The body style of the ZDX may turn you off at first, but this car offers excellent handling and impressive cabin tech. And after a while, the looks grow on you.
Wayne Cunningham
Wayne Cunningham reviews cars and writes about automotive technology for CNET's Roadshow. Prior to the automotive beat, he covered spyware, Web building technologies, and computer hardware. He began covering technology and the Web in 1994 as an editor of The Net magazine.
The Acura ZDX is an example of a new style of vehicle hitting the market. Not quite as SUV-like as most crossovers, the ZDX looks somewhat like the BMW X6 and Honda Crosstour.
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The ZDX incorporates Acura's signature beak in its front styling.
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Power comes from a 3.7-liter V-6, the same engine found in the Acura MDX SUV. The MDX shares a platform with the ZDX.
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There is seating for five in the ZDX, although access to the rear seat is compromised by the low door sills.
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All-wheel drive with rear-wheel torque vectoring and an active suspension make the ZDX an excellent cornering vehicle.
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The rear of the ZDX ends in a point, just as the front of the car points forward.
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There is plenty of room for golf bags or a few suitcases in the cargo area, but it doesn't offer the dimensions of an SUV.
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Acura has greatly improved its cabin luxury with nice styling and quality materials.
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The ZDX is an easy driver, with a solid feeling behind the wheel.
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The six-speed automatic transmission works well for everyday driving, but doesn't quite live up to its sport setting.
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The adaptive cruise control lets you adjust the ZDX's following distance to the car ahead.
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The ZDX uses Acura's standard knob controller for its cabin tech interface. It works well, but isn't pretty.
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The ZDX could use a map upgrade for its navigation system, as 2D maps are all that is available.
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Traffic integrated with the navigation system helps you get around problems.
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Satellite radio provide music, along with traffic and weather data.
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Bluetooth streaming audio lets you play music without actually attaching a device to the car.
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The car's onboard hard drive holds 15GB of music.
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iPod integration comes standard with the ZDX, and lets you select music with voice commands.
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The Bluetooth phone system downloads a paired phone's contact list, making the entries available onscreen.
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The rearview camera offers two views, and static distance lines.
