2024 Acura ZDX All-Electric SUV Review

My all-time favorite Country artist, whom I was fortunate enough to meet once, had a huge hit song by posing the question:  Who’s Your Daddy?  Well, that is sort of the question I have for Acura’s first all-electric, the ZDX SUV.  You see, Honda and General Motors decided to share platforms on electric vehicles which Honda desperately needed.   So, this Acura ZDX is on the GM Ultium platform, the same one I loved so much in the Cadillac Lyriq, and that our Executive Producer Amy Plemons loved when she reviewed the new Honda Prologue.

Exterior   

This ZDX top-of-the-line Type S is a real head-turner in Double Apex Blue Pearl with a black roof and drop-dead gorgeous 22” alloy wheels.  The front grill has a huge Acura logo that is backlit, and I love the Jewel Eye LED headlights. 

The roofline swoops down quickly in the rear with a strip of chrome that runs along the top edge of the windows, and that is the only thing I don’t like about the exterior looks.  It appears to end abruptly, and does anybody else think it looks a bit like a hearse?  Hopefully that is just me.

What is really interesting about the ZDX is the wheelbase.  Look how much space there is between the tires.  This over-6,000 pound SUV has an almost 122-inch wheelbase and an overall 197.7-inch total length.  To put it in perspective, this Acura has a longer wheelbase than the Cadillac Escalade, although the total length is shorter.  Between the wheels being set out to the corners, and the heavy EV battery running the length of the vehicle, this ZDX presents as very stable and has a really smooth ride.

Powertrain

Like all electrics, the acceleration is insane, and the performance numbers are impressive.  This dual-motor all-wheel drive SUV is putting out 499-horses (Acura, couldn’t you find ONE MORE somewhere?). 

Torque is rated at 544-pound feet, and 0-to-60 time is a quick 4-seconds.  Powering this Acura is a 102-kWh liquid cooled lithium-ion battery, and it has an 11.5 kW onboard charger. The horsepower, weight, and larger 22” tires cut down on the range, Acura says it will go 278-miles without recharging.  You can get well over 300 miles if you step down to the rear-wheel drive version of the ZDX.

Interior  

Moving to the interior, it is stunning from the moment you open the door to enter the cabin.  Everything is extremely clean (nothing cluttered) with premium materials, and the primarily white leather interior with black accents is really sharp. 

Front seats are bolstered, they are power with memory settings, and they are heated and cooled.  There is a lot of stitching on the seats and the center console has pass-through storage underneath.  This interior makes quite an impression from the beginning.  As a car reviewer, I immediately recognize some of the switchgear from other GM and Honda vehicles, including the A/C knobs, the gear shift stalk, and even the key are the same as many General Motors vehicles I have had.

As you hit the power button, an 11” very colorful gauge cluster that you can configure comes alive. My favorite view is a digital speedometer right in the middle that is surrounded by a circle that tells you how much battery power is left, a digital readout for your range in miles, the time, date, outside temperature, the total mileage on the vehicle, and what you are listening to.  As you look up, there is a terrific head-up display.

The command center of the ZDX sits right in the middle of the dash, and it is very familiar to me, except not as colorful as the screens I see in Chevys and the likes.  From this 11.3” touchscreen, you operate the amazing 18-speaker Bang and Olufsen sound system, the wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, there is a Wi-Fi Hotspot built-in, settings, a page to monitor charging, and the terrific Google Assistant that can do pretty much anything you command it to.  The car settings allow you to customize the steering, suspension, brake feel, accelerator feel, and you can even change the artificial motor sound, that actually does sound like a motor.

A swipe to the left gives you another page of apps that includes the rear camera setup, ambient lighting, the park assist (self-parking technology) and settings for the head-up display.  Everything is fast and super-simple to operate.  On the screen you get HD radio and SiriusXM, as well.

Moving down are all your air conditioning and seat controls, two USB-C ports, a 12-volt power outlet, two cup holders, a large pad to lay your phone down, and then just in front of the padded center glove compartment is a wireless cell phone charger.  To the left of the steering wheel and lower down are switches to change the drive modes (Honda take note: that is a crappy place to put drive modes, I hit the emergency brake button twice while driving), the Auto Hold, lane keep switch, and you can raise and lower the vehicle since it has air suspension.

Moving to the back seat, it was roomier than I expected, especially head room with the swooping roofline and a panoramic moon roof, but it appears fine for people who are 6’2” or so.  Leg room is great and rear occupants get a couple of USB-Cs, a power port, heated seats, and rear temperature controls.  There are also manual rear window shades and a fold-down armrest with cup holders.

Utility

Pop the power liftgate and there is a very wide and tall opening for 28.7 cubic-feet of cargo, plus storage underneath.  Buttons in the rear allow you to drop the 60/40 back seats to expand the area to 62 cubic-feet of cargo, but the back seat does not fold completely flat, although it’s close.  Just FYI, like some electrics, there is no frunk (front trunk) for extra storage.

Standard Features and Options

Everything I have mentioned on this Type S ZDX comes standard except for the $600 optional paint hue.  Other standard features include:  Surround-view camera mirror, 36-months of GM’s OnStar, heated steering wheel, ambient lighting, roof rails, and remote start.  This one has the Performance Tire & Wheel package which gives you yellow Brembo brake calipers and Pirelli summer tires-which are great-unless you live in a snowy climate.

Safety 

Safety features abound with Automatic Emergency Braking, Forward Collision Warning, Lane Departure Warning, Lane Keep assist, Adaptive Cruise Control, Blind Zone Steering Assist, Rear Cross-Traffic Braking, Traffic Sign Recognition, Reverse Automatic Braking, Tire Pressure monitoring, 4-wheel ABS, Front and Rear Ventilated Disc Brakes, and Emergency Braking Assist.

You also get AcuraWatch 360+ which is the semi-self-driving system.  Given the shared platform with GM, Acura is using the terrific GM Super Cruise, which I’ve said many times is the best self-driving system available so far.

Charging

Let’s talk charging times.  At a DC fast charger, you can pick up 81-miles of range in just 10 minutes.  Given the total range of 278-miles, that gives you a time to charge of just over a half hour to get to an 80% charge, which is what they recommend. 

I have a Level 2 charger at home, and it will take you from 3 hours to 8 hours depending on your charger, to get a 100% charge. When I charged it, it took roughly four hours from 20% left.  Finally, you can plug it into a regular 110 outlet.  Just know that if you do, it will take 24-hours to get to 80%, so plan accordingly.

As I write this, Acura is offering a free home charger and a $500 installation allowance as an incentive.  I recommend this, if at all possible, as opposed to taking an available free charging card for public charging stations.  I would never have an EV without a home charger.  I tell you all about mine here:

I Got a Home Electric Vehicle Charger →

Ride and Drive

I have said it on the air before, but the truth is, I haven’t met an electric vehicle I haven’t loved since the Nissan Leaf stranded me on the side of a freeway in 2010.  The reason is because of how they drive.  The acceleration, the quietness inside, and the ride and stability that is provided by the big batteries.  For some reason, electric vehicles bring out the venom in some people, probably because of the way the car companies and our own government tried to shove them down our throats.  However, most people who spew hatred for electrics have never driven one.  It makes a difference, kids. 

The Acura ZDX is a terrific example of how great an EV can be.  It drives great, it’s fast, and it has a luxurious interior.  One thing that kind of bothers me about my review vehicle is I have wonderful memories of Type S Acuras, like the TL and RSX models, and those memories invoke something very special in me.  This ZDX looks the part, but it just doesn’t feel the part.  I know that is a personal thing, and I don’t want to detract from the wonderfulness of the SUV.  I just wish they’d named it something else.

What You'll Pay

Price-wise, this electric SUV is coming in a higher than I expected at $76,450 before any rebates, and before the $7,500 federal rebate goes away.  I cannot help but draw comparisons to the stunning Cadillac Lyriq I reviewed.  It had 500-horses, but not as much torque but an amazing interior and was less than $4,000 more and is rated at better MPGe.  This Acura is rated at 83-MPGe city, 74-MPGe highway, and overall: 78-MPGe.  I don’t recommend it, but Honda says you can tow 3,500 pounds with the ZDX Type S.

Verdit

If you are shopping for an electric 5-passenger SUV, this one should be on your shopping list if you are looking at luxury models.  The ZDX has many positive qualities.