the market, because it doesn’t just measure slip but understeer; if the car begins to “push” wide of an intended apex it sends more juice to the outside rear wheel, jamming that big butt around so you stay on your line.

But no amount of electronic hocus pocus can make a car this tall corner like a lighter vehicle that sits lower. Yes the six-speed, 300hp V-6 combo is impressive for its freely revving character, quick upshifting and willingness to hold a high revving gear for more chassis control -- or upshift to the point of lugging the engine if you’re driving on slippery surfaces.

But this only gets you so far. You can have a much sportier crossover in the muscular Infiniti FX50 or a more engaging overall package in the BMW X6, with superior legroom and cargo room in the BMW. And given that our tester Acura ran to $56,045, an Audi Q7 isn’t out of the question as competition, since that crossover at least offers more utility, all-wheel drive, and not especially horrendous fuel economy for a big vehicle (14 city/19 highway versus 16 city/ 23 highway for the Acura).

Honda vs. Acura

The Crosstour makes some sense.

There’s a Honda-only buyer who won’t buy a true crossover, like the CR-V or the quirky Element. So they’ll buy a Crosstour, a more traditional sedan with a bit more utility, a good ride that’s less numb than much of the competition.

The ZDX, meanwhile, is in a worse spot than the Crosstour, in part because Acura as a brand doesn’t have a firm fan base. Where BMW can build smash-roofed crossovers because it has built its brand on the perennially strong selling 3-series (BMW’s core product, mind you, is also very inexpensive relative to the rest of its offerings), Acura’s following is far softer.

For over a decade that’s been the way with Acura, ever since the Legend and, later, Integra marques were snuffed out. These were cars with passionate customers; these were cars built from a sporting, aggressive, playful mindset. Today, though, Acura can’t decide whether to chase pure luxury, a la Lexus, or performance, like BMW.

The game plan clearly exists, however.

Audi is following the BMW angle with increasing sales of its A3/A4, and even Infiniti, which through Q1 2010 matched Acura’s sales on the car side (with two, rather than three models) has the strong selling, purpose-built G series, probably still the best Infiniti there is.

But instead of an Acura built to foster future Acura sales, we get the rebadged European Honda Accord, the TSX. In what way does this car match the BMW 3-series? None, save the $30k-ish price.

Unless and until Acura commits to killing it with its base car it cannot expect great success with niche models like the ZDX. You have to start with the base of the pyramid before you can add small adornments.

 

CarReview

2010 Acura ZDX Review:
Innovation in Art & Automotive Performance
By Holly Roberts

​

Pros:

* High commanding view high like an SUV
* Seriously comfortable seats
* Excellent handling ability
* Really fun to drive
* Roomy interior
* A place for everything and everything in its place
* Massive panoramic glass moonroof
* Gorgeous styling

Cons:

* Back seats aren’t really geared for tall people
* Manual and automatic shifting from 1st to 2nd was sluggish (that could just be a tuning issue)
* I felt like the rear-view mirrors could have been a *bit* larger​

Wow. The ZDX is one gorgeous automobile. Whether you wan to call it a car, a crossover, or a luxury sports coupe, it’s really easy on the eyes. The ZDX has a few, unique distinctions: it was the first vehicle to be completely designed at Acura’s Southern California design studio. Also, it was engineered in Ohio, making the ZDX the most American made Acura.

Even though the ZDX is a 5-passenger vehicle, the emphasis was clearly geared more towards the driver and the front passenger. The front seating area had tons of room. Plenty of room to move around freely. The back seating area felt cramped to me – headroom wise. While I had no trouble getting my bicycle to fit, the human comfort component was lacking a bit. I felt like maybe the sloping of the roof contributed to feeling as though the rear-seating ceiling was really low.

Fuel Economy:
Advertised: 16 mpg in the city, and 23 mpg highway (19 mpg combined)
Actual: 19.6 mpg (had I driven more highway miles, it would have been better. The city driving really pulls the mileage down, down, down).

Driving Impressions:
The ZDX is an impressive ride. Even though it sits up higher like an SUV, the seating is low to the car floor, giving the distinct impression of sitting in a sports car. And it handles almost exactly like a sports car. Once you slip it into “sport” mode and drive with the paddle shifters (which are really nice in this car), you feel just like you’re in a hot little sports car. It was a blast to drive! The turning radius was pretty tight, given the size of the car. While it doesn’t have the turning radius of a true sports car, it’s better than a lot of cars, SUVs and crossover vehicles.

Even with the transmission in automatic mode, you can utilize the paddle shifters to drop the gear a bit when climbing, passing someone, or just getting yourself slowed a bit approaching a tight corner, traffic light or stopped traffic. The ZDX was zippy and fun in either manual (sport) or automatic mode.

The panoramic moonroof is simply stunning. It seems like nearly the entire top of the car is glass. While it isn’t the same as driving a convertible, it seems to be about as close as you can get to driving one — without the sunburn and bad hair.

Build:
Not a peep out of the ZDX which would indicate anything other than quality construction. Doors closed easily and felt solid, not heavy. Manually opening and closing the rear hatch required minimal effort and the power liftgate was a welcome luxury when your hands/arms are wrapped around multiple packages.

Everything on the interior was like “buttah” and slid open easily and then closed back in place nicely. Solid, quality construction is evident throughout the cabin. Interior and exterior door handles were easy to grasp and well-placed. As far as the exterior, I felt like every section of the ZDX was perfectly blended into the next piece, for a flawless, and sexy line. With the door handle for the rear doors positioned above the door, the flow of the rear beltline is smooth and uninterrupted.

Interior Comfort and Ergonomics:

The good:
Very unique in that you feel like you’re climbing into an SUV (tall!), but when you sit down, you’d swear you’re in a sports car. The seats are low to the floor once you’re inside the car, so it really does feel like you’re sitting in a sports car! And the seats are really, really comfortable! Sitting in the driver’s seat, felt like sitting in your favorite chair at home, only way nicer leather!

LOVE the push-button ignition controls and proximity keys. Nice to not have to insert a key into the ignition, unless you really want to, or fumble for your keys when you approach the car to get in.

Everything in the interior area of the vehicle blended and matched perfectly. Compartments and cubbyholes all over the place, but none of them stood out as unsightly. I wasn’t sure if I’d like the two-tone leather interior, but it really grew on me. The coloring was nice and offset the vehicle color perfectly.

Acura ZDX center storage/armrestAcura ZDX front seatsAcura ZDX view of cockpit

The bad:
The back seats. While they were comfortable to sit in, I felt like my head was really close to touching the ceiling (it wasn’t). I’m not tall by any stretch of the imagination (5′6″), so if I felt cramped back there, anyone taller might feel more uncomfortable just trying to fit back there, or get in. I also nearly hit my head exiting the back seat. Had I been in a hurry, I’d have slammed the side of my head pretty good. One guess though: if you did it once, you’d probably not do it again. But given that, it’s safe to say that the back seat would be strictly for small adults or kids (or a bike).

Performance:
With its 300 hp 3.7 liter SOHC 24-Valve VTEC V6 engine, it was tough to keep the ZDX at (or near) the speed limit. Pretty impressive performance for an AWD vehicle! Although, I shouldn’t be surprised, after testing the Acura TL SH-AWD car in 2009 – the ZDX was similarly impressive.

It was really fun to drive using the Sequential Sport Shift (manual mode) and paddle shifters! But even in automatic, the ZDX performed extremely well, accelerating more than adequately when asked to do so.

Handling:
ZDX handling characteristics were impressive. While the ZDX is tall like an SUV, it never felt cumbersome, off-kilter or overweight. It handled like a very sporty car, which included the excellent turning radius and solid feel rounding a tight corner at speed. I even had a really positive experience parallel parking it in front of my building the first night. In the dark and rain, no less!

Styling:
In a single word: HOT.

The ZDX is clearly one of the hottest, and best-designed cars to come out in 2010. From front to back, it’s one long, graceful arc. The outside rear door handles are integrated into the panel above the rear door and just aft of the rear door glass such that they’re scarcely noticeable. Not a piece of this car detracts from its beauty. Don’t believe me? Go drive one. People stopped and stared at the ZDX as I drove by.

Not only does the ZDX look good, it looks like it could pounce on you and kick your butt. It looks READY. Ready to go fast. Ready to go for a long drive. Ready to go drive in the mountains. Ready to show you that it’s not your average SUV, crossover, or even luxury car. Ready to take your breath away.

Value:
Being a luxury class vehicle, the ZDX is not really economically priced. The model we tested came in at around $50,000. But for that money, you get a seriously nice vehicle. Almost all of the standard and additional options are listed below, for quite the impressive array of features.

Safety features included: Driver and front-passenger dual-stage airbags, drivers and passenger side-impact airbags, side curtain airbags with rollover sensor, vehicle-stability assist, ABS, electronic brake distribution, 3-point seat belts (front ones with automatic tensioning), active front head restraints, tire pressure monitoring system, side-impact door beams, daytime running lights and the LATCH system for child seats.

The tested vehicle had the tech package which adds $4,500 over the base trim. The Technology Package includes the following standard features: XM® Satellite Radio, MP3/auxillary jack, USB Audio Interface, Radio Data System, Bluetooth® Audio, Driver Recognition Memory System, Driver’s 10-way Power Seat, Front Passenger 8-way Power Seat, Heated Front Seats, Homelink System, Bluetooth® HandsFreeLink, Front Auto Up/Down Windows, Acura Personalized Settings, Auto-dimming Rear-view Mirror, Power Tailgate, Panoramic Glass Roof with Sunshades, 19″ x 8.5″ Alloy Wheels, P255/50 R19 All-Season Tires, Xenon HID Headlights, Fog Lights and Heated Power Door Mirrors with Turn Indicators.

Acura Navigation system with voice recognition and multi-view rear camera, AcuraLink Communication system with real-time traffic and weather, sport seats with perforated premium leather trim, Acura ELS surround-sound system with 10 speakers and AM/FM/DVD-A, CD, DTS, Dolby ProLogic II, Hard Disk Drive, push-button ignition, GPS linked, dual-zone auto climate control with air-filtration system, and the Keyless Access System with Security System.

Conclusion:
If having a head-turning, sporty, fun, luxury performance-oriented crossover is your cup of tea, get one! I had a heck of a good time driving it, and it served my needs rather well. I haven’t driven a car that turned so many heads in quite some time, and it was really entertaining to see how folks reacted to it.

	BUILD 	INTERIOR 	PERFORMANCE 	HANDLING 	STYLING 	VALUE 	OVERALL
RATING 	5.0 	4.75 	5.0 	5.0 	5.0 	4.5 	4.9/A-

Who should buy it?
The ZDX will cover you for pretty much every scenario, except a family greater than 2 adults and 3 small kids! It was almost too pretty to put my dog in and I’d be hard-pressed to put a dirty mountain bike in it without completely covering the interior with a sheet of plastic, but it was a great, all-around car. The ZDX drove great, hauled all my stuff around, and I even felt comfortable hiding my laptop in the secret compartment in the back while I was out bike riding (the word is out now!). It drives nice in the city, on the highway and with its awesome AWD, the Acura ZDX can carve up a mountain road better than Iron Chef Morimoto preparing a sushi dinner for six.

 

Drivers Log

AutoWeek Driver's Log

EDITOR WES RAYNAL: This is a weird car. It’s a polarizing shape for sure: Some love it and some said it was ugly. It’s new enough in the market that it attracts some attention, but people don’t know what it is yet. Plenty thought it was an Infiniti. I think it looks kind of cool. I also think the interior is terrific, comfortable and well built. I did whack my head once getting in, but I learned to duck quickly.

The ZDX drives well. The six-cylinder is smooth and peppy. There is a lot of grip, and I’m a believer in this super-handling all-wheel-drive. It’s hard to get the car out of shape in corners. Generally, it was a pleasant conveyance on the weekend.

I’m not sure what the ZDX is for, exactly, and I don’t know why one wouldn’t just buy an MDX, which is so much less of a compromised vehicle. I suppose its Acura’s version of the BMW X6.

SENIOR EDITOR FOR NEWS BOB GRITZINGER: I’m not sure whether this is a squished MDX or a TL tall--either way, it’s an unusual design that draws a lot of double takes. And I think most of those second looks were of the approving variety. Oddly, as you approach the parked car from the front, it appears much smaller than it is; once you’re upon it, the entire height, width and length becomes apparent, and it’s no longer quite so small and sporty looking.

From behind the wheel, however, the ZDX is plenty sporty, with a lot of power and flexibility built into its various moving parts. The engine/transmission set up is particularly punchy, getting this nearly 4,500-pound trucklet moving in short order. Switching between the comfort and sport modes for the suspension produces noticeable results, with the sportier setting providing a seriously tauter ride.

Overall, I like the packaging and could even live with the compromised cargo space to get this unique look in my driveway. From my perspective, it’s the freshest, cleanest and more interesting take on the crossover that we’ve seen in quite a while. And it may be the first Acura wearing this giant-fanged front face where it actually fits.

SENIOR WEB REPORTER GREG MIGLIORE: The ZDX looks a like a real-life concept car stolen from the floor of an auto show. I really like the looks. They’re polarizing, different, angular and intriguing. I got plenty of stares in the car.

Acura makes an impressive effort here with the design. The wide hips and sharp angles of the roof really are striking, and the big wheels, bold grille and detailed headlights are very complementary to the silhouette. I like the concealed door handles in back and the way the doors themselves don’t intrude or diminish the shape of the ZDX.

The suspension is very comfortable and there’s not much body roll in turns and corners. It’s like a bulky sedan or well-manner ute, depending on how you choose to view it. The cargo hold in back is basically a hatch with trunk space, so Ford Explorer this is not.

I spent all of my commuting laps in sport mode, and the ZDX had a fairly athletic dynamic. The V6 engine is very strong and is excellently paired with this six-speed automatic. There’s plenty of power from launches, and it’s easy to find yourself over the speed limit on the expressway. There there’s a nice power level between 3,000 rpm and 5,500 rpm, though I didn’t feel the need to redline this beast. Downshifts are smooth and efficient.

I like the interior, too. It’s subtle but elegant, and I like our tester’s dark finishings which looked and felt nice. We had some very savvy tech features, with the backup camera--which is very clear; the blind-spot detection which was spot-on and a brake warning for when you are crowding the car in front of you. It all worked great for me. And satellite radio and a colorful nav screen are also pluses.

I like the character of this car. I think some consumers might too.

EXECUTIVE EDITOR ROGER HART: This thing got hit really hard by the ugly stick. Not sure who in the world was asking for a car like this--an MDX with a smaller cargo area. Maybe it’s supposed to look more like a car than a ute, but it drives like a ute. That’s not necessarily a bad thing, because the MDX handles pretty well for an SUV.

One nice thing about the ZDX is that the inside is really attractive and quite comfortable. And from behind the driver’s seat, you can’t see the exterior design at all--unless you drive by a building and see your reflection in the windows. In that case, just keep looking forward and enjoy the ride. It’s actually quite good, despite the exterior looks.

COPY EDITOR CYNTHIA L. OROSCO: The ZDX seems to evoke a love-hate relationship: I love the interior, but I’m not a fan of the hulky, bulbous sheetmetal. Inside, the materials are very nice, the seats are comfy, the nav/radio/info system is easy to use, and the big screen is easy to read. All of the controls are easy to use and are right at hand.

The ZDX is a tall ride, but it lacks headroom. After three or four times, I got sick of ducking/contorting to get in. The car appears tall from the outside, but that doesn’t translate to the interior. And Roger is right: If you want this type of vehicle to carry people and stuff, you lose space with the ZDX over the MDX. I really enjoyed the long-term MDX we had in the fleet.

That aside, the V6 does a good job of moving this CUV along. For as heavy as it is, the ZDX is pretty fleet on the expressway, even in passing. You definitely get a sporty vibe. There’s no lag in getting up to speed, and the solid brakes easily bring everything to a halt when needed.

While the ZDX is a fine ride, if I was looking for something in this segment, and specifically from Acura, to haul people and stuff, I’d go with the MDX.

2010 Acura ZDX Advance

Base Price: $56,905

As-Tested Price: $56,905

Drivetrain: 3.7-liter V6; AWD, six-speed automatic

Output: 305 hp @ 6,000 rpm, 290 lb-ft @ 4,000 rpm

Curb Weight: 4,462 lb

Fuel Economy (EPA/AW): 18/20.2 mpg

Options: None​

 

Risk Worth Taking

Acura ZDX Ready for TakeOff, w/ the Right Driver

The 2010 Acura ZDX is not for everyone. It's not even a safe bet. It's for people reaching beyond the typical. It's for risk takers, people who define their vehicles instead of the other way around. Astronauts come to mind as potential ZDX drivers. They would appreciate the engineering finesse of Acura, and the ZDX could pass for a lunar rover. My test vehicle even arrived in NASA white. If not from another planet, the ZDX is definitely from something outside of Acura's wheelhouse. Honda's luxury brand has finally built a vehicle to that makes the giant bottle opener of a grille look tolerable.

Mixing things up is a good thing for Acura. The brand seems to have struggled in recent years with defining who it wants in its cars and crossovers.

There's nothing understated about the ZDX, which Acura refers to as a four-door sports coupe, a phrase I hate. Ray LaHood, the automotive kingpin and Secretary of Transportation, should ban any manufacturer from attaching the term "sports coupe" to a vehicle if it:

• Has more than two doors. (ZDX has five if you include the rear hatch.)

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• Requires people step up to get inside. (ZDX does.)

• Is not a sporty coupe. (OK, the ZDX is sporty in a moon mission sort of way.)​

But marketing-based definition aside, the ZDX is an oddly great vehicle.

Impressionism in metal

First, there is that exterior. Somehow, Acura managed to stay true to the original concept. All of the great aspects about the vehicle shown at the 2009 New York Auto Show made it on the production model. The sloping roof line, which includes panoramic glass, and the body stretched out like angular taffy make the ZDX look like an unfinished Picasso. You're not always comfortable looking at it, but you like looking at it. There are even those hidden door handles on the second row, which make you look twice just to find them.

The ZDX performed like Picasso as well; the older, less agile 4,400 pound Pablo. But still, there's engineering artistry behind its performance.

The 3.7-liter V-6 provides plenty of power at 300 horsepower and 270-pound feet of torque. Acceleration is quick and the Sequential Sportshift six-speed automatic transmission clicks through the gears with precision.

The independent suspension provides an extremely smooth (and quiet) ride, gliding over Detroit's bumps. The ZDX is best on the highway, where its wedge-like design cuts through the air and powerful motor never misses a beat.

On hard curves, the ZDX loses some of its sports appeal. The Super Handling All Wheel Drive system manages the torque between axles and wheels, and improves handling dramatically. The Active Damper System, which can tune the ZDX's suspension on the fly, helps its performance.

If Acura wants to attach that sports coupe moniker, it needs to deliver sports coupe performance. "Really sporty crossover" would be more accurate. The real question is: How much does that matter to you? For most people, probably not much.

The speed-sensitive system steering feels nicely weighted at any speed. There were also some nice high-tech driving features that simply make driving easier.

The blind spot detection system worked nicely, catching your eye every time someone sneaks into that space right off your bulging rear fender. The intelligent cruise control takes all of the work out of long hauls, adjusting the vehicle's speed based on the car in front of it. The back-up camera is a necessity, as you can see almost nothing out the back because of the roof's angle.

Plush and Exquisite

While the vehicle's performance was good, its interior is absolutely fabulous. If this ZDX is a sign of Acura's future interior, look out Audi, there's some competition on the way.

Acura managed to provide the mirror image of the exterior on the inside. But all of the sharp edges are covered nicely in supple leather.

And while there are a lot of busy lines throughout the cabin, it remains calm and sedate. The center console, which on other Acuras becomes an alphabet soup of buttons and knobs, is nicely organized. The black-face stereo only lights up the buttons if the stereo is on. If the stereo is off, the buttons meld in a simple black finish.

The navigation system takes a little getting used to, but has an excellent 8-inch VGA display screen. Add the technology package includes a 435-watt, 10-speaker surround sound stereo, Bluetooth audio connectivity, a USB port and auxiliary jack to connect other devices to the system.

The advance package includes LED lighting in the cabin, as well as the blind spot detection system, adaptive cruise control and Acura's Collision Mitigation Braking System -- as well as ventilated front seats and a brushed tricot headliner.

Everything about the ZDX feels plush and exquisite.

There's also lots of storage space, including 26.3 cubic feet behind the second row. There's even a hidden compartment below the floor of the back big enough to hold 2.2 cubic feet of stuff -- a handy feature when people passing by can look into your trunk space.

Really, the ZDX is fascinating. Some people will love it and others will hate it. But it certainly leaves an impression. And if you don't reach for the stars now and again, you're stuck right where you are without a hope that anything will change. Go on, take a risk. Acura did.

This may be a reach for Acura, and it's not going to set many sales records, but the result was worth it.

sburgess@detnews.com (313) 223-3217​

 

Radical Design

Acura ZDX CrossOver Sports Radical Design
12:26 PM CDT on Friday, July 23, 2010

By TERRY BOX / The Dallas Morning News
tbox@dallasnews.com

Give me a second here with my mod-pod Acura ZDX, the wildly styled crossover for chic urbanistas and well-dressed extraterrestrials.

Being a low-tech hick in common clothes, I need to flick through a few dozen of these buttons on the ZDX dash real quickly just to make sure this thing is not plasma-powered – or equipped with an ejection seat.

I wouldn't want to mess up its magnetic field or cosmic alignment – or mine.

You probably know all about the ZDX. Think of it as a mainstream Acura MDX crossover that has been chopped, shortened and treated to a full George Barris makeover – a radical body inspired by space-station hardware and old episodes of The Jetsons.

Somewhere far back in its genealogy, you can find a Honda Accord, but you won't see any evidence of it in the blade-runner ZDX.

The 1st time I saw 1 sitting in a suburban driveway, I thought: That's nice. ET must be home for the weekend – and he's driving Luke Skywalker's Jeep.

If great design is polarizing and provocative – as people much smarter than me contend – the ZDX is surely bound for Barrett-Jackson auctions and coffee-table collector books. I'm just not entirely sure I get it.

The Acura ZDX has a radical body that Terry says was inspired by space-station hardware and old episodes of The Jetsons.

But then, we plebes don't really have to. This is a low-volume vehicle (about 6,000 buyers are expected) that's supposed to compete with other, equally odd – er, provocative – crossovers such as the excessive BMW X6. And at a breath-taking price of $56,855, the adventurous ZDX is clearly not meant for duty as a soccer bus.

Unlike the hideous Honda Crosstour, though – to which the ZDX is related – the black 2010 ZDX I had recently was a pretty intriguing mode of transport.

1st, you have to get past the front end, which for some reason has become Acura's leading edge of clumsy styling. The glaring headlamps and bulky silver grilles give modern Acuras a kind of militaristic, armored look – though a couple of times, I believe I also saw likenesses of Richard Nixon in it. (I blame that mostly on the '70s.)

Tall and thick, the ZDX's dramatically swept-back headlamps flow into large shoulders over the front wheels. A faint character line becomes more prominent through the rear doors, growing into a shoulder that wraps around to the hatchback.

Getting a Handle on Doors

And check out the back doors if you can find them. Their latch is hidden in the rear roof pillar – a touch that custom king Barris would surely approve of.

All of this is topped, literally, by a radically sloping roof that Zippy the Psychedelic Skateboarder might be tempted to use some night as a roadside ramp. One of the best exterior features, the seven-spoke 19-inch alloy wheels, are wrapped with really meaty 255/50 tires.

Inside, the, uh, uniqueness continues. The dashboard is formed in textured black plastic with hoods over the instrument panel and navigation system. It curves down into a busy black center stack with silver trim running along the base of the dash.

Beneath that is a sculpted 6-inch band of stitched material that curves into a console covered in brushed aluminum-looking material. The lower dash and door panels are gray, contrasting with black upper panels.

The seats in mine were gray leather with perforated centers. Dramatic black-faced gauges share interior space with unusual gray tweed floor mats.

It all sounds dizzying, but it is a reasonably pleasant place from which to view the universe.

For the record, however, it's tough to get into the back seat of the ZDX because of the sloping top. Once you're back there, it's fairly comfortable.

With Acuras, the strangeness stops once you raise the hood – and the ZDX is no exception. It is propelled by a muscular 3.7-liter V-6 that makes 300 horsepower and is tied to a sophisticated 6-speed automatic – Honda/Acura's best powertrain.

On a Sunday morning with the Crawlway clear, the ZDX can scoot to 60 in a relatively fleet 6.4 seconds, according to Car and Driver.

Thanks to its heavy content and all-wheel-drive system, the crossover weighs in at a porky 4,421 pounds. As a result, fuel economy isn't stellar: 16 mpg city, 22 highway.

But the all-wheel drive that adds weight also makes the ZDX feel a lot more nimble than it really is.

Although not especially fast, the ZDX accelerates with vigor, its gutsy V-6 pulling hard to 6,700 rpm and even growling some along the way. The steering, while thick like a Honda Accord's, is quick, with good feedback.

The ZDX doesn't have sharp turn-in, but once it's in a curve, it grips tenaciously with little lean. If you overcook a corner, Acura's Super-Handling All-Wheel-Drive system can alter the speeds at which the wheels are turning to bring the ZDX back into line – a sort of stability enforcer, ironically.

Firm Ride

As with every Honda I've driven, the brakes were strong and reassuring. They complemented the firm ride of the ZDX, especially with the suspension set in sport. On the Crawlway, the ZDX feels like an aggressive crossover on performance enhancers.

I doubt I could ever own 1, though, because it doesn't pass my wax test – I don't like it enough to spend hours rubbing off a haze of Liquid Lustre. (My test is like one of those commitment quizzes with fewer goofy questions and absolutely no hand-holding.)

But I do like wacky nonconformists, and maybe the ZDX is just a good crossover in a beret and cape.