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2010 Acura ZDX Review

November 9, 2009

STYLING | 7 out of 10

Expert Quotes:

A mash-up of sedan, SUV, and sports coupe
CNET

ZDX looks far less exciting in photos than on the road
USA Today

Interior lives up to the aesthetically ambitious exterior
Popular Mechanics

What is it? You might ask the same question at first sight of the 2010 Acura ZDX, another of the recent rash of coupelike crossover vehicles. On sale this winter for about $42,500 base, the new ZDX slots between the Acura RL sedan and its big seven-passenger MDX crossover.

The 2010 ZDX shares some mechanicals with the big MDX crossover, but gets a coupelike body more suited to its seductive mission. The rear end has a muscular appeal, and the side view does all it can to convince you it's a coupe. Up front, the big, controversial Acura shield grille gets its most attractive installation yet. But there's something about this class of vehicles that just doesn't work in TheCarConnection.com's eyes. Some reviewers have moderate praise for the ZDX's styling. CNET calls Acura's latest MDX derivative "a mash-up of sedan, SUV, and sports coupe," while USA Today points out "a tucked and tailored roof covered in black glass panels and...rear-wheel bulges that would be striking even if the roof's taper did not accentuate them." Car and Driver considers the Acura "endearingly weird, the sort of vehicle you might expect Citroen to produce," though whether you find that charming or off-putting is a matter of personal preference. On the positive side, most reviewers agree with CNET's assessment that "the grille, which stands out like a beak on the smaller Acura sedans, seems to have found its medium" on the 2010 Acura ZDX.

The ZDX's cabin has a more dramatic flair inspired by destination hotels, with alternating concave and convex surfaces in plastic and real leather-but also a stark, monolithic center stack of black keys that "come to life" with white lighting when the car starts. USA Today deems it "the most elegant cabin in a luxury Honda to date." Jalopnik drools over the cockpit, calling the ZDX's driving environment "one of the nicest we've seen, period," thanks to a design that "puts the driver and passenger in comfortable and attractive ‘pods.'" Popular Mechanics appreciates that "the central multifunction knob intuitively navigates through menu functions" on the Acura's onboard computer. CNET describes the monolithic center stack that "looks black when the car is off, but backlighting highlights button labels when the audio system and climate control are turned on." The design is so striking that CNET reviewers "hope this feature finds its way into other Acura models, as it works well to hide the mass of buttons scattered over current Acura dashboards."

Conclusion

The 2010 Acura ZDX misses the mark with its exterior styling but finds redemption in its striking interior layout.

STYLING | 7 out of 10Expert Quotes:A mash-up of sedan, SUV, and sports coupeCNETZDX looks far less exciting in photos than on the roadUSA TodayInterior lives up to the aesthetically ambitious exteriorPopular Mechanics What is it? You might ask the same question at first sight of the 2010 Acura ZDX, another of the recent rash of coupelike crossover vehicles. On sale this winter for about $42,500 base, the new ZDX slots between the Acura RL sedan and its big seven-passenger MDX crossover. The 2010 ZDX shares some mechanicals with the big MDX crossover, but gets a coupelike body more suited to its seductive mission. The rear end has a muscular appeal, and the side view does all it can to convince you it's a coupe. Up front, the big, controversial Acura shield grille gets its most attractive installation yet. But there's something about this class of vehicles that just doesn't work in TheCarConnection.com's eyes. Some reviewers have moderate praise for the ZDX's styling. CNET calls Acura's latest MDX derivative "a mash-up of sedan, SUV, and sports coupe," while USA Today points out "a tucked and tailored roof covered in black glass panels and...rear-wheel bulges that would be striking even if the roof's taper did not accentuate them." Car and Driver considers the Acura "endearingly weird, the sort of vehicle you might expect Citroen to produce," though whether you find that charming or off-putting is a matter of personal preference. On the positive side, most reviewers agree with CNET's assessment that "the grille, which stands out like a beak on the smaller Acura sedans, seems to have found its medium" on the 2010 Acura ZDX. The ZDX's cabin has a more dramatic flair inspired by destination hotels, with alternating concave and convex surfaces in plastic and real leather-but also a stark, monolithic center stack of black keys that "come to life" with white lighting when the car starts. USA Today deems it "the most elegant cabin in a luxury Honda to date." Jalopnik drools over the cockpit, calling the ZDX's driving environment "one of the nicest we've seen, period," thanks to a design that "puts the driver and passenger in comfortable and attractive ‘pods.'" Popular Mechanics appreciates that "the central multifunction knob intuitively navigates through menu functions" on the Acura's onboard computer. CNET describes the monolithic center stack that "looks black when the car is off, but backlighting highlights button labels when the audio system and climate control are turned on." The design is so striking that CNET reviewers "hope this feature finds its way into other Acura models, as it works well to hide the mass of buttons scattered over current Acura dashboards." ConclusionThe 2010 Acura ZDX misses the mark with its exterior styling but finds redemption in its striking interior layout. 2010 ACURA ZDX STYLING | [7 out of 10] CNET: "A mash-up of sedan, SUV, and sports coupe" USA Today: "ZDX looks far less exciting in photos than on the road" Popular Mechanics: "Interior lives up to the aesthetically ambitious exterior" What is it? You might ask the same question at ...

Read More of this Review:

  1. styling
  2. performance
  3. quality
  4. safety
  5. features

Other Choices:

With its upscale price and features and its unusual blend of coupe and SUV, the 2010 Acura ZDX has few peers in the car world. It's closest to the new BMW 5-Series Gran Turismo and BMW X6 in mission; the X6 has a higher pricetag and slightly more usable room than the ZDX, while the Gran Turismo has a very spacious backseat, a tall roofline, and a flexible cargo area that puts function first. The Infiniti FX sport-ute possesses a jazzy style all its own, with tight rear seats and not much cargo space. Best of all is the new Cadillac CTS Sport Wagon, a five-door hatchback with longer rear doors than the CTS sedan; it has good cargo space, very good rear-seat room and access, and a compelling shape that's distinct from its four-door cousin, along with an option for all-wheel drive.

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See the Acura ZDX in Other Years:

2011 | 2010

Comments (2 total)

  1. By Tom #1, Posted: 10/13/2009

    Torque vectoring all wheel drive and a Helmholtz resonator? No fooling? Acura turns-up the wick to bring you the ultimate Pontiac Aztek - from the looks of things.
    I can see it now... with all his bases seemingly covered and not a care in the world, Pops guns it pulling out of the lot at Sun Valley or Winter Park or wherever and finds a vector right into the ditch across the snow-covered street. No matter how totted-up they are, they still don't drive themselves.
    No thanks. I'll keep my '99 Grand Cherokee Limited in reserve until something better comes along. Might even throw the old Jeep in low range and pull a few of these ZDX things out of the ditches they're sure to find themselves in.

  2. By Tom #2, Posted: 10/13/2009

    Torque vectoring all wheel drive and a Helmholtz resonator? No fooling? Acura turns-up the wick to bring you the ultimate Pontiac Aztek - from the looks of things.
    I can see it now... with all his bases seemingly covered and not a care in the world, Pops guns it pulling out of the lot at Sun Valley or Winter Park or wherever and finds a vector right into the ditch across the snow-covered street. No matter how totted-up they are, they still don't drive themselves.
    No thanks. I'll keep my '99 Grand Cherokee Limited in reserve until something better comes along. Might even throw the old Jeep in low range and pull a few of these ZDX things out of the ditches they're sure to find themselves in.

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